Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Based on the 8,297 most recent Steam reviews · updated 2 Oct 2026

• English reviews: 5,000, 25 Sept 2025 – 2 Oct 2026
• Russian reviews: 3,297, 20 Mar 2025 – 30 Sept 2026

• ▼ Not recommended

  126 h at review126 h total

  9 Dec 2025

  Finished the game but I honestly can't give it a thumbs up, it's possibly the most frustrating AC game I've played and I've played them all. Your greatest enemy in this game is the camera and controls who constantly double-team you into submission.. and you cannot defeat them. The amount of times I got stuck on world geometry is also unacceptable. And the complete lack of the real world story.. ugh.. I know it's divisive but that was always one of my favourite things in these games; the mystery and intrigue of the ancient Isu and the Pieces of Eden seems to be completely forgotten and ignored. Felt like I was finishing it more from stubbornness than actual enjoyment. That and to this date it STILL suffers from random DirectX crashes. Unacceptable.

  Show more

  977 found helpful · 46 found funny

  Performance

  Gameplay

  Story

  Reviews written: 26

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  93 h at review93 h total

  14 Feb 2026

  What an incredibly frustrating experience this is. I was actually a fan of the new open world rpg-ish direction Ubisoft took with Assassins's Creed, and remain a resolute fan of Odyssey and even Valhalla to a degree. But my god whatever the f*ck they did with Shadows, it does NOT work. 4/10 - The game world, while pretty, is as empty and boring as it gets. There is almost nothing to do aside from conquering enemy camps. Imagine Valhalla's map, but everything except for the enemy bases, the viewpoints and those stone stacking puzzles is removed. That's what Shadows' world feels like. - The characters are about as wooden and unlikable as can be, both in writing as well as in performance. Some truly horrible AI af facial animations and stilted performances are the norm here. And the protagonists are not exempt from this. Many criticized Eivor of being wooden compared to Alexios and especially Kassandra, but even Eivor is miles ahead in terms of personality and emotional range compared to either Naoe or Yasuke. - The story is confusing, disjointed and frankly exhausting. Ubisoft decided it was a good idea to ditch a coherent main plot in favor of little mini-stories in the style of Odyssey's cult of kosmos, or Valhalla's order of the ancients. This means the game has no leading narrative, events happen out of order and are each highly localized without tying into a wider story. It is dull, illogical and tedious. - The combat has evolved somewhat and is now less hack and slash and more tactical, yet I find myself more frustrated than engaged by it. Stronger enemies can take forever to fight as Naoe, and often kill you in seconds if you dare to lose concentration over the minute-long hacking sessions. So it seems like the combat was clearly designed to be tackled with Yasuke, that's his thing being a samurai after all. Stealth and exploration on the other hand practically mandate the use of Naoe, since Yasuke is hilariously inept at doing anything an Assassin's Creed protagonist would do on a regular basis, aside from fighting head-on. Okay, all well and good, so the idea is: you go in stealthily with Naoe and if discovered, you switch to Yasuke for the fight, right? WRONG. For some god forsaken reason Ubisoft decided that switching characters would entail a loadscreen and could only be done out of combat. So no matter what you're doing, you're never given the right tools for the job, and it makes the entire character switching thing look like some tacked-on gimmick that never works in your favor. What a mess. - The loot and equipment is just straight up worse now. They took the worst aspects from both Odyssey and Valhalla and combined them into whatever this system is supposed to be. Odyssey had an almost arpg-esque loot system, with multiple rarities, frequent upgrades and deep build crafting; but that lead to loot-spam and constant fiddling with items that barely changed anything. Valhalla then employed a morer souls-like approach with fixed unique weapons that can be upgraded and customized; but that also restricted variety and made exploring for loot less rewarding. Shadows now decided to combine the random loot spam of odyssey with even more restrictive build crafting than Valhalla, and reduced the amount of gear slots by 75% on top of that. It's the most unengaging loot system I have seen in a bit. - While the game certainly looks pretty, this comes at an unacceptable cost of performance. Shadows barely runs around 50 fps on my supercomputer, while often looking similiar to Valhalla or even worse thanks to aggressive upscaling. It's both hilarious and sad to me that this game can look exactly the same as Valhalla in parts, while literally running at a quarter of the fps. I can play Valhalla on 120 locked, NATIVE, and that game is humongous; yet I have to use framegen in Shadows to even approach 90 on a good day; what the f*ck happened? - Final thoughts: this game is a mess. It's dual protagonist approach backfired epically and works neither in gameplay nor in narrative. The open world, while smaller than Valhalla, feels somehow larger, and not in a good way. The combat and equipment systems are either worse than previous entries where they overlap, or just plain bad where they are new, and the story is by far the least interesting and least engaging one they have done for this franchise yet. Going back into the game now I can barely manage an hour before shutting it down again out of boredom or frustration. The initial bulk of playtime I was mostly wowed by the graphics and world design, but that wanderlust has since worn off, and what's left is a hollow shell of a game with no direction, no emotion and no story to tell.

