Savoring Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ living, breathing recreation of 16th century Japan

Image source: Gamesplanet

It’s the dead of night. Goons circle around a campfire, celebrating their theft of a mysterious treasure box. I don’t actually know what’s in it, but it’s mine, and I need it back. I throw my grappling hook at a tree branch above the campsite and jump, swinging forward before doing a magnificent flip in midair. I land on top of one of the goons with my wrist-mounted blade lodged in his throat. I am not just any assassin — I am one of the most nimble, acrobatic, and stylish assassins to ever grace an Assassin’s Creed game.

After the combat-focused excursions of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, I’m overjoyed that Assassin’s Creed Shadows puts stealth on a pedestal. But I’m even more psyched that I’ll get to be a sneak king in a game so big and beautiful.

Assassin’s Creed has always been about navigating gorgeous terrains — be they Italian cities or the North American countryside — to track down and stab bad guys. The games’ plots vary, but they always lead to that gameplay loop. As such, Shadows is part sightseeing tour, part high-octane murder simulator. It sticks with this tried-and-true formula while elevating both halves of the equation to their definitive forms. For every sick grapple-hook swinging, kunai-throwing, blade-stabbing, head-decapitating assassination I pulled off, there was an equally enjoyable trek preceding it. That’s because the game’s world is visually immaculate.

Image source: Gamesplanet

Ubisoft’s interpretation of 16^th century Japan feels well and truly lived in. No two street corners look alike. Rooms are detailed and littered with unique oddities, as though a real person was just there and left something behind — something you won’t find in the next room over. Even war-torn buildings look like they were blown apart in distinct ways, so that no two piles of rubble seem the same. In some games, it’s easy to spot duplicate textures. In this game, I must remind myself there are textures; I keep thinking the sights I’m seeing are real.

When the wind blows, my character’s hair sways, blades of grass fly around, and the million trees surrounding me in the Japanese countryside shake with realistic rhythm. I can hear the trees’ branches and leaves smacking about just as clearly as I hear the gust that moved them. The horizon’s always filled with tantalizing destinations depicted with just enough deliberate, artisanal haziness to make me think “Is that a real building in the distance?” I cannot believe what Ubisoft’s art team has achieved and how hard they must’ve worked to produce this world.

When I take a break from sightseeing to play the game, it’s a blast. The stealth gameplay is masterful. Parkouring around environments has a satisfying heft to it, but I always feel nimble as the stealthy Naoe, one of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ two protagonists. Her grapple hook and general agility make her one of the most mobile characters in the series’ history.

Image source: Gamesplanet

The game’s other playable protagonist, Yasuke, is a worthy olive branch to players who miss Odyssey and Valhalla’s more combat-friendly gameplay. Since most activities let me choose who I want to play as, Yasuke isn’t just a companion to Naoe; he can be a full-on substitute. Whereas Naoe dies easily and is suited to slinking, Yasuke is a big ol’ samurai with a body built for punishment and a blade that cuts down goons like bamboo stalks. His heavyweight physics and special combat moves mean that when I want a break from stealth, I can hulk out for a totally different experience. Whether I want to sneak, fight, or explore, Shadows always has a way to lure me back in and keep me playing in its massive, visually stunning open world.

This wealth of variety and content means I’m not even close to truly finishing my adventure in 16^th century Japan; there’ll always be one more cave to explore or side quest to wrap up. I have no clue when I’ll 100% Shadows, but I do know that when the credits roll, I’ll have traveled thousands of miles on foot and by horse and have stabbed just as many ne’er-do-wells. And I’ll have enjoyed every second.

You can pick up Assassin’s Creed Shadows right now on Gamesplanet.