00:00I've had a need for an Assassin's Creed set in feudal Japan since polishing off the
00:04very first game in the series, and Assassin's Creed Shadows is finally delivering. But has
00:11it been worth the wait? I got to play hands on for several hours, and my verdict so far
00:16isn't just yes, but also one of relief that it has actually taken this long. The massive
00:22leaps in tech mean Ubisoft Quebec is now really able to do the Sengoku era setting justice.
00:29My time with the game so far has been lengthy, and Assassin's Creed Shadows is already becoming
00:34a real contender for one of the best Assassin's Creed games yet. Sure, the proof of the pudding
00:39might be in the eating, but this appetizer has sated me thanks to some really smart design
00:45choices and a litany of incredible details. So here are 10 things we think you should definitely
00:51know about.
00:54Yasuke and Naue co-star in this game and have equal weight. The former, though, isn't
01:00an Assassin, which is vital to both his story and how he plays. It's a natural evolution
01:06for the way Ubisoft have been building on their characters in the last few games too. Ubisoft
01:11Quebec has taken Assassin's Creed Syndicate's Twins idea and pushed the two characters much
01:16further apart. As a result, Yasuke is a combat pro, but won't have any fancy assassin moves.
01:24He's able to do a limited amount of parkour for instance, but is slower as he tries to
01:29keep his balance. It's best exemplified with the aptly named Brutal Assassination, which
01:34has Yasuke yell out to force an enemy to turn around before executing them, as he simply
01:41refuses to kill someone with their back turned.
01:46The large frontier full of trees was one of Assassin's Creed 3's best ideas. It was also
01:52filled with animals that Connor could hunt and skin. Here in Assassin's Creed Shadows,
01:58you can still hunt down some animals, but rather than being about killing everything, Yasuke or
02:03Naue will pop out their sketchbook to capture the nature in front of them. These drawings
02:08can be taken back to the highly customisable hideout and displayed. And even better, the
02:14depicted animals can also be placed where they'll wander around. And yes, you can even pet some
02:20of them.
02:21What a kind fellow.
02:29Ubisoft Quebec have looked to, quote, craft the crap out of Assassin's Creed
02:33Shadow's depiction of feudal Japan, making sure they get all the little details right,
02:38from the rolling fog to the speciality trades of each settlement. Standing tall among them,
02:44though, there are over 30 castles that are like big mazes. Each packs plenty of character
02:50on its own, weaving together interior and exterior sections to create highly detailed spaces that
02:55are interesting to poke around in. Whether you're Yasuke, boldly moving from room to room, or
03:01clambering and crawling around as Naue, often with viewpoints and challenges of their own,
03:07they're rewarding and complex spaces to master.
03:10I've said it before, and I'll say it again, but if there's one thing gamers crave, it's
03:17just being small. Running around normal environments as a tiny pal, thus rendering those areas comparatively
03:24big, is just fun. Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't quite get there, but it does allow
03:31you to get very close to the ground, which is sort of the same thing. Introducing the ability
03:38to go prone as Naue to crawl through grass for cover or through little tunnels isn't just
03:43handy for sneaking, but adds a whole new dimension to the series' always impressive verticality.
03:50That dimension is down. And if you go down, then the highs become higher. That's just science.
04:01Assassin's Creed Shadows has some seriously impressive weather and seasonal effects. As days turn to
04:07night and back again, so too does the climate change. Naturally, it's speedier than real life,
04:13but even so, unlike some of its predecessors, you can't change it for yourself. That's actually a great
04:21thing, as both Yasuke and Naue will have advantages and disadvantages depending on the conditions. The
04:27latter, for example, being able to more easily hide in nighttime's many shadows. Not being able to skip
04:34those negatives forces you to adapt, and to actually engage with the challenges in front of you.
04:43Visually, Assassin's Creed Shadows is a feast, but it's not just the game that looks good,
04:49it also feels intrinsically tied to play. Which, for me at least, is always an important factor for
04:56a game. Light and shadow enhances things like fires or war during pivotal story moments, but they're
05:03also vital for staying undetected in stealth. Lamps and candles can be extinguished from either up close
05:10or at range by throwing coon-eye for instance. And there's even a new visibility meter that takes
05:16a page out of Thief's heist manual plunked right on the HUD. To top it off, visual flourishes even
05:22punctuate the more intense action. Strong weapon skill strikes, adding a black-white-red filter to
05:28highlight blood spray and to give those big moments impact. Quiet or loud, well-judged visuals enhance
05:36them all.
05:40The hideout, which you're free to customize as you please, is filled with details. From allied
05:46characters hanging out and shooting the breeze with one another, to spending time crafting the perfect
05:51courtyard gardens. One tiny detail that adds plenty of authenticity is how Nae and Yasuke's shoes will
05:59pop off as soon as they enter an interior, nodding to Japanese customs. There's no annoying cutscene
06:05for them popping them on or off either. Don't look at me like that, Shenmue. I didn't mean you.
06:12It's a nice touch that has no downsides, and goes to show that sometimes less can be more when
06:19implementing details like this. Let those eagles and ravens fly. Fly right out of the series, that is.
06:29First added in Assassin's Creed Origins with Senu, the ability to call on a very drone-like bird for
06:34an aerial viewpoint has been core to the current era of open-world RPG-style Assassin's Creed games.
06:41They've also been somewhat divisive, with subsequent entries struggling to juggle their potentially
06:47overpowered nature. Assassin's Creed Shadows does away with this, specifically aiming to keep players
06:53immersed in what's in front of them. Observe instead replaces it, dynamically changing what you can sense
06:59and mark depending on the viewpoint you're looking out from. You can do this from anywhere, the higher
07:05the better, not just the collectible viewpoint fast travel points. This will become a powerful tool
07:11in your arsenal, and one that keeps you locked in at all times.
07:18Yasuke's strength isn't just for show. It's weaved into how he fights on a deeper level than the
07:25still pretty deadly Naue. His arsenal of weapons can weave strong and light attacks together to form
07:31combos, any strike of which can be charged to alter the deployed move. Certain activities will even have
07:38Yasuke practice these out in the world, although they're all, it seems, unlocked from the start if
07:44you experiment. With two melee weapons equipped, Yasuke can even learn an ability that has him switch
07:50them mid-combo to keep the chain going, altering combos even further.
07:59Naue or Yasuke? So far I love the way they both stand strong together. My opening hours with Assassin's
08:06Creed Shadows naturally encouraging me to switch things up frequently. While exploring non-hostile
08:12areas, you can toggle where you stand from the pause menu. On death it provides a great opportunity
08:18to re-plan and tackle the situation as the other one. But even more, I love how the main missions
08:24provide frequent story checkpoints that allow you to switch back and forth depending on who you want
08:28to take on the next chunk of the mission. For instance, have Yasuke break down the front door and
08:34go in samurai swords blazing, or have Naue scale the walls undetected. You can stick with one if you
08:41prefer most of the time, but they're different enough to appreciate their natural strength in play.
08:49But which of these things is most exciting to you? Will you be picking up Assassin's Creed Shadows?
08:54Let us know in the comments and stick with GamesRadar for the latest previews, news and more.
09:04I'll see you later on in the comments.
09:11Bye.
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