Editor’s note: Ubisoft provided a review copy of Assassin’s Creed Shadows for PC (Ubisoft Connect) to IGN India for this review.
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has brought historical fiction to life across different locations and periods, giving us some memorable protagonists and stories. It took quite a while, but the series has finally made its way to Japan. Moreover, considering everything in the year or so, Ubisoft had everything riding on the success of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The most important aspect was to prove that it could still deliver a great gaming experience. And I think the French video game company has been successful in doing that.
A Dual-Protagonist System That Works
In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, there is something different from most other Assassin’s Creed games: a good implementation of dual protagonists. AC Syndicate also had two protagonists, but in Shadows, the execution is much better. Both characters play vastly different from each other as they wield distinct weapons, have different types of combat styles, and have different side quests and activities.
The two leads are Naoe, a female ninja from the Ikko-Ikki clan known for her assassinations, and Yasuke, who starts off as a slave with the Portuguese before rising to become a samurai. The two team up to take down an organisation causing havoc in 16th-century Sengoku-period Japan. The game includes warriors, samurai, clans, lords, bandits — everything you would expect from a classic fiction set in this era.
In the first few hours, Yasuke is introduced into the story as part of the tutorial, but you mostly play as Naoe. Only after around 12 hours or so, when the first chapter ends, you can switch between the two protagonists and take on most quests with whichever character you prefer.
Stealth vs Strength
Naoe and Yasuke’s stories are closely involved, and while they often don’t see eye-to-eye on what’s happening around them, they still manage to work as a team. Naoe is the character the game pushes you to use for stealth and parkour, while Yasuke is the brute who charges head-on into enemies with swords. Their abilities are built around these traits. That being said, stealth feels more natural in Shadows, and Naoe’s playstyle fits the experience best if you want to feel like an assassin. You might expect there to be plenty of scenarios where picking Yasuke would feel better, but I didn’t really find that to be the case, because I found Naoe’s gameplay to be more fun, and what I want from an Assassin’s Creed game.
My preference towards Naoe’s gameplay style does not mean that Yasuke’s playstyle is half-baked, though. It is just as detailed and refined. Yasuke can not only strike enemies hard but also destroy the environment, and doors that Naoe can’t access, plus he has long-range combat too. The point is that Shadows gives you two different gameplay styles, and you can choose what you want, which expands what the game can offer in terms of gameplay experience.
Stealth Is Actually Fun Again
True to the “Shadows” name, stealth is actually done quite well here. Yasuke’s style plays exactly how you’d expect for a tank-like character, but Naoe’s approach makes stealth much more enjoyable. A lot of factors also influence how easy or difficult sneaking around feels, like the weather or the type of surface you’re moving across, making the stealth gameplay feel like it has some depth to it. Naoe also has access to the Eagle Vision, which Yasuke doesn’t. She can highlight and ping enemies to track them, which complements her stealth playstyle.
If you have played Assassin’s Creed Mirage, you will recognise the objective board that shows various characters and their associated quests. It is a neat way to keep things organised and track your objectives instead of scrolling through a long list of main and side quests. A lot of different quests open up within the first few hours, but the good thing is, you don’t have to stick to any particular order, as you can tackle any storyline as you like.
I enjoyed the main quests, as they are paced well. That being said, the story leans on clichés and tropes you would expect from any fictional work set in this era. The quintessential Assassin’s Creed narrative is stitched into this war-torn period of Japan, and it is handled pretty well.
Admittedly, there is a lot of “go to this place and do this” structure in quests, but thankfully, I didn’t come across any tailing missions where you follow a character, which is the old hat of the Assassin’s Creed series. How the quests are designed makes you never feel like you are losing track of the main story while completing them. They stay grounded and connected to the larger plot.
One of the more annoying things in the game is travelling to the place where your quest is taking place. Not the journey itself, but finding out where exactly you need to go. Your objective won’t just be marked clearly on the map. Instead, you get clues about the location, and you can use scouts from your hideout to pinpoint your target. Replenishing your limited scouts isn’t straightforward either, which slows down how quickly you can complete the main quests. The other way is to head to the general area mentioned in the clues and try to figure out your objective’s exact location by guessing, but that also eats up time.
You can explore castles, villages, and caves for side activities to find good loot. These are decent fun, not too difficult, not too easy, and made for some engaging gameplay while I was taking a break from the main story.
Good Characters, Decent Plot
The main story of Assassin’s Creed Shadows runs for around 35–40 hours. The antagonist is the Shinbakufu, a shogunate organisation made up of various lords that Naoe and Yasuke aim to take down. The story isn’t particularly strong, but playing through it for once is satisfying. The characters are the highlight here – we get a very emotional start with Naoe and follow a good portion of her journey after her clan’s village is razed, sending her down a path of revenge.
Yasuke, on the other hand, doesn’t get much spotlight until several hours into the game. His arc focuses on rising from enslavement and seeking justice for his past while trying to find his place in a foreign land. He serves Oda Nobunaga with honour, craving acceptance as a samurai. You will be invested enough, and the main story isn’t forgettable, but it won’t keep you on the edge of your seat either. The personal stories within side quests end up being more compelling than the overarching plot. In terms of immersion and world-building, though, Shadows gets it right.
Different Strengths for Each Character
The combat isn’t particularly hard to master, but you won’t be slicing through enemies effortlessly either. The enemy AI uses various tactics, including stronger hits that can’t be blocked, forcing you to dodge, as well as the ability to block your attacks. Overall, the combat is engaging and diverse enough for both characters, and you will find yourself using a variety of moves and tools like kunai to make battles easier. Naoe’s stealthy attacks are fun and satisfying to execute, and with upgrades, you get better at pulling them off.
