Assassin's Creed Shadows Reviews
Ubisoft is no longer the same developer it was in the 2000s. I wondered whether it could deliver a refined and engaging experience set in such a beloved and highly requested period of feudal Japan. In some ways, Assassin's Creed: Shadows succeeds—it captures the atmosphere and offers moments of brilliance. But in other areas, it feels inconsistent, with mechanics and pacing that don’t always come together for a smooth gameplay experience.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is a game of lights and shadows. On one hand, it marks a welcome partial return to the series' origins, with gameplay focused on stealth and a narrative closer to the Assassin's Creed. On the other hand, it presents some critical issues, especially on a narrative level, with a disappointing ending and sometimes uninspired mission structure. Despite these flaws, Shadows is a solid gaming experience, graphically and artistically top-notch and capable of entertaining for several hours, albeit without ever surprising. Ubisoft has certainly respected Japanese culture and the implementation of the game world works, but the sense that this could have been much, much more seems quite evident. It's a good game, that's undeniable. But this, perhaps, might not be enough anymore
Review in Italian | Read full review
This is an intimidating series to go into cold, but Shadows may be the best jumping on point since Origins in 2017. Here we travel to the end of the 16th century, during the last part of Japan’s Sengoku period, a time of attempted unification, rebellion, foreign traders, and, of course, bloodshed.
Overall, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a must for fans of the franchise and is a great choice for players looking for a massive open world to explore with a gameplay loop that is both memorable and addictive.
Ubisoft is heading in the right direction, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows simply being a mind-blowing experience. However, it’ll take much more than this to make Ubisoft great again.
Assassin's Creed: Shadows is a great addition to an already great series. Japan is a wonder to explore, like many it is a location I very much wanted to visit, and I was not disappointed. While playing as two characters is not a new feature to Assassins Creed, having two main characters is. Needing to swap between them for various activities is a good way to shake up the gameplay with their differing styles. Overall I thought the game was very well done, with enough new features to keep the game fresh while still staying true to the series.
Despite a lacklustre and sometimes intrusive story, there’s just so much fun to be had exploring this beautiful world.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is one of the best games in the series in a long time, and is one of my favorites. The Japanese setting fits perfectly within the context of the game, and the world feels more alive thanks to the physics and changing seasons. The combat is very engaging, both in close quarters and when assassinating, and I looked forward to each fight. The story is a bit predictable, but the dual protagonists have very interesting character arcs that make them feel more compelling. Shadows isn't perfect, and it feels like more of what we have seen in previous entries, but the good outweighs the bad. As for playing Shadows on the Steam Deck, I am truly amazed that it is playable at all. I wouldn't expect anything above 30 FPS with a high battery drain, but the fact that it is playable and mostly stable is quite amazing. It won't be 100% stable, but if you have no other way to play, it will be enjoyable on the go.
Assassin's Creed: Shadows is an interesting and fun video game that takes us on a journey through feudal Japan. It has a lot to discover and very charismatic characters, and it could have easily shined more without the name Assassin's Creed. As for the latter, it's what it lacks the most.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Assassin’s Creed Shadows greatly blends the classic Assassin’s Creed stealth with the RPG elements of recent entries. Its dynamic world, seasonal changes, and improved stealth mechanics make exploration a joy, but Yasuke’s restrictive gameplay, overall story, and a half-baked notoriety system hold it back.
Assassin's Creed Shadows offers a fresh take on the series, blending rich storytelling with stealth-focused gameplay in feudal Japan.
I don’t think Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a bad game, but I don’t think it’s a great one either. With patches I think it could seriously become a great game, but as it stands with what I was playing, I’m not impressed with the systems/gameplay. I really, really want to like Shadows more because of how much the total package feels, but those few issues are enough to really hamper that.
Assassin's Creed: Shadows is a title that is visually stunning at first glance. With a recreation of feudal Japan at a level of detail and atmosphere that we have never seen before in a game. It will immerse you in an iconic era of oriental history. You'll enjoy its incredible technical aspect and a story told in a new way and riddled with cinematics.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes the best elements of the series – stealth, open-world exploration, and visceral combat – and refines them to make for an absolutely sublime experience. The world is breathtaking, the gameplay is immensely satisfying, and the ability to swap between two completely different playstyles makes for endless possibilities when tackling each dangerous situation that you find yourself in across the game. It’s utterly captivating, and whilst it may have taken a little longer to launch than expected, Ubisoft have delivered one of the best games in the series with Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is recommended both for fans of the franchise and for those players looking for a unique adventure. Its outstanding visuals, together with its setting and new mechanics make it one of the best games in the series. Naoe and Yasuke are waiting for you!
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Assassin's Creed Shadows features an incredibly impressive world that’s filled with deep levels of detail while still leaning on existing mechanics and a narrative that could have used better pacing.
Assassin's Creed Shadows takes us to feudal Japan, taking control of the two protagonists who want to stop the consequences of the war and, although it improves in many aspects of the previous games, it still lacks some of the essence of Assassin's Creed. Nevertheless, it is a great game that should not be overlooked.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Despite some of the narrative shortcomings, Assassin's Creed Shadows is one of the standouts of the year that offers a deep, engaging, and visually stunning experience, making it one of the games to get if you're looking into getting into this franchise or even if you are a long-time series fan.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a stunning game that makes great strides in certain areas, but its story strays far from what Assassin’s Creed should be.
Review in Unknown | Read full review
Assassin's Creed: Shadows is a game that I can wholeheartedly recommend to anyone, even despite a few technical flaws, a couple of decisions that weren't quite right or an uneven storyline in places. To be honest, I had a great time with this title, and I'm absolutely sure that in the next few days I'll be unpacking everything I still have left. Assassin's Creed: Shadows is one of the best Assassin's Creed games in years, and undoubtedly the best representative of the RPG era ushered in by Origins. For the first time since Assassin's Creed II, I sincerely hope that the developers won't abandon the new direction so soon and that we'll see a continuation of Naoe and Yasuke's story.
Review in Polish | Read full review