An Assassin's Creed game set in Japan. For generations, this was the dream — but when Ghost of Tsushima released in 2020, it felt like the desire dissipated. Sony and Sucker Punch had beaten Ubisoft to the, er, punch, and so, in a weird roundabout way, Assassin's Creed Shadows almost feels like it's late to its own party.

As much as you may want to avoid them, comparisons between Shadows and Ghost of Tsushima (and maybe even Rise of the Ronin) are inevitable. There's no denying that Shadows takes inspiration from the adventures of Jin Sakai; this is a much more contemplative Assassin's Creed title that's eager to appreciate the quieter moments of open world exploration. Just like Ghost, it embraces the meditative aspects of its Japanese setting.

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But don't get us wrong, this is still very much an (open world RPG) Assassin's Creed game, complete with copious map markers and a seemingly endless supply of story quests, side quests, contract killings, collectibles, and fall-breaking haystacks.

There are aspects of Shadows that set it apart from its predecessors, however. Primarily, the storytelling is a real cut above the likes of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. The cinematic quality of main story cutscenes — and even the standard dialogue scenes — is dramatically improved, which helps elevate the overall plot and its characters.

A word of caution, though: the English dub ain't good. Some characters are fine — protagonists Naoe and Yasuke, for example — but secondary members of the cast and quest-giving NPCs can sound incredibly wooden and stunted. It's a shame, but as is the case with many a samurai movie, Shadows is best enjoyed in Japanese with subtitles.

As alluded, Shadows follows in the footsteps of Assassin's Creed Syndicate, opting for two lead characters who share the spotlight throughout. Things kick off with Yasuke, an African man who was brought over to Japan by Portuguese missionaries, before being taken into the service of all-important warlord Nobunaga Oda.

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Yasuke is a first for Assassin's Creed — a playable protagonist who was actually a real person. Historical records of the man himself are very few and far between, which has always made Yasuke an intriguing prospect in terms of fiction. He's been the subject of numerous works over the years, inspiring manga and anime classics like Afro Samurai, while also being depicted directly in games like Samurai Warriors 5.

In Shadows, Ubisoft positions Yasuke as a kind of redemptive hero. Having helped Nobunaga crush his enemies as a loyal samurai, Yasuke is forced to confront a young woman — the second protagonist, Naoe — and reconsider his place in what is, ultimately, a completely alien country where he'll always be seen as an outsider.

Naoe, meanwhile, is driven by revenge. In typical Assassin's Creed style, she seeks to deliver judgement to those who would trample the innocent — and in feudal 16th century Japan, that means waging a secret war against the lords of the land. Luckily, she hails from a clan of shinobi — spies and assassins — which gives her a necessary affinity for sharp instruments.

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As the game goes on, Naoe and Yasuke develop a surprisingly great chemistry. Yasuke's reflective but optimistic personality plays off Naoe's underlying anger perfectly, to the point where we wish there were more scenes between just the two of them.

Together, the leads form a league of justice-seeking individuals, built to track down the ringleaders of a powerful cult. Naturally, the hunt takes you across a huge map that covers a good chunk of mainland Japan, split into regions that each have their own storylines.

Structurally, it's very similar to Assassin's Creed Valhalla; you even have a central base of operations that can be upgraded and customised with resources found out in the field. The map itself is a frankly stunning recreation of Japan; it's not quite as vast as Valhalla's England, and it certainly isn't on the same scale as Assassin's Creed Odyssey's Greece, but it's dense and brilliantly realised.

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Interestingly, the open world design is more... curated than what you'll find in those previous titles. Much of Japan is mountainous, and so Shadows is basically made up of roads and pathways that lead to and connect with larger locations, like towns, cities, and castles.

As such, exploration can take some getting used to. While there are still plenty of opportunities to wander off on a whim, you'll be met with steep cliffs and impassable forest if you try to beeline towards objective markers. And in that sense, the map actually reminds us of Skyrim, where distant locations are used as landmarks, and the roads purposefully funnel you towards them in a picturesque manner.

Shadows' version of Japan isn't as stylised or as immediately striking as Ghost's beautifully melancholy island of Tsushima, but in a move that we think sets a new standard for open worlds, it incorporates a dynamic season system.

The game cycles through the four seasons as you play, with each season lasting a small number of in-game days. Obviously that's not realistic, but the changing weather and environmental details make the open world feel vibrant and alive, while also giving the impression that your journeys are taking place over months and years.

