Ubisoft stuns with new article diving deeper into the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows
News
Dynamic weather. Cherry blossoms. The sun rises over Japan in new Assassin's Creed Shadows gameplay.
We would like to say a huge thank you to the Assassin's Creed community team for providing early access to AC Shadows material.
The marketing campaign for Assassin's Creed Shadows is finally ramping up with the release of regular articles covering core aspects of the game.
In the latest article featuring Game Director Charles Benoit, released today on the Ubisoft website, we get a better look at the expansive world of Assassin's Creed Shadows, and the activities that fill it.
SNIPPET 1: WORLD MAP
The clip starts with a closer look at an uncovered part of the map, showing that the player is on a river north of Shoryuji. The player leaves the map, and we get our first look at navigating Japan by boat.
“When exploring the world, you should look out for undiscovered locations (i.e. “?” icons), because there are so many interesting places to seek out, whether in a destroyed camp or a hidden shrine, we want you to always feel a sense of discovery.”
Thunder and lightning provide a moody atmosphere, and the perfect cover for a stealth approach. It looks like fireflies act as a lantern, sitting at the tail of the boat to provide a flicker of light. This method of transportation appears to be silent, moving swiftly with the river towards a destination.
SNIPPET 2: VIEWPOINT
Synchronization has changed
Viewpoints are a staple of the Assassin's Creed series, and are returning in AC Shadows but with a difference.
According to the article, “Rather than unveiling large sections of the world map along with all its opportunity icons, climbing viewpoints now reveal nearby points of interest as you observe your surroundings from the top of the high point: city districts, temples, shrines, castles - most of which are tied to quests or activities you’ll want to engage in.”
We can see that the player is at the Osaka Tenshu viewpoint. From the vantage point, you can see that icons are visible on the mini map, and players have the option to place markers to highlight a specific destination.
“By using the observe mechanic – first shown in our stealth overview article – you can move the camera manually through a 360-degree range to contemplate these points of interest and tag them”
“Our goal in evolving the way viewpoints work was to give players a more intentional and active way to find their next adventure. For our long-time fans, you'll be pleased to know that on top of the new manual camera move feature, the iconic synchronized camera movement will also return. This will let you fully appreciate the stunning scenery around you.”
It's interesting to see synchronization evolve after so many iterations, but it sounds like the more manual approach will allow players to discover opportunities and plan accordingly.
SNIPPET 3: VANTAGE POINT
Tagging enemies
In the clip Naoe can be seen on a rooftop overlooking Kameyama Castle tagging enemies until her target is located. She observes her surroundings, highlighting enemies, watching their patterns, and discovering entry points, all giving her time to plan the perfect stealth approach from above
Looking to her left, a beautiful cherry blossom tree sits within the castle walls. It also seems that numerous options are available around the perimeter for Naoe to use her grappling hook.
For Yasuke however, gaining access to a rooftop will be trickier.
“Yasuke will likely need to take the stairs and go through the guards to reach the top”
Observing the enemies, we can see a level 34 guard, and another marked with a skull, indicating that he is an extremely high level.
“In Shadows, we don’t have any companion Eagle to help you; now, you are the Eagle.”
After locating the target, the camera zooms in and gives further details. This quest is all about finding Masatoshi Nakahara, who is marked on the objectives board.
Throughout the map, players can discover ‘kakurega’ safehouses which act as ‘extensions of the Hideout (i.e. your central homebase that is fully customizable) and offer some of its practical functionalities such as refilling your rations/tools/ammunition, accessing your gear stash, managing and accepting contracts, and replenishing scouts as well as managing which allies can be summoned for help.’
This will be incredibly useful for players who venture far away from the hideout, and wish to resupply before planning their next attack.
SNIPPET 4: PATHFINDER
Horse travel
In the next clip, we see Yasuke travelling through the trees on a horse, looking for the next objective, 1500 meters away.
At the bottom, players have the option to turn on pathfinder. This will be incredibly useful as Japan's landscape is full of hills, some of which may be difficult to climb without paths due to the height or quantity of trees.
When switched on, pathfinder appears as a winding line which the player follows until a path has been discovered.
SNIPPET 5: OBJECTIVE BOARD
Next we see the objectives page, which features allies and enemies. At the top we can see members of ‘The League’, which is marked with the Assassin logo. Could this be the local name for the Assassin Brotherhood?
Presumably this footage is taken at the start of the game before further recruits are added, as only one member of The League can be seen around the Assassin insignia: A female dressed in a golden robe. Could she be the Mentor, or even Naoe’s mother?
Another group at the top of the board, (allies), are ‘The People of Settsu’, who also appear to be quest-givers. Naoe and Yasuke can help the local people, which may lead to information or rewards.
The player scrolls down, and we get our first look at the main enemy faction in the game, ‘The Onryo’. All dressed in masks, it is currently unknown if this faction are an offshoot of The Templar Order, or if they follow similar beliefs to The Order of Ancients.
