I Know I’m Late, But I’ve Finally Finished Assassin’s Creed Shadows, All 100 or So Hours of It. Seriously I was determined and now it’s done and to be perfectly honest all the pre launch hullaballoo had me thinking it was going to be a stinker but in reality AC Shadows is simply another Ubisoft game, nothing more nothing less.
Most reviewers had their hot takes out the door within 48 hours of launch, armed with early access codes and terrifying caffeine levels. Me? I went the long route played the game the way it was meant to be played: slow, immersive, and with plenty of detours into side quests I absolutely didn’t need to do but loved anyway.
So now, after clocking up about 100 hours wandering the open world of Feudal Japan, I’ve finally wrapped up Assassin’s Creed Shadows, And I’ve got thoughts.
So many thoughts.
Let’s get into it.
Feudal Japan Was Worth the Wait
Let’s be honest fans have been begging for a Japanese setting since Assassin’s Creed II and I know I was, it’s ninjas, shinobi’s and badasses everywhere what’s not to like? Every “what setting should Ubisoft tackle next?” poll had Feudal Japan at the top, and for years we got ancient Egypt, Baghdad, Greece, and Viking England instead. All decent in their own right, but this? This is the setting fans have been dreaming of.
And the best part? Ubisoft didn’t phone it in.
From the snowy mountains of Iga to the cherry blossom-lined paths of Kyoto, Assassin’s Creed Shadows feels like stepping into a living, breathing historical drama. Every temple, every village, and every blade of grass feels handcrafted at the start – like the devs knew they had to get this one right. The only downside is the map is huge after 100 hours of gameplay and every task completed, I still have seen only half of the world and that was enough for me.
Dual Protagonists Done Right: Naoe and Yasuke
At the heart of Shadows is this brilliant dual-protagonist setup. For the first time in the series, you’ve got two main characters with entirely different playstyles, and it works better than I expected, for the most part.
Naoe a stealthy shinobi who’s basically what you imagine when you hear, Assassin, stealthy, agile, deadly. She’s the spiritual successor to the Ezios and Altairs of old, moving through shadows, scaling rooftops, and assassinating targets with precision. Her missions are proper stealth fantasy, distracting guards, sneaking through tight corridors, and vanishing without a trace.
Yasuke, on the other hand, is an absolute unit, the literal tank of the game. Based on the real-life African samurai who served Oda Nobunaga, he brings brute strength and unmatched combat ability. With him, there’s no need for hiding, just walk through the front gate, katana swinging, and deal with everything head-on. His armour clanks, his strikes are thunderous, and it’s genuinely satisfying to shift from Naoe’s finesse to Yasuke’s sheer power. His downside is if you’re moving around the world he’s painfully slow once you get used to the nimbleness of Naoe, however for taking down bosses and castles, you want your tank in hand.
Naoe is all about shadows and sneaky kills, parkouring across rooftops and slipping through cracks in the walls like a ghost. Yasuke? He just walks through the front door and dares anyone to try him. It’s like getting Splinter Cell and Sekiro in the same game. It’s a clever bit of game design letting players pick their style depending on the mission or mood.
A Beautifully Reactive World
You know when a game makes you stop mid-mission just to take in the scenery? Yeah, this one does that a lot but then again nobody should be surprised, Ubisoft games whatver you might think about the gameplay, they always, always look stunning .One of the most impressive features in Shadows is its dynamic seasons and weather system, and not just because it looks gorgeous though it absolutely does. It actually changes how you play.
In summer, tall grass is perfect for cover. In winter, the same areas are exposed and crunchy with snow, forcing you to adapt. Rain muffles your footsteps. Mud can slow you down. It all matters which is a refreshing change from the usual “it’s just a weather effect” you get in most open-world games. It’s a proper living world where the weather and time of year actually matter.
There’s also a real sense of world-building here. Villages evolve. Rumours spread. You genuinely feel like your actions are shaping the world around you. It’s one of the most alive maps Ubisoft has ever built – and yes, I’m including Black Flag in that. Ubisoft’s map bloat still exists and I mean it, there’s always something to collect or unlock and for me as per usual with Ubisoft this is the only major letdown, the map is too bloated with side stuff. Just strip the game back by about 15 hours of collecting tea pots and paintings and you would have yourself a winner.
Combat That Finally Feels Sharp
Combat in Shadows feels like Ubisoft’s finally listened. Gone are the clunky RPG-lite mechanics that made fights in Valhalla feel like slugging it out in a bog. Here, it’s sharp, brutal, and stylish. Combat in recent Assassin’s Creed games got a bit bloated with sluggish animations that made every encounter feel like a chore. That’s not the case here.
Naoe’s combat is all about timing, positioning, and precision, while Yasuke’s is weighty and aggressive. The animations are slick, and the sound design makes every slash and block feel impactful. You’re not just button-mashing you’re thinking, planning, reacting.
There’s also a nice layer of customisation without feeling overwhelming. The skill trees are trimmed down, weapon upgrades are meaningful, and the gear you choose can significantly affect your playstyle.
Oh and stealth is finally worth doing again. You can extinguish lanterns, break line of sight, use real distraction tactics it’s back to being a stealth game at its core, and I love that. Shadows matter. Noise matters. You can even extinguish lights mid-mission to throw off guards. It’s the kind of detail we’ve been asking for since Ezio was knee-deep in Renaissance politics.
The Story: More Human Than Epic (In a Good Way)
Let’s be real: Ubisoft stories usually hover somewhere between “grand idea” and “meh execution.” Shadows is better than most. The story doesn’t hit the cinematic highs of The Witcher 3 or the bombast of Ghost of Tsushima, but it’s got heart.
The historical backdrop of Japan’s unification under Oda Nobunaga is fascinating, and Yasuke’s real-life connection to it adds weight to the fiction, which could’ve easily been botched but ends up being surprisingly respectful and nuanced. Naoe’s personal story of revenge and justice is more intimate, but it gives her a strong emotional arc that pays off.
That said, the narrative still stumbles now and again. Pacing dips here and there, and the big twists are usually visible from a mile off. The writing is solid, the characters are grounded, the narrative as a whole holds together better than most entries in the series. Most importantly I cared about these characters. That’s not something I’ve felt in Assassin’s Creed since I was sailing around with Edward bloody Kenway.
What’s Not So Great?
Alright, let’s be fair no game is perfect. Assassin’s Creed Shadows still has a few of those classic Ubisoft hang-ups:
- The menu system is still too bloated too many tabs, too much faffing about.
- Some missions get repetitive, especially in the mid-game.
- And yes, there are microtransactions mostly cosmetic, but still annoying to see in a premium AAA title.
That said, none of these are dealbreakers. They’re minor distractions in an otherwise brilliant experience.
Final Verdict: Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows Worth It?
It’s stylish, smart, and finally delivers the Japanese setting fans have been begging for. If you’ve been waiting for Ubisoft to return to form this is it, i know a lot of the internet has very divided opinions but for me, I loved it and I did spend 100 hours playing so that’s a testament in itself . A rich setting, two solid leads, refined mechanics, and a world that actually feels alive? It’s the best Assassin’s Creed has been in years.
And if you’ve got 100 hours to spare, there’s no better place to spend them than in the heart of Feudal Japan.
