Summary of "Assassins Creed Shadows - Before You Buy"
Assassin's Creed Shadows - Before You Buy: Summary
Storyline & Setting:
- Set in a richly detailed and vibrant Japan, featuring diverse environments such as big cities, castle towns, fishing villages, and forests.
- The story focuses on two main playable characters with distinct narratives: Naoe, a fast and stealthy Shinobi assassin, and Yasuke, a powerful but slower Samurai.
- Naoe’s story is somewhat generic, while Yasuke’s has more interesting flavor.
- The game attempts to deliver a strong narrative with lengthy dialogue and cutscenes but suffers from corny writing and awkward voice acting, making it hard to connect with characters or care about the story.
- Story pacing and mission structure often feel repetitive and muddled, with many side and main quests revolving around simple objectives like killing targets or collecting items.
Gameplay Highlights:
- Two fully fleshed-out playable characters with starkly different play styles:
- Stealth mechanics are improved and considered the best in recent AC games since Origins, featuring:
- Useful stealth tools without filler.
- New mechanics like crawling prone (similar to "Last of Us") and Shinobi-proof floors/traps.
- Some fiddly controls in tight interior spaces.
- Combat is straightforward and satisfying with light/heavy attacks, dodges, perfect parries, and special abilities.
- Gore and decapitations are notably well-done, adding to combat immersion.
- Allies can be called in for assists during combat, reminiscent of "Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood."
Progression & Exploration:
- Skill trees divided into weapon types, tools, and assassin skills with useful unlocks.
- Unlocking advanced skills requires "knowledge ranks," earned through exploration and completing mini-games in temples and shrines.
- These mini-games and exploration tasks can feel like grindy busywork, detracting from fun.
- Players build and customize a home base/hideout, adding workshops, rooms, and decorative items like statues and pets.
- The world is large and beautiful with dynamic seasons affecting gameplay (e.g., snow slows movement).
- Wanted status and enemy chases add challenge and excitement.
Key Tips & Strategies:
- Playing on higher difficulty enhances the experience, especially stealth sections.
- Use Yasuke mainly for story missions or when brute force is needed; rely on Naoe for exploration and stealth.
- Explore thoroughly to find hidden collectibles and temples for skill progression, but be prepared for some tedious tasks.
- Utilize stealth tools and environmental traps to stay undetected.
- Customize your hideout for bonuses and personal enjoyment.
Pros:
- Gorgeous, immersive, and varied Japanese world.
- Two distinct and well-designed playable characters.
- Improved stealth mechanics, arguably the best in recent AC titles.
- Smooth, satisfying combat with impressive gore effects.
- Stable performance on PS5 with minimal bugs or glitches.
- Dynamic seasonal changes enhance visual variety and pacing.
Cons:
- Story and characters are bland with poor voice acting and writing.
- Repetitive and rinse-repeat mission design.
- Exploration mini-games and knowledge rank progression feel like grindy busywork.
- Yasuke’s limited mobility hampers exploration and some gameplay aspects.
- Some control and camera issues in tight interior spaces.
- Loot and rewards can be sparse or underwhelming outside of hideout decorations.
Overall Impression:
"Assassin’s Creed Shadows" is a technically solid and visually stunning game with distinct characters and improved stealth, but it suffers from a weak story, repetitive missions, and some design choices that may frustrate players.
The game may appeal more to fans who enjoy deep exploration and stealth, while those seeking a compelling narrative or varied gameplay might find it lacking.
Estimated main story length is about 35-45 hours, with potential for 70+ hours if fully completing side content.
Featured Gamer/Source:
- Jake from Gameranx (reviewer and presenter)
Category
Gaming
