If there's one element of the Assassin's Creed series that has evolved significantly, it's the combat. While earlier games established the franchise's signature stealth skills – sneaking across rooftops and skillfully luring unsuspecting enemies into the bushes – later installments introduced a more direct approach with explosive entrances and confrontational close-quarters combat. While previous games have chosen to lean more heavily in one of these directions, Assassin's Creed Shadows offers the opportunity to do something good for yourself both in a refreshing and incredibly seamless way.
During a recent preview, Xbox Wire got to spend a few hours with it Assassin's Creed Shadowsplays through the prologue missions of the two protagonists Naoe and Yasuke and spends some time dealing with their two opposing but complementary fighting styles. We were also able to freely explore the game's open world – leading us to a beautiful recreation of feudal Japan, a new, long-requested setting for the series. What we found was a game that takes Assassin's Creed forward by respecting multiple facets of its past.
Sneak or siege – the choice is yours
The contrast between the two characters' fighting styles was a standout aspect for me while playing Assassin's Creed Shadows. Naoe and Yasuke both have their own way of doing things, and you notice that as soon as you start playing with one of them. Not only does this separate two completely different gameplay styles into distinct entities, but it also gives two characters a fighting style that complements their narratives and personalities, an approach Assassin's Creed has taken before, but never with such intensity.
Feeling like a “classic” Assassin’s Creed character, Naoe puts her best foot forward, shrouded in silence and darkness. She can navigate rooftops and trees with ease and of course has her trusty hidden blade for quick, brutal takedowns. She is also equipped with a grappling hook for quickly reaching high places, smoke bombs for distraction or sneak attacks, and kunai for throwing. Naoe can hold her own in close combat if necessary and has the ability to wield similarly effective katana and kurisarigama swords, but her strength lies in the approach of this renowned assassin. It feels absolutely badass to deal with this arsenal – a bit squishy when she's overwhelmed and out in the open – but it's very easy to regain the element of surprise and recalculate her attacks.
Yasuke's combat is a stark variation, with a heavy emphasis on ground fighting and confrontational brawls. He complements Naoe's stealth with pure muscle, equipped with a heavy sword and parrying abilities, a naginata spear – which delivers powerful, long-range attacks to multiple enemies within range – and a Portuguese firearm, a teppo, for devastating long-range strikes. There's rarely a reason for Yasuke to retreat into the shadows – the only entrance he has to scout is the one he plans to shoulder charge through before launching himself into an all-out siege, slashing at everything in sight stands in his way. Yasuke can move up to a more Assassin-friendly position if necessary, but his strengths lie in… his strength.
The best part is that I never felt the need to cast any of these characters as the lead. Assassin's Creed Shadows allows you to switch between them at will, so you don't feel like you have to hard commit to one or the other. However, if you're a big fan of the classic stealth characters – Ezios and Altairs – or later more aggressive main characters like Edward and Eívor, you always have the option to focus exclusively on what you like best.
Switching between the two is of course also suitable for role-playing games, which are rarely possible in Assassin's Creed games. Initially, I opted to take on missions as Naoe, preferring this slick, stealthy assassin outfit. After getting to know the characters a little better, I decided who I wanted to play based on the narrative and their abilities.
To give an example of this: at one point I managed to stay out of a combat situation entirely by choosing to attribute a more calculated determination to Naoe's character than if I had the same conversation with Yasuke, who I think he would have easily slammed. In another scenario, I took Yasuke looking for someone in a hidden gambling den and felt that his gun-pointing approach might be more fun than a sneaky extraction mission as Naoe.
Switching between the two protagonists while out and about in the world is incredibly practical and hardly interrupts the flow of the game. As soon as you switch characters, the character you selected will appear exactly where the previous one was standing, so you can immediately continue what you were doing, whether it's climbing a building, entering into a dialogue with a specific character kick or have to break into a fortress for a fight.
As I did this, I realized that I was intertwining my thoughts own History with the, the Assassin's Creed Shadows is weaving. The result is a highly personalized adventure that puts you in control of every step and can change it whenever and wherever you feel necessary, and we can't wait to play more.
Assassin's Creed Shadows will be released on March 20th on Xbox Series X|S.
