The two protagonists represent two ways of fighting in this era of Japan, but they also embody two different versions of Assassin’s Creed that have evolved over nearly 18 years. — Photos: Ubisoft
Ubisoft has a lot riding on Assassin’s Creed Shadows as the company faces an uncertain future after several flops and misfires. The first-person competitive shooter XDefiant and the open-world sailing adventure Skull and Bones failed to take off while Star Wars Outlaws didn’t sell as well as predicted.
The publisher’s best chance for a massive hit lies in its flagship franchise, which has all the hallmarks of a blockbuster. Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes the series, where fans have always wanted it to go – Japan. In this case, players enter the Sengoku period, in which Oda Nobunaga ruthlessly consolidated power. It’s a time when samurais and shinobi roam the battlefield and firearms have begun to emerge. It’s an era that seems tailor-made for the series.
Two protagonists and two styles
Amid this tumultuous era, two warriors cross paths. The first is Yasuke, a black samurai whom Oda takes under his wing. As his retainer, Yasuke becomes a feared swordsman on the battlefield. The second is Naoe, a kunoichi from Iga who has the hallmarks of past Assassin’s Creed protagonists. She wields the hidden blade and has a second sense that lets her detect adversaries and other important items.
Yasuke represents the more recent Assassin’s Creed games starting with Origins. He’s the heavy hitter that powers through enemies like a bull raging down the streets of Pamplona.
They represent two ways of fighting in this era of Japan, but they also embody two different versions of Assassin’s Creed that have evolved over nearly 18 years. Naoe is the classic take on the series. She’s weaker compared to Yasuke and relies on stealth to eliminate her foes. She pounces on enemies from above or ambushes them after luring them into the bushes. She’ll be overwhelmed when crowded but can fight in a pinch until she breaks a line of sight and hides.
Yasuke represents the more recent Assassin’s Creed games starting with Origins. He’s the heavy hitter that powers through enemies like a bull raging down the streets of Pamplona. He shows off Shadows' new combat system that relies on parries and dodges to create openings along with posture-breaking attacks that take longer to pull off. It’s more like Ubisoft trying to pull off an Arkham-style combat system with more of a focus on reading and reacting than fluidity.
A melding of dual worlds
Players control these divergent protagonists as Ubisoft tries to synthesise these two branches of the Assassin’s Creed series. In the process, they’re trying to take the best of both worlds to forge a new way forward and Shadows shows off the best and worst of that endeavour.
Naoe is the classic take on the series. She’s weaker compared to Yasuke and relies on stealth to eliminate her foes.
At its best, the adventure offers novel quests and scenarios that don’t always ask players to go from point A to point B to stick a knife in someone. The mission craft is more creative, asking Naoe to play detective in spots while other times asking players to dig deeper when given an assassination mission. At times, players will get to strategically choose which character to use.
They both play so differently that it slashes the gameplay fatigue in an epic that will take dozens of hours. Naoe feels swift and can easily access higher areas with her grappling hook. Meanwhile, Yasuke doesn’t parkour as well and can’t reach all rooftops but handles combat-heavy areas like the Terminator in a police station. The two styles complement each other well.
At its best, the adventure offers novel quests and scenarios that don’t always ask players to go from point A to point B to stick a knife in someone.
They even become important when combined with the dynamic season and weather systems. If it’s raining at night, that’s the perfect time to use Naoe, who excels in stealth with the rain muffling her movements and the darkness concealing her whereabouts. In the daytime, Yasuke’s direct approach is best just as long as the goal is within reach.
At its worst, Shadows suffers from too much sprawl. The main developer, Ubisoft Quebec, crams the campaign with a ridiculous amount of side quests and dynamic encounters. Players will encounter missions that spawn more tasks or they’ll encounter tired collection quests. The rewards are sometimes worth it, but they just seem like busy work, and something that doesn’t serve the larger narrative and sucks the main campaign’s momentum.
At its worst, 'Shadows' suffers from too much sprawl. The main developer, Ubisoft Quebec, crams the campaign with a ridiculous amount of side quests and dynamic encounters.
Another element that Shadows brings back is the option for players to build their own village, but in this case, it’s a hideout for the burgeoning secret organisation, the Kakushiba Ikki. It’s another resource sink in a game that will engross more time. Players can let their creativity shine through in the layout and decor while the hideout buildings also serve to upgrade gear and other gameplay elements.
Inevitably, Assassin’s Creed will draw comparisons to other open-world adventures set in Japan such as Rise of the Ronin and Ghost of Tsushima. Shadows doesn’t have the combat chops of the former nor does it have the elegance and artistry of the latter.
The adventures of Naoe and Yasuke are steeped in more melodrama and politics of that age. It’s grittier and at times bloviating, but it’s still quintessentially Assassin’s Creed as the series continues to search for the right balance between delivering a tight and direct adventure and rambling and substantial epic. – Bay Area News Group/Tribune News Service
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows
3 stars out of 4
Platform: PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and Series S, Mac and iOS
Rating: Mature
