Do You Need To Play Any AC Games Before Assassin's Creed Shadows?

Whether you've been playing Assassin's Creed from the very beginning or are excited to try it out for the first time, Assassin's Creed Shadows has a little something for everyone. With over a dozen games in the franchise's history, there is a ton of backstory and narrative spanning the AC timeline. However, one thing Assassin's Creed games are great at doing is making each one a singular experience that doesn't necessarily rely on any predecessors. This doesn't mean the stories or gameplay across the franchise will be irrelevant to Assassin's Creed Shadows, but they aren't essential to the experience.

Assassin's Creed Shadows has a self-contained narrative that doesn't necessarily depend on any prior knowledge of the franchise - this is true of nearly every Assassin's Creed installment. However, every Assassin's Creed game includes callbacks and connections to previous stories, and a larger narrative about the Brotherhood and Animus is at play. If you're interested in the meta-narrative and lore of Assassin's Creed, you can read about the previous stories without needing to play through every game.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Can Stand On Its Own

Gameplay & Narrative Don't Depend On Prior Knowledge

Assassin's Creed Shadows promises a self-contained narrative with two unique protagonists, and it doesn't necessarily require any previous understanding of Assassin's Creed stories and/or lore. That being said, there are always connections to the larger story that come up throughout these AC narratives. These tie-ins are intended to develop and expand the meta-narrative that extends across Assassin's Creed games, dealing with the Brotherhood, the Animus project, etc. To fully understand the larger plot, you don't need to go back and play every game.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is “The One You’ve Been Waiting For”: Composers Explain Scoring Hyper-Stylized Fighting & A Rich Musical World

ScreenRant interviews Assassin’s Creed Shadows composers The Flight about the new game, complete with a first listen to a part of the soundtrack.

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It's assumed AC Shadows will continue this trend, and any plot elements that connect with previous games will be typically explained or delivered in the form of Easter eggs, such as the AC3 connection in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. There are bound to be callbacks and tie-ins to various Assassin's Creed plots or characters - possibly even main protagonists, but that will not affect your experience with the core plot or characters in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

In of gameplay mechanics, combat, and character progression/skills, playing past Assassin Creeds would likely be more confusing or frustrating than informative.

In of gameplay mechanics, combat, and character progression/skills, playing past Assassin Creeds would likely be more confusing or frustrating than informative. The reality is that the mechanics have undergone a massive evolution throughout the franchise's development. Each iteration has different/varying styles and stealth systems or mechanics, and going back to play them all would probably give you whiplash.

Having Some Assassin's Creed Experience Might Make Things Easier

For AC Veterans, Your Experience Was Not In Vain

One of the main protagonists from Assassin's Creed Shadows

If you've been playing Assassin's Creed from the beginning, there will most likely be some shout-outs and Easter eggs for you in Assassin's Creed Shadows, and maybe even some answers to longstanding questions or mysteries. No matter your thoughts on any individual Assassin's Creed game, they have tried to expand the larger story in some meaningful way and have (mostly) managed to avoid ret-conning any established lore in the process.

In of gameplay, being familiar with the Assassin's Creed style, assassination, stealth mechanics, and the general open-world map layouts will probably give you a leg up or shorten the learning curve substantially. If it's anything like Valhalla or Mirage, Shadows is going to feel very familiar yet slightly modified and unique. As with any new mechanic in Assassin's Creed games, should there be any in Shadows, you'll learn them during regular gameplay, much like Valhalla's advanced assassination quick-time events.

AC Shadows' Naoe hiding behind a wall as Yaya kicks an enemy behind it.

Don't Miss This Tiny, Terrifying Detail About Assassin's Creed Shadows' Protagonist Naoe

Composers Joe Henson and Alexis Smith discuss a unique and terrifying feature included in Assassin's Creed Shadows involving Naoe's stealth ability.

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Overall, you're not going to need deep background knowledge of Assassin's Creed lore or gameplay mechanics to enjoy AC Shadows. Any experience you've had with the franchise will be honored through Easter eggs and/or other story connections, while gameplay will likely feel very familiar and natural. But these are simply bonuses gained from playing previous games. You don't need to play any other Assassin's Creed games before you play Assassin's Creed Shadows, but it might make things easier if you have already.