Assassin’s Creed Shadows is perfect mix of classic and new

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Table of Contents Best of both worlds The devil is in the details

When Ubisoft released Assassin’s Creed Origins in 2017, it seemed like the franchise was at the start of a transformation. While previous entries focused much more on stealth, Origins started to move in a more action-focused direction with a major emphasis on open-world exploration. 2018’s Odyssey and 2020’s Valhalla continued the trend and refined its combat mechanics, which cemented Assassin’s Creed as an action RPG series.

When 2023’s Mirage came around, it was billed as a return to the series roots with an extra emphasis on stealth. It largely succeeded and was a sufficient, yet unremarkable adventure. With the franchise at a gameplay crossroads, what would the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Shadows play like?

After a six hour demo, and interview with game director Charles Benoit and creative director Jonathan Dumont, it seems like Ubisoft has fused two worlds together. The gameplay and combat in Assassin’s Creed Shadows feels like the perfect mix of both the classic stealth focused Assassin’s Creed games and the more modern action-heavy ones, thanks to its dual protagonist structure. Shadows feels like the game that can finally unify a series with two directions.

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Best of both worlds

Assassin’s Creed Shadows follows shinobi Naoe Fujibayashi and samurai Yasuke as they work together during the Sengoku period in feudal Japan. Naoe is the more nimble protagonist of the two, and she definitely felt like a throwback to the older Assassin’s Creed games, but with a few new tools.

One of the biggest game changers is Naoe’s grappling hook. Assassin’s Creed has always had impressive verticality and parkour movement, but Naoe’s handy hook lets her grab onto virtually any