Assassin's Creed Shadows

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Assassin's Creed Shadows
Assassin's Creed Shadows cover.png
Developer(s) Ubisoft Quebec [a]
Publisher(s) Ubisoft
Director(s) Jonathan Dumont
Charles Benoit
Producer(s) Karl Onnée
Artist(s) Thierry Dansereau
Writer(s) Ryan Galletta
Composer(s)
Series Assassin's Creed
Engine Ubisoft Anvil
Platform(s)
Release
  • WW: February 14, 2025
Genre(s) Action role-playing
Mode(s) Single-player

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an upcoming action role-playing game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. The game is the fourteenth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series and the successor to 2023's Assassin's Creed Mirage , as well as the first title to be included in the Assassin's Creed: Infinity platform.

Contents

Set in 16th-century Japan towards the end of the Sengoku period, the game will focus on the millennia-old struggle of the Assassin Brotherhood, who fight for peace and liberty, and the Templar Order, who desire peace through control, from the perspective of two protagonists: Naoe, a female shinobi, and Yasuke, [b] an African samurai inspired by the historical figure of the same name. [c] The two characters control differently and provide a unique gameplay style, allowing quests to be approached in multiple ways.

Shadows is scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, macOS, and iPadOS on February 14, 2025.

Gameplay

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an action-adventure stealth game similar to its predecessors. It is developed on an upgraded version of Anvil, utilizing dynamic lighting and environmental interactions with new enhancements such as breakable props, in addition to allowing players to manipulate shadows and use a grappling hook for parkour. [5] The game's open world, whose size is comparable to that from Assassin's Creed Origins , [6] progresses through seasons, each affecting gameplay, including frozen water and icicles in winter, long grass and blooming plants in spring. Missions are non-linear, encouraging players to track and eliminate targets freely; in a change from previous games, vantage points will exist in the world but only to help the player scan the environment for points of interest, rather than populating the player's map with objectives markers. [7] Alternatively, one can recruit and train a spy network to gather intelligence, alongside bribing officials to ascertain the whereabouts of targets. [8] [9]

This installment introduces new gameplay features, including the ability to crawl along the ground in a prone position, providing the player characters with a lower profile and the capability to access small openings. The character can also venture into shallow water, where they then deploy a bamboo stick to breathe through. [5] [10] Eagle vision also makes a comeback, but unlike Assassin's Creed Mirage , it would not reveal the NPCs through the walls; [11] as enemies are denoted in red, while allies are highlighted in orange. Moreover, a diverse selection of historically accurate weapons is showcased, ranging from katanas and the kanabō war club to yari spears, shuriken, kunai, and the kusarigama. Each weapon comes with its own skill tree, enabling players to improve their proficiency with specific weapons over time. [5]

Players have the ability to switch between characters as they progress through different missions. Yasuke's combat features destructible environments and realistic weapon impacts, providing a cinematic fighting experience, in addition to using arquebuses, giving him a powerful long-range capability. Meanwhile, Naoe brandishes the iconic hidden blade with its pivot feature to serve as a tantō, as well as utilizing a kusarigama to fend off attackers, swinging its chain in wide arcs to create distance. Moreover, she employs stealth tactics with an agile and lethal playstyle, hiding in the rafters and ambushing enemies through Shoji paper doors. [5]

On November 21, 2024, Ubisoft released additional information on new and improved gameplay mechanics: [12]

Synopsis

Setting

Assassin's Creed Shadows is set in feudal Japan, specifically starting in 1579 during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. This era marks the final stage of the Sengoku period, a time of intense civil war in Japan. The game features the historical figure Oda Nobunaga at the height of his power following his victory over the Takeda clan using arquebus firearms. Key historical events include Nobunaga's assault on the Iga province in 1581, a significant battle involving the Iga ikki, known for their ninjutsu arts. [13]

The game will explore central Japan, including regions like Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, and the Iga province, with historically accurate castles such as Takeda and Fukuchiyama, along with detailed historical landmarks and strongholds designed as intricate dungeons. [7] This setting promises a vibrant world of urbanization, bustling ports, samurai districts, and ornate architecture, all significant for parkour and exploration in the game. The influence of Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries, who introduced Christianity and new technologies like cannons and long guns, also plays a role in shaping the game's environment and narrative. [13]

Development

Shadows was announced at Ubisoft Forward in September 2022 under the working title Assassin's Creed: Codename Red along with its planned successor Assassin's Creed: Codename Hexe . [14] There, Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed would be entering a third period related to shifts in design philosophy and approaches to future games, all connected by a working concept called Assassin's Creed Infinity . [15] The first major gameplay details were announced on May 15, 2024, along with the final name and release date. [16] [17] [18] It was also later revealed that Ubisoft Quebec who previously developed Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Assassin's Creed Syndicate would be developing the game. [19] Development began in 2020, following the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla . [11]

Shadows is the first game in the series to be aimed at the ninth generation of video game consoles (PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S), dropping support for the eighth generation consoles (PlayStation 4 and Xbox One). Lead producer Karl Onnée said the hardware available in the newer consoles was necessary to support the new version of their engine that supplies effects like light, shadows, and dynamic weather. [20]

Release

The game was initially scheduled to release for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, macOS, and iPadOS on November 15, 2024. [21] [22] In September 2024, Ubisoft announced that, despite the game being feature complete, they opted to delay the release to February 14, 2025, for further polishing, citing learnings from the Star Wars Outlaws launch in August. The company also cancelled the game's season pass and refunded existing pre-orders, with future pre-orders set to include the first expansion for free. In a shift from Ubisoft's previous release practices, the PC version will launch simultaneously on Steam, Epic Games Store, and Ubisoft Connect. [23] [24] [25]