  Show more

  908 found helpful · 22 found funny

  Performance

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Reviews written: 30

  On Steam
• ▲ Recommended

  17 h at review272 h total

  20 Mar 2025

  Вышла очередная часть конвейерной серии Assassin’s Creed, и как все последние игры Ubisoft была утоплена в негативе ещё до релиза. Лично я не понимаю большинство претензий и придирок и считаю их полным бредом и абсурдом. Как и у всех частей серии получился прекрасный и живописный открытый мир, с впечатляюще красивыми пейзажами, в этот раз времён феодальной Японии! (Вот фото-режим на старте подкачал, ибо он почему то в соотношении 16:9) В плане оптимизации вообще не подвели, играется отлично, без всяких масштабирований и генераций кадров. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3448164617 Геймплейно всё прекрасно. Играть за Ясукэ поначалу было немного непревычно, но к стилю быстро привыкаешь, и вообще плевать какой там у него цвет кожи. У Наоэ всё типично для серии, и всё же более увлекательно и интереснее, ну и она очень привлекательна внешне. https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3449320586 По сюжету ничего сказать пока что не могу, но какие то там исторические неточности меня не волнуют, я наслаждаюсь историей какая она есть, это ведь в конце концов игра. Интересно устроено убежище, возможность строительства и персонализации, как минимум было необычным решением такое реализовать. Понравились некоторые музыкальные темы, и в целом звуковое сопровождение. В целом Shadows с лихвой оправдали мои ожидания. На данном этапе вижу одну из лучших игр серии, возвращающейся к истокам. Крепкие 9 баллов и однозначно к ознакомлению!

  Show more

  829 found helpful · 44 found funny

  Performance

  Gameplay

  Story

  Reviews written: 154

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  10 h at review34 h total

  20 Mar 2025

  Наиграл пока всего 10 часов, но уже могу сказать, что это полный флоп. Кроме улучшенной графики, кое-где анимаций, нескольких новых фишек в стелсе и паркуре - больше ничего хорошего об игре сказать не могу. Это Одиссея из которой вырезали орла и карабканье по скалам, оставив при этом лвл дизайн аванпостов под орла и огромную кучу гор на карте. Пробежки от точки к точке выглядит иногда как беготня в бесконечных огромных кустах, из-за чего ничего не видно и не понятно. при этом персонаж все время падает и куда то скатывается, а все дороги в игре построены так, чтобы максимально отбирать у вас ваше время. Боевка все такая же ватная и без какого-либо внятного импакта. Активности в разы хуже той же Вальгаллы. Собери 3 свитка, помедитируй и посмотри унылый флешбек, пропаркурь по желтой краске и тд. отдельный кал что прокачку скиллов закрыли под выполнение этих сайдов, кошмар. Отдельный кошмар с желтой краской, она теперь везде. Вспомните хоть одну часть серии, чтобы геймдизайнер вас в лицо тыкал местами, где вам нужно паркурить. Не вспомните. потому что раньше это все вписывалось в общую стилистику регионов. Тут желтые доски прямо на деревьях, прости нас Ассассинс Крид 3, что ругались на тебя на релизе. Не советую к покупке.

