For honor and legacy.
For years, fans have dreamed of an Assassin's Creed game set in feudal Japan. This was an era of conflict, treachery, and undying loyalty. During the years until this would finally be realized, other studios would offer a glimpse of what that could entail. Ghost of Tsushima and Rise of Ronin are each fantastic in their own way, but the depth and characterization present in Assassin's Creed Shadows allows this new adventure to soar high above and become my favorite in the series.
While Assassin's Creed has dabbled with dual protagonists before in Assassin's Creed Syndicate with Jacob and Evie, it rarely felt like the journey was built for both characters. Here, Fujibayashi Naoe, and Yasuke each have a significant presence in the story, both in their motives, as well as entirely different approaches to gameplay. Once available, you can take on enemy encampments and the wealth of side quests as either character, each built to tackle these objectives in completely different ways, both in gameplay and dialogue. Whether it is stealth killing an entire fort or bashing in the door and beheading everyone in sight, Shadows has you covered no matter your playstyle. And with an eventual co-op mode being added, you'll be able to combine those styles into a bloodbath of stealth and force alongside a friend.
Assassin's Creed Shadows lead studio is Ubisoft Quebec, the team behind my previous favorite entry in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. This adventure, whom canonically is through Kassandra, was an absolute delight, especially through the assassination targets where you would piece together clues to track down and find your target. This system was loosely added to future entries, but it never felt embraced as much as what the Quebec team had accomplished in Odyssey. That said, with this team leading the development chores on Shadows, this system is back, if a tad simpler this time around.
One new feature of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the ability to play through the entire game canonically. Previous games with dialogue options, and different choices of male or female, had their own canon. Here, you can choose to play through the canon storyline with dialogue choices removed for you to enjoy the story as it is intended. However, if you want to choose your own path, you have that option as well.
In the game's opening few hours, you'll get to know Yasuke and Naoe. Yasuke is a slave that piques Lord Nobunaga’s interest as he takes the man under his wing, providing the teachings needed to be a capable samurai. Naoe, a member of the Iga clan, continues her training with her father, before the village is attacked by Nobunaga’s forces. This opening is filled with action, emotion, and strong character development, as well as putting the pieces on the board for Yasuke and Naoe's eventual meeting.
What kicks off the story is the presence of the Shinbakufu, a group of twelve individuals who hold power over the land and its people, a group hiding behind masks. While Naoe and Yasuke are hellbent on tracking them down and discovering who they are, they do so under their own personal motives. While they will agree on certain ways to handle them, they also have their own sense of justice that they want played out, often clashing with their ideals.
The assassination board was my favorite part of Odyssey and not only do we have this group to track down, but numerous other groups that each have their own narratives that will affect either Naoe or Yasuke. From pirates on the western shore to disgraced ronin that walk the roads, there is plenty to track down and eliminate. These targets can either be easily found by turning on advanced tracking, or removing this feature and using the geographical clues to find them. For an example, you’ll eventually need to track down a man named Hayate. The clues for finding him are; Attacks happen in Kii in winter, The bandits are in eastern Kumana Sanzan, and Ambushers stalk Taisha entrances. Now, the quest marker can lead you directly to them, but you can turn that off and simply use the contextual clues to track them down. That said, I do have to say that I was disappointed by the fact these targets rarely move around the environment and are almost always waiting to be killed. Some were nearly isolated from any guards or allies, making it a cakewalk to take them down, especially as Naoe.
The main twelve villains each have their own mini-narrative, fleshed out reasons why they joined this group, what they benefited from it, and their ties to the events that kicked off the story. Many of them are extremely fascinating, especially “The Mourner”, as their identity was an interesting one to see revealed. This list of targets is personal to the heroes, and the range of emotions felt throughout these stories was constantly well executed with some incredible facial capture that while wasn't perfect, did the job better than most games do with more advanced tech and budget.
In fact, there is one particular scene that might be one that remains with me for years. There is a scene some hours in where Yasuke is tasked with fighting another samurai for ownership of a sword that previously belonged to Yasuke’s current mentor, Nobutsuna. As you win and present the sword to this teacher, the pride across his face tells a billion emotions in ways words simply cannot. The brief moments between Yasuke and Nobutsuna Sensei were a highlight of the story for me and was just a joy to see unfold. From being a man that Nobutsuna thought untrainable, Yasuke had achieved something incredible, showing that his teachings were understood and that Yasuke was committed and respectful to this art.
