Review by Jon Donnis
Assassin's Creed Shadows feels like a game torn in two. It's got the scale and ambition of something that should be one of the franchise's greats, but the execution drags it down. It's set during the tail end of the Sengoku period, right in the middle of feudal Japan's bloodiest conflicts. That part works. The cities are alive with detail. Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, and the shadowy corners of Iga all feel authentic. Temples, castles, marketplaces, dungeons, and ports give the map a sense of depth, and the layout feels rooted in real history.
You take control of two characters with completely different play styles. Fujibayashi Naoe is a kunoichi, trained in stealth, movement, and subterfuge. She feels like a return to the classic Assassin's Creed mould. Fast, nimble, and silent. Then there's Yasuke, a character based on a fictionalised version of a real person. Not a samurai, not in history, but reimagined from a fictional book, African Samurai by Thomas Lockley. Japan didn't have an African samurai, and the decision to place him front and centre has caused understandable backlash. In-game, that decision ends up hurting the flow just as much.
You can switch between the two characters during missions, which is meant to offer variety, but the balance is off. Naoe can climb, disappear into shadows, crawl through water, drop from rooftops, and pull off quiet assassinations. She's got access to grappling hooks, bamboo breathing tubes, throwable tools, and everything else you'd expect from a shinobi. Her combat style is fast and reactive, but she's fragile in a fight, so you're pushed to stay out of sight.
Yasuke is the complete opposite. Heavy weapons, brute strength, and no parkour worth mentioning. He can't use Eagle Vision. He lumbers around the map, and his missions often feel more like a chore than a challenge. You end up avoiding him for as long as the game lets you, then switching over just to finish something off. It's hard not to feel like his inclusion was forced. Not because of who he is, but because of how little he actually adds to the gameplay. Plus it takes way too long to switch between the characters, so that adds to the frustration.
There are some good things going on. The new engine handles lighting and weather in a way that really adds atmosphere. Shadows matter now. You can douse lanterns to disappear into the dark. Seasonal changes affect the world too. In winter, lakes freeze over, cutting off hiding spots you could use in summer. Details like that show where the devs were pushing for something smart. The weapons, too, are well researched. From katanas and naginatas to matchlock rifles and bows, everything has its own tree of upgrades. Combat feels better when you stay within your character's lane, even if that lane is narrow.
The missions are non-linear, and you're encouraged to track targets using clues and scouts. That idea works in theory, but it drags in practice. There's too much downtime between good moments. And the world itself, while beautiful, feels strangely empty. In earlier games, you could stumble into interesting side scenes or wildlife encounters. Here, long stretches of forest or countryside just feel dead. You can't even hunt animals. That's not just a step backwards, it's a missed opportunity.
And then there are the bugs. Even after delays and patches, there's a layer of roughness to everything. Characters getting stuck, slopes that are impossible to climb, visuals that glitch out in the trees. Sometimes you can't see your character properly at all. Especially when you're playing as Naoe and trying to climb a hill that should be simple, only to slide back down over and over while the camera fights with the scenery.
The biggest let-down is that none of this had to be a problem. Assassin's Creed has always balanced freedom with structure. It used to give you the tools, then let you improvise. Here, the tools are split between two characters, but neither one feels complete. Naoe is great to control, but too weak to hold her own in prolonged fights. Yasuke is strong, but slow and clunky. It's like they split one good character into two unsatisfying halves. Part of the fun of games like Odyssey or Origins were that you could play either stealthily or straight on attack, you had the choice, which let the player decide purely due to the mood they were in. Here you are forced to play in one of the other, or else you will die quick.
The story does have its moments. Nobunaga's rise, the siege of Iga, and the backdrop of civil war are strong material. And when you're in the right place, at the right time, playing as Naoe, it feels like Assassin's Creed again. But those moments are rare. Too much of the game feels like filler. Big world, small payoff.
I've played almost every game in the series. I went in hoping for a slow-burn experience, waited past release for updates, gave it a fair shot. And yet, I walked away disappointed. Not furious. Just let down. There's potential in here, but it's buried under poor design decisions, unbalanced characters, and a tone that tries to be meaningful without earning it.
Plus I wasn't really interested in the whole "design your hide out" thing, I found that to be a complete chore, although I can understand some people who might want to spend ours making a pretty little area. Personally I just want to get into the missions.
Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't a failure, but it's far from a return to form. If you play almost exclusively as Naoe, you can enjoy parts of it. But as a whole, it feels unfinished and unfocused.
A solid idea, poorly delivered. 6 out of 10.
Out Now on Xbox, PS5 and PC
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