When this 18-year AC fan was told hed be spending time in Shadows, that'sI was soon tested by bandit ronin, angry samurai, and those big-boned gits game designers love to roll out as Heavies. My greatest enemy, however, was the Stygian darkness around me. Trying to fight silhouetted foes by their UI flourishes and navigating intricate castle battlements using controller vibration braille? Challenging.It dawned on me that Id simply have to wait until the sun came up, in-game, at which point my heroine would be less effective because shed stand out like a tengus diamond-studded nose ring.Assassin's Creed Shadows - Art and Concept ArtBe that as it may, I'm glad I soldiered on. Though the overall experience still wasnt perfect, in full daylight, the considerably delayed and controversy-stricken Shadows shone brighter than I figured it could. Mind you, my expectations were lower than one of Naoes underhanded sweep kick executions.In a minute, Im going to dive into Shadows pros and cons as I see them so far. For now, though, I guess I should provide prices for the diehards willing to make a leap of faith preorder now. If youre more the type to hang back, synchronise, and get a better lay of the landlike methen click here to skip the window shopping and get to my continued thoughts. Assassins Creed Shadows (Standard Edition)Assassin's Creed ShadowsPS5Get it at Amazon - $89Get it at JB Hi-Fi - $89Get it at Big W - $89Get it at Harvey Norman - $88Get it at PS Store (digital) - $109.95Xbox Series XGet it at Amazon - $89Get it at JB Hi-Fi - $89Get it at Big W - $89Get it at Harvey Norman - $88Get it at Xbox Store (digital) - $109.95PCGet it at Ubisoft Store - $TBAPreorder any version of Assassins Creed Shadows and youll receive a bonus quest called Thrown to the Dogs. You'll also get the first expansion for freeAssassins Creed Shadows Gold EditionPS5Get it at Amazon - $159.95Get it at JB Hi-Fi - $158Get it at Big W - $139Get it at PS Store (digital) - $TBAXboxGet it at Amazon - $159.95Get it at JB Hi-Fi - $158Get it at Big W - $139Get it at Xbox Store (digital) - $TBAPCGet it at Ubisoft Store - $TBAThe gold edition comes with the base game, plus the following:Season PassAssassins Creed Shadows Ultimate Edition (Digital)Get it at PS Store - $TBAGet it at Xbox Store - $TBAGet it at Ubisoft Store - $TBAThe digital-only ultimate edition comes with the game itself, plus the following:Season PassSekiryu character packSekiryu hideout pack5 skill pointsRed dragon filter in photo modeAssassins Creed Shadows Collectors EditionGet it for PS5 - $329.95Get it for Xbox Series X - $329.95Get it for PC - $329.95The collectors edition comes with the ultimate edition game, plus the following: Diorama figurine with dual protagonistsUltimate Edition: Base game + Ultimate packSteelbookHardcover artbookShinobi's metal tsuba replica with standSilk creed kakemono rollSet of 3 sumi-e lithographsHands On ContinuedLet me reiterate that a lack of brightness settings was a work-in-progress flub that definitely won't affect you on day one. And, despite my extreme visibility issues, even I could see something about Naoeshes just incredibly spry and fun to use. And I mean like no assassin Ive ever inhabited before (and Ive Animused them all). Shes brilliant at displacing from bad situations and using her last known location, plus a variety of tricks, to turn any stealth error into the perfect bait-and-switch kill.The key skill to use for this has got to be her multi-tool rope. Im introduced to it early on in a non-combat scenario first, which is basically me shooting the shit by scaling Himeji Castle and stopping to pat the odd random tailless cat that I chance upon.Sadly, this isnt a manually aimed grapple hook, which makes me miss the granddaddy of the genre, Tenchu: Stealth Assassins. What you get instead is a contextual LB icon that constantly flicks on and off in the upper middle of your screen to signify a no-looker attach opportunity. Again, this makes me miss a gameGhost of Tsushima and its more or less HUD-less approach to everything. This isnt a manually aimed grapple hook, which makes me miss the granddaddy of the genre, Tenchu.Zipping up castle ramparts with the grappling hookabout 30 feet per flingis pretty intoxicating too. I wouldnt say this game has the best climbing in the series, as I abhor how one-button and technique-less its been streamlined into, but Im willing to admit that its the most visually impressive upward scrambling Ive seen. Extremely complex hand grips and body contortions flow from animation to animation as Naoe scurries up things. She even does these nifty little contextual somersaults between rooftop eaves.All this being said, I did spot some frame rate chugs when I got to the highest altitudes. Presumably because the engine was girding itself to stream in some ridiculously commanding view at the end of my ascent.I expected the worst when I got up to the apex of this particular 152 foot castle and triggered the big synch point camera pan. To my relief, not a chug was there at all, so I believe its probably a tuning problem at this point. I also see no framerate issues when I chuck myself off that roof into a haybale roughly 100 ft below (truly the mechanic that never, ever gets old).Thanks to my Ubisoft demoers, Im kitted out with what I believe is some of the best gear available. Im rocking a Dragons Edge Legendary Katana, which provides two passive perks and very impressive Weapon DPS, Posture DPS, Ability Damage, and Adrenaline Gain