Assassin's Creed Shadows isn't the best game in the series, but it is a huge step up from recent games, gameplay-wise. Ubisoft's next game has a lot to learn from, thanks to everything Shadows does right. Combat, stealth, hideouts, and even world design had to be at the core of development, because they are top-tier in this game.

Shadows definitely highlights the tired Ubisoft trope of revenge, but it shows that the company can do really well when up against a wall. I have to it that I initially didn't think this would be a solid game, but it's a fitting entry in the series, thanks to how much the company improved on the core mechanics.

Shadows Has The Best Base Design So Far

This Feels Like The Sims In Some Ways

Assassin's Creed Shadows shows how far the hideouts have come since the second game. Bases and hideouts have evolved significantly throughout the series, transitioning from relatively static spaces to dynamic, player-driven hubs. Early iterations, like the Villa Monteriggioni in Assassin's Creed 2, could be upgraded, but lacked the functionality the later games would embrace. It wasn't until Brotherhood introduced more interactive elements that hideouts became part of the core experience.

Players could manage assassin recruits, send them off to different lands, and change their styles and wear. Assassin's Creed 3 brought in the homestead, which tied upgrades to plot lines and stories. However, aside from ships, it never got much further than just upgrading buildings on a pre-made base. Valhalla brought these bases back, but it only seemed like a bit more of an upgrade over Assassin's Creed 3.

AC Shadows' hideout mechanics push the series further than ever before, delivering the series' best base design to date. The hideout is a fully customizable structure with considerable freedom in building placement. Beyond placement, players can personalize their hideout through extensive decoration options. Animals, foliage, and more can be scattered around to give a unique touch that has never been seen before in the series.

The next game in the series has to have this. It will likely take the company dedicated time to improve this system, but Ubisoft has to bring it back. Assassin's Creed has never seen its hideout system reach this level, and whatever comes next would look worse if it didn't add in this base-building feature.

The Combat Is So Fluid And Smooth For The First Time In Years

This Is The Combat We've Been Missing

The older Assassin's Creed games focused on fluid action-oriented combat, but those that came in the RPG era felt less responsive. Shadows pulled away from the stiff and often disted combat that Odyssey, Origins, Valhalla, and Mirage had. For the first time in years, the combat feels less like a chore and more like a satisfying dance of death. Animations have been significantly improved, visceral gore has been added, and each hit comes after the other in such a smooth way.

The older Assassin's Creed games had fluid combat, just like they had base building. Switching out weapons meant new fighting styles, and in a way, Ubisoft is giving players a mix of the two periods of Assassin's Creed.

There has always been a variety of weapons in the series, but with the smooth nature of fighting, it feels a lot different to switch out weapons. Katanas, kasarigamas, tantos, bows, rifles, and clubs all feel so very different. It matters when you switch weapons, because the fighting could change entirely. Also, the next game really has to keep the ability to quickly swap between two equipped weapons because it makes a huge difference in gameplay.

What is interesting is that combat is also a return to form, much like basebuilding was. The older Assassin's Creed games had fluid combat, just like they had base building. Switching out weapons meant new fighting styles, and in a way, Ubisoft is giving players a mix of the two periods of Assassin's Creed. I really hope the next game brings this kind of thing back, because the most recent titles feel so stiff in comparison to Shadows.

Stealth Finally Feels Like It Matters Again

Stealth Has Never Felt So Important

Assassin's Creed Shadows does stealth better than any game in the series. It feels like stealth is a core game element here instead of a secondary option. Naoe needs to move around environments and take care to ensure she's utilizing shadows, snow, or corners to her advantage. I'd always just thought that foliage meant safe cover, but in Shadows, I thought about what would expose me to the enemy.

Shadows also gives players a range of tools and gadgets to help Naoe with stealth. She has throwable kunai for distracting enemies, shuriken for silent takedowns, smoke bombs for diversions, and her climbing ability. Yasuke doesn't really focus on stealth or anything like that, so those who don't care about this aspect of the series have the option to just kill everything in sight.

Realistically, the RPG brute force parts of combat will never leave the series. Even the older games had a lot of combat, so there's nothing wrong with this. What's nice is being able to go further into stealth than before, and the next games in the series should add a little more. To be honest, the enemies felt too dumb when it came to finding Naoe, and so it still needs more refinement. Still, this game has the best stealth mechanics Ubisoft has ever ma\de for Assassin's Creed.

Ubisoft Made A Great World For Shadows

This Feels Like Feudal Japan, And It's Beautiful

The best thing Ubisoft did in Assassin's Creed Shadows was the world design of Feudal Japan. Ubisoft's 16th-century Japan is a breathtaking recreation of one of the most well-known periods in history. While not the most accurate representation of time, it has the essence down so well that it feels realistic enough for players to feel like they're in the time period. Ubisoft went out of its way to make the world look amazing, even if it sacrificed a war-torn background in some ways.

Shadows had everything fans have wanted for 20 years, and that is hard to follow up.

Bustling cities like Kyoto and Osaka hum with life, their intricately designed streets winding through meticulously recreated architecture, complete with bustling markets, ornate temples, and the occasional glimpse of serene gardens. Smaller villages let players experience an atmosphere of quiet, peaceful living. Humble houses and farmsteads are nestled among the rolling hills, which capture a more peaceful side of feudal life. Ubisoft outdid itself with the world it made, and this will be hard to beat.

While the map's scale is pretty big, it isn't overwhelming. The downside are the side activities sprinkled across the map without care, but it's easy to get in the rhythm of finding them when the world looks so beautiful. The representation Ubisoft gave of 16th-century Japan is Assassin's Creed Shadows' strongest asset, and the company has set a precedent for the next game that will be hard to meet. The game definitely has its problems, but it did a lot of things right for the next game to learn from.