Assassin's Creed Shadows Gameplay

Dual Protagonists, Action Adventure Open World, Stealth, Combat

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an action adventure open world video game where players control two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, and uncover a story set in feudal Japan. Players explore a world map filled with diverse landscapes, missions to complete, sites to explore, and more. The game features a dynamic environment where weather patterns shift and seasons change, affecting gameplay in real-time.

As with other Assassin's Creed games, it has information gathering mechanics where players explore the environment, scout locations, and gather vital intel to uncover hidden areas and identify targets. Players also build a network of spies and recruit allies with unique abilities to aid in quests.

The two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, each offer unique gameplay styles. Yasuke’s gameplay contains a brutal and direct approach, while Naoe’s gameplay highlights stealthy and strategic methods.

As Naoe, players must use stealth and agility to outsmart enemies. Use tools like kunai, shuriken, and smoke bombs to distract guards, while mastering parkour and grappling hook skills to navigate enemy territory unnoticed. Players also can use the hidden blade to silently eliminate targets and accomplish missions. On the other hand, as Yasuke, players focus on precision and strength. Engage enemies in intense combat using a variety of weapons such as katana, kanabo, bows, and more.

AC Shadows Fight System

Naoe and Yasuke can use directional dodges to defend and avoid enemy attacks. Naoe's dodges are performed as directional rolls, while Yasuke's are directional steps. Both protagonists can also parry/deflect enemy attacks and perform counterattacks. Unique to Yasuke, players can use block mechanics that allow him to defend and block himself from attacks using his weapon.

The attacks in this game generally consist of three varying types which include Light, Heavy, and Posture.

Yasuke’s Playstyle and Combat Mechanics

Yasuke’s combat style veers towards traditional melee combat, requiring players to dodge or counter enemy attacks, indicated by blue and red indicators on their blades. Unique to Yasuke, players can use block mechanics that allow him to defend and block himself from attacks using his weapon.

Yasuke wields a Long Katana, Naginata, Japanese Yumi Bow, the Kanabo, a spiked club for dealing with armored foes, and the Teppo rifle, a single-shot rifle for ranged attacks. His playstyle focuses on head-on confrontations rather than stealthy approaches. His attack sequence is brutal, featuring graphic finishing moves where Yasuke decapitates enemies or impales them before slamming them down. These finishers are accentuated with black-and-white frame cuts and blood splatter.

Naoe’s Playstyle and Combat Mechanics

As Naoe, players experience a combat approach focused on stealth and agility. Naoe can scale walls, hide in foliage, and perform stealthy kills. Naoe primarily uses the Tanto and Hidden Blade, along with throwable kunai for ranged attacks, shortblade Katana for close-ranged combat, and the Kusarigama, a ball-and-chain blade that can be used for slicing through crowds of enemies and environmental objects.

Naoe’s gameplay channels more traditional Assassin's Creed mechanics, making smart use of tools and strategic planning. She can silently kill, distract, or displace guards to avoid detection. She also has the ability to crawl in a prone stance—a viable mechanic for making escapes, where players should remain undetected while finishing off the remaining foes in your immediate area.

According to creative director Jonathan Dumont, Naoe is the fastest Assassin that Ubisoft has ever made in the series to date. With her light frame, quick feet, and gadgets that aid with stealth, and other abilities, Naoe is moves at a lightning speed pace that other Assassins can't match.

AC Shadows Stealth System

In AC Shadows, players won't have access to a bird companion that aids with extrasensory perception, simply known as Eagle Vision, unlike in past games. Instead, both Yasuke and Naoe have a new "Observe" mechanic. The Observe mechanic allows players to identify targets, tag and monitor enemies, and highlight loot. However, Naoe has access to Eagle Vision along with her heightened auditory ability that helps highlight enemies hidden behind walls.

The game features colored prompts placed above enemies that indicate whether the player's attack results in an insta-kill (instant kill), damage dealt, or a failed assassination. It also introduces new mechanics in the series such as Naoe being able to hide in the shadows, making her completely invisible, and the ability of both characters to go in a prone stance to reduce visibility. Unique to Naoe in prone stance, she is able to destroy light sources for added darkness and cover. And while prone, Naoe is able to dodge and roll in multiple directions.

Enemies

In Assassin's Creed Shadows, players encounter different enemy types. These include Outlaws, clever enemies who use unusual tactics; Ronin, highly trained rogue samurai; Samurai Daisho, a unique type of samurai found in military castles; Guardians, an elite group of samurai who present the most difficult challenges in combat; samurai and Ashigaru soldiers.

Enemies make use of a variety of different tactics when engaging players in combat, from performing combos to executing flurry attacks, which flurry attacks cannot be blocked or parried, and hard-hitting, highly kinetic attacks simply known as Unstoppable attacks.

In the game, the success rate of assassinating enemies involve perks, progress, and the right decisions/executions. "A strong enemy may survive a frontal assassination but may die from a sneaky air assassination," as associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois described the mechanic.

Canon Mode

In the game, choices and dialogue options mostly affect recruiting allies and romancing characters. AC Shadows features a Canon Mode that automatically chooses the dialogue options for the player. Ubisoft calls it a "choice-free experience" of AC Shadows when Canon Mode is enabled. Meaning, the game simulates a "canon" version of the game's narrative that isn't affected by branching dialogues.

Player Agency in Completing Questlines

AC Shadows features a non-linear campaign, wherein most of the main targets' questlines can be completed through exploration instead of in a predetermined order. However, the game's core mechanics suggest that there is "an optimal path" through progression and exploration, according to Ubisoft.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Story Plot

In Assassin's Creed Shadows, players delve into the rich tapestry of feudal Japan during the late Sengoku period, where the land is torn asunder by strife and conflict. At the heart of this tumultuous era are two remarkable individuals: Naoe, an adept shinobi from the remote Iga Province, and Yasuke, a powerful African samurai of historical legend.

Naoe, born and raised in the fiercely independent land of Iga, inherits the legacy of the shinobi, learning the arts of stealth, deception, and agility from her father, Fujibayashi Nagato, a legendary figure in Igan Shinobi history. As the game unfolds, Naoe embarks on a journey of self-discovery, honing her skills and embracing the values of valor, benevolence, and wisdom instilled by her upbringing.

Meanwhile, Yasuke arrives in Japan as a foreigner, intrigued by the enigmatic allure of this distant land. In the service of Oda Nobunaga, Yasuke navigates the complex political landscape of feudal Japan with intelligence, respect, and a deep reverence for the culture he encounters. As players delve into Yasuke's story, they uncover the mysteries surrounding his past and his profound connection to the unfolding events of the era.

As players choose between the perspectives of Naoe and Yasuke, they uncover a web of intrigue, betrayal, and alliances that shape the fate of Japan. Together, Naoe and Yasuke forge an unlikely alliance, their distinct personalities and abilities complementing each other as they confront the challenges that lie ahead. With Naoe's fiery passion and Yasuke's thoughtful demeanor, they embark on a journey fraught with danger, facing adversaries both within and without as they strive to usher in a new era for Japan.

Assassin's Creed Shadows could see the return of the Animus, and consequently, the narrative split between past and present events of Assassin's Creed lore, as hinted at in the initial reveal trailer.

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Clark Jason Kong

Growing up playing all sorts of games, they love playing a little bit of everything, all of the time. Favorites include Counter-Strike, Life is Strange, Final Fantasy, Spiritfarer, and Devil May Cry.