Now, Yasuke is based on a real man who served Lord Nobunaga from 1581 to 1582 during the Sengoku period. He was offered the role as Nobunaga’s bodyguard after the lord wished to see a black man, a meeting he had never experienced before. The Lord gave him the name Yasuke, whereas the game allows Yasuke to find a deeper meaning behind choosing the name himself. Regardless, Yasuke was given a home, a stipend and served the lord faithfully during his time alongside him. The game certainly takes some liberties with Yasuke, but it’s also worth pointing out that Yasuke has been present across several games, such as Nioh 1 and 2, as well as Samurai Warriors 5, among others.
Yasuke is a man whom can be violent, but his calm nature is wonderfully captured by actor, Tongayi Chirisa. His performance is astounding as regardless of the path you can place him on through dialogue, Yasuke is one who respects the culture he has been forced to endure, given his status and eventual mentorship under Nobunaga. Tongayi is wonderful here alongside a great character design and facial capture, conveying a wealth of emotions as Yasuke is determined to honor his past and fight for his freedom.
Naoe, however, is not based on an actual person but has just as much importance here in more ways that even Yasuke. If I had to pick a single character to be the lead, Naoe would certainly be it, given that she is the assassin in this adventure. While Yasuke has a similar assassin strike, his is more of a brutal finisher than a stealthy and silent stab. What I enjoy about Naoe is her determination to honor her father’s legacy of protecting a box that is stolen from her in the game’s opening moments. She is then thrust into battle, given the hidden blade with no context to its legacy, and subjected to a degree of violence her training barely prepared her for. Her desire to master her craft while searching for the box was a highlight of the story for me, a performance that soars, thanks to her portrayal by Masumi Tsunoda.
Naoe’s story does eventually tie into elements one would want from an Assassin’s Creed title, but thankfully, the bulk of the story is told in this era, meaning the future aspects of the deep dive through the animus are largely secondary. Ever since Origins, the series has slowly started to phase this element out, and thankfully, apart from a few distractions, Shadows is the period piece I’ve wanted from the series since its inception.
Naoe is further cemented as the lead due to many elements being presented to her during her opening few hours. You’ll meet Tomiko, a hardened, war-stained survivor who works alongside Naoe to ensure her success against the Shinbakufu. A short while into the story, Tomiko will offer a plot of land to Naoe to use to recruit others to stop this group. This introduces a base-building mechanic where you’ll build Dojo’s and workshops, allowing for upgrades that see your weapons do more damage or enhance your ability to summon allies to battle. This system isn’t terribly robust, but it does allow you to build a small village, complete with adding paths, statues, pets, and connected walkways. That said, I wish the pets roamed around instead of just standing in place.
As you have access to both Naoe and Yasuke after a series of missions that eventually bring the two together, each handle their business in different ways through combat. Naoe can take on soldiers and samurai in the same methods as Yasuke, but her purpose here is to be an assassin, resulting in her being better suited to attacking from the shadows, bushes, or high atop her foe. She is far more fragile than the large and imposing Yasuke. Her grappling hook can allow her to scale buildings to creep over top and maneuver around to act in stealth. Yasuke, however; feels like something out of For Honor as you rampage around, sprinting through locked gates and slicing off the head of anyone nearby. And while Yasuke can be swapped while atop an assassin’s perch, his descent from one is absolutely hilarious.
Naoe’s weapons consist of the Katana, Kusarigama, and the Tanto. I would often opt for the Katana and the Kusarigama, as the weighted hook and blade of the latter resulted in some brutal kills. You’ll also rely on smoke bombs and kunai to fling into the face of an unsuspecting foe. Aside, you’ll also have shuriken and a bell that can distract someone long enough for you to attack them from behind. She can assassinate targets, but some cannot be confronted by the rear, unless you turn on a setting that allows for any range of foes to be assassinated. Otherwise, you’ll have to upgrade that skill naturally.
Naoe will also have gear to equip, from hoods to armor, as well as trinkets that each have their own stats. You can also engrave skills that you purchase from vendors that boost a variety of stats, making a weapon not only good but great. And should you like a previous armor’s look, you can customize the look you want and keep the stats, allowing me to stick with the black assassin’s gear regardless of what else I would discover from vendors or special chests that are locked away in each fort.
Yasuke follows in the same design with armor, helmets, trinkets, and more. Yasuke uses the Long Katana, Naginata, and the Kanabo, a huge bat-like weapon. The naginata is similar to a spear, providing great reach for attacking. While Naoe can use Kunai to attack from afar, Yasuke will have two options in the bow, as well as the Teppo, a rifle that has the means to change the war. The Teppo also has its own range of attacks as well, making it an ideal fit as he means to use whatever tools needed to track down this murderous group.
