Assassin's Creed Shadows: Ubisoft's Golden Ticket

In simpler terms, Assassin’s Creed Shadows seems more than just an ordinary video game launch for Ubisoft. Given the speculations about its ownership, the less-than-satisfactory sales of Star Wars Outlaws, and the two postponements of their latest open-world title, there’s a lot riding on this for the French publisher. It’s not just that they want to get it right; they need to. Having played four hours of the game at a recent event, we are optimistic that they have finally found the right formula.

Ubisoft granted us permission to explore two different parts of the game: the narrative-rich introduction and a sequence of primary missions involving an early assassination target. This segment also included a substantial portion of the open world, thereby enabling various side quests and additional activities.

Initially, there was the Animus Hub, often recognized as Assassin’s Creed Infinity. This serves as a platform that allows you to play various Assassin’s Creed games simultaneously. In our trial version, it presented a scrollable menu showcasing recent additions and an unseen voice named The Guide to provide introductions. The preliminary build displayed Assassin’s Creed Origins, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, and the game we were there to test. It remains uncertain if Animus Hub offers more than just a menu, so this aspect is worth exploring once the final version is released.

In Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, the prologue presents the primary characters Yasuke and Naoe, each given a brief backstory a few months prior to the game events. Prior to the storyline, Yasuke is seen accompanying his mentor, Father Valignano, to meet Lord Nobunaga in an attempt to secure freedom of movement for their priests in that region. They reach an accord, but at the expense of transferring Yasuke’s ownership from Valignano to Nobunaga. After six months, Yasuke finds himself fighting alongside Nobunaga, targeting shinobi leaders and besieging castles in a secluded Japanese village.

In the story, focus shifts towards Naoe, a resident of the village that Yasuke and his allies are currently destroying. She’s tasked with finding a special box hidden in a nearby cave, due to her possession of the Hidden Blade. As she reaches the location, a samurai attacks her, taking the box and setting up a brief revenge storyline for Naoe. The violent events conclude the prologue, and we move on to the open-world part of the game.

As a die-hard fan, I must say that the prologue of the latest Assassin’s Creed game left me utterly impressed! While there were moments of gameplay, it was the overall enhancement in presentation that truly caught my eye. The cinematic quality has taken a significant leap compared to previous installments, and the storytelling was engaging and intriguing.

One aspect I’ve longed for improvement in past games is the audio, particularly the sound effects. And it seems like Ubisoft has finally nailed it! The sound design in this game is top-notch, making the experience even more immersive.

In the grand adventure that lies ahead, the gaming experience appears as an engaging fusion of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Mirage. The initial feel is reminiscent of Odyssey in its expansive map and free-roaming exploration, with fewer markers on the map and hidden activities that gradually unveil themselves. As the game progresses, it adopts a style similar to Mirage, particularly in its early missions, which are structured around specific targets.

At the heart of this narrative lies a main target, referred to as The Noble. To learn more about them and their location, you must complete various missions. This journey offers an opportunity to test out both Yasuke and Naoe, with the quests leading up to The Noble’s demise providing ample time for experimentation.

Our adventure kicked off with Naoe, whose skills in stealth and observation made him ideal for trailing, spying, and sneaking. As previously advertised before the release, players can choose to play through the entire game as either Yasuke or Naoe, or combine them as desired. It’s quick and easy to switch between characters using the pause menu, and at key points in the storyline, the game will prompt you to select which character you’d like to control.

In a nutshell, during gameplay, Yasuke excels in combat situations while Naoe is at her best when unnoticed. This distinction is consistent with what’s previously recorded. In terms of equipment, Yasuke can wield long katanas, naginatas (staff weapons with blades on the end), and kanabos (large spiked clubs) to inflict greater damage and absorb more hits. He’s a formidable warrior with multiple skill trees that allow for customization, enhancing his abilities and attacks, but he’s not an easy shortcut or cheat code. The combat remains balanced, offering a challenging experience even as Yasuke, with the difficulty level determining the strength of the enemies.

