Assassin's Creed Shadows finally delivers the much-requested AC in Japan, and fans couldn't be happier. Ubisoft's improved game design, coupled with the many tweaks and alterations it has made to the modern Assassin's Creed formula across the years, has led to it being a truly excellent RPG, one that does justice to its setting while also honoring the roots of this beloved and iconic series. There's a lot to love about Assassin's Creed Shadows, which is great for fans.

However, amazingly, Ubisoft wasn't the first to do Assassin's Creed in Japan. Famously, Sucker Punch Productions got there first with Ghost of Tsushima and did an incredible job. Ghost of Tsushima is so good that it perfected the Ubisoft formula, offering a truly phenomenal third-person open-world experience. Naturally, this meant that there was a lot for Ubisoft to live up to, and, fortunately, in many ways, it managed to sur Ghost. However, in some regards, Ghost of Tsushima still manages to outshine it.

10 Assassin's Creed Shadows Has Better Stealth

It Is A Lot More Varied

Despite Ghost of Tsushima's entire narrative focusing on Jin's journey to becoming the titular Ghost, a legendary stealthy shinobi capable of culling the Mongol hordes, the stealth in that game isn't particularly great. There's enough nuance to it that it compliments the far superior melee combat and serves as a decent distraction, but otherwise, it pales in comparison. Its biggest flaw is that it isn't very fun, or at least it is significantly less fun than fighting off Mongol soldiers and bandits using the game's flashy, stylish combat.

Conversely, AC Shadows' stealth is superior in practically every way. Naoe's toolkit is more varied, and her skills are more transformative. The parkour is also significantly better, thanks to the far more vertical level design, which opens up more possibilities for interesting strategies. Stealth is also significantly harder, at least on the game's toughest difficulty, which makes every encounter feel immensely more tense. Getting caught in Shadows is a far more dangerous experience than in Ghost, which gives stealth more meaning and purpose.

9 Ghost Of Tsushima Has Better Combat

It's More Fluid & Cinematic

Where Assassin's Creed Shadows absolutely excels in its stealth, it falters in its combat. That isn't to say that Shadows' combat is bad, and were Ghost not to exist, it likely would be regarded as one of the best third-person melee combat models around. However, compared to Ghost of Tsushima's combat, Shadows is inconsistent and clunky, with the lock-on struggling at times, animations not feeling as clean, and it lacks the staggered difficulty that makes Ghost's sense of progression feel more impactful.

Ghost's vastly better combat is so great because more attention was given to its animations and style. It isn't so much that it lacks substance, as the varied skills that you can unlock and enemy types help make it feel consistently fresh. Rather, Ghost of Tsushima's cinematic flair makes every swing, clash, and slash feel deeply satisfying and deadly, giving a sense of weight and purpose to each attack. It also just feels more akin to the action seen on screen rather than the somewhat video-gamey combat in Shadows.

8 Assassin's Creed Shadows' World Feels More Dynamic

Its Changing Seasons & Weather Makes It Feel More Alive

Assassin's Creed Shadows' world is far bigger than Ghost of Tsushima's, but that isn't why it is better. In fact, if anything, the more focused and streamlined design of Ghost makes for better exploration, even if Shadows manages to rather expertly funnel players down a certain path by utilizing Japan's famously mountainous topography. Rather, Shadows' world is better than Ghost of Tsushima's because it is more dynamic, varied, and realistic, in large part thanks to its shifting seasons.

Watching as the world goes from a cicada-filled summer to a snow-covered winter is truly incredible, especially with how each season either visually or mechanically alters the Shadows' experience.

The immersive realism of Shadows comes from the implementation of dynamic weather and seasons. Watching as the world goes from a cicada-filled summer to a snow-covered winter is truly incredible, especially with how each season either visually or mechanically alters the Shadows' experience. There are also seemingly hundreds of unique NPC animations, all of which coalesce to create a truly rich and vibrant world that Ghost of Tsushima lacks. Of course, it is set on a far smaller island, but its lack of dynamic seasons certainly hurts it.

7 Ghost Of Tsushima Has More Consistent Visuals

It Is More Stylized

While Assassin's Creed Shadows looks undeniably gorgeous, it somehow still pales in comparison to Ghost of Tsushima. Shadows' visual strength lies in its photorealistic visuals, which help bring to life its stunning landscapes. It isn't that it lacks style, but rather that it sacrifices a lot of the saturated style that makes Ghost feel so vibrant in favor of creating the most realistic depiction of the period in video game form. It's an irable accomplishment and one that makes the virtual tourism of Shadows all the better.

However, when put side by side, Ghost of Tsushima, despite releasing five years prior, looks vastly better. Its dynamic range of colors, coupled with its more dramatic landscapes and perfectly positioned vantage points, make for a more aesthetically pleasing experience. Ghost has the advantage of having a smaller, more curated world compared to Shadows, which allowed Sucker Punch to create more consistently unique landscapes. Additionally, while steeped somewhat in history, Ghost can offer a more fantastical version of reality than the mostly historically accurate Shadows.