  Show more

  506 found helpful · 22 found funny

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Games owned: 296 · Reviews written: 35

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  14 h at review27 h total

  12 Oct 2025

  I was enjoying Assassin’s Creed Shadows at first, even though it has a lot of performance problems. I’m running an RTX 5090 and still struggle to reach 60 frames per second. It’s ridiculous — I can play Red Dead Redemption 2 at 4K with 120 FPS, but this game barely manages 30–50 FPS at the same resolution. Like most Ubisoft titles, it’s a massive map filled with repetitive tasks and endless collectibles that have little to no impact on the actual gameplay. For the first 10 hours, I was enjoying it, but after that, it feels like I’m doing exactly the same thing over and over again. I’m just pushing through to complete it, but without any real enjoyment. This has become a recurring pattern in Assassin’s Creed games — each entry gets bigger, but not better. For reference, I platinumed Assassin’s Creed Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla on my PlayStation account, so I’ve given this series plenty of time and patience. But I don’t see myself continuing to play Shadows, because it simply isn’t fun anymore. Then, after losing internet access for about 4-5 days, I discovered that I couldn’t even launch the game. The Ubisoft Connect launcher refuses to open it without connecting to Ubisoft’s servers — even for the single-player campaign. This means I cannot access a product I paid for, which from a consumer standpoint is ridiculous. It’s a shame that these companies bury the experience under DRM and force online checks for single-player content that should be playable offline and doesn’t affect anyone else. This will be the last Ubisoft game I will ever buy.

  Show more

  481 found helpful · 19 found funny

  Performance

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Reviews written: 1

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  100 h at review100 h total

  3 Mar 2026

  Ubisoft has truly mastered one thing: selling the same game over and over again, just with a different postcard in the background. This time, the postcard happens to be Japan. If you’ve played Origins, Odyssey, or Valhalla, you already know exactly what you’re getting. Climb towers. Reveal the map. Clear icons. Repeat. The progression system, quest structure, loot treadmill — it’s all comfort food at this point. Very familiar. Almost aggressively familiar. Somewhere around the halfway mark, I realized I no longer cared about the story. Not because it’s terrible, but because the gameplay loop slowly numbs you into autopilot mode. You spend most of your time commuting from point A to point B. If fast travel had a personality, it would be the real protagonist of this game. Strip away the padding and the experience would shrink dramatically. Yes, visually it’s an improvement over older entries. But “better than before” is not the same as “impressive.” Facial animations still feel oddly lifeless. For a series with this budget, that’s hard to ignore. And then there’s the timing. An Assassin’s Creed set in Japan sounded revolutionary years ago. But after Ghost of Tsushima delivered such a focused and polished experience, this feels less like a bold move and more like Ubisoft finally turning in homework that’s already late. Even The Witcher 3, a ten-year-old game, still offers a stronger sense of adventure and atmosphere. I’m not angry. I’m just exhausted. Exhausted by the formula, the predictability, the safe design. If this is your first Assassin’s Creed, you might genuinely enjoy it. But if you’ve been here before, this isn’t evolution — it’s muscle memory with better lighting.

  Show more

  402 found helpful · 22 found funny

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Games owned: 357 · Reviews written: 8

