Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an upcoming action role-playing video game developed by Ubisoft Quebec and published by Ubisoft, set to release in November 2024. The game is the fourteenth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series and the successor to 2023's Assassin's Creed Mirage, as well as the first title to be included in the Assassin's Creed: Infinity platform.

Set in 16th-century Japan towards the end of the Sengoku period, the game will focus on the millennia-old struggle of the Assassin Brotherhood, who fight for peace and liberty, and the Templar Order, who desire peace through control, from the perspective of two protagonists: Naoe, a female shinobi, and Yasuke, an African samurai inspired by the historical figure of the same name. The two characters control differently and provide a unique gameplay style, allowing quests to be approached in multiple ways.

Shadows is set to be released for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S, macOS and iPadOS on November 15, 2024.

Gameplay
Assassin's Creed Shadows is an action-adventure stealth game similar to its predecessors. It is developed on an upgraded version of Anvil, utilizing dynamic lighting and environmental interactions with new enhancements such as breakable props, in addition to allowing players to manipulate shadows and use a grappling hook for parkour. The game's open world, whose size is comparable to that from Assassin's Creed Origins, progresses through seasons, each affecting gameplay, including frozen water and icicles in winter, long grass and blooming plants in spring. Missions are non-linear, encouraging players to track and eliminate targets freely; in a change from previous games, vantage points will exist in the world but only to help the player scan the environment for points of interest, rather than populating the player's map with objectives markers. Alternatively, one can recruit and train a spy network to gather intelligence, alongside bribing officials to ascertain the whereabouts of targets.

This installment introduces new gameplay features, including the ability to crawl along the ground in a prone position, providing the player characters with a lower profile and the capability to access small openings. The character can also venture into shallow water, where they then deploy a bamboo stick to breathe through. Eagle vision also makes a comeback, but unlike Assassin's Creed Mirage, it would not reveal the NPCs through the walls; as enemies are denoted in red, while allies are highlighted in orange. Moreover, a diverse selection of historically accurate weapons is showcased, ranging from katanas and the kanabō war club to yari spears, shuriken, kunai, and the kusarigama. Each weapon comes with its own skill tree, enabling players to improve their proficiency with specific weapons over time.

Players have the ability to switch between characters as they progress through different missions. Yasuke's combat features destructible environments and realistic weapon impacts, providing a cinematic fighting experience, in addition to using arquebuses, giving him a powerful long-range capability. Meanwhile, Naoe brandishes the iconic hidden blade with its pivot feature to serve as a tantō, as well as utilizing a kusarigama to fend off attackers, swinging its chain in wide arcs to create distance. Moreover, she employs stealth tactics with an agile and lethal playstyle, hiding in the rafters and ambushing enemies through Shoji paper doors.

Setting
Assassin's Creed Shadows is set in feudal Japan, specifically starting in 1579 during the Azuchi-Momoyama period. This era marks the final stage of the Sengoku period, a time of intense civil war in Japan. The game features the historical figure Oda Nobunaga at the height of his power following his victory over the Takeda clan using arquebus firearms. Key historical events include Nobunaga's assault on the Iga province in 1581, a significant battle involving the Iga ikki, known for their ninjutsu arts.

The game will explore central Japan, including regions like Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, and the Iga province, with historically accurate castles such as Takeda and Fukuchiyama, along with detailed historical landmarks and strongholds designed as intricate dungeons. This setting promises a vibrant world of urbanization, bustling ports, samurai districts, and ornate architecture, all significant for parkour and exploration in the game. The influence of Portuguese traders and Jesuit missionaries, who introduced Christianity and new technologies like cannons and long guns, also plays a role in shaping the game's environment and narrative.

Development and release
Shadows was announced at Ubisoft Forward in September 2022 under the working title Assassin's Creed: Codename Red along with its planned successor Assassin's Creed: Codename Hexe. There, Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed would be entering a third period related to shifts in design philosophy and approaches to future games, all connected by a working concept called Assassin's Creed Infinity. The first major gameplay details were announced on May 15, 2024, along with the final name and release date. It was also later revealed that Ubisoft Quebec who previously developed Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Assassin's Creed Syndicate would be developing the game. Development began in 2020, following the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla.

The game is set to be released on November 15, 2024, for PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox Series X/S and macOS. With these announcements it was announced at Apple's WWDC 2024 that Shadows will release on macOS on the same day as the PC, and consoles.

Protagonist controversy
Upon the release of the video game's premiere trailer on May 15, 2024, some fans have criticized Ubisoft's choice to set the game in Japan while featuring a fictional version of Yasuke, an African, over a Japanese protagonist. They noted that Ubisoft has never made a game with a male East Asian protagonist, others suggested that Yasuke was "not a 'real' samurai", due to him only serving as a retainer to Oda Nobunaga. Some conservative critics described the game as "woke" and slammed the potential option for LGBTQ relationships. Right-wing YouTuber Tim Pool called it "pandering" to use Yasuke instead of a "real Japanese hero in a Japanese time period." Other fans have suggested that criticism of the black protagonist was motivated by racism. Along with the outrage, Matt Kim of IGN praised the choice of Yasuke to differentiate itself from other video games featuring Asian samurai protagonists.

Ubisoft said Yasuke was included in the game because they wanted a samurai character whose story was "open-ended enough to allow for creativity," noting that "there are still plenty of questions and speculation surrounding" Yasuke. Game director Charles Benoit said that Yasuke was chosen because players could "discover Japan through his eyes, the eyes of a foreigner". A month later, the series' executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté criticized Elon Musk for "feeding hatred," following his earlier negative comments on the inclusion of DEI in the game, which Musk claimed was detrimental to art. Côté asserted that players who try the game will understand why Yasuke was added. He stated, "What Elon says is not the game that we’re building. People will have to play the game for themselves. And if, within the first 11 minutes and 47 seconds, they are not convinced of what we’re doing, we can discuss it”. When asked why he mentioned that specific duration, Côté explained, "I was reviewing the game very recently, and I thought, 'the answer is there!' I hope people can keep an open mind and see the game for what it is. It’s an Assassin’s Creed game, and I believe it’s the best one we’ve ever built."