Both Naoe and Yasuke will earn mastery points as they perform certain tasks or level up. These points are put into a variety of skills. For Naoe, it is Katana, Kusarigama, Tanto, Tools, Shinobi, and Assassin, whereas Yasuke will upgrade Long Katana, Naginata, Kanabo, Teppo, Samurai, and Bow. These skills enhance combat by improving certain skills like your posture, adrenaline, or your counterattacks. Some upgrades truly change how you interact with combat, making some upgrades sought after greatly.
Now, the skill tree is easily accessible, and mastery points are widely available, but accessing these skills requires a bit of legwork. As you engage with the world, pray at temples, or find hidden notes as you visit shrines, you’ll earn Knowledge Points. These points increase your knowledge rank, which unlocks the next tier of your skill tree. It’s a smart way to have players engage with the culture of what the team has built here and use that to improve both Naoe and Yasuke. While I can see players upset that they have to engage with the “open world busy-work” to dive deeper into the combat trees, it’s a smart way to benefit from the hardwork the team has endured to make this as authentic to the culture as they can. Having a game set in Japan is one thing, embracing its culture is something that truly makes it Japan.
Combat is further deepened by a few systems. Adrenaline is built up by landing hits, especially with light attacks, or by parrying enemy attacks. This allows you to pull off special strikes that you unlock through your mastery skill trees. Posturing is by holding down the button to perform a harder strike. You’ll have dodge and parry attacks, with a perfect parry putting the enemy in a vulnerable state and opening a long window of opportunity to land a full combo or a posture attack. Yasuke, given his speed, can parry ranged attacks, giving him some assistance when he cannot reach his target. Deflecting is a move that Naoe can perform, allowing her to deflect an incoming attack while stepping sideways, allowing her to negate incoming damage and place herself in an advantageous position. A perfect deflect will put the enemy in a vulnerable state and allow the chance to pull off a posture attack.
Other systems that come into play are through making your opponent bleed, poisoned, or left in a daze. This can be beneficial when you pull off perfect dodges or parries that cause the enemy to glow orange, meaning they are vulnerable. Some gear can impact how long this vulnerability lasts, making it even more effective. This is crucial with Naoe when you are forced to fight someone much larger than her. For example, Naoe can almost be one-shotted by a big enemy wielding a Kanabo.
Combat feels fast and fluid, and provides some intense encounters, especially as you rely on each character's skills. While you can turn off gore and dismemberment, the brutality here feels perfect, with bodies gushing blood as you flip over them and slice at their neck. Despite Naoe’s stealth nature, I would often get in fights simply due to how enjoyable the combat is.
As you conquer bases and tend to eliminate your foes, you can be spotted and cause an alert. Should a foe get to the bell, you will be entered into wanted status. This brings out Guardians, who are extremely strong enemies that hit a lot harder and have far more health than even the toughest normal foe. Aside from them, you have the Ronin and Shinobi, Warrior Monks, and Pirates to contend with, who are fairly easy when you start to master your skills and techniques. While you can swap to your other character to bypass the wanted status, you’ll need to wait for the next season to see it cleared. While this system makes sense, it also doesn’t when you consider the passage of time that is not actually occurring when the next season appears. While I understand its intention, it is handled in a very bizarre fashion.
Across the map are several activities that will vary on your mileage. There are shrines to visit, animals to paint, a mini-game in Kuji-kiri that has you performing button commands to a rhythm, with a few having flashbacks for Naoe to grasp more context in her mission, to a similar mini-game in Kata that is performed by Yasuke. There is also horse archery, but I sucked so bad at it that I had to abandon my desire to be a killing machine atop my steed. That said, I enjoyed the horse and being able to buy new ones and new saddles, but currently, the horse can be unwieldy to control in tight spaces, something the team is already aware of and looks to address in an upcoming patch. If the horse can turn on a dime, then I’ll be set!
As you navigate this fairly large map, you’ll encounter folk who need assistance. While some can be invited to join your league as you march war on the Shinbakufu, you’ll pick up a few to use as scouts. Scouts are the network’s many eyes and ears across Japan and can be used to investigate further information known to the League in the Objective Board. And, as you upgrade your study room in the hideout, you can increase the number of scouts you can have. Scouts can be used to cover a radial area of the map at the cost of intel. The more intel used, the larger the area. Intel can be recharged by helping folks in need or as the seasons change.
Many quests rely on clues to help you find your way to your objectives. These clues help define an area in the world using Provinces, Regions, or other locations to help you track your target. Using scouts can help in revealing these locations and clues. Scouts will return as the seasons change, and it is in your best interest to help those around you, as while they can be used as a scout when you’ve saved them from the violence that stalks the roads, many can offer up legendary treasures that appear on the map. Scouts can also be used to smuggle goods you find in forts that can be used to aid in your base-building.