Though Naoe struggles against hordes of enemies, she can still cut her way through. Yasuke, on the other hand, is built for this, wielding traditional Japanese swords, spears, and clubs to power through waves of enemies. If you want a fast character, pick Naoe, but she’s a bit weak. If you want a strong character, go for Yasuke, but he’s comparatively slower. I found both characters fun in their own ways, making combat one of the more enjoyable aspects of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
The skill trees for both characters offer plenty of options to enhance their playstyles. The developers have given six trees instead of the three that were in AC Syndicate to Mirage. It is refreshing to see so many abilities that open up new ways to play, rather than just slightly boosting damage or increasing an ability’s duration. It makes collecting points and upgrading feel quite rewarding.
The Beauty of Feudal Japan
One of the first things you must have noticed from the teasers and trailers is how beautiful Ubisoft’s take on feudal Japan looks. There is greenery everywhere, with different kinds of flora and fauna scattered across almost every area you visit. I didn’t find the villages and towns all that pleasing, but the natural areas are stunning to explore. You will come across hills, forests, lakes, rivers, caves, and everything in between. The game also features different weather conditions, and the world shifts slightly depending on the current weather, such as lush grass in spring or frozen water bodies in the winter, which is a nice detail that adds more life to the in-game environment.
Ghost of Tsushima Comparison
Let’s address the big elephant in the room. Considering the setting of the game, one is bound to make inevitable comparisons between Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Tsushima. Both are open-world games with stealth mechanics, set in feudal Japan, and revolve around assassinations, politics, and overcoming powerful enemies. Since Ubisoft took so long to set up an Assassin’s Creed game in Japan, Ghost of Tsushima got there first and did it really well, leaving little room for Ubisoft to surprise us. But five years later, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, did Ubisoft actually bring something new to the Japan setting?
The story and its themes are more deeply embedded in the gameplay of Ghost of Tsushima (2020), and it edges out Shadows in that regard. You won’t find the same level of integration in Shadows, but that’s not necessarily bad. They don’t have to be the same game. As mentioned earlier in the review, stealth in Shadows is done really well. It has more depth, more mechanics, and more gameplay variety. Sneaking past enemies is tough, but you have more tools to work with — things like crawling while prone. Because of the difficulty, you will need to keep changing your strategy. Compared to that, the stealth in Ghost of Tsushima is more straightforward. However, Tsushima has the upper hand when it comes to combat. Jin just hits better, and slicing through enemies has a satisfying, cinematic feel to it.
With a five-year gap between the two, Shadows obviously has higher visual fidelity, although Tsushima still looks great even now. It has a more stylised, artistic look, while Shadows leans into realism. The story in Tsushima also feels more poetic and filmy, focusing on the Mongol invasion of the island. In contrast, Shadows gives you more freedom and gameplay choice, with a more grounded narrative set in a later period. What you prefer will really depend on your taste.
The map and world in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are also larger. So, there is a bit of a contrast here. If you enjoyed Ghost of Tsushima, Shadows won’t feel like something entirely new. Tsushima brought fresh energy to open-world games, while Shadows sticks to what has worked in Assassin’s Creed titles so far, adding a few positive tweaks here and there. But if you are just looking to play more games set in feudal Japan, Shadows will scratch that itch pretty well.
It is a win-win if you are a fan of this setting. You get more good games that suit your preferences. And there is even better news: Ghost of Yotei is also coming out a few months later on October 2, 2025. This time, it won’t be set on Tsushima Island, but on mainland Japan, just like Shadows. Now we wait to see what Sucker Punch Productions and Sony have planned to keep things fresh and fun for players.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Worth the Money?
That was our critical judgment, but is Assassin’s Creed Shadows actually worth the money? As of publishing, the game’s base version costs INR (₹) 4,899 on PC and ₹5,599 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. The game is 75% more expensive on PC than Valve’s suggested price of ₹2,800 on Steam. It would have been a great value if Ubisoft had followed Valve’s regional pricing. Still, it seems the company has long stopped caring about fair pricing, even after having two regional offices in the country.
Regardless, at the current price in India, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is still somewhat worth it if you are a fan of the series. It offers enough updated content while retaining the familiar elements that work in Assassin’s Creed. However, if you are not already into the AC franchise, there is not enough here to completely change your mind.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a solid and enjoyable addition to the series, successfully mixing familiar gameplay with a fresh take. The game’s dual-protagonist setup, with Naoe’s stealth skills and Yasuke’s raw power, creates a combat system that is both varied and exciting, even though stealth missions are still more fleshed out. The game’s take on Sengoku Japan is visually stunning, with lush forests, serene rivers, and stormy skies that feel alive with detail. While the quest structure occasionally falls into the familiar “go here, do this” pattern, the decently paced story and engaging missions keep you hooked throughout. That said, despite some improvements, the game doesn’t quite break new ground. The combat, though satisfying, doesn’t offer anything revolutionary, and the story, while solid, sometimes relies on familiar tropes. For long-time fans, Assassin’s Creed Shadows provides a rich, immersive experience with enough nostalgia and novelty to make it worth playing. However, newcomers may not find enough innovation to change their opinion of the series. The price point in India might sting a bit, but for dedicated fans, it is still a somewhat worthwhile investment.