In contrast, Naoe flourishes in the dimly lit areas and tall vegetation. Unique to her are items such as kunai, shurikens, and additional tools, as well as access to the Hidden Blade. What sets her apart is her ability to use Eagle Vision to scrutinize her environment. Swift and nimble, Naoe effortlessly navigates her surroundings by leaping and climbing, while also making use of a grappling hook to either swing over wider chasms or ascend vertical surfaces. Should she be detected and drawn into a battle, Naoe can rely on katanas, kusarigamas (resembling a chain with a blade at the end), and tantos (a compact sword).

As a gamer, I’ve found that Yasuke excels in combat situations, while Naoe shines when it comes to stealth. However, don’t let these character traits confine you – you can certainly play stealthily with Yasuke and tackle combat encounters with Naoe, though it requires more finesse.

When it comes to parkour, Yasuke isn’t as agile as he seems; he’s bulkier, has less jumping power, and needs to hang onto ledges before pulling himself up after big leaps. He moves slowly on narrow ledges and is cautious when facing great drops. Every action feels slower and lacks the gracefulness that Naoe exhibits in his movements.

In a different scenario, I find myself vulnerable as Naoe when under observation, taking significant damage from attacks and dishing out less of my own. To endure these combat situations, I need to masterfully utilize my tools and skills, ensuring that every block, dodge, and parry is executed flawlessly. While Naoe can survive encounters, much like Yasuke stumbles over rooftops, it takes finesse and expertise on my part to emerge victorious without a scratch.

In contrast to many Assassin’s Creed games, this latest installment emphasizes open-ended discovery. The publishers have made efforts to differentiate the gameplay from what’s been criticized as the “Ubisoft formula”. While viewpoints remain a feature, most map markers and icons have been eliminated. Instead, when you reach a synchronization point, you can survey the landscape for new areas to examine. As you rotate the camera, question marks will pop up automatically, signaling there’s something intriguing in that location.

In the initial area we explored, these icons primarily pointed out significant landmarks and settlements. However, the quests and activities they held were not explicitly marked. Instead, during our exploration, we found hidden gems like animal painting spots and archery challenges near these locations. Unfortunately, you couldn’t mark these on your map from a distance. So, while the icons provide a rough guide to landmarks, it’s up to you to visit each place to uncover all its details.

In comparison to its role-playing game predecessors like Odyssey and Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers less land area to explore; in fact, if you fully zoom out, you can swiftly scroll from the map’s top to bottom and side to side within a few seconds. However, despite its smaller size (approximately seven to 10 main regions), Ubisoft has compensated by making it richer with activities. You’ll rarely find yourself traveling long distances without encountering something new to engage in or a more challenging version of a task previously encountered.

One method of rephrasing that is simple and easy to understand: The connection between these actions and character development is through Knowledge Ranks. By accomplishing tasks like locating Missing Pages and offering prayers at sanctuaries, your Knowledge Rank will rise, granting you access to new skills at specific checkpoints in the various skill trees. This aspect of the game motivates players to engage in such activities, offering a break from the main storyline while also giving them an opportunity to grow stronger.

In my thrill-seeking adventures, I found myself concluding an engaging preview session set in the Harima region, where we successfully brought down The Noble with a swift strike of our blade. This series of about four to five captivating quests, woven together, mirrored the cinematic allure of the prologue, adding depth and intrigue seldom seen in Assassin’s Creed games. Whether this structure will be a constant throughout the entire game remains to be seen, but for now, it has proven effective—even without the full context of the backstory and future events.

The impact of that story and unrestricted exploration throughout the entire game can’t be fully evaluated until we get our hands on the final version in two months, but a sneak peek at an early section of the plot suggests that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is focusing more on stimulating curiosity and promoting freedom rather than relying on instructional guides and overused map markers. This title isn’t larger – which is good news for many – and it looks like a significant improvement compared to its predecessors. Given that the lead developer of Shadows worked on Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, this is high praise indeed. It might just represent the pinnacle of Ubisoft’s role-playing game spinoff of their long-running franchise thus far.

2025-01-23 20:07

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Ubisoft’s Golden Ticket

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