‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Review: Ubisoft Crafts a Mesmerizing Experience That Misses the Mark

The arid Holy Land, famed Renaissance Italy, the illustrious Constantinople, the American Colonies during the Revolution, the seas of the Caribbean, France during its chaotic Revolution, England’s bustling Industrial Revolution, sprawling Ancient Egypt, storied Ancient Greece, and ninth-century Viking England — these are all the many locations and periods that the Assassin’s Creed games have transported their players to. Assassin’s Creed Shadows now finally takes us to Feudal Japan, a highly requested location by fans.

Since the release of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Ubisoft has turned the franchise into an RPG. Assassin’s Creed has never mixed well with the RPG genre, and Shadows proves that Ubisoft is still working on perfecting the formula. Their last game, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, went back to the original roots for the 15th anniversary of the franchise. It didn’t live up to the expectations that fans wanted from a modern-day Assassin’s Creed game with original gameplay. Ubisoft has now returned to the RPG style of Assassin’s Creed with Shadows, and while it’s not as exhausting as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the game still manages to run into some issues, Ubisoft style.

The World of ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Instantly Pulls You In

There are many ways to feel more connected with the game’s world. Assassin’s Creed Shadows involves both Portuguese and Japanese factions, so Ubisoft created a mode called “Immersive.” This allows the audio to switch between Portuguese and Japanese dialogue flawlessly; it’s most impressive during moments when Yasuke (Tongayi Chirisa) switches between the two languages, hinting at the harrowing past that he derives from.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the best-looking Assassin’s Creed game to date. Feudal Japan is a beauty to behold, and it can’t be helped but to get lost in the vast world of this game. It features a “seasonal” mechanic where the seasons will gradually change, resetting scouts and providing gameplay advantages depending on your game plan. Every season feels like you’re experiencing a new map — similar to how New York felt like a different map in Spider-Man: Miles Morales — Assassin’s Creed Shadows is able to replicate that same feeling but also allows it to have a heavy involvement with how you play the game.

There’s a lot to do in this game aside from its main story. You’ll meet plenty of characters on your journey who might need your help killing a certain group of enemies or searching for tea across the land. It’s hard not to fall in love with a few of the character’s you’ll meet in Feudal Japan. If you were wondering if you could pet the dog, the answer is yes, you can pet the dogs and the cats. Not only that, but you’ll gain them as pets for your hideout, which you can customize to your liking.

Naoe and Yasuke Are the Driving Force of ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’

The powerful Oda Nobunaga is leading Japan on a brutal path to unification. Corrupt foreigners are infiltrating the land and new alliances are being formed. After the brutal attack on Iga, Naoe (Masumi Tsunoda), a young Shinobi assassin, embarks on a journey to retrieve what rightfully belongs to her and to discover the history of the Assassins in Japan, while Yasuke, a hardened samurai, confronts the demons of his past, discovering a new path for himself.

Unlike in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, where the two main characters are already familiar with each other (as they’re siblings), Shadows starts their stories separately. Later, their stories intertwine, giving you the freedom to switch between the two. Naoe and Yasuke bring something unique to the table with their gameplay, making it feel like you’re playing two different games at once. Naoe offers the unique Assassin’s Creed gameplay experience as she focuses on stealth and has faster attacks. Yaskue, on the other hand, plays more like a brute — he can take hits and hits harder.

An unfortunate downside is that while Ubisoft does an outstanding job of connecting the two and furthering the Assassin’s storyline, it begins to fall apart once we enter the third act of the game. There’s a lot of confusion, as once the credits roll, it feels like there are still a lot of unanswered questions. Yasuke’s story has the satisfying conclusion that you’ve been fighting for the entire game, but Naoe’s story only feels like you’ve just begun once you come to the end of it, leaving a lack of resolution.

Ubisoft Still Struggles To Find Magic Even After Two Delays

Assassin’s Creed Shadows continues the Animus storyline by introducing a character illusively known as The Guide. You come across rifts throughout the game that allow you to come into contact with The Guide and learn more about what’s taking place. Unfortunately, this is a story that doesn’t lead anywhere fascinating and overall feels like a waste of time.

Truthfully, this — along with how buggy the game was during the review period — made it feel like this was an unfinished product that Ubisoft still wasn’t ready to release. Ubisoft has a track record for releasing games that have bugs, but it starts to portray a lack of care when there are game-breaking bugs in a video game after several delays.

The third act and epilogue suffered from major audio bugs, which hinder the overall gaming experience and take you out of what should be the most immersive Assassin’s Creed game yet. The worst of all is that dialogue in a lot of the cutscenes would not play, leaving the characters in an awkward stance and us, as the players, confused about what was taking place.

‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Makes Odd Choices

The arrival of Assassin’s Creed Origins introduced mythology into the lore of its franchise and has found its way into each game since then. Assassin’s Creed Shadows seemingly forgets about including any Japanese mythology in its core story, which is a disappointment as there is a rich history they could’ve easily played around with.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has all the right components to be the best Assassin’s Creed game since Origins but is let down by its game-breaking bugs and the lack of care in certain aspects of the game. It improves hugely by once again making side activities engaging, offering complex characters who contrast each other and gameplay that stays refreshing with the variety of weapons to try out with both Naoe and Yasuke. Yet Shadows still fails to reach the heights that its predecessors have managed.

Follow Agents of Fandom on socials for all the latest entertainment news and reviews.