'Assassin's Creed Shadows' saga premieres a new chapter set in feudal Japan.

The saga Assassin's Creed, developed by Ubisoft, has been praised for years for its immersive historical settings and gameplay that perfectly blends stealth and action. Fans of the series have been able to travel to the Crusades in the Holy Land or the Italian Renaissance, as well as visit ancient civilizations like Egypt and Ancient Greece, or even participate in the Viking invasions of Great Britain. Mirror, his most recent release, delved into the saga's origins and took players back to ancient Baghdad. The new title, Assassin's Creed Shadows,invites you to a new, never-before-explored setting, feudal Japan, and once again opts for a very extensive and detailed open world, full of activities, to offer a massive title.

The story of Shadows It takes place in the Land of the Rising Sun at the end of the 16th century, specifically during the Azuchi-Momoyama period, a time marked by political instability and armed conflict. The narrative intertwines the personal stories of the two new protagonists with historical events, and offers a story with a very rich cultural and social background. Players can experience the plot from the perspective of both characters: Naoe, a shinobi (a highly skilled ninja), or Yasuke, an African samurai inspired by a real-life character. The two avatars feature very different yet complementary gameplay: Yasuke is a powerful man capable of taking down an army alone, with the brutality of direct combat, but also a great deal of discipline; on the other hand, Naoe stands out for her agility and stealth, and is a lethal assassin in the shadows, closer to the franchise's traditional gameplay.

What's new in 'Assassin's Creed Shadows'?

On the foundations ofAssassin's Creed and the mechanics established by the previous installments, Shadows redesigns some elements and introduces several notable new features. One of the main ones, and one that truly lives up to the title's name, is the new lighting-influenced dynamic stealth, which allows you to create hiding places in the shadows and blend even more into your surroundings at night. The pet bird that appeared in the most recent installments has also been removed, to further enhance tactical observation from the characters' point of view. Additionally, along with the new ability to lie on the ground, the character can camouflage themselves in low grass or navigate through very narrow passages, enhancing the stealth experience and allowing you to navigate hostile territory with much greater control.

Another notable feature is the inclusion of the four seasons. These completely transform the Japanese landscape, which, aside from temples and castles, is filled with nature, mountains, and dense forests. The change is not only visual, as regions such as Kyoto, Kobe, and Osaka also undergo gameplay changes by offering or eliminating new options for movement or hiding. A small pond will be frozen in winter during the summer, or in spring it will sprout new vegetation that allows you to slip into an enemy camp, to give an example. Finally, and also with substantial changes in Shadows, the option to customize the base of operations from where the protagonists advance the story takes on greater importance. In this installment, the base offers absolute freedom to place buildings (within a limited area) and decorate them as you wish. The space also allows for the management of new gameplay mechanics such as explorers, to discover locations on the map, or allies, who occasionally fight alongside the protagonists.

Progression and Combat

Still, the main progression of the game is determined by the already usual experience and level, which in this case both characters share. Generally, the player will choose whether to control Naoe or Yasuke, but some specific missions require experiencing them from a specific character. In addition, the progression also includes the mastery and the knowledge. The first is obtained by eliminating main targets and leveling up, and allows you to acquire both active and passive skills to specialize your heroes. On the other hand, the knowledge, which is acquired by doing side activities such as exploring or participating in different activities scattered throughout the open world, unlocks new possibilities to invest in mastery and encourages other forms of play.

Equipment also dictates the characters' readiness to face the toughest challenges, and has associated levels and attributes to reflect their power. It's worth noting that each of the two heroes has access to three main weapon types and different secondary options such as ranged weapons or widgets, which offer greater variety and personality to their combat styles. This combat style has been technically refined, and layers of complexity have been added compared to previous titles, giving it greater depth, such as the ability to break opponents' armor or leave them vulnerable with different moves. Even so, hidden blade kills will continue to be the focus of infiltration and stealth, at least when the player controls Naoe.

When will 'Assassin's Creed Shadows' be playable and on which consoles?

The new title is being published simultaneously with a new integrated platform called Animus Hub, designed to be the franchise's haystack Assassin's Creed from now on. Although it is born integrated with Shadows Since its launch, it eventually aims to include historical moments from other installments and even multiplayer elements.Animus Hub It will also strive to accommodate the saga's contemporary plot, with a new arc that will connect future projects. The platform offers different options and activity proposals with their corresponding rewards, which also serve a meta-story function in the saga, and together enhance the experience. Assassin's Creed transversally.

Shadows offers between 40 and 80 hours of content, depending on whether the player chooses to follow only the main story or go off-the-beaten-path to explore the corners of feudal Japan. Accessibility options also allow each user to customize their experience to offer varying degrees of difficulty or guidance in the different game mechanics, to adapt to different types of players. Along with the integration into the new Animus Hub, the new title has been conceived to mark a new milestone in the evolution of the saga. Assassin's Creed Shadows is released on PC, PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series this Thursday, March 20.

We've already played!

We liked it...

• The performance and technical quality are impressive; you can tell the extra time Ubisoft has put into polishing the title for the most worthy launch possible. It's appreciated in these times.
• Stealth and assassinations are fluid, including new mechanics. The feeling of infiltrating a castle on a stormy night and moving through the shadows is an experience. shinobi total.

We didn't like it...

• Despite the high production values, the game still lacks a more emotional component that can draw the player into the narrative or surprise with a groundbreaking idea.
• 16th-century Japanese landscapes are beautiful, but they can feel repetitive, with the same architecture and abundance of nature. At least the changing seasons relieve the monotony of the surroundings.

It's for you if...

• You like the saga. Shadows It's bigger and better, and technically stunning. While nostalgic fans won't find the essence of the first titles, the game makes some decisions in the right direction.
• Japan captivates you, especially during the feudal era. Other video games have also explored this setting recently, such as Rise of the Ronin either Ghost of Tsushima, that This year will premiere a sequel.

It's not for you if...

• You lost interest in Assassin's Creed with the arrival of role-playing and open worlds. Although some of its systems have been redesigned, its massive environment still reminds Origins, Odyssey either Valhalla.
• You don't like stealth games, as that's the main philosophy behind the title. Still, if you want to play it anyway, Yasuke's direct combat style can ease the burden.

[Code provided by Ubisoft and tested on PS5]