Wikipedia translation: In Japanese traditional beliefs and literature, onryō (怨霊, lit. 'vengeful spirit', sometimes rendered "wrathful spirits", "hatred spirits", "resentful spirits", "ruthless spirits", "envious spirits", "dark spirits", "fallen spirits", or "downcast spirits") are a type of ghost (yūrei) believed to be capable of causing harm in the world of the living, injuring or killing.
I love the idea that the enemy faction in the game are seen across Japan as otherworldly, causing harm to the living. This is likely due to them operating from the shadows, and rumours spreading about their presence. The masks all look unique, some featuring horns, others imitating animals. Assassin's Creed Origins and most recently, Mirage did a great job at matching specific masks to enemy personalities, so it will be interesting to see if AC Shadows does something similar.
Close to ‘The Onryō’ at the bottom of the page are ‘The Kabukimono’, whose circles are positioned around a sword.
Wikipedia translation: “Kabukimono were rōnin, wandering samurai, or men who had once worked for samurai families who, during times of peace, formed street gangs.”
The in-game definition of this faction can be seen below.
In particular, the player highlights ‘The Grave Dancer’, who seems to be the leader of a group of Kabukimono calling themselves ‘The Defilers’, believing that the world is corrupt and therefore nothing is sacred.
From the objectives board, players can track quests using information they have gained, or go back to the map to send scouts to areas of interest to discover further details in regards to target locations.
Finally, “When an alarm has been rung and an entire province has been put on high alert by your actions, you will be wanted and tracked down by deadly groups of enemies: the Guardians. While you can wait for the turn of the season, which happens dynamically over time, you can also switch protagonists or deploy some of your scouts to cancel the provincial alert. This will remove the aggressive attitude of the military patrols in the province and reduce the readiness levels of guards in military zones.”
It sounds like this enemy faction will operate in a similar way to the zealots in Assassin's Creed Valhalla or the Mercenaries in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, chasing the player across the map.
SNIPPET 6: SCOUT
A short 20 second clip shows the map being used to locate a target in a specific area. The map is done in a Japanese watercolour art style.
“The World Map is the backbone of exploration. You will start the game with a map that only reveals region names and drawings hinting at the potential nature of key locations. “
Similar to Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla, the game hints at a location and the player has to investigate. On the AC Shadows map, hints can be found in the top left corner.
At the bottom of the map, you can see the option to dispatch scouts to retrieve information from a specific location. It looks like the maximum number of times a player can dispatch scouts is three times before they need recharged.
“Once deployed, scouts will return at the end of the season and become deployable once again. However, you can always pay with in-game currency at a kakurega to speed up their return”
“In Shadows, information is something you need to look for and earn, whether through your spies, NPC encounters, or through your own eyes.”
‘They are central to exploration and play a significant role in the war of information, which is an important aspect of your journey in Shadows.’
In the recently released episode 11 of our Rally the Creed podcast, Andy and Jen detail their hopes for the AC Shadows scout recruitment system.
In a way, the scout system calls back to the original Assassin's Creed game, where information had to be earned before action could be taken. This exploration mentality returned in Mirage and is a great way for players to uncover details first instead of charging blindly into an important mission.
SNIPPET 7: SMUGGLING
Smuggling is a useful way to gain resources for the hideout, finding enemy supplies and marking them for collection.
Over time, supplies can be used to upgrade the hideout, with lots of options available across an acre of land to truly make each hideout unique to the player.
As the supplies are too large to be transported by Naoe or Yasuke, '‘they need to be marked with a flag to be smuggled out over time by one of your scouts. At the end of the season, all flagged stockpiles are cashed in for you to upgrade your Hideout.’'
We can't wait to see what players do to their hideout to make it a central base of operations!
SNIPPET 8: SUMI-E
Japanese ink painting, also known as sumi-e.
Naoe sneaks up on a grey heron and observes her surroundings. After watching the bird bask in the sunshine, she captures the moment by painting.
“For the more contemplative players, both Naoe and Yasuke can participate in the painting of wild animals of Japan, showcasing the diversity and majesty of its ecosystems.”
In these quiet moments Naoe and Yasuke both have the opportunity to practice stealth and also enhance their focus, but for players, it's a nice calm activity that acts as a break from combat.
“Naoe has a unique Kuji-kiri meditation activity that helps her focus her mind and reveals more about her life and backstory, while Yasuke will encounter people in the world that can teach him new weapon-specific Kata — special maneuvers you can unlock by performing a series of fight moves in a specific order with good timing. Yasuke can also show off his skills in various horse archery events.”
“There is a lot to discover in the open world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, from temples to castles, hidden parkour trails to training grounds, and other secrets.”
It's clear that the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows has a ton of activities for players to sink their teeth into, and the world offers a huge variety of opportunities for players to embark on that are both memorable and entertaining.
Once again we would like to say a huge thank you to the Assassin's Creed community team for providing early access to the exploration article and for always supporting The Ones Who Came Before.
Assassin's Creed Shadows releases March 20th 2025.
Check out our video summary of the new exploration article by FrameHoldPhotography!
About the Author
Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program.
As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website.
He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level.
Colum Blackett (Col_96)