Assassin’s Creed Shadows Review – SAME THING AGAIN?!

For a series that mostly feels the same with each new entry, the dual protags of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Yasuke and Naoe have arrived to give the franchise a decent kick in the pants.

Two Sides of the Same Coin

Naoe is your more traditional AC character, but she can flip and parkour like an Olympic athlete, while also being able to grapple hook and swing around for added mobility and stealth. Yasuke, on the other hand, thrives on brute strength, wielding five unique weapons compared to Naoe’s three. He can tank hits, one-man army style and bust out some big-time special attacks, like his stuff you anime kick that never gets old. When it comes to parkour though he’s pretty hopeless and will even ‘Leap of Fail’ into haystacks which is always a good laugh. Trophy hunters, go nuts.

Choosing between characters mostly comes down to practicality. If you want to invade a castle or need some skulls bashed in, Yasuke makes the most sense. However, if the situation requires graceful, flowing movements or the need to one-hit stealth kill enemies from the shadows—pun intended—Naoe’s your girl.

Not to say she can’t hold her in combat, as she’s certainly capable. It’s just that Yasuke is able to withstand a lot more heat, especially on the highest difficulty, as enemies attack faster and are more aggressive, with an increased radius of vision and better long-ranged accuracy. So after you’ve finished Act I of the story, choosing the right person for the job is key. Also, if you want the full Assassin’s Creed Shadows experience, playing on Expert will give you a good run for your money—and your shinobi skills.

A Tiring Template

In terms of the series’ usual fluff or bloat, it’s present though not as pronounced as the likes of AC Valhalla. There is repetition, to be sure. Like taking down a tonne of random targets around the map or grinding for ‘knowledge’ required to upgrade your abilities, though I still found myself having fun throughout the whole experience. So if you’re on the fence about this franchise, Assassin’s Creed Shadows probably won’t persuade you here. Although, long-time fans will still find the gameplay quite enjoyable and feudal Japan very easy on the eyes.

That being said, the story itself is average at best, featuring long, Final Fantasy-length cutscenes with so-so voice-acting, where only a few moments contain any amount of substance. At the end of the day, Yasuke’s meandering plot doesn’t really go anywhere, and it takes a little too long to get things moving.

A similar issue applies to the frame rate on base PS5s. When you fast-travel or move from one major area to the next, move around the Hideout or swivel the camera around too fast, do expect some minor turbulence. Otherwise, it’s a steady 60FPS on the performance setting and 30FPS for the quality mode. 

Decision

Some may call it woke, but Assassin’s Creed Shadows has turned out to be slightly better than you’d expect. While the gameplay remains engaging despite some repetition and technical hiccups, the story is passable with sluggish pacing and mixed voice-acting. Long-time fans will enjoy the experience, but it may not win over sceptics of the franchise.

By Anthony Culinas – Reviewed on PlayStation 5

Great

Assassin’s Creed Shadows injects new energy into the franchise with its dual protagonists—Naoe, a nimble stealth assassin, and Yasuke, a powerhouse brawler—offering distinct playstyles that keep the combat and exploration engaging, despite playing things a little safe.

This game was reviewed using a download code provided by Ubisoft. The Beta Network uses affiliate partnerships, however, this does not influence reviews or any other content published. The Beta Network may earn commissions for products purchased via affiliate links that are on the website.