What you need to know
- Assassin's Creed Shadows is an upcoming open-world adventure set in feudal Japan that follows two protagonists: Ninja assassin, Naoe Fujibayashi, and the historic African samurai, Yasuke.
- A new trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows was shown off during the Ubisoft Forward for June 2024.
- The game is set to launch on Nov. 15, 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5.
- Buy for Xbox: $69.99 at Best Buy | $69.99 at Ubisoft
- Buy for PS5: $69.99 at Best Buy | $69.99 at Ubisoft
- Buy for PC: $69.99 at Ubisoft
This has been an exciting week for gaming as various live events have given us more insights into the various games coming out this year and beyond. Today during the Ubisoft Forward for June 2024, we got to see a 13-minute gameplay walkthrough for Assassin's Creed Shadows. The gameplay walkthrough was preceded by a musical performance, and a speech by Charles Benoit, Game Director for Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Benoit described how seasonal elements could affect gameplay opportunities, such as ice preventing characters from going underwater in the winter. The gameplay sequence presented during the showcase was centered on using Yosuke and Naoe's skills together to accomplish their mission.
The gameplay walkthrough was a follow-up to the 2-minute gameplay trailer shown during the 2024 Xbox Showcase. The first look at gameplay opens with a flyover of feudal Japan, narrated by the shinobi, Naoe. We see Naoe test her hidden blade for the first time before moving on to an introduction to Yasuke. Another narrator signifies the importance of Naoe and Yasuke working together, claiming, "You can see when two people fit. When they will be better together."
Assassin's Creed Shadows is set to launch on November 15, 2024 for Xbox Series X|S, PC, and PlayStation 5. For more information, check out our Assassin's Creed Shadows FAQ.
Take on the Knights Templar in feudal Japan
It's been a few years since we had a major Assassin's Creed game, which I hope means that we can expect a higher caliber playing experience from Shadows. I've played most of the AC games and as such I hope that Shadows has fewer repetitive filler quests and focuses more on story-driven missions with unique experiences. The repeat nature of quests and the ungodly length was honestly what made Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020) so exhausting.
• Best Xbox / PC headsets in 2024
• Best Xbox controllers
• Best Xbox accessories
• Best small gaming PCs
• Best gaming laptops in 2024
As you can see from my Assassin's Creed Mirage review (2023), I did enjoy this shorter game since the story didn't stretch on for too long. It also helped that developer Ubisoft Bordeaux made an effort to go back to the series' roots, gameplay-wise. That all said, Mirage really didn't add anything new or interesting to the series. So, I'm really hoping that Shadows gives us a fresh take on the Assassin's Creed formula.
It's worth noting that Ubisoft Quebec is the specific studio working on Assassin's Creed Shadows, and that gives me hope that I'll enjoy this game a fair amount. You'll recognize this developer as having worked on Assassin's Creed Syndicate, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, and the more child-friendly Immortals Fenyx Rising. I've loved all of these games, especially the snarky dialogue between characters and the fun puzzles often found in these various titles. At any rate, we can see from Jacob and Evie Frye from Syndicate as well as Kassandra and Alexios from Odyssey that Ubisoft Quebec knows how to have interesting dual protagonists.
If you're excited for other titles releasing this year and beyond, check out our list of upcoming PC games and or list of upcoming Xbox games. For additional Assassin's Creed Shadows editions and pricing information, check out our Assassin's Creed Shadows buying guide.
