Assassin’s Creed fans have been asking for a game set in feudal Japan for absolutely ages now. And with Shadows, we’re finally getting it – alongside not one, but two new playable members of the brotherhood.
To get you ready for your trip back in time, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know. From the classic parkour gameplay to the price, pre-order details and more.
How much will Assassin’s Creed Shadows cost?
That all depends on which version you end up going for. If you’re playing on PS5 or one of the Xbox Series consoles, it’ll cost you £69.99. But if you’re a PC gamer, it’s a little bit cheaper at £59.99.
And of course, there are also plenty of special editions that you can get your hands on too. These come packed with extra in-game goodies – like armour and weapon sets for your characters. The Collector’s Edition even comes with a cool physical statue you can display in your gaming room.
Whatever edition you buy, it’s going to be a whole lot cheaper than booking an actual holiday to Japan!
Can I pre-order Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
You sure can. And if you pre-order, you’ll get another bonus mission thrown in for free. Sounds like a no-brainer to us.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows platforms
The game is set to launch on PS5, PS4, PC, Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S. If you’re playing on Nintendo Switch - or are still rocking an old Xbox One - you’re out of luck, as it won’t be coming out on either. Time for an upgrade maybe?
How to play Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Welcome to Japan, 1579. It’s a time of civil war, with violent warlords clashing left, right and centre to take control of the land. And it’s into this political chaos that you’ll be dropped. We didn’t say it was going to be easy!
As we’ve already mentioned, you’ll be playing as two characters – Naoe and Yasuke. And both will play completely differently. Naoe is all about stealth, clambering into hilltop forts with her trusty grappling hook and dispatching her targets before you even know she’s there. And in a first for the series, you can finally lie down and crawl to stay out of sight. While torches can be snuffed out to stop the guards from spotting you.
On the other hand, Yasuke is a full-on brawler, using brute force to get the job done. His heavy armour means he won’t be scaling rooftops anytime soon, but it does mean he’ll take a lot of punishment before going down. If you want to go at your objectives head-on, he’s your man.
Depending on how you like to play, you can swap between the pair whenever you want, tackling missions and exploring the massive open world with either of them. And that world is going to change as you progress through the game.
As the seasons pass, it’ll switch up how you interact with the environment. So, when it’s winter, that bush you might have hidden in before is now dead and gone. While in the summer, that frozen lake is now clear for you to dive into and find the treasure at the bottom. Basically, adapting your tactics is key.
How many hours of gameplay will Assassin’s Creed Shadows have?
While the last AC game (Mirage) was a throwback to old school titles in the series, with a shorter, more linear story, Shadows is the latest instalment of their big RPG-led games. The most recent one of these was Valhalla, which was absolutely massive. That clocked in at nearly 60 hours – with about 150 hours of gameplay if you wanted to do and see everything. So, you can expect to sink a similar amount of time into Shadows!
Who are the main characters in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you’ll be playing as two different warriors. Both come with their own unique skills, backstory and play style:
Naoe – Trained from a young age in the ninja arts, Naoe leaves Iga Province on a revenge mission. But can she fulfil her promise, or will she die trying? That’s all up to you.
Yasuke – Based on a real-life historical figure, Yasuke is regarded as the first ever black samurai. After impressing Oda Nobunaga – the head of the Oda clan – Yasuke worked his way up the ranks, quickly grasping the language and becoming deadly with a katana.
Alongside the pair, there’s set to be a whole cast of dishonourable samurai, corrupt officials, and deadly shinobi. Plus, scheming Portuguese merchants and Jesuit missionaries spreading their influence and religion across the country. Just be warned though. Because most of them aren’t going to be friendly…
What Assassin’s Creed Shadows features are player customisable?
Like most other games in the series, you can customise almost every part of your characters. So, you’ll be able to loot and equip new sets of armour, and craft special weapons to take down your targets with.
Naoe and Yasuke will use different gear though. Yasuke favours swords, massive two-handed clubs, and bows. While Naoe is skilled with ninja tools like smoke bombs, shuriken, and the classic hidden blade. To get more powerful, you’ll upgrade them to dish out extra damage, and soak up attacks from your enemies. That’s if they can actually get close to you and land a hit in the first place…
All of this goes hand in hand with skill unlocks. You’ll use points to get access to epic abilities that’ll help you even the odds. That could be a move that takes out multiple enemies at once, or a way of blending in with your surroundings. How you develop each assassin is really up to you.
Want to find out more about what else is coming soon? Then head on over to our upcoming games page. We’ve got all the key info on the biggest new titles, along with a few discount codes for you. You can thank us later!
