by Jack Grimme, Contributing Writer
The Assassin’s Creed series has been a Triple-A dynasty for nearly two decades, evolving and diverging in nearly every direction. Starting with relatively tame tales of covert assassins and secret societies, the later titles have expanded to include pirates sailing the deep blue sea, eventually veering into stories of Norse gods and Vikings. The recent titles, unfortunately, have put the developers at a crossroads. Do they continue down their current path, abandoning the deeply rooted stealth elements in favor of trendy RPG mechanics, or return to their origins, reclaiming the spark that originally made the series a hit? This year’s release, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, attempts to forge a new path, hoping to unite the divided fan-base.
Their solution to the thematic dilemma was to establish two leads with distinct play styles that players can swap between at will. The narrative follows a young shinobi (a Japanese title often used interchangeably with “ninja”) named Fujibayashi Naoe (MASUMI) who must hunt down her father’s stolen artifact. Along the way, she meets Yasuke (Tongayi Chrisa), a slave-turned-samurai whose backstory is just as compelling as that intro suggests. The odd pair may take a while to click, but as events unfold, they come to realize their paths might have converged for a reason. Gameplay-wise, Naoe’s silent lethality is geared towards longtime fans, whereas Yasuke’s brutal fighting style is reminiscent of the Vikings from previous titles, making him ideal for players who prefer to announce their presence as they approach an outpost of violent foes.
The two protagonists are a breath of fresh air for a variety of reasons. Splitting up the two approaches is an innovative solution to the franchise’s issue. And the differences are far from superficial. Depending on the difficulty, many early levels are grueling when played as Naoe, because she doesn’t fare well in direct combat. Yasuke’s bulk and constitution make him a better fit for most of these sequences. However, upgrading Naoe’s covert abilities proves invaluable later in the game when face-to-face combat scales in challenge. Shadows is also interspersed with backstory sequences that add depth to the playable characters — this has been lacking in recent entries. The impactful, earned character arcs pair with some solid dialogue, potentially signaling narrative growth for the studio.
The dichotomy between the leads’ fighting styles is just one of the strengths of this game’s combat. Shadows offers an impressive level of customization and nuance within the action that keeps things relatively fresh. In the past, Ubisoft has struggled to fill their worlds with satisfying side quests, often populating the towns with repetitive fetch quests and paint-by-numbers assassin contracts. Fortunately, the developers are moving in the right direction. The extra details sprinkled throughout Japan aren’t groundbreaking, but they are more than enough to keep the player engaged, with plenty of standout beats and highlights. It doesn’t hurt that the game’s recreation of Japan is gorgeous. The colors pop, the world feels lived in, and the flower-filled scenery begs you to take a break and appreciate the environment.
All in all, Shadows is a solid time for fans of the franchise. Ubisoft opted to stop reinventing the wheel and get back on course. Unfortunately, it’s hard to imagine this formula holding up. Sure, the dialogue is improved, the characters are somewhat compelling, and the scenery stands out. However, as someone who has played almost every entry so far, this feels like the 14th entry in a franchise in all the wrong ways. It’s enjoyable enough in the moment, but the second the console powers off, the moments get lost in the bland amalgamation of memories of previous titles. The slightly bolder changes with Valhalla and Odyssey weren’t perfect, but they at least felt new. The blending of genres feels like a Band-Aid that will quickly peel away as the fatigue catches up to the fan base. Ubisoft is going to need a lot more than a concealed wrist blade up their sleeve to keep this franchise from remaining redundant.
Rating: Low Side of Liked It
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is currently available on Playstation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC
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