Video Game Review: Assassin's Creed Shadows

This summer I have emerged into a Japanese phase much thanks to the video game Assassin's Creed Shadows. This is one of my all time favorite video game series, and I have had the game on my radar for some time now. I love the historical and cultural aspect of the game series, and that was certainly the case for this one set in the Sengoku Period of Feudal Japan. This game paired perfectly with the book I was reading, Shogun, which is also set during this time and therefore made this phase more of a focus on feudal Japan. This was such an intriguing time in Japanese history with the discovery by the Portuguese and the ending of their warring states period. The game depicts the key unification that occurred under the leadership of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoishi, and Tokugawa Iyeasu which would establish a 250-year long peaceful era under the Tokugawa Shogunate. 

Just like the last few AC games this was has multiple characters to appeal to both g
enders. Except instead of choosing your hero, they both are playable characters which are necessary to advance the game's storyline. The two heroes in this game are Naoe, a shinbo (ninja) from Iga, and Yaskue (a foreign African slaved turned samurai). The two characters offer a perfect contrast in stealth vs power and incorporate two of the most iconic Japanese warriors; the ninja and the samurai. It's quite interesting to follow their storyline how they got to their place, and the community they establish to weed out the corruption in Japan.

The Story

I'll be honest the main storyline was quite complex to follow, especially since it revolved around two characters. My character of choice was Naoe, whose village of Iga was attacked by Nobunaga's army (led by Yaskue who is actually based off a historical black samurai). Naoe's father tells her to recover a secret lost blade, however she is shot and her father is killed by a secret society known as Shinbakufu. 

Naoe is able to find refuge, and as she recovers she promises vengeance against those who killed her father. Naoe begins the game already as a skilled assassin' however we see flashbacks of her training with her father early on. Naoe gathers information that Nobunaga is the head of the Shinbakufu, and attempts to assassinate him before she is stopped by Yasuke. It is then revealed that she was setup in a greater plot to kill Nobunaga. Yasuke then joins Naoe's fight to gain vengeance on this Shinbakufu circle.

Yasuke is drawn to Naoe's mysterious hidden blade she conceals in her wrist (a symbol of the Assassin's Order) and believes he was instructed to join their cause from his past life. The two establish their own league of assassins to hunt down the remaining members of the Shinbakufu throughout Japan. They eventually uncover a plot coordinated by Ashikaga Yoshiaki, to dispose of Nobunaga. To add a further layer of complex they discover the the Templar Order has influenced many of these events, which further drives Yasuke for vengeance since he was enslaved by Portuguese templar members. The story ends with all enemies terminated, a new league established, and a new quest to find Naoe's mother. 

The GamePlay

This game had a massive open-world map of which I have still yet to fully uncover after nearly 130 hours of gameplay. It had beautiful graphics and almost everything on the map was accessible through roads, water, fields, or even trailblazing thru the brush of the mountains. The game also had a seasonal change, which really added a layer of aesthetics to the beautiful landscape of Japan. Exploring the map is always one of my favorite things to do in open-world games and this one definitely did not disappoint. It had all the usual AC map elements, such as viewpoints, main objectives, side missions, and assassin contracts. Also it was vital to collect resources throughout the map to buildup your hideout.

Both character's weapon of choice is the famous curved sword known as the nagata, but each had some different secondary weapons. Naoe carried an arsenal of the tanto dagger, the kusarigama (spiked metal ball with a chain), throwing knives known as kunai, smoke bombs, and a grappling hook. She was a great climber and stealth killer. Yasuke carried the more traditional samurai weapons such as the kanabo (a large spiked club) and the naginata (a long reach sword). He also carried both the bow and a rifle as his long range weapons known as the yumi and teppo. Where Yasuke lacked in stealth and agility he made up in raw power, ideal for group fights or boss fights. 

Leveling up the characters is necessary to advance in the storyline, and it's always fun to find upgraded weapons and wardrobe. The blacksmith in the hideout will get your preferred weapons and armor upgraded at a cost. The resources collected are necessary to advance your hideout which also includes a network of assassin's that can assist you throughout the game. The league includes Tomiko, head of the base; Junjuro, an artistic young boy; Yaya, a fierce female monk; Gennojo, a street thief; Ibuki, a former ronin; Oni-Yuri, skilled young girl in toxins; Yagoro, younger assassin apprentice; Rufino, a Portuguese rifle shooter. Calling upon these characters to aid you in battle can be helpful but I honestly didn't use this feature all that much. 

The hideouts throughout various locations were also helpful to restock on health supplies, recruit new scouts, and take on new contracts. It also served as a great teleportation on the map, similar to traveling via the viewpoints. The map offered many historical locations which I learned from the game such as Kyoto, the once capital of Japan, Osaka, Lake Biwa, Himeji Castle, Azuchi Castle (Oda Nobunaga's fortification), and the region of Iga known as the birthplace of the ninja method. I found climbing thru mountain shrubs to be a rewarding shortcut to get to where you had to go. There were also many caves to explore or obstacle courses known as hidden paths that offered great treasures. 

The combat format had a solid structure with the typical light attack, hard attack, block, or doge options. Also after a sequence of assaults the hero would get a special attack which was a nice cinematic break that would deliver heavy damage. As I've mentioned Naoe was a good fighter but not good at taking on big groups like Yasuke was. Naoe was the typical Japanese shinobi assassin, somewhat like Shao Jun from AC Chronicles China. She could move quick. climb easily, and perform stealth assassin's which for me is the classic AC format. It's always fun to sneak into a fortification and see how much loot you can steal, and how many enemies you can kill without detection.  

I'd say my biggest complain in the game, was the subtle mention of the Assassin's Order throughout the game. Despite being at the backdrop of the story, I felt Naoe really never had a proper initiation or welcome into this order. At the onset of the game she was already equipped with the hidden blade, a skilled stealth assassins, and could perform the leap of faith. In most other AC games, the lead hero goes thru a period of training to acquire these skills. Sure she discovered elements of the order throughout the game, but it seems like she established her own league based off the principles of the Order. While her parents may have been involved in the league, they were both gone, before they could properly welcome her in. I also rea paid no mind to the animus component of this game, a feature I have always ignored in Assassin's creed. I prefer the historical setting not the modern day one. With that aside though it was a very enjoyable game in which I learned so much about Japanese history and culture.