Assassin's Creed Shadows reviewDuel protagonists.Image credit: Ubisoft Review by Tom Phillips Editor-in-Chief Published on March 18, 2025 Majestic in scope, impressive in detail, Assassin's Creed Shadows honours the beauty of feudal Japan, even if its strongest moments are saved for the personal stories of its two protagonists.Alongside its tea ceremonies, rangu poetry and Sumi-e ink drawing, Assassin's Creed Shadows makes several mentions of the Sakura festival, Japan's annual cherry blossom celebration. The brief appearance of falling petals each year, lasting just a week or two, is seen as a symbol for the fleeting nature of beauty and life itself - the idea being, especially back during feudal times, that you should enjoy the moment while it lasts. You might survive the invasion of one warring daimyo, but another is likely not too far behind.Assassin's Creed Shadows reviewDeveloper: UbisoftPublisher: UbisoftPlatform: Played on PC, Xbox Series XAvailability: Out 20th March on PC (Steam), PS5 and Xbox Series X/SAssassin's Creed Shadows has that same sense of being present in one of its biggest changes to the series' gameplay - the new way you explore and uncover its world. Shadows' version of Japan is perhaps Ubisoft's most spectacular open world to date, and is designed to be explored in a more organic fashion. Missions typically no longer direct you by default to a specific location, and Ubisoft has grounded your eagle drone. Instead, you're provided with clues, able to narrow your search by pinging your map using scouts, and then left to use Shadows' new Observe mechanic - essentially Eagle Vision, but for quests and treasure. All this, while Shadows also constantly tries to tempt you slightly off-course - to investigate something else you might find along the way, or watch something happening in the game's world you may not see twice.Simultaneously, Shadows itself is anything but a fleeting beauty. It is another vast and generous adventure from the talented Quebec team that led the development of the Ancient Greece-set Assassin's Creed Odyssey and, similar to that game's trio of major plotlines, Shadows takes dozens of hours to fully reveal the shape of everything it has on offer. Its dual protagonists, for example, each of which have their own backstory and motivations, are introduced independently and in their own time. After that, and after a lot of stomping around Japan, it isn't until near the very end of Shadows' core story - a good deal north of 50 hours - that both characters' own personal journeys come to separate climaxes, and fresh plot threads emerge.To see this content please enable targeting cookies. Watch on YouTubeShadows begins with a strong and near-exclusive focus on Naoe, a young woman from the rebel province of Iga whose father - part of the Ikko-ikki uprising - tries to defend their home against the invading daimyo Oda Nobunaga. Naoe's story, like much of Shadows, is deeply entrenched in Japan's real-life history - meaning major spoilers lurk for everyone on Wikipedia. And while there's still plenty here that's woven on top of actual events - Naoe joins her father wielding an Assassin's Hidden Blade inherited from her mother! - it's notable how straight Shadows typically treats its historical backdrop overall. Gone are the days of jokey in-universe lore tabs from Shaun Hastings, or the mythological bosses that fitted Odyssey's ancient world. What mentions there are of the Assassins are, for the vast majority of the game, kept to interactions with a handful of relics, or whispers of an organisation from a far-off land.Through Shadows' opening 10 hours, Naoe's personal story instead takes centre stage, allowing the game a more focused introduction and the ability to land several big emotional beats. While the rough plotline here has echoes of other games in the franchise, the impact of their events on Naoe feels stronger thanks to a combination of performances, cinematography, and Shadows having the confidence to include plenty of quieter moments amongst the drama. A string of flashback missions showcasing Naoe's pre-invasion life are available to dip into almost at will, enriching what is essentially an extended prologue and introduction to Shadows' main systems.Aside from a brief 20-minute sequence at the start of the game, Shadows' co-protagonist Yasuke remains otherwise unplayable and off-screen until the prologue's climax - something that initially comes as a surprise, considering the much-hyped ability to play the vast majority of Shadows as either shinobi or samurai. However, as with many things in Shadows, it's something that in the fullness of time feels a more natural choice and - dozens of hours with him later - far less of an omission. Image credit: UbisoftYasuke begins on the opposing side to Naoe, a key part of the same invasion of Iga that she and her father attempt to repel. The resulting conflict between the two, and the reasons for their eventual partnership, are rather swiftly dealt with at the expense of not elongating the game's first chunk further. Yasuke's late introduction does initially leave him feeling more of a secondary character but - again, in time - this feeling subsides as more about his motivations and own story ultimately becomes known, and you find a groove switching between both characters to make use of their gameplay strengths and weaknesses.Assassin's Creed has let you play as non-Assassin characters before - Valhalla's Eivor, most recently, was never a paid-up member of the Brotherhood, and neither was fan-favourite pirate Edward Kenway - but the series has never had a protagonist like Yasuke. After 10 hours as the nimble Naoe, this fully-trained samurai feels like a tank, able to