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As much as theAssassins Creedfranchise likes to stick to certain formulae, its also undeniable that each new game brings plenty new to the table.Assassins Creed Shadowsis due out soon, coming close to five years after the series last mainline entry inValhalla(though we did get the smallerMiragein 2023 as well), and it looks like Shadows will be changing things up in a number of ways. Though meant to be an evolution of the action RPG formula that has brought usAssassins Creed Origins, Odyssey,andValhalla,Shadowsis shaking up those three titles familiar framework in ways both big and small. Here, were going to go over the most significant of those changes.SETTINGWell kick things off with something obvious. With a newAssassins Creedalways comes a brand-new setting, andShadowsis taking us to a place that fans of the series have long been hoping to visit. WhereValhallawas set in 9th century Norway and England,Assassins Creed Shadowswill transport players to 16th century Japan, in the twilight of the Sengoku period. Demand for anAssassins Creedgame set in Japan has been sky-high for as long as anyone can remember (a fact thatGhost of Tsushima shrewdly capitalized on in 2020), so its exciting to see it finally happening.PROTAGONISTSNewAssassins Creedentries also bring new protagonists (unless youre Ezio, that is). InValhalla,Eivor took the spotlight with male and female options available, but inAssassins Creed Shadows,were going back to two protagonists, similar toOdysseyandSyndicate.But whereOdysseyallowed you to play as only one of Kassandra or Alexios,Shadowswill feature both samurai Yasuke and shinobi Naoe as co-leads of the story. Meanwhile, unlikeSyndicate,where character switching was only available during free roam,Shadowswill let you play most of its quests as whichever character you please- though each willalso have some exclusive missions.PRESENT-DAY STORYThe long-running and notoriously convoluted present-day storyline has long been one ofAssassins Creedsmost divisive elements, but no, its not going away anytime soon, as much as some may want that.Assassins Creed Valhallawrapped up the Layla Hassan arc that kicked off inOriginsand continued inOdyssey,andShadowswill mark the beginning of another new present-day arc. Details on it are somewhat sparse, but franchise boss Marc-Alexis Cot has said the new modern-day storyline will explore deeper themes of memory, identity and autonomy, how the past shapes who we are, and how controlling this past can impact our future.COMBAT CHANGESAssassins Creed Valhallawas the culmination of the series action RPG formula as far as its action-driven combat tendencies were concerned.Shadows,however, is pulling in a different direction, with renewed focus in areas such as parkour and stealth (more on both in a bit). Of course, those who want a combat-focused approach will get just that when playing as Yasuke, whos slower in his movements but an absolute bruiser in one-on-one combat. Naoe, on the other hand, will be much more agile, but much more vulnerable to damage, what with her specialties lying in stealth.NEW WEAPONSAssassins Creed Valhallaboasted a strong variety of weapons for players to find and master, and just as it did, so too willShadowsbring an entirely new roster of tools based on its new setting. Expect to see katanas, tanto blades, war clubs, naginata spears, shurikens, kasurigama, kunai, ranged weapons like arquebuses, and more. As the assassin and stealth-expert, Naoe will also have access to the iconic hidden blade, as well as a grappling hook.STEALTHStealth is whatAssassins Creedbuilt its name on first and foremost back in the day, andShadowsis promising a return to those roots (just as 2023sMiragedid). Stealth was, of course, barely even a tertiary priority inValhalla,but you can expect it to play a much more significant role in its upcoming follow-up. Naoe in particular will have access to moves and tools meant specifically for that role, from being able to go prone or crawl or squeeze through gaps to throwing smoke bombs or bells and even hiding underwater while using bamboo pipes to breathe.LIGHT AND SHADOW MECHANICSTaking a page out ofSplinter Cellsbook,Assassins Creed Shadowsexpanded emphasis on stealth will also entail new light-and-shadow gameplay mechanics. Shadows will now serve as hiding places for players, which will go hand-in-hand with a dynamic lighting system. Extinguishing light sources to create new hiding spots for yourself and stay out of enemies sights will be an important part of