There are a lot of things to talk about around this Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which is why I’m going to get straight to the point and not procrastinate. We will already start with the story and the characters. The rumors that have been circulating for months and months have been right, these are two characters that we will be able to embody in the game, namely Naoe and Yasuke. Naoe is the female character of the game and her particularity is that she is part of the shinobi clan, ninjas in fact. In the story, she is the daughter of Fushibayashi Nagato, a historical figure in Japan from the Iga region. Moreover, her clan will be massacred by samurai sent by Oda Nobunaga and this is how she will cross paths with Yasuka, the 2nd playable character and who is none other than this “black samurai” that the Japanese history knows. So I know that there is a lot of debate around him, some saying that it is a myth, others specifying that he was never a samurai but wielder of Nobunaga’s sword and one simple curiosity that the latter exhibited for fun at the time.
YASUKE, MYTH OR REALITY?
Some accounts explain that he was sold by Portuguese Jesuits and that he escaped after the Honno-ji incident, and above all that he never fought in his life. Ubisoft nevertheless decided to take the bias of saying that he really existed, and besides, they are not the only ones, since there is even an animated on Netflix which retraces his life, but for many people, it’s a real remix and above all an opportunity to deal with an exotic story that goes off the beaten track. Regardless, Ubisoft likes the fact that we will discover Japan through the eyes of this man who will also discover the habits and customs of a country he does not know. The identification is therefore total for the developers of Ubisoft Quebec. Because yes, and I’m clarifying it now, but this Assassin’s Creed Shadows is developed by the same team that made Odyssey and Syndicate. And you will see that these two old Assassin’s Creed games share a lot in common with Shadows.
TWO CHARACTERS, 1 HISTORICAL, 1 FICTITIOUS
By offering two characters, Ubisoft will make it possible to play two different types of gameplay, undoubtedly imposed by the story, knowing that each character offers its own progression path, skills, weapon options and even statistics. Yasuke is going to be the somewhat tough warrior, and in addition to the saber, we see that he will be able to wield the Kanabô, this famous spiked club which was all the rage during feudal Japan and which shattered heads easily too. The approach will be more brutal, especially since the character will be 3 heads taller than the other NPCs, which makes him a colossus and a fascinating character for the enemy. Naoe is the opposite. Already because she’s a woman, but also because she’s a shinobi and her gameplay is focused on fast, stealthy attacks and infiltration. Rumors 8 months ago announced mechanics taken from Splinter Cell and they were right too. Basically, the game will rely on light, noises, shadows and even environments to avoid being detected. Basically, it will be possible to hide in the darkness and even create shadow areas by destroying lanterns or killing torch bearers. A brightness indicator will allow you to see the degree of stealth, from totally visible to totally hidden.
Speaking of stealth, know that it is now possible to knock out enemies during a stealth attack, which allows you to play in a more pacifist manner. Characters can crawl on the ground while lying down, allowing you to remain stealthy and pass through small openings. I said the characters, because yes, even Yasuke the nag on duty will be able to do stealth, even if Naoe will be more effective in the role of shinobi. Moreover, among the exclusive elements that Naoe has, there is this grappling hook that she can use at any time to hang on or use a zip line or even a rope, like in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Moreover, it is thanks to the grappling hook that Naoe can place himself on the ceiling and advance under the noses of enemies. Obviously, all this is promising, but Assassin’s Creed and infiltration are a bit like oil and water, it’s incompatible and you only need to see the latest Assassin’s Creed Mirage to see to what extent the mechanics of stealth are really not up to date and often even ridiculous. We hope that the developers have made progress, because otherwise, it risks hampering the gameplay quite a bit, because right now, it’s part of the heart of the gameplay and not just something extra, as a bonus.
DYNAMIC SEASONS AND WEATHER
Among the new features of this Assassin’s Creed Shadows, there is the appearance of so-called dynamic seasons. This means that unlike Assassin’s Creed III, the seasons will change throughout the game somewhat randomly and in real time. Spring, summer, fall and winter, the 4 seasons are there and the current season is dictated by progression through the campaign in order to maintain historical accuracy. Each season has a real impact on the game and gameplay. For example, in spring and summer, when plants are flowering, there are bushes and tall grass in which to hide. Later, in fall and winter, these plants will die and make hiding places disappear. Water also freezes in winter, preventing you from entering swimming pools and ponds. Icicles form on the edges of roofs and can fall if disturbed, which can reveal your location. These new features are pretty good. But that’s not all, we also learned that the seasons will also affect the behavior of NPCs. For example, in summer, enemies do not hesitate to rummage in the bushes to find you, while in winter, as it is cold, they prefer to stay near fires and warm places, which allows them to be better avoided. . I was talking about discretion and stealth, know that the dynamic weather system also has an impact on that. Bad weather, such as thick fog, winds, or snowstorms impact the sight and sound of enemies.
DODGE & DRIFT
Since we’re talking about combat features, know that Assassin’s Creed Shadows sets aside the shields that we used in the latest AC RPGs. For what ? Quite simply, because at that time of the Japanese War, there were no shields, which means that the only defensive option in the game is dodging. Dodging and positioning yourself correctly will therefore be essential to avoid ending up with the 4 irons in the air. On the other hand, it is possible to parry enemy attacks with your weapon when playing Yasuke, while Naoe does not have this parry ability. On the other hand, she can “deflect” the enemy’s blows. Ubisoft hasn’t clarified the difference between parries and deflections, but it may be that parries allow you to counterattack while deflections are a more evasive tactic. Otherwise, one can rely on armor to protect oneself, knowing that it has durability and can be broken during combat, especially the armor of opponents. We also learned that each weapon has its own skill tree, which may please fans of RPG mechanics. Note that Yasuke and Naoe have individual skill trees and equipment, but share the same XP, collected weapons, and resources.
OPEN WORLD MORE ORGANIC?
There was also information on the map and Ubisoft confirmed that it will be similar in size to that of Assassin’s Creed Origins. All the people who complain about the too big size of the latest ACs risk getting angry, but in reality, I personally love them. Mirage was way too small for my liking. Now, the open world has to be interesting to navigate. Moreover, the region is divided into several regions, themselves based on the actual historical provinces of Japan, including Iga (home of the shinobi), Arima (which is the site of a major battle) and Omi (an agricultural region where the Japanese wheat grows. It’s going to make for some nice panoramas. As for those who hoped that the towers would disappear with this new Assassin’s Creed, it’s gone, since the synchronization points will be there, but in a new way. In fact, by climbing to the top of a tower, you no longer display a multitude of icons on your map and you no longer trigger the shooting of the region in aerial view, no, you will be able to examine the area and highlight the points of interest yourself, which you can then search for once you return to the ground. The idea is obviously to reduce the number of points of interest on the map and to offer a more natural progression. , more organic, less mechanical, less video game And of course, these will always serve as places for quick travel. Perfect.