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  43 h at review43 h total

  25 Mar 2026

  Forty Hours of Nothing Oh god, what has Ubisoft become? It's so sad what once a leading exciting game studio become a liver service soulless game developer.I never want to see Ubisoft go bankrupt, because why would I want a major AAA game studio to go down? People would lose their jobs and we would get fewer games, it's not a win for anyone. But playing games like Shadows makes me question this thought. I had already played Assassin's Creed Shadows before I actually played it. If you have beaten tens of Ubisoft games before including All AC titles like I did, then so have you. Assassin's Creed Shadows is the second worst Assassin's Creed I have ever played, after Valhalla. If you want to do the literal same thing for at least 40+ hours, Shadows is for you. That was possibly the longest-feeling 40 hours ever. Narrative and Characters Terrible narrative, horrible dialogue, lifeless voice acting, generic characters and villain(!), combined with a boring, generic story. Assassin's Creed was so much better on this regard, even though they weren't flawless. It's just god awful here. World Design and Atmosphere Yes, visual fidelity has increased, but the world is one of the most boring ones, alongside Valhalla for me. It's slightly more interesting than Valhalla, which is sad because the best part of this series has always been the world design for me. It's full of forests and same-looking buildings. If that's because of the era's history, then maybe they shouldn't have gone for this setting. Look at Odyssey's spectacular Ancient Greece, Unity's France, Ezio's Italy, Altair and Basim's Middle Eastern settings, they were all way more interesting than Shadows. I enjoyed my time just looking around in those games. Infiltrating the same-looking castle for the 100th time is surely very fun… but seasons, everyone! Which is nothing more than a visual gimmick. Of course, this also has to do with how this is the fiftieth game in the last five years that takes place in a historical Japanese setting. I don't remember a single landmark in this game. I can't help but feel that it's a Ghost of Tsushima clone visually, making this world feel unoriginal for me, which is a first time in an Assassin's Creed game for me. It doesn't have an original art style, it leans heavily on Ghost of Tsushima's inspiration visually and its technical fidelity. The game not having any remarkable music, unlike many Assassin's Creed games, also hurts the atmosphere. Gameplay and Systems I am not going to praise this game just because it has "good" graphics and better animations than the last three games. It is extremely grindy. The level scaling and the Knowledge Point systems are all designed to artificially lengthen the game time, and it's at its worst here. Stealth is so bad. What good are the mechanics when the enemy AI is this stupid? Being forced to do the same boring game loop for 40 hours also doesn't help. Dear Ubisoft, keep doing single-player games with live-service game design, where quantity matters more than quality. Assassin's Creed Shadows is one of the most boring and generic open-world games I have ever played. BROKEN MEDAL Follow My Curator Page For More Reviews ⚜️

  Show more

  392 found helpful · 15 found funny

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Games owned: 3,004 · Reviews written: 512

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  111 h at review111 h total