the games stealth loop.EAGLE VISIONUnlikeAssassins Creed Valhalla(and its two action RPG predecessors), which gave players winged companions that they could take control of any time,Shadowsis dropping that mechanic and bringing back traditional Eagle Vision. Available only to Naoe, it will work the way you remember from previous titles (including 2023sMirage), with enemies, hiding spots, and other stealth-specific points of interest being highlighted. Meanwhile, both Naoe and Yasuke will also have access to an Observe mechanic, which will identify and tag points of interest such as targets, loot, quest objectives, collectibles, and more. Naoe will be able to use Observe and Eagle Vision simultaneously.PARKOURParkour is another area thats being resharpened forAssassins Creed Shadows.Movement and traversal mechanics were very much cut from the same cloth asOriginsandOdyssey parkour was de-emphasized compared to prior entries, and players could virtually climb every surface that existed anywhere in the map.Shadowsis taking a more considered approach, according to its developers. As the more nimble of the two characters, Naoe will have access to an expanded and robust moveset (which will also include a grappling hook). On top of that, crucially, not every surface will be climbable, which means players will have to actually pay attention to things such as handholds, climbing spots, and what have you.EXPLORATIONWhere exploration is concerned,Assassins Creed Shadowsis promising to address some ofValhallasbiggest issues in interesting ways. Inundating players with markers and icon vomit has generally beenAssassins Creedsmodus operandi, butShadowsis seemingly looking to deliver a more organic experience. Viewpoints will now only highlight nearby points of interest, with everything else being revealed by actual, organic exploration, or through other means (such as your spy network).PROGRESSIONWith two protagonists sharing the spotlight,Assassins Creed Shadowsprogression mechanics will, as you might imagine, take on a new shape. Naoe and Yasuke will have their own individual skill trees, as you may expect, given their different specialties and movesets. On top of character-specific skill trees, meanwhile, each weapon type will also have its own skill tree, which means the more you use a weapon, the better you get at using it.SEASONSAssassins Creed Shadowswill also tout a new seasons system, which is going to be exactly what it sounds like. As you progress through the game, youll experiencing changing seasons, and each will bring changes in the environment that will also impact gameplay. For instance, during winter, enemies will be able to spot your footprints in snow, and you wont be able to stealthily swim through frozen water bodies and puddles. On the other hand, in spring, therell be abundant tall grass and blooming plants, which means abundant hiding spots.BASE BUILDINGJust asAssassins Creed Valhallalet players expand, build up, and customize their hub village of Ravensthorpe throughout the course of its gargantuan runtime,Shadowswill also feature a central hub in the Hideout that players will be able to customize and expand. In fact, this time, the game is set to feature expanded and more granular building mechanics, with a fullSims-style grid affording players even greater control over the hub.SIZEAssassins Creed Valhallawas almost too big for its own good, being the 100-150 hour colossus that it was, but thankfully, its upcoming successor has taken the hint and is cutting back significantly. Its developers have made it clear thatShadowsmap is going to be roughly around the same size asOriginsAncient Egypt- which isnt small by any stretch of the imagination, but is definitelywaymore manageable thanValhallasworld was. Though those who wish to will be able to get over a hundred hours out of the game,Shadowsmain story is supposed to be comparable to OriginsandOdyssey, which means it could be anywhere between 30-50 hours, depending on how much you engage with the optional content.NO SEASON PASSAssasins Creedhas followed the Season Pass model for quite some time now, but Ubisoft announced last year aftersustaining multiple back-to-back high profile failures that changing its post-launch model was one of several steps it would be taking to shake things up. Of course, likeValhalla, Shadowsis expected to receive plenty of post-launch content, but Ubisoft has cancelled its Season Pass in particular. The first expansion will be free for all pre-orders, while further details on future content will be shared down the road.
