I’m about 76 hours into Assassin’s Creed Shadows and I still haven’t finished the main story because I’ve spent so much time doing side missions, exploring, and collecting everything I come across. So far, I’ve really enjoyed the game.
The combat is probably one of my favorite parts. There are a lot of different weapon styles to choose from, and I like being able to switch things around instead of being stuck using the same type of weapon for the entire game. Between the different weapons, armor sets, engravings, upgrades, and gear combinations, there’s a lot of room to build your character around how you actually like to play.
I also really like having two main characters. Naoe and Yasuke feel completely different from each other, both in their personalities and how they play. Being able to switch between them keeps the game from getting repetitive. I personally enjoy Naoe more because I like the faster combat, blocking, dodging, and fighting with blades, but I still like having Yasuke there when I want a completely different style of combat.
The setting is probably one of the biggest highlights for me. I’ve wanted an Assassin’s Creed game set in Japan for a long time, and they did a great job making the world feel beautiful and culturally interesting at the same time. The temples, villages, castles, forests, seasons, and scenery make the map one of my favorite parts of the game. It definitely gives me some of the same feeling I had exploring Ghost of Tsushima, while still feeling like Assassin’s Creed.
I also really enjoy how much of the Japanese culture is worked into the story. It isn’t just a Japanese-looking map with Assassin’s Creed gameplay thrown on top of it. There are a lot of moments where you get to see the customs and traditions of the time, and I’ve actually enjoyed learning about some of them while playing. Things like the importance and etiquette of tea ceremonies are a good example. Those smaller cultural details make the setting feel more meaningful and make me more interested in the people and story.
The visuals are another huge positive for me. The graphics, environments, weather, lighting, and cutscenes are some of the best parts of the game. I find myself stopping quite a bit just to look around because some areas of the map are genuinely beautiful. The cutscenes also do a great job showing off the setting and bringing the characters and culture to life.
I’ve enjoyed the story so far too. I haven’t completed it yet, so I can’t really judge the entire story, but what I’ve played has kept me interested. A lot of the cutscenes are really well done, and I like seeing the differences between Naoe and Yasuke and how their personalities come through during the story.
One of the biggest things keeping me playing is just how much there is to do outside of the main missions. I like clearing areas, finding equipment, upgrading gear, collecting things, and exploring the map instead of rushing straight through the story. There’s enough variety that I can spend hours doing other things and still feel like I’m progressing.
So far, I definitely recommend it. The combat, weapon variety, gear system, two playable characters, exploration, Japanese setting, culture, and visuals have all been really enjoyable. I’m taking my time with it instead of rushing through the story, and after more than 70 hours I’m still having a lot of fun with it.