take and deal far more damage than his shinobi co-star, and initially almost like an Assassin's Creed cheat code. But Yasuke's might is heavily balanced by the fact he's also far slower and less agile on his feet - something that, in a game designed around speedy parkour and stealth, is a significant trade-off. Yasuke is a poorer climber and unable to synchronise with some viewpoints, and feels more easily detected by nearby guards. Naoe, by contrast, is the fastest playable character in the franchise to date, and especially agile with her grappling hook for swinging across chasms or climbing vertically up pagodas.I ended up swapping back and forth between the two characters pretty regularly, and enjoyed the different playstyles as a way to keep things fresh. The vast majority of the game can be spent as either character, aside from some specific personal quests, and each is able to dabble in the strengths of the other: Yasuke is able to implement stealth, including Shadows' new prone movement option, just as Naoe is able to run headfirst into big fights without picking off anyone off first. Indeed, Shadows' focus on stealth overall benefits both characters through its lighting system, which sees its world illuminated by braziers, candles and lanterns that can be snuffed out to aid your sneaking, while any mission at night also has an obvious advantage. This is as good a time as any to praise Shadows' more interactive and destructible world, which boasts all sorts of objects - fruit stalls, shoji paper doors, bamboo foliage - that you can slice up or slice enemies through, and typically cover in arcing splashes of blood. The advancement of Assassin's Creed's veteran Anvil engine for Shadows is impressive, and frequently results in moments where you need to simply stop what you're doing to take it all in: the water droplets dribbling down a tiled roof to then ping off Yasuke's helmet on a wet day, the ever-swirling wind currents whipping up autumn leaves or winter snow from the roads, or small details such as a heron in a nearby pond scarfing down its lunch.Yasuke's own story takes longer to be uncovered, though his arrival in the game eventually lands when you regroup with some of his former acquaintances from his time serving Oda Nobunaga. Shadows' willingness to nip between moments within its own timeline ensures this later section still features an intriguing recap of Yasuke's life in Japan so far, while avoiding any dwelling on his life prior, keeping the game's focus on events within the country itself. Much has, of course, been written online about Yasuke's inclusion in Shadows - an ugly situation that Ubisoft finally put to bed via an impassioned speech from Assassin's Creed boss Marc-Alexis Cot at the end of last year. Needless to say, Yasuke's unique perspective as someone who owes their life and status to the target Naoe is seeking - in a way perhaps no other character in Japan could - only serves to justify his inclusion further. Image credit: UbisoftFor the bulk of Shadows' mid-section - its middle 40 hours, after that 10-hour prologue - most main missions have Naoe and Yasuke working together, albeit with the other off-screen. Shadows encourages you to play as both as much as possible, and often has the two meet up simply to give you a chance to smoothly switch from one to the other, though sometimes you'll also get a chance to see the pair discuss the latest plot development, typically after their latest main target has been wiped off the board.Modern Day and Animus HubShadows lacks a modern day component outside its Animus Hub, a new launcher for the series' recent games that sits within the game's main menu. It's also here you can track weekly quests, which unlock some in-game gear and text-based lore - with the first storyline following a near-future Assassin operation in Marrakech.The game is still set within an Animus, and as Shadows progresses you get a few brief moments where you hop out of Naoe and Yasuke and experience a story beat within the Animus' code. But there's nothing here that requires prior knowledge, or that feels much other than extraneous.During this section, Naoe and Yasuke are free to explore the entirety of the game's map to target the Shinbakufu, a masked group of powerful figures who assisted in the Igan invasion and swiped a mystery box macguffin. It's here that Shadows' main gameplay loop kicks in, with the pair travelling region to region, assisting the locals and typically taking down the local puppet master hiding in their big castle. As with other recent Assassin's Creed epics, a lot of this involves taking down forts and encampments, grabbing better gear and growing your own pool of resources and stat points in the process.Naoe and Yasuke each have a selection of weapon types to choose between, and each group of these has their own skill tree of special attacks to unlock and upgrade. For Naoe, I ended up favouring her chain-sickle kusarigama weapon to target groups of enemies at range, keeping them at a distance. But I also ended up fully upgrading her tantō dagger, which pairs best alongside the Hidden Blade for quick and stealthy assassinations. For Yasuke, I favoured his naginata pole arm, again to put distance between him and enemies, but also because of a brilliant special attack where you can pin enemies to walls like kebabs. Different tiers of special attacks unlock through the game as you hit various levels, but all feel relatively grounded, especially compared to some of the superpower-like abilities in Odyssey.If you've played Assassin's Creed Mirage, you'll recognise its excellent visual target board and quest log, which returns for Shadows in expanded form. Alongside the main Shinbakufu