Assassin’s Creed Shadows – A Journey into Feudal Japan

“Assassin’s Creed Shadows” takes players on a long-awaited journey to Feudal Japan, specifically the Azuchi-Momoyama period, offering the chance to experience the life of samurai and shinobi during a turbulent time. The game focuses on two main characters: Naoe, a skilled shinobi assassin from the Iga province, and Yasuke, an African-born samurai who served the Japanese daimyō Oda Nobunaga.

A widely debated topic online is whether Yasuke was truly a samurai or not. This discussion could go on endlessly, as there are no precise details about him. Historically, it is only known that a Black man by that name was indeed in Japan between 1581 and 1582 and served Oda Nobunaga until Nobunaga’s death. However, considering that Nobunaga was a visionary who sought to unify and modernize Japan, it is possible that Yasuke played a greater role than some are willing to admit. At a time when other clans opposed the arrival of Europeans and the adoption of firearms due to traditional values, Nobunaga saw a great opportunity for his plans. Therefore, it is likely that he also saw the potential in a large (Yasuke was noticeably taller than the average Japanese), strong, young Black man to intimidate his enemies as a “Black demon samurai.” Nobunaga himself was even referred to in history as the “Demon King” (第六天魔王, Dairokuten Maō). Thus, Yasuke could indeed have been a samurai, despite other Japanese at the time—and even today—not recognizing him as such. But regardless of this, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” is ultimately a fictional game that does not claim historical accuracy but is, above all, entertainment.

Upon launching the game, players are first introduced to the new Animus Hub, which connects various “Assassin’s Creed” games into a single system. This allows players to track mission progress, unlock exclusive rewards, and access the historical archive of the series. Ubisoft promises to develop Animus Hub over time, adding new features and integrating future Assassin’s Creed games into a unified ecosystem.

When selecting “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” from the Animus Hub, players can choose how they want to experience the game before starting. One of the options is Guided Exploration, which lets you decide whether mission-related points appear on your map immediately or if you have to locate them yourself. This ties into the game’s scout system, where scouts can be used to find targets. If Guided Exploration is enabled, this feature becomes unavailable since all targets are instantly visible on the map. I decided to play as the developers intended and did not enable this option.

Another choice is Canon Mode, which is for those who want to experience the story exactly as intended. This mode automatically selects major story and character development choices for you, while smaller, less impactful choices remain in your hands.

In Immersive Mode, all characters in the game speak their native language. For example, the Portuguese speak Portuguese, and the Japanese speak Japanese. Subtitles are, of course, available, so there is no need to worry about missing anything. I tried both versions and found that characters speaking Japanese felt more natural, while the English version immediately felt off-putting.

The game’s introduction takes players to Yasuke’s first meeting with Oda Nobunaga, introducing the circumstances that brought them together. This is followed by a tutorial on Yasuke’s combat systems, after which the story shifts focus to Naoe and her skills.

Naoe and Yasuke have radically different playstyles. Yasuke is a large, physically strong samurai who engages in direct, powerful combat using melee and ranged weapons. Naoe, on the other hand, is his complete opposite—a fast and cunning shinobi who specializes in stealth, parkour, and ninja techniques. Naoe’s weapons include the hidden blade, katana, shuriken, and other tools that allow her to quietly and discreetly eliminate enemies. In addition to their different weapons, both characters have unique abilities that can be unlocked using experience points.

Aside from the game’s opening missions and character-specific quests, you can play the majority of the game as your preferred character. If you enjoy sneaking in the shadows and stabbing enemies in the back, you’ll likely favor Naoe. If you prefer the samurai style—approaching enemies head-on and using raw strength—then Yasuke is your choice. You can switch between characters in the equipment menu whenever you like, except during combat. Just keep in mind that they are suited for different roles: Yasuke isn’t great at sneaking into bushes unnoticed, as enemies will quickly spot him. On the other hand, Naoe is in serious trouble if she gets caught in a fight against too many enemies at once.

The game world is divided into nine different regions, offering numerous side missions and activities—so many, in fact, that I won’t even attempt to list them all. More activities and objectives continue to appear as you progress through the game, ensuring there is always something to do.

Thankfully, players are free to explore the world at their own pace—nothing is forced upon you. You decide where to go and what to do. However, be mindful that rushing to another part of the map at the beginning of the game and provoking high-level enemies is not the best idea. Personally, I try not to get too distracted by all the additional activities, focusing only on those that lie between points A and B, but even then, I often find myself spending hours reaching my destination.

The world is dynamic and constantly evolving. Animals and people roam freely, including bandits. The game’s weather and seasons affect not only the visuals—which are stunning—but also the gameplay. In deep snow during winter, your character tires more quickly, while in the rain, clothes get soaked, and guards seek shelter. This makes the game feel more immersive than ever. For example, during a heavy nighttime downpour, visibility can become almost nonexistent—perfect conditions for an assassin to eliminate enemies hiding from the rain.

The game also introduces several technical improvements that make the experience smoother and more enjoyable. For instance, when you whistle for your horse, it automatically gallops to you, allowing you to mount it on the move. I absolutely love this. In most other games, you have to wait for the horse to arrive or search for it behind some tree or rock. Here, you whistle, keep running, and the horse catches up to you. Most of the time, at least—certain terrain obstacles might still prevent it from reaching you.

I also really like the waypoint system. As mentioned earlier, I enjoy completing activities between points A and B. When selecting a mission, task, or destination, I can mark additional points along the way. Then, I activate the navigation guide, which leads me to my final marked location. As I reach each marked point, it automatically disappears from the map, allowing me to seamlessly move on to the next without constantly checking the map. This makes navigation much more convenient.

Oh, and there’s an auto-follow feature too! If a mission requires you to follow someone from point A to point B, you don’t have to manually walk behind them like an idiot. Just activate auto-follow, and your character moves at the same pace as your companion, allowing you to simply listen or read the dialogue. Great system.

Can you pet cats in this game? Yes. Dogs? Yes. There are many different breeds, and all of them can be petted. If you discover a new breed, it’s worth petting them, as this unlocks them for your base/village. Your base serves as a place to spend time between missions with allies—drinking sake, sitting by the fire, upgrading and breaking weapons, training companions, petting animals, and, of course, constantly improving the base itself. The base-building system is sandbox-style, letting you place buildings, trees, statues, woodpiles, laundry racks, and more wherever you want.

Unfortunately, the game does have some frustrating elements. Some missions don’t allow you to save, so if you fail, you have to restart from the beginning. Worse still, for some strange reason, you can’t skip cutscenes in these cases, even though other cutscenes elsewhere in the game can be skipped.

Another annoyance is that you can’t fast travel out of caves or tombs. After spending a long time exploring one, you have to manually retrace your steps to exit, which is a waste of time. Because of this, I’ve been avoiding tombs, even though they contain great loot.

In conclusion, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” is an amazing game. If you love the Assassin’s Creed series or “Ghost of Tsushima” and Feudal Japan, this is a must-play. With a fantastic story, an incredible world, and a massive amount of content, this game will easily keep you entertained for over 100 hours.