numbers.I also have a Kusarigama (think: a fun-sized scythe with a chain attached to a chunk of metal) that goes by Death Whisperer and a Tanto (basically a short sword). Likewise, the clothes maketh the master assassins stats, so Im decked out in an epic Silent Shinobi Hood and cuirass, which also have large numbers to embiggen my Health, Crit Chance, and Adrenaline Gain.I also have a Kusarigama (think: a fun-sized scythe with a chain attached to a chunk of metal).When it comes to personal growth, this particular Animus system doesnt feel hugely unique when compared to the last high-tech sofa bed I lounged in. Like Valhalla, were grinding XP to earn levels that come with Knowledge Points to spend in Naoes six perk trees. Theyre named Katana, Kusarigama, Tanto, Tools, Shinobi, and Assassin, and each of them has around 16 or so things to buy.Ill start with the katana, my home slice favourite. Youll want to invest early in the Tidal Wave strike that pings you forward a few metres, bites off 25% damage, staggers the recipient, and can be upgraded to include a second target.I also adore the pantsings provided by Eviscerate, a gutstab that ends with this lovely Spartan-kick-to-backlip hybrid move. Upgrading it to be used on larger foes is worth it, purely because the base animation will unintentionally look like youre stabbing them in the groin instead of the stomach of a regular-sized grunt.Failing any of those techniques, the unimaginative swordsfolk among you can simply invest in Guard Breakers, Momentum Builders that reward comboing with damage, Repeat Dodges that achieve the same thing, Daze inflictions, and those good old-fashioned table-turning counter-attacks on your LB parry.The base animation will unintentionally look like youre stabbing them in the groin instead of the stomachIf crowd control isnt your bag, I had great success with Quick Strikes. Basically, if you pause after any attack and then tap RB or RT, you can inject two additional strikes into your combo. They seem to cross-up most foes. Or you can just do a Cyclone Blast that lassoes your chain ball into multiple enemies around you. Its low-damage stuff, admittedly, but the big-boy version of it knocks people back and even slices shrubs and small trees in half. (Im a sucker for the little details.)When it comes to the Tanto, you shouldnt let its diminutive size deceive you into thinking it cant provide large damage and big fun opportunities. Case in point: the Shadow Piecer ability that turns a thrown Tanto to the face into a follow-up charge where you yank it out at an unpleasant angle. When I upgraded that to gift back 80% of my adrenaline bar, well, everybody got an express delivery Tanto to their melon.Theres also the highly effective Shadow Barrage ability, which turns a successful dodge into a 20-second, freeform combofest that ends after 7 hits dispensed (or one received). If youre good enough to chain some kills in there, thatll up the damage by 5% for more murder. I punch all those numbers into my calculator, and it makes a smiley face.You should also know that the Tanto is the Little Bread Knife That Could in terms of armour breaking. There are a bunch of perks that have Naoe inexplicably finding the gaps in armour for massive pain. Bonus buckets of blood can be yours if you can perform these chink-finding stabs from behind.Beyond the three main weapons, I invested an absurd amount of points in my actual Tools of the trade. As an entree, I highly recommend placing yourself atop some balcony edge and then hoiking a stage 3 enhanced kunai into somebodys face for a 400% damage insta-kill. Hoiking a stage 3 enhanced kunai into somebodys face for a 400% damage insta-kill.As you may have guessed, Naoes greatest strength is her insane mobility, and Shinobi arts can give her Spider-Man-level skills at doing Peter parkour. On the grappling hook side of things, I was more than up for an Ascension Boost perk for zippier rooftop escapes. Likewise, the Heightened Sense mode, which makes time go molasses for 8 seconds, is pretty ludicrous. Itll cease when an enemy spots you, at which point the flow state ends and your beating probably begins.I also found great use in using the Vault technique after an attack deflectionyoull use the enemy as a mini jumping castle and then capitalising on his discombobulated state that follows. I also saw huge success with a Shallow Water Breathing technique for basically staying underwater forever as a means to crocodile snatch anybody near the waters edge.When my time came to an end with Assassins Creed Shadows, my impressions were of something familiar that's finally leaning hard into what has always been its most ideal and aspirational form. The original AC blueprint, from its very inception, was really just a Middle-Eastern-flavoured ninja sim. AC Shadowswell, half of it at leastfeels like a stealth experience homecoming thats been ages in the making.Naoe is my jam, and while this Japanese sandbox isnt as painterly as the islands of Tsushima and Iki, Shadows has the edge in terms of interesting major metropolitan areas. They're all built around what I consider to be the most satisfying to climb jungle gyms ever builtmulti-tier Edo-period fortresses.I simply cannot wait to scale them for the purposes of springboarding into repeated death-from-above executions (or just insane haybale dives). The new release date of March 20th can't get here soon enough. Adam Mathew is our Aussie deals wrangler. He plays practically everything, often on YouTube.