6 Assassin's Creed Shadows' Parkour Is Better

It Is A Return To The Classic AC Parkour

The Assassin's Creed games have always prided themselves on their parkour, even when it isn't particularly good. For the past few entries, especially Valhalla, the parkour in Assassin's Creed has been a significant let-down and a sore point for longtime fans. However, Shadows fixes it and then some, offering a more traditional AC parkour experience that appeals to both fans and those who've only ever experienced the cumbersome movement of modern Assassin's Creed games.

When compared to Ghost of Tsushima's similarly clunky parkour, Assassin's Creed Shadows is the obvious winner. Jin feels overly weighty and not nearly as nimble as Naoe, which doesn't help the fact that there's also a distinct lack of verticality in a lot of Ghost's environments. While Ghost's parkour isn't terrible, it is clearly secondary to the primary goal of making killing enemies as satisfying as possible. Unfortunately, that does mean that it doesn't offer as compelling a shinobi experience as Assassin's Creed Shadows.

5 Ghost Of Tsushima Has More Impressive Side Quests

They're More Varied & Interesting

While Assassin's Creed Shadows has a lot to do, and much of it is compelling, it is largely let down by its side content. This is symptomatic of having such a wide range of different side activities and side quests to complete. Fans will likely enjoy what is on offer but perhaps won't many of them too fondly, especially those at the start of the game. Conversely, Ghost of Tsushima has far fewer side quests that feel distinctly more curated and, as a result, are more enjoyable.

Ghost of Tsushima often treats its side stories as just as important as the main narrative, which is what gives them so much meaning and impact. While not every side quest deals with a primary character, many of them delve deep into their backstories, woes, and struggles. This helps to flesh them out in a way that Assassin's Creed Shadows' many side quests never quite capture.

4 Assassin's Creed Shadows' Story Is Stronger

It's Less Messy Than Ghost's Narrative

While Ghost of Tsushima's side missions are better than Assassin's Creed Shadows, the same cannot be said for the main story. AC Shadows' main story is rather excellent, weaving two distinct perspectives and struggles within Feudal Japan neatly into the ongoing Assassin's Creed storyline. Shadows' engaging dual protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe, are as fun to play as they are to get to know. There's far more depth to the stories being told in Assassin's Creed Shadows, even if, at times, they can feel somewhat overplayed.

The reason Ghost of Tsushima's main narrative falls short of Shadows' is that it often feels confused as to what it wants to achieve. Much of the story follows Jin's path to becoming the titular Ghost, but the more engaging melee combat is at odds with that. It frequently acts as if the player has a choice in which path Jin should ultimately take, only to quite evidently state that one is better than the other, or choose for the player anyway. Ghost's narrative feels disconnected from the player's actions, and that is a great shame.

3 Ghost Of Tsushima Has More Memorable Side Characters

Yuna & Kenji Stand Out

Fortunately, to make up for its lackluster story, Ghost of Tsushima has many extremely memorable characters. From the stoic Yuna to the comic relief Kenji, there are so many great characters to meet and get to know in Ghost. They all play an integral role in the main narrative, and when they finally all come together at the end, the payoff is tremendous. Ghost's cast is incredibly strong and serves as a narrative backbone that's unwavering throughout.

Shadows' cast isn't bad, but it is bloated, which causes many of the minor side characters to be forgotten.

Shadows' cast isn't bad, but it is bloated, which causes many of the minor side characters to be forgotten. Outside a handful of prominent characters, Shadows' minor players, including those that hang out in the frankly phenomenal Hideout, all blend together. They can feel like narrative fodder, which, in some cases, isn't a problem, but can make the game's overall cast feel a little dispensable.

2 Assassin's Creed Shadows Has More Impressive Cities

They're Bigger & Packed With NPCs

One of Assassin's Creed Shadows' most impressive features is its enormous cities. These are impressively detailed urban locations, usually surrounding a central castle that Naoe or Yasuke can infiltrate and rob for all its riches and loot. Each city feels distinct from one another, packed full of unique locations, hundreds of NPCs, and the occasional side quest. They all feel truly lifelike, with there being more than enough unique NPC animations to make each resident feel like a distinct person. If the player takes the time to walk through Shadows' city streets, they'll likely be awestruck.

It almost feels cruel to compare Ghost of Tsushima to Shadows in this regard, largely because its island setting isn't conducive to having massive cities. However, even Ghost's castles never quite reach the heights of Assassin's Creed Shadows'. As a result, Tsushima can often feel rather small, and while its natural environments are certainly varied, its urban ones frequently merge into one another.

1 Ghost Of Tsushima's Exploration Feels Better

It Feels More Natural

One way in which Ghost of Tsushima perfected the Ubisoft formula was in its streamlining of exploration. Rather than busying the player with a million map markers, Ghost forces them to rely on in-game guidance, such as a bird that leads the way to a hot spring or a fox that guides the player to a shrine. While these ultimately get a little repetitive, they're incredibly immersive and a great foundation for how open-world games should treat their exploration.

Assassin's Creed Shadows doesn't utilize anything even remotely similar and instead falls back on filling the player's map with markers. It isn't as bad as other Ubisoft games, but tracking a marker is usually the best way to discover new content. It does feel like, to an extent, Ubisoft is learning, as its use of hills and mountains in Assassin's Creed Shadows forces the player to stick to the beaten path, thus almost achieving the same effect that Ghost managed with its in-game guidance.