  2 Jan 2026

  Another disappointing entry in the franchise. I cannot say this is a bad game, the gameplay is fine, but the overall game is so shallow and boring that I cannot in good conscience recommend it. Just like Valhalla and Odyssey, this one is just too long. I can see every decision made to maximise playtime and expose you to the microtransaction store as much as possible. I see no other explanation. I just cannot look past the monotony and shallowness of Act 2 and 95% of the side content, all of which are just "kill lists" or collectables. If you must, buy it on a sale only. TLDR Likes: * Good graphics, beautiful environments for the most part. Climbing towers to see the vistas is reward enough. * Weather system and the seasons system, one of the best windy games. Leaves flying in the fall wind is just sublime. * Bigger focus on stealth compared to Valhalla and Odyssey. * Return to Odyssey's randomly dropped loot system * No otherworldly god realm parallel dimensions like in Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla * No quadcopter bird like all games since Origins have. * Ability to go prone is neat. * Decent weapon variety. * Auto follow feature, it only took 15 years TLDR Dislikes: * The "kill list" structure for 90% of the quest content is boring. None of these characters are memorable. * Side quests are almost all shallow "Kill X named characters" or "collect X items" type "quests". There are like 2 or 3 real side quests. * Parkour still works sub-par, gets you stuck on certain things (railings), refusing to jump down from a 20cm ledge, very annoying and these bugs will get you detected in stealth. * Hip hop type hollow sounding music that doesn't fit the time period (AFAIK) and is just not what I have come to expect from these games. Music in general is a disappointment. * Pretty much no modern day story, no Isu outside of 1 small easter egg. * Microtransactions and other Live Service crap * Weird Battle Pass system nobody asked for (granted its free and persistent, but still with timegated progression), serving only the conveniently placed store button. * Having to switch characters to do a world marker, quest, or to climb a wall/explore sucks. * Every enemy camp, castle, city and temple look the same. Game Structure This is in my opinion the worst part about this game, same as Mirage. This started in Odyssey, but was mostly a side thing there and in Valhalla. But in Mirage and here, the entire game is just circles of people to kill. Nineteen circles of named characters to be exact, and none of them are memorable. The thing is that narratively nothing can change in between the "kill them in any order" part of the game. And due to the amount of these kills you need to do between prologue and Act 3, you forget why you are even doing this, because it's been 40+ hours since last plot development. These kill lists also cause another problem - choice paralysis, due to the sheer amount of active "quests" at any one time. Gameplay, Progression, Leveling The gameplay is fine. Besides numerous parkour bugs, it works well. But by 4th RPG entry in the series, I do actively dislike the loot and leveling systems, as I have come to realise just how shallow and pointless grind it has become. The maximum level in the game is 100 (upped from 60 by some update). After 100 hours in the game, completing every single kill list, grinding out every base upgrade, I still have not even reached 80. Beating the story I was at around 50. This means, that my loot, throughout the entire game, was always becoming obsolete every 3 levels, and I am expected to either use trashy armor you randomly get without desirable perks for the entire playthrough, or grind infinitely respawning contracts for materials to keep my gear upgraded on 2 characters. All this just so the arbitrary level values do not fall behind too much, which artificially reduces your health and damage dealt. This is just busy work disguised as loot, as opposed to getting and stacking related perks to specialize and augment your character in proper games. Also finding pets, trees and buildings for your homebase in enemy camp chests is kinda silly. Basebuilding itself is also kinda meh. It's there just for you to grind the infinitely respawning contracts to raid small enemy camps to get perks. Seems to me like its actually there just to sell you building skins and ornaments in the MTX shop. And speaking of live service crap, there was a holiday event chest that gave me lots of resources daily, which really destroys integrity of early game. Not that there's any integrity to it to begin with, when the game is designed with MTX shop and grind in mind. I also started to dislike the "unguided mode" now, because it's adds nothing to the game in my opinion. Instead of a map marker, you are just given the name of the place you need to go. How much different is that really from a map marker? The only difference is that you have to place the map marker yourself. Yasuke & Naoe Unlike Valhalla and Odyssey, these 2 characters are not just reskins of each other. One is a fighter type, the other a stealth type. Sounds interesting on paper. In practice I'd say its a failure. The problem is that certain things can be done by only one of the characters. Naoe cannot pick up explosive jugs, or move sliding boxes. Yasuke can and is stronger in open combat, but he cannot climb pretty much at all. So this means that you are basically locked to Naoe for exploration (and for the assassin fantasy), but when you need Yasuke to complete a "puzzle" or moving a box or a jug, after clearing a camp as Naoe, and the entire camp respawns, the stupidity of this system comes into focus. Graphics Graphics are good, but there's some weird uncanny valley feeling to the environment, as if the lighting is kinda flat. I can't exactly say why I feel like this, maybe the shadows are not dark enough or something? There's also weird auto exposure issue where looking in certain directions sometimes significantly and noticeably reduces scene brightness, very annoying, especially in the photo mode. But I must say I did like the seasons system and the weather. This is one of the windiest games I have ever played, and this is, if not the best, at least one of the best wind implementations out there. Running around during fall, in windy weather with all the leaves floating about in the wind, it just looks really good. Nitpicks * Gone are navigational puzzles when climbing towers. It's just press Q simulator for the grappling hook. * Weird omission of "loot on assassinate" perk * Cannot assassinate unaware enemies while in combat for no reason * No weather/season setting in photo mode * An achievement that requires completion of the main story again in NG+ * The armor perk that throws kunai on assassination cannot be controlled, and will get you unwantedly get detected * Sometimes sprint button just stops working * Can't start rappelling down from on top of ledges using the grapple, its only a climbing tool. Conclusion This game is kinda the AC Syndicate of the RPG games. I just want an adventure game like in ye olden times, not a list of busy work to do. Doing dailies (battle pass, grinding base building mats and money) is the last thing I want in a supposedly story based game. This franchise in a desperate need of another major revamp, similar to the one from Syndicate to Origins, specifically in the story structure. It is my opinion that it is impossible to build a good story where after first few hours of story and character development/introductions, it all grinds to a massive halt and you are let loose to kill 50+ fking forgettable boss enemies that you honestly could not care less about.

  Show more

  371 found helpful · 10 found funny

  Performance

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Games owned: 813 · Reviews written: 483