Upon the release of the video game's premiere trailer on May 15, 2024, the decision to feature Yasuke as a central character in the upcoming video game prompted criticism online. [26] Conservative critics and fans on social media reacted negatively to the inclusion of a Black samurai protagonist instead of an indigenous Japanese one, accusing Ubisoft of going woke, or saying that Yasuke was "not a 'real' samurai." [27] [26] Others noted that Ubisoft has never made a game with a male East Asian protagonist. [26] The online backlash led to harassment and threats directed at the game developers, Laurence Russell of Wired likened the backlash to the Gamergate harassment campaign and the alt-right. [28] [29] Ubisoft has defended their position on their choices for Yasuke in response to the criticism. Game director Charles Benoit said that Yasuke was chosen because players could discover Japan at the same time as Yasuke, "through his eyes, the eyes of a foreigner". [30] [31] Matt Kim of IGN praised the choice of Yasuke to differentiate itself from other samurai games featuring Asian protagonists. [32] Scholar Thomas Lockley defended Yasuke's portrayal as a samurai, and stated that no reputable Japanese historian had questioned Yasuke's samurai status. [33]

Reception

Awards

Assassin's Creed Shadows was nominated for the Most Wanted Game at the Golden Joystick Awards 2024. [34]

Notes

  1. Additional work by Ubisoft Belgrade, Ubisoft Bordeaux, Ubisoft Bucharest, Ubisoft Chengdu, Ubisoft Kyiv, Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Odesa, Ubisoft Osaka, Ubisoft Pune, Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Sofia, and Ubisoft Tokyo [1]
  2. The game proclaims that Yasuke was originally from Mozambique, brought to Japan with the Jesuit missionaries. [4]
  3. While the game's marketing referred to Yasuke as the first playable historical character in the series, Jack the Ripper, Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia, and Leonidas I were playable in Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015), Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia (2016), and Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018), respectively.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yasuke</span> 16th-century African samurai

Yasuke was a man of African origin who served as a samurai to Oda Nobunaga between 1581 and 1582, during the Sengoku period, until Nobunaga's death.

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<i>Assassins Creed: Brotherhood</i> 2010 video game

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Naoe is a masculine Japanese given name and surname. Naoe can be written using different kanji characters 直江, 直枝 or 尚江. It may refer to:

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<i>Assassins Creed III: Liberation</i> 2012 video game

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<i>Assassins Creed IV: Black Flag</i> 2013 video game

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<i>Assassins Creed Unity</i> 2014 video game

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<i>Assassins Creed Syndicate</i> 2015 video game

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is a 2015 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It was released on October 23, 2015, for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, and on November 19, 2015, for Windows. It is the ninth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series, and the successor to 2014's Assassin's Creed Unity.

<i>Assassins Creed Origins</i> Action-adventure game

Assassin's Creed Origins is a 2017 action role-playing game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the tenth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series, following 2015's Assassin's Creed Syndicate. Principally set in Egypt, near the end of the Ptolemaic period from 49 to 38 BC, the story follows a Medjay named Bayek of Siwa and his wife Aya as they seek revenge for the murder of their son. It also explores the origins of the Assassin Brotherhood—referred here to as the Hidden Ones—and of their millennia-long conflict with the Order of the Ancients—forerunners to the Templar Order. The framing story, set in the 21st century, follows a new character, Layla Hassan, who relives Bayek and Aya's memories using a modified Animus device.

<i>Assassins Creed Odyssey</i> 2018 video game

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is a 2018 action role-playing game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft. It is the eleventh major installment in the Assassin's Creed series and the successor to 2017's Assassin's Creed Origins. Like its predecessor, the game features a large open world and adopts many elements from the role-playing genre, putting more emphasis on combat and exploration than stealth. Naval combat from previous titles in the series also plays a prominent role in Odyssey. The game's plot tells a mythological history of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta from 431 to 422 BC. Players control a Spartan mercenary, who fights on both sides of the conflict as they attempt to find their family and eliminate the mysterious Cult of Kosmos. Odyssey also continues the story arc of Layla Hassan, a major character introduced in Origins, who relives the mercenary's memories through the Animus device to find a powerful artifact.

<i>Assassins Creed Valhalla</i> 2020 video game

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a 2020 action role-playing game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is the twelfth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series, and the successor to 2018's Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Principally set in the years 872–878 AD, the game recounts a Viking fantasy story during their expansions into the British Isles. Players control Eivor Varinsdottir, a Viking raider who, while attempting to establish a new Viking clan in England, becomes embroiled in the centuries-old conflict between the Assassin Brotherhood, who fight for peace and liberty, and the Templar Order, who desire peace through control. The game also includes a framing story, set in the 21st century, which follows Layla Hassan, an Assassin who relives Eivor's memories so as to find a way to save the Earth from destruction.

<i>Assassins Creed Mirage</i> 2023 video game

Assassin's Creed Mirage is a 2023 action-adventure game developed by Ubisoft Bordeaux and published by Ubisoft. The game is the thirteenth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series and the successor to 2020's Assassin's Creed Valhalla. While its historical timeframe precedes that of Valhalla, its modern-day framing story succeeds Valhalla's own. Set in 9th-century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age—in particular during the Anarchy at Samarra—the story follows Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief who joins the Hidden Ones to fight for peace and liberty, against the Order of the Ancients, who desire peace through control. The main narrative focuses on Basim's internal struggle between his duties as a Hidden One and his desire to uncover his mysterious past.

References

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