We got our first look at Assassin’s Creed Shadows yesterday, and it’s safe to say that the hype is building. While it’s always wise to temper expectations, the cinematic trailer gave us a look at not only the two characters but also their relationship and motives in the game.
Even though it’s a cinematic rendition, we got a glimpse at both characters in combat scenarios as well. Naoe and Yasuke are both adept fighters, but one prefers stealth while the other charges forward with his strength. For stealth, the game has borrowed some mechanics from a fan-favorite franchise.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Allows Players to Work with the Light
One of the Creed’s sayings goes, “We work in the dark to serve the light.” The very same quote was delivered by both Naoe and Yasuke towards the end of the trailer. The game’s ‘Shadows’ title is also very apt; details have shown players can now manipulate light sources to create stealth zones in the shadows.
Assassin's Creed Shadows | Details
— Shinobi602 (@shinobi602) May 15, 2024
▪️New gen only (PS5, XSX, PC) on an updated Anvil engine
▪️Takes place in Feudal Japan in the year 1579 during the Azuchi-Momoyama period
▪️The time period sees a range of activity, including Portuguese merchants, legions of samurai, shinobi,… pic.twitter.com/ZdvY9MyyA4
The games in this franchise have always given players opportunities to evade enemies. But, so far, we have not been able to eliminate light sources to create these shadow zones. By eliminating light sources, players will be able to improve their chances of a stealthy mission. We can see this being advantageous for Naoe, who will be more stealth-focused.
Taking out light sources might be new to the Assassin’s Creed series, but it’s been a long-standing feature in many others. The Thief series, Dishonored, and even Ubisoft’s very own Splinter Cell series allowed players to sneak through the levels with this mechanic. While we won’t be getting another Splinter Cell game, it’s good to see Ubisoft borrowing its mechanics and ditching some staples from the series.
We could also see certain tools and resources within the game to help snuff out light sources. Thief games offered the player water arrows, which could be used to douse torches and reduce visibility. We may see similar tools being used in this game.
Shadows to Follow a Similar Structure to Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed Mirage was a departure from the RPG formula Ubisoft had implemented since Origins. Shadows is going to feature this structure, some aspects that doesn’t sit well with fans, and a massive map for players to explore. We can also switch between the two characters, and we hope they implement that system as seamlessly as it was done in Marvel’s Spider-Man 2.
A menu screenshot was leaked a while ago, which offered a fair bit of information. We learned the game would feature two characters and that an early build was already in the wild. We also got to know the game was running at 1800p resolution at 30FPS in quality mode. We hope, for the sake of the combat sequences, there is also a 60 or even 120-FPS mode included.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set to release on November 15, 2024, and pre-orders are currently open. While we have yet to see any solid gameplay or even how the world looks, the cinematic trailer is doing its job of building the hype.
What other stealth mechanics would you like to see in the game? Let us know in the comments below!
