Assassin’s Creed Shadows: A New Era of Stealth and Samurai

Introduction

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows vies to be a Stealth game based on one of the best stealth games out there. Focusing on medieval Japan, the game is highly praised for its visuals and detailing, while some criticised it for being culturally insensitive. 

Its timeline coincides with that of the Sengoku period, when civil wars were at their peak and anarchy was everywhere. You are tasked to set the nation’s fate right by being either Naoe or Yasuke. 

Story 

The story starts with our lead protagonist unveiling a conspiracy by Shinbakufu, a shady organisation that is trying to destabilize the region. The story is all cliché, and resembles older titles, the corrupt rulers, rogue elements wandering in cityskirts, nonetheless, it is entertaining. 

While the characters have a presence in real history, a lot of lore about Yasuke is still fictionalised.

Being honest, the game never claimed to be historically accurate, yet it is somehow closer to reality. 

Gameplay

In gameplay, you have two choices: the Woman Naoe or the Man, Yasuke. 

• Naoe: Choosing Naoe will result in stealthy gameplay, which has been a hallmark of the Assassin’s Creed series. You will be using hidden blades, smoke bombs, and a lot of parkour. 

To use Naoe effectively, you have to rely on shadows to stay in them as they turn you virtually invisible in the game. Also employ tactics like the shuriken throwing, dropping on enemies, to be more successful. 

• Yasuke: As Yasuke, you will be playing a brawler fighting style. With the naginata or long katana weapon, you can brute force through the enemies and easily smash through them. 

If you want to go stealthily with Yasuke, you have to switch to a bow and arrow, which will help you take out enemies from a long distance.

Features:

• Weapons

There are a total of 3 weapons for Naoe, and Yasuke gets five weapons. These weapons are Katana, Tanto, and Kuragisama for Naoe. Yasuke can use weapons like Big Katana, Kanabo, and Naginata for close range, while for stealth and long-range weapons like musket Teppo and a bow.

You get these weapons as you keep exploring the world, and every weapon has different types of Rarities associated with it. 

Also, there is another famous “hidden blade of Assassin”, which has been a staple for the Assassin’s Creed series. 

• Exploration: The exploration is in feudal Japan, where you start with an obscured map with increasing details. The exploration is much better than the previous versions. 
• Graphics: Graphics are one of the best in the gaming world, with realistic, fluid physics and changing weather dynamics, which has a nice cycle of rainy and sunny weather.
• Additional features: Other features include your spy racket for scouting purposes. The first time game has added the crouching ability for the first time in the series, which is nice for stealthy movements. 

Controversy in The Assassin’s Creed Shadows

The game has faced controversies ever since its inception. The inclusion of Yasuke was called “woke” by a few gamers from Japan and the West. These claims were quickly dismissed with the actual record stating the existence of a black man in feudal Japan. 

Also, the game included the destruction of praying shrines, which was deemed culturally insensitive by several Japanese politicians. However, the ability to destroy was quickly taken down by Ubisoft. 

Assassin’s Creed Shadows collector’s edition

In the collector’s edition, you get various perks with the base game for only $230. With exclusive quests and other in-game items such as skins, consumables, and mastery points. 

You will also get a bundle of physical tokens, like statues of both protagonists. Steelbook case, an art book, a world map of Japan, wall scrolls, and ink wash paintings 

System Requirements 

Minimum:

These settings will enable gameplay at 1080p, Low graphics at 30 frames per second, 

Operating system Windows 10 or 11

Processor: Intel Core i7-8700k, or AMD Ryzen 5 3600 

RAM: 16 GB

Graphics card: Either one of these Arc A580, the GTX 1070, or the RX 5700 or better

VRAM: 8 GB

Hard drive:  SSD required with at least 115GB of space. 

DirectX version: DirectX 12

Recommended: For medium graphics and games to run with the Medium graphics preset at 1080p at 60 fps.

Operating systems Windows 10 and 11, both 64-bit

Processor: Intel Core i5-11600k, AMD Ryzen 5 5600x  or better

RAM 16 GB (running dual-channel mode)

Graphics card: Equivalents of GeForce RTX 3060 or better than them.

VRAM: !2 GB for

Storage: 120 GB in your SSD hard drive.

DirectX version: DirectX 12

Features

Reviews and ratings

The Reviews for Assassin’s Creed Shadows speak about how good the game is; almost all reviewers gave more than 80% ratings. While the audience score is also overwhelmingly positive despite some review bombing. 

The game feels refined and adheres to the legacy made by previous AC titles. It is not something extraordinary, but it expands the AC chronology in terms of gameplay, exploration, and features.

FInal verdict

The Assassin’s Creed Shadows instills the thrill of an RPG with covertness. While the storyline is predictive, and you may find it boring, the gameplay makes up for it.

The addition of new features like scouts and crouching makes it easier to play. If you are a fan of Assassin’s Creed, you will find the Shadows worth your time, it is a must to play. Join thousands of players and explore feudal Japan with Naoe and Yasuke.  

 

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