group, you'll soon find yourself chasing numerous smaller clans of local bad guys, the discovery of which expands your quest board further - and it's a thrill to discover quite how much there is to offer as the board grows and grows. Intriguingly, not every target has to be snuffed out - a small selection of quests allow you to show mercy to some characters, one major choice of which causes a rare spat between Naoe and Yasuke as a result (one of the few times I felt the game's choices had some real consequence). And by the end of the game - well, let's just say you'll still have plenty to do on your target board that'll encourage you to keep playing, well after the credits roll. Image credit: UbisoftShadows' middle portion - where the bulk of its main targets lie - is where the game sags slightly. There was never a moment I was bored, and exploring more of Shadows' world rarely tires, but not every area is as strong as its counterparts. It's also here that the game's focus notably shifts away from Naoe and Yasuke's personal quests for an extended period, meaning that when they are picked up again after, it has been dozens of hours since the last big development. I'd have loved more interaction between Naoe and Yasuke during this period, as an early scene around a campfire suggests we'll get, but after a lengthy introduction and a large map to explore, the game just wants to get going. There are story beats - such as the disagreement between the game's main characters mentioned above - that feel ripe for further exploration, just as there are wider topics thrown up by the game with room for deeper exploration - charismatic leaders converting youth into followers, the need for violence to provoke change - that are pretty quickly left on the table. But in a game this big - in terms of its content, and for it to find as big an audience as possible - and when both characters have to remain playable, rather than going off in a huff for an extended period, I wasn't overly surprised to see some compromises made, and the action move on.Alongside its targets, Shadows' quest screen also lets you track the missions available from your allies - those found in each area of the country, as well as a core group of followers who you can optionally invite to join your cause. These sidekicks are a mixed bag - most are mildly interesting, though one particularly flirty character is intolerable. I recruited them all because not doing so would be missing content, though their main function is to be called upon in battle, similar to the ability to call in Assassin recruits of old. A smaller selection of these characters can also be romanced - Naoe and Yasuke have a couple of hookup options each in the game - though with the exception of one major storyline for Yasuke (not specifically locked behind the need to romance that character), there's little depth here.Assassin's Creed Shadows accessibility optionsAim asist, quick-time events toggle, text size and colour options, HUD size and colour options, dynamic music and sound mix controls, additional sound cues and audio glossary, subtitles and closed captions, cutscene narration, left-handed controller layout, auto movement, options to disable chromatic aberration and motion blur, remove blood effects and dismemberment.Your recruits will set up home in Naoe and Yasuke's homestead, a version of the much-expandable Viking village seen in Valhalla, now with the ability to place, customise and decorate buildings, props and pathways at your leisure. It's a fun mode I dabbled with for only an hour or so in total during my playthrough, but would encourage greater exploration of to anyone with more time. Not only do your settlement's buildings - a forge, a tea house, a shrine and so forth - all unlock useful abilities when built and upgraded, but it's also here you'll find short snippets of dialogue with your followers each time you visit, fleshing out their characters to some degree. New items for your homestead can be found throughout Japan as well, and are doled out fairly regularly (best of all, you can acquire an enormous menagerie of pets) so it's worth popping back whenever possible, though the game rarely forces you to do so - unlike Valhalla, where story arcs always sent you back home. Image credit: UbisoftWhittle down the Shinbakufu and the game's final act will kick in, one which returns to focus strongly on Naoe and Yasuke's own stories after a lengthy wait. It's here that things really kick into gear once more, and several big lingering questions finally get answered. And yes, for longer-term Assassin's Creed fans, there are a couple of moments that will excite those with a wider knowledge of the lore. But in general, Shadows is more standalone than perhaps any other game in the franchise to date, its focus fully on Japan, and free of any continuing characters or modern day storylines. That said, there's definitely space left for the future - within Shadows itself through more stories, or perhaps in another game entirely. Before the end credits roll, each character's story is rounded out but also given a tease of what's next, too.Tonight I'll be back in Shadows' open world, as I have done every night for the past couple of weeks. It's currently winter in my game, and while the seasons didn't impact my gameplay much pre-credits, my post-game returns to certain areas are finally allowing me to see its impact versus the last time I was in town. It's another thing that Shadows' lengthy run-time is finally bringing into focus - and another example of the need to enjoy things while they're around. It'll be time for Sakura blossoms again soon.A copy of Assassin's Creed Shadows was provided for review by publisher Ubisoft.