Assassin’s Creed Shadows: A Dual-Edged Sword in Ubisoft’s Arsenal

In the Assassin’s Creed Shadows of Ubisoft’s recent misfires lies a gleaming blade that may just carve out the company’s redemption. Assassin’s Creed Shadows, poised to launch on March 20, 2025, represents more than just another entry in the long-running franchise—it’s potentially a critical lifeline for a publisher desperately seeking a win after disappointing performances from titles like Star Wars: Outlaws and XDefiant.

I'm impressed by Ubisoft's subtle execution and thoughtful balance between cultural sensitivity and inclusion in Assassin's Creed: Shadows. This is a return to form for the struggling state-sponsored French video game studio. pic.twitter.com/x2LIwVsy9B

— Second City Bureaucrat (@CityBureaucrat) March 19, 2025

The Stakes Have Never Been Higher

For Ubisoft, the pressure is palpable. Industry analysts have been watching closely as the publisher navigates turbulent waters, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows carrying the weight of expectation on its shoulders. This isn’t just another release; it’s a statement of intent and capability from a company that’s stumbled in recent outings.

“It’s unlikely that the fate of a company as large as Ubisoft will hinge on the success of one tentpole single-player game,” notes one industry insider, “but the company cannot afford another major error anytime soon.”

And therein lies the crux of the matter: Assassin’s Creed Shadows isn’t just a game; it’s a gambit, a calculated risk in a high-stakes industry where player sentiment can make or break a publisher’s fortunes.

A Tale of Two Warriors

Assassin’s Creed Shadows breaks new ground for the series with its dual-protagonist approach, placing players in the sandals of two distinct characters: Naoe, a nimble shinobi with traditional assassin skills, and Yasuke, a formidable samurai warrior who brings raw power to the table. This dichotomy forms the heart of the gameplay experience, offering two distinct paths through the game’s richly realized version of 16th-century Japan.

Naoe embodies the classic Assassin’s Creed Shadows experience—stealthy, agile, and equipped with the iconic hidden blade. Her grappling hook allows for fluid traversal of the game’s intricate environments, and her ability to use “eagle vision” to identify targets and opportunities makes her the more traditional option for series veterans.

“She’s far more nimble and capable at clambering around strongholds,” reports one early player. “Her movement is extremely fluid, an aspect of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows that’s said to have benefited from the extra time developers had amid its delays.”

Yasuke, by contrast, represents a more direct approach to problem-solving. Armed with a long katana and crushing club, he specializes in frontal assaults that showcase the game’s visceral combat systems. His ability to carry bodies more easily than Naoe and burst through barriers adds a layer of tactical variety to the proceedings.

However, this duality isn’t without its issues. Multiple sources indicate that the balance between the two characters feels uneven, with Naoe’s stealth-oriented gameplay offering a more nuanced and satisfying experience compared to Yasuke’s more straightforward approach. This imbalance has led to concerns that players might favor one character significantly over the other, potentially undermining the dual-protagonist concept.

A Visual Feast with Technical Challenges

Visually, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is undeniably impressive. The Assassin’s Creed Shadows rendering of feudal Japan is breathtaking, with lush landscapes, meticulously detailed architecture, and a dynamic weather system that transforms the environment across seasons. From the golden leaves of autumn forests to snow-covered winter landscapes, the game’s artistic direction has been universally praised.

“It’s a joy to roam around this gorgeous game,” enthuses one reviewer, “with its abundant foliage, carefully assembled settlements and dynamic weather system combining to form a rich, lived-in world that I won’t soon forget.”

On high-end systems—particularly PCs equipped with NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4090—the Assassin’s Creed Shadows performs admirably, maintaining frame rates between 55-59 fps at very high settings. The experience is similarly smooth on Xbox Series X, with no notable performance issues reported.

The PlayStation 5 version, however, has shown some technical hiccups. Players have reported visual aberrations, including unnatural shimmering effects on water surfaces and texture pop-in issues with grass during horseback travel. These issues, while minor in the grand scheme, temporarily disrupt the immersion that Shadows otherwise works so hard to maintain.

“For the record, that happened in balanced mode,” notes one tester, referring to the PS5’s option that attempts to balance visual fidelity and performance. “These are minor complaints, in fairness, but they momentarily broke the immersion for me.”

It’s worth noting that Ubisoft has verified the Assassin’s Creed Shadows for Steam Deck, expanding the potential player base, although comprehensive testing on that platform was not available at the time of this writing.

Narrative Ambitions and Structural Flaws

The story of Assassin’s Creed Shadows begins with personal stakes for both protagonists before expanding into a broader narrative that encompasses the future of Japan itself. Without spoiling key plot points, the relationship between Naoe and Yasuke evolves in compelling ways, with particular praise given to Naoe’s flirtatious interactions with a “firearm-wielding figure” that adds character depth beyond the typical assassin archetype.