  On Steam
• ▲ Recommended

  25 h at review30 h total

  12 Dec 2025

  ⭐️ Assassin’s Creed Shadows — A Fresh and Captivating Take on the Franchise Assassin’s Creed Shadows marks a standout entry in the long‑running series, bringing players into the rich and atmospheric world of feudal Japan with compelling dual protagonists, immersive gameplay, and stunning environments that honor the series’ legacy while offering new, satisfying challenges. The game received generally favorable reviews from critics and was praised for balancing stealth, combat, and exploration in a refreshing way. 🏯 1. A Stunning Feudal Japan to Explore One of Shadows’ greatest achievements is its beautifully realized open world set during the Sengoku period. The environments — from misty forests to snow‑covered villages and sprawling countryside — are rich in detail and atmosphere, making exploration rewarding and visually captivating. Critics have lauded its world design as one of the most immersive in the franchise. 🥷 2. Dual Protagonists With Distinct Playstyles Shadows introduces two unique playable characters — the agile shinobi Naoe and the powerful samurai Yasuke — offering varied ways to approach missions. Naoe’s stealth and speed encourage careful planning and silenced assassinations, while Yasuke’s brute strength and combat prowess provide satisfying, impactful clashes in open battle. This duality keeps gameplay exciting and versatile. 🗡️ 3. Refined Stealth and Combat Mechanics The game’s stealth systems and combat feel engaging and rewarding. Sneaking through shadows, using tools like kunai and grappling hooks, and executing precisely timed attacks create tense and thrilling scenarios. When open combat does break out, Yasuke’s heavy strikes and weapon variety feel powerful and impactful, making each encounter dynamic and satisfying. 🌍 4. Exploration That Rewards Curiosity Unlike earlier entries where fast travel often revealed large sections of the map instantly, Shadows encourages active exploration. Viewpoints and hidden secrets invite players to traverse the world thoughtfully, uncovering new discoveries organically as they move through Japan’s diverse landscapes. This approach enhances the sense of adventure and discovery. 🎶 5. Immersive Audio and Presentation The game’s audio design and soundtrack add depth to the experience, blending genre‑expanding musical themes with atmospheric environmental sounds. High‑quality voice acting — including options for full Japanese voiceover — enhances immersion, bringing the world and its characters to life in a meaningful way. 📈 6. Strong Critical Reception and Player Enthusiasm Critics have generally responded well: Assassin’s Creed Shadows holds a Metacritic score in the “generally favorable” range, and many outlets describe it as a strong evolution of the series that honors classic Assassin’s Creed elements while introducing fresh ideas and polished gameplay. 🏁 Final Thoughts Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivers a visually stunning, thoughtfully designed experience that blends stealth, action, and exploration in a way that both longtime fans and newcomers can appreciate. With its captivating setting, contrasting protagonists, and immersive world, Shadows stands out as one of the more memorable entries in the franchise. Overall: ⭐ 8.5 / 10 — A beautiful and rewarding adventure that reinvigorates the Assassin’s Creed formula with style and depth.

  Show more

  333 found helpful · 19 found funny

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Games owned: 419 · Reviews written: 113

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  32 h at review32 h total

  14 Feb 2026

  Pretty, yet shallow and falls flat, wasting the massive potential it had. 80% done with the game: - Game is too big, as in the literal sense; a LOT of areas to explore, with nothing to do. Does make a good photo capture game though? - Combat is reduced to monotonous button smashing and parrying is VERY generous. - Stealth is without a doubt the best part of the game, but Yasuke has none. - Naoe starts of as an interesting character, but loses all credibility and integrity in act 2. - Yasuke is the power dream, and he maintains his integrity - but he feels VERY out of place in both setting and context. - Music ... sheeesh, oh boy. Ubisoft had the perfect setting with extremely well crafted sceneries, but they chose to inject a LOT of lofi mixes? Immature choice. - Story starts with a bang, I liked it. It was dumped after the first act, sad. A very MODEST and HUGE thanks to my dear friend who gifted it to me, unironically made me very happy and I've been anticipating this game since Unity. I had fun the first 25 hours :) Just a shame Ubisoft drops the ball enough to crack the floorboards.