When taken as a whole, I found myself obsessed with everything Assassin’s Creed Shadows had to offer, and yes, even the base-building. I would find a location on the map, clear out its forts and various encampments, and before heading off to bed, I would notice something just close enough that would need doing, only to repeat that same “one more fort” before nodding off at 2 AM. Shadows does present its open world in the same way we have had since Origins, but it is thankfully much smaller in scale than Valhalla, which was often big for big’s sake and a game that was much longer than it should have been.
I would often swap from Yasuke to Naoe and back again to take on bases to truly see the differences in their approach. Naoe can use her assassin vision to track down all threats, whereas Yasuke cannot and can only line-of-sight his foe. This made finding the guards that unlock the big chest at the end of each fort much harder as Yasuke, making you search high and low for them. Regardless, I never found either character to feel underused or worse in any way whatsoever, even if I did prefer playing as Naoe as I loved the stealth and assassinations, not to mention that vision to help me clear forts with ease. Still, being able to topple any foe in seconds as Yasuke certainly had its charm.
If I had to lodge one major criticism against Shadows, it would be how the game handles its romances. Both Yasuke and Naoe will have options available to secure a relationship with a few people throughout the story. While I enjoyed where Yasuke and Naoe end up with each of their respective partners, there is nothing present for these romances to flourish after you've secured them, making them feel hollow and somewhat pointless.
Added at launch is a storefront where you’ll buy Helix Credits to purchase cosmetics. This was not present during my review period and I’ve edited this review post publishing to mention its existence. You can buy Helix credits, but currently, as the game has yet to fully launch, I cannot buy them or see the prices. My early access granted me 300 Helix credits, but they don’t really amount to providing me access to buy anything cool as nothing is even close to that price. That said, the armor designs you can purchase are incredible and while tempting, I’ve yet to buy anything. You can purchase skins for weapons, mounts, and items for your hideout and allies, Now, while much of this is accessed through the store, you can also find these items as part of the Shadow Project menu, a battle pass-like system that is pushed through as you complete certain tasks in the open world. The currency there is used solely for this Shadow Project, and has some nice gear to unlock. This system almost feels like it was designed around being a paid service, given its design, but it is completely free.
Using the Anvil Engine, Shadows is a gorgeous game, even if a few characters lack that current-gen appeal. Regardless, the ability for this land to be affected by the seasons can make for some stunning visuals as you race on your horse through autumn-flavored trees, taking in the orange, yellow, and deep reds of its forests. In fact, Shadows is astonishingly gorgeous, with a lot of care put into crafting its world. I would often just take in the views as I was atop my horse, admiring the scenery and the busy life put into its settlements and roads. The dynamic weather also adds a lot to the tone as you are racing through the trees in the pouring rain, or wind storms that see leaves dancing around; it's stunningly beautiful.
What I also noticed is that, unlike several Unreal Engine 5 games, I never noticed a single moment of pop-in, both in the environment or textures, regardless of trying out both the performance and quality modes. I also never had a single glitch, technical blemish, crash, or anything during my 53-hour playthrough. The extra care put into the game during its multiple delays seems to have helped it.
With some truly wonderful writing and an engaging pair of protagonists, I adored Assassin’s Creed Shadows. I was obsessed with finishing the assassination targets and working through the Objective board with many late nights to see it through. The wait for Ubisoft to bring the series to Japan has been worth it, especially given the technical appeal of modern gaming making it even more impressive than I had imagined. Shadows allows for two very distinct playstyles in a world that is extremely reactive to your presence. It doesn’t break new ground for the series, but it certainly refines what the series has been since Origins, and even Black Flag and Syndicate when you really dive into what those games were attempting to do. Regardless, Naoe and Yasuke are my definitive heroes for this series, two individuals who are wonderfully portrayed by their respective actors, and the talented team that brought them to life.
Developer - Ubisoft Quebec and additional Ubisoft Support Studios.
Publisher - Ubisoft. Released - March 20th, 2025. Available On - Xbox Series X/S, PS5, PC. Rated - (M) - Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language. Platform Reviewed - Xbox Series X. Review Access - A review code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
Jeff is the original founder of Analog Stick Gaming. His favorite games include The Witcher III, the Mass Effect Trilogy, Hi-Fi Rush, Stellar Blade, Hellbade: Senua’s Sacrifice, and the Legend of Heroes series, especially Trails of Cold Steel III & IV.