The narrative structure, however, has drawn criticism for its pacing issues. Flashback sequences—including a combat tutorial that interrupts the flow directly after an action-packed prologue—have been singled out as disrupting the Assassin’s Creed Shadows momentum, even if they do provide valuable backstory.

Voice acting quality has been described as generally strong, with performers bringing authentic Japanese and Portuguese inflections to their roles. An “immersive mode” option allows players to experience the Assassin’s Creed Shadows with characters speaking in their native tongues, adding an extra layer of authenticity for those seeking a more culturally accurate experience.

However, some reviewers have noted inconsistencies in the accent work, with certain characters speaking in “plain North American accents” that stand out awkwardly against the more culturally specific performances of the main cast.

Old Habits Die Hard: Progression and Gameplay Systems

Perhaps the most divisive aspect of Assassin’s Creed Shadows lies in its progression systems, which many feel represent a step backward from the more streamlined approach of Assassin’s Creed Shadows Mirage. Each character has six skill trees divided into levels, with progression gated behind experience points earned through side activities like horse archery and shrine-finding.

“I’m not a big fan of the way Ubisoft has structured the progression systems,” admits one reviewer. “It gets a little frustrating when you have a lot of spare mastery points to spend on skills and you have to run around to honor some shrines or find meditation spots before you’re able to acquire some of Naoe’s and Yasuke’s cooler moves.”

Similarly, the game’s equipment system has been criticized for arbitrary restrictions, such as preventing players from equipping high-level gear until they’ve reached a corresponding character level—a gaming convention that many feel has outstayed its welcome.

“This doesn’t make any logical sense,” notes one player after defeating a high-level rōnin only to find they couldn’t equip the legendary armor they’d earned.

The return of region-based enemy scaling—a feature absent from Mirage—has also been called out as an outdated approach to difficulty progression. Critics argue that this system creates artificial barriers rather than encouraging skill development and strategic thinking.

Moments of Brilliance Amid the Familiar

Despite these criticisms, Shadows contains moments of genuine brilliance that showcase what the series can achieve when firing on all cylinders. Unexpected assassination attempts during peaceful side activities create dynamic gameplay moments reminiscent of other acclaimed titles. A night-time duel against a high-level enemy at the base of a burning tower has been described as “deeply cinematic,” demonstrating the game’s potential for memorable set-pieces.

The contrast between the game’s peaceful moments—meditations, tea ceremonies, and quiet forest explorations—and its brutal combat creates a compelling rhythm that keeps players engaged across the estimated 40-60 hour playtime. The new scouting system, which requires players to narrow down objective locations based on clues, has been praised for adding a layer of investigative gameplay that enhances the overall experience.

The Road Ahead for Ubisoft

As Shadows prepares to launch, the question on many minds is whether it will be enough to reverse Ubisoft’s recent fortunes. The looming presence of Sucker Punch Productions’ Ghost of Yōtei—a sequel to the critically acclaimed Ghost of Tsushima—adds another layer of pressure, as both games compete for the attention of players interested in feudal Japanese settings.

Industry observers note that Shadows’ commercial performance will likely influence Ubisoft’s strategy moving forward, potentially determining the direction of not just the Assassin’s Creed franchise but the publisher’s broader approach to game development and marketing.

Shadows of Potential

Assassin’s Creed Shadows emerges as a study in contrasts: visually stunning yet technically inconsistent, narratively ambitious yet structurally flawed, innovative in its dual-protagonist approach yet held back by outdated progression systems. It’s a game that showcases both the best and worst of Ubisoft’s design philosophy, a testament to the company’s capacity for creating breathtaking worlds while struggling to fully modernize its gameplay concepts.

For players, the decision to purchase will likely depend on their tolerance for these contradictions. Those who can look past the structural issues will find a rich, beautiful world filled with compelling characters and moments of genuine brilliance. Others may wish to wait for post-launch updates or price drops before taking the plunge.

For Ubisoft, however, the stakes couldn’t be higher. In a landscape where player expectations continue to rise and competition grows ever fiercer, Shadows represents not just a new entry in a beloved franchise but a critical test of the company’s ability to adapt and evolve in a rapidly changing industry.

As one reviewer succinctly puts it: “Assassin’s Creed Shadows has impressive technical work, great performances and an expansive, well-drawn story but it’s unfortunately weighed down by some frustrating decisions and antiquated gameplay systems. Still, I’m eager to keep exploring.”

Whether that exploration will lead to commercial success remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: the shadows of Ubisoft’s future grow longer with each passing day.

FAQ