  Show more

  320 found helpful · 7 found funny

  Gameplay

  Story

  Games owned: 184 · Reviews written: 12

  On Steam
• ▲ Recommended

  91 h at review110 h total

  6 Dec 2025

  If I'd have to describe the word "average" to someone I'd probably show them this game. If you are happy by just running from quest marker to quest marker for hours on end, then I highly recommend this game. Because that's pretty much all you do for the entire game. And I personally found it oddly satisfying to just turn off my brain and wander through the admittedly very beautiful open world - hence the positive review. But if you actually have some higher standards when it comes to video games, you'd probably be in for a disappointment. The story is the same as in the last 5 games of the franchise so you can basically foresee pretty much all events from a mile away anyway. The combat looks cool but is not challenging at all. The graphics are commendable; especially the facial expression of the main characters seem to have improved massively compared to older AC games. Its definitely better than the dumpster fire they released back in 2020 with Valhalla but its still far from an adequate product considering we're talking about a "AAA-Publisher" with an insane budget. TL;DR Gud game if you dont care about story or a lack of challenge and like running from quest marker to quest marker like I do :)

  Show more

  296 found helpful · 21 found funny

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Reviews written: 5

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  89 h at review124 h total

  16 Apr 2025

  Сюжет? Штамповка уровня “смешали всё подряд, но забыли зачем”. Персонажи, вроде бы с бэкграундом, но разговаривают как NPC в мобилках: скучно, топорно, ни капли живости. Особенно бесит, как они пытаются всучить тебе драму про “две стороны конфликта” — но ты не можешь сопереживать, когда всё выглядит, как школьный театр на уроке истории. Дальше — геймплей. Тут два “героя” — один скрытный нинзя, второй — мясной самурай. Звучит круто? Ну да, на бумаге. На деле: механики настолько кривые, что ты половину времени просто борешься с управлением. Нинзя почему-то не умеет нормально прыгать на врагов сверху — тупо мимо. Самурай всё время застревает в анимациях. Стелс — это вообще какая-то шутка. Ты сидишь в кустах, кидаешь петарду — враг поворачивается, врезается в стену и умирает от инфаркта. Я серьёзно, ИИ тут просто отбитый. Боевая система вроде есть, но скучнее и медленнее я ничего не видел. Три приёма на двоих, враги — клоны с одинаковыми криками боли. Я не знаю, может они специально делают хуже, чтобы мы потом вспоминали AC2 как гениальную игру? Окей, думаешь, хотя бы визуал вытащит? Ну, типа, Япония — храмы, поля, сакура, всё такое. Но даже здесь облом. Картинка красивая только на скринах. В движении — мыльцо, текстуры грузятся с запозданием, освещение как будто забыли включить. И да — баги. В каждой сессии обязательно что-то поломается: враг застрянет в стене, квест не активируется, кат-сцена не прогружается. Это уже традиция у Ubisoft, наверное. И вот ты сидишь, час игры позади, и ловишь себя на мысли — а где фан? Где хоть что-то, ради чего стоило ждать? Всё ощущается пустым, ленивым и вторичным. Ни атмосферы, ни смысла, ни удовольствия.

  Show more

  260 found helpful · 12 found funny

  Performance

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Reviews written: 64

  On Steam
• ▲ Recommended

  33 h at review39 h total

  27 Jun 2026

  I’ll never understand Ubisoft. Idk why they do this every single time. AC Shadows looks incredible in every way, the engine, gameplay, graphics, environment, atmosphere, world design, the whole vibe is just perfect. But why kill a game this beautiful with boring, repetitive bloat just to inflate the playtime? Like, do some gamers actually enjoy grinding the same loop for 40-50 hours? At first, you’re genuinely loving the world, but then you get sucked into this exhausting cycle of copy-pasted content. It completely kills your drive to even care about the story or exploration because after 20 hours, you’re just repeating the exact same stuff over and over. However it's still enjoyable, and they did a great job with the game itself. The only thing holding it back for me is the repetitive content. Without that, I'd easily rate it a 9/10, but because of the excessive grind and repetition, it drops to a 7/10.

  Show more

  257 found helpful · 9 found funny

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Games owned: 810 · Reviews written: 28

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  7.8 h at review41 h total

  22 Mar 2025

  Чисто технически - это игровой продукт. Здесь нет интересных персонажей, нет новых или хотя бы хорошо работающих игровых механик. Гейплей максимально пресный и репетативный, все форты одинаковые, броня отличается только циферками (за несколько часов чистки локации и замков инвентарь будет переполнен бесполезным хламом). Интелект у врагов отсутствует, это просто болванчики. Окружающий мир очень красивый но мертвый и вызывает чувство декорации. Покупать игру точно не стоит, тем более через месяц игра будет продаваться по скидке. Надежды на игру были, правда не высокие.