Locations can have totally different vibes depending on the climate. The capital of Kyoto, for instance, looks joyous covered in the spring's cherry blossom, but its tightly packed streets and imposing castles become ominous when the winter snow hits.

It's a bit of a missed opportunity, then, that the seasons have little to no impact on gameplay. Darker nights make stealth easier, and we think that heavy rain and snowstorms limit the enemy's vision, but those factors aren't necessarily governed by the current season.

Still, the system brings an extra layer of immersion to the experience — and it just makes revisiting areas that much more interesting.

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And you will be revisiting areas. At the game's core is the monstrous Objectives Board, which houses information on assassination targets across the entire map, and as you progress through the main story, discovering new regions as you go, the Board just gets bigger and bigger.

The thing is, some of these targets will simply be beyond your capabilities until later on. Just like in Assassin's Creed Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, both your foes and the regions that they reside in have levels, denoting their strength. If your own level isn't within the same ballpark, you've got next to no chance of survival.

We get that these level restrictions are in place so that the vast open world doesn't overwhelm, but deciding to take out a series of targets, only to then realise that their boss is basically invulnerable because you're too low level, sucks the fun out of the process.

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Having said that, there is satisfaction to be found in returning to a once insurmountable opponent and finally taking them down. Working your way through the Objectives Board bit by bit is rewarding, despite it becoming so cluttered later in the game.

And that brings us neatly to the combat system, which feels like an evolution of Valhalla's parry-heavy formula.

At first, fights in Shadows are very reactive; you wait to see what your opponent does and act accordingly, either dodging red unblockable attacks or parrying everything else. Time either action correctly, and you're handed a generous window to strike back. It's a pretty straightforward blueprint, but it's afforded depth through a decent number of enemy types and subsequent attack patterns to master.

However, as you work your way up skill trees and unlock advanced abilities, our two heroes can significantly up their aggression, often resulting in swift and deadly encounters. It all fees slick and punchy, as gruesome finisher animations play out and dynamic blood splatters cover the arena — it's great fun.

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Stretched across an experience that can last upwards of 80 hours, though? That's when the combat can lose its edge. There comes a point where you know the enemy's attack patterns off by heart, and you're just going through the motions. There's not quite enough mechanical depth to support the entire campaign.

Thankfully, combat isn't the sole focus of Shadows' action, as the title serves up the best stealth-based gameplay in any of the modern games — Assassin's Creed Mirage included.

Where Yasuke is an absolute beast in melee — and ranged — combat, boasting bone-breaking heavy strikes and wielding devastating weaponry, Naoe is the queen of stealth. Her rapid movement and parkour speed, suite of shinobi tools, and hidden blade make her the ideal choice when you want to remain undetected.

Just to be clear, Yasuke can do stealth, and Naoe can do combat (she's actually lethal with the right abilities unlocked), but they're supposed to stick to what they know best. Indeed, you can switch between the two at any time outside of enemy territory, and spend as much or as little time with them in the open world as you like.

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Some quests do force you into the shoes of one or the other — and main quests tend to have you jumping between them for narrative reasons — but by and large, you're free to tackle objectives as you see fit.

The stark contrast in playstyle works, too. Throughout our playthrough, we found ourselves switching it up with much more regularity than we had anticipated. If we'd spent an age carefully combing through a castle, making sure to stay stealthy with Naoe, hopping over to Yasuke for a quick bloodbath or two was the ideal remedy for any gameplay fatigue.

Moving on, Shadows is rather impressive in terms of technical performance. We reckon its 60 frames-per-second performance mode is the way to go on both PS5 and PS5 Pro, and although there are slight dips here and there, it's clear that the game's well optimised and relatively bug free — which is great to see after Valhalla's comparatively wonky launch.

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And finally, we need to give a shoutout to the game's impressive soundtrack. Shadows' music goes above and beyond expectations, parading a shockingly broad range of styles. It's got distinctly Japanese soundscapes, electronic-infused battle themes, full-on Japanese punk rock bangers, and even some hype-inducing African vocal melodies that weave into the setting's traditional instrumentation.

Conclusion

While Assassin's Creed Shadows is unlikely to win over those who struggled to push through Odyssey or Valhalla, this is still one of the strongest overall entries in the series — and arguably the best of the open world RPG bunch. The storytelling is largely fantastic, the main characters are deeply likeable, and the open world itself is a thing of beauty.

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