Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gameplay Details: New Stealth Mechanics, Non-Linear Campaign, and More Explained

With the next game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise recently revealed, fans have been wondering what to expect from a title set in feudal Japan. If you’re one of these fans, worry not! We’ve got a juicy handful of new Assassin’s Creed Shadows gameplay details to share with you.

In case you missed it, you can watch the game’s reveal trailer here:

There’s a lot to dive into regarding the game’s mechanics, world, and story, so let’s go ahead and start breaking it down:

Assassin’s Creed Shadow Gameplay Details

The Story

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set in 1579 and 1580 and centers around two protagonists. The first, Naoe, is the daughter of famed shinobi Fujibayashi Nagato. The other is Yasuke, a real-life historical figure from Africa who served under Lord Oda Nobunaga and is portrayed as a samurai in this game. Due to the time frame it takes place in, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will return to a traditional Assassins versus Templars portrayal for the first time since 2015.

The campaign is largely non-linear this time around, focusing instead on several major targets that you can track down and kill in any order. While some follow a typical progressive mission structure, others can be found and taken down simply through exploration. You’ll be able to switch between both characters freely for the most part, save for a few missions unique to each of them.

Stealth and Traversal Mechanics

This Assassin’s Creed title will feature brand new stealth mechanics, including a new light meter similar to the one in Splinter Cell. By putting out torches and lanterns and hugging the, well, shadows, players can keep themselves concealed better and get away with stealthier kills. Nonlethal takedowns and prone crawling are also new to this game, really adding an extra oomph to the traditional stealthy playstyle.

Movement is also enhanced with the introduction of a grappling hook. This grappling hook can be attached to the edges of rooftops and allows players to climb high walls. What’s more, the tool also features physics-based swinging mechanics, meaning that you can get that extra momentum to swing across gaps or left and right along walls. You can never go wrong with a grappling hook.

Combat

To fit in with the time period, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will feature no shields, meaning you’ll have to get good at dodging and parrying to survive. While Yasuke has the ability to block and parry, Naoe will only be able to “deflect” blows, meaning she’ll have to fight much more carefully. The focus of combat is breaking enemy armor and using precise timing and custom-crafted katanas to take enemies down.

The Open World

A new iteration of the Anvil engine will bring this title to the next level. The biggest change is a seasons system that involves significant world changes with each different season, such as longer grass to hide in during the spring and frozen water to traverse in the winter. NPCs will also stay closer to fires in the winter, making it easier to sneak around them in the harsh cold.

Synchronization is also getting switched up a bit. Instead of reaching a sync point and getting a chunk of the map uncovered along with a handful of waypoints, they’ll now act as high-up spots to mark your own points of interest. Ubisoft’s looking to pull back on the amount of map markers this time around, so this sounds like a welcome change. The map will be about the size of Assassin’s Creed Origins’ Egypt.

All in all, the changes coming to this game sound amazing! Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was a pretty solid experience, so we’re looking forward to seeing what that team is able to cook up in the world of feudal Japan.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on November 15.

[Source: IGN]

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