Feudal Japan. Political intrigue. Dual protagonists, each with their own unique combat specialities. Assassin's Creed Shadows could well be poised for success as the next great upcoming Ubisoft game, delivering a stealth-action Creed experience like none before. But perhaps the biggest hurdle Shadows needs to clear is that of its own baggage.
It appears that Ubisoft must toe the line between two sets of expectations, if not surpass them completely. On one side of this precarious path sits Ghost of Tsushima, Sucker Punch's artful ode to samurai action cinema that has long been considered the pinnacle of its subgenre. On the other, Assassin's Creed Odyssey is an undisputed fan favorite among the best Assassin's Creed games – especially when it comes to the trio of existing RPG entries – that has been held up repeatedly as an example of Ubisoft's finest work. Each could make the case for unfavorable comparisons when critiquing Shadows as either a samurai game or an Assassin's Creed RPG, mounting pressure on the publisher to show how it has learned from past mistakes.
