I held out hope for as long as I could, but I can’t deny it any longer:Assassin’s Creed Shadowsisn’t going to win me back. Between theyearly releasesand shifting gameplay systems, the series has completely lost its identity and drove me away years ago. Of course, like anyone else, I had to turn my attention back to the franchise when we learned about Assassin’s Creed Red (which later became Shadows) when we learned the series would be heading to Japan. To me, this felt like a “break glass in case of emergency” move for the series, but I was willing to see what Ubisoft was cooking before casting judgment.
Between the reveal, previews, and the latest gameplay showcases at the Ubisoft Forward capping offSummer Game Fest, the only thing I find compelling about Shadows is Yasuke. He’s a great choice for a protagonist who can provide a unique perspective on the world, as well as be the first playable historical figure in the franchise. Unfortunately, even Yasuke can’t carry the entire game on his back, and I’m now ready to fully pass on this entry.
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As a longtime Assassin’s Creed fan, I feel like I’ve been there, done that
Assassin’s Creed has some serious issues with tiresome gameplay
What killed my interest in Assassin’s Creed years ago was the sheer repetition of the gameplay. I’m not just talking about how little games evolve from title to title, but even within the games themselves. The original Assassin’s Creed through Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, to me, felt like they were the absolute limit for how far the formula could go. The open worlds were manageable, with side objectives and collectibles within reason. By the time we got to Black Flag, not even the ship combat could bolster the bloated runtime.
It is this fluff content that would end up being the only defining trait for the series over time. As the stealth and assassination focus waned in favor of more traditional RPG mechanics, the worlds and side content grew. Very few single-player games' core mechanics can stay fun and varied enough for 100 hours of running around collecting doodads and completing fetch quests.
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Could the ninja and samurai have been a perfect duo?
This new game lets you pick your style
The two lead characters, Naoe and Yasuke, are meant to represent the two playstyles from AC history. The samurai Yasuke plays just like the new RPG-focused games, while Naoe has deeper stealth mechanics somewhat like the classic series. On the surface, that seems great, but I can already see the corners being cut. The footage showing Naoe’s stealth makes it look great, and I was actually hopeful for a good chunk of that showing. Then the combat began. Once I saw Naoe fight off a group of five or so enemies before deciding to run away, it clicked in me how Ubisoft was carefully choosing to present this gameplay.
If just about every mission can be completed by either character, no mission can be built specifically for either one. The demo had her carefully sneak, crawl, and grapple around, but I don’t believe it will actually be so necessary in practice. There appear to be no consequences for being detected, and it might even be more efficient.
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Right place, wrong time
Japan isn’t enough
Assassin’s Creed missed its chance to make the perfect Japan-set entry in my eyes. Had this game come after the Ezio trilogy, it might have been the perfect blend of stealth gameplay and open-world scope. In the current age of Assassin’s Creed, and with so many other recent games giving us an arguably improved version earlier, I just can’t get excited for Shadows.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows won’t be bad. A game with that budget almost can’t flop, but I also can’t see it being anyone’s favorite game of the year, either. It isn’t trying anything new or risky the series hasn’t already done before to alleviate the fatigue of another 100+ hour RPG just like the last one but in a different setting. Naoe being more stealth-focused does actually look impressive, but I don’t see it working well with the structure of the game built around it. It has become a game about size rather than depth.
I don’t just want more Assassin’s Creed, I want a sharper, more focused experience. Unfortunately, Shadows doesn’t look like it will deliver on that front.
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