  242 found helpful · 15 found funny

  Gameplay

  Story

  Value

  Reviews written: 15

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  150 h at review150 h total

  5 May 2026

  I've completed 100% of the game. I've done everything I could do in base game and DLC, I did ALL the achievements, so now it's time for my honest opinion on the whole thing. PROS: +4 Yasuke's story arc. He's brilliantly written, a very likeable character, and even though he's a historical figure and his story is fictional, the whole thing is told realistically, giving plenty of reasons why he's in Japan, what drives him, why we don't hear about his achievements in history, etc. +3 The scouts mechanic is great, I hope it will be expanded in future games. +3 I played it a year after its release, but the optimization is still worth praising (the best of the last two games). +3 At last we got the most expanded hideout editor to date. Additionally, cosmetic items for the hideout can drop from looted chests in camps, castles and such, which increases the desire to raid them. +2 Dividing the story into target circles, giving the game a lot of choice, a sandbox feel, and multi-directional quests. Even though you're essentially doing the same thing over and over again, there are sometimes surprising departures from the norm. +2 The changing seasons really freshen up the repetitive gameplay. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a significant impact on most things. +2 Combat is a significant improvement over Valhalla, Odyssey, and Origins. +2 Koshiro's love quest. +1 First few meditation mini-games unlock side quests that take place before the prologue. +1 Butterfly mystery quest. Very surprising. +1 Death of Takahashi Clan (in Kyoto) quest. All target circles should work so sandbox-ish like this quest. +1 Junjiro's plot twist. +1 You can unlock Disney Mulan's horse. CONS: -6 Forcing the ideology. There were no non-binary people in feudal Japan. Period. And even Yasuke not being samurai in real life does not justifie calling him samurai after Nobunaga's death . -5 the ikki founded by Naoe is not the Brotherhood of Assassins. It has warped ideals, and she learns about the Assassin ideology from a single side mission. -5 Ubisoft Connect as a launcher. I had so many disconnections between Steam and UC. Sometimes I needed to run game thru UC instead of Steam bc unknown error was occuring while launching thru Steam. Not to mention that UC can lost internet connection with no reason at all. -4 there's no real ideological conflict. The Templars are reduced to warmongers, to one guy who forged the Order into his ideals. There are no Assassins; 99% of them die off-screen before game even started, 2-3 are killed off in the story. The Masked Ones are driven by the fear of their leader, who fears the Templars and ultimately thrashes like a terrified child . -4 The parkour paths are a joke. Many objects behave as they please, often to the player's detriment, but the worst aspect is that, aside from the designated paths, of which there are few on the map, you can barely use parkour outside of castles. -4 exploration is confined to tight corridors. Unlike the previous 3 games in the series, you can't traverse the mountains freely, and general movement through the world is reduced to 90% horse and 10% boat, which gets boring quickly. -3 The lion's share of the plot takes place AFTER two-thirds of the way through the game. Literally, in Act 1, which is the longest, you learn practically nothing, which is why I'm not surprised that no reviewer was motivated to reach Act 2. I'll quickly answer: in Act 2, you gain a strong motivation for Yasuke in the plot, and in Act 3, after hearing words of the Masked Ones' boss and the Templars' boss, your eyes open, and suddenly the convoluted story suddenly makes sense . -3 Soooooo many grinding for resources. RPG systems - the weapon levels, the stats, etc. really delude and drag down entire experience and story. Althought some weapon/armor skills are game-changing gimmicks, especially when you experiment enough with them. -3 Scaling your opponents' levels to yours undermines any sense of leveling and feel of progress, as you become weaker. And believe me, you won't catch up with the gear to make it worthwhile 'til last couple of hourse before game ending. -3 I still regret the lack of blending in with the crowd, sitting on benches, etc. bc stealth quickly becomes monotonous due to the lack of variations. -2 Naoe's story arc. Her character has no meaningful development throughout the story (basically Marry Sue after the prologue), many of her storylines are so drawn out during the gametime that you forget about them, and ultimately, the ending of her story leaves much to be desired regardless of which ending you choose. -2 The characters' movement and mobility are terribly sluggish; they don't maintain momentum when running or jumping. Everything about the characters' movements feels artificial, which contrasts with the fluid action animations. -1 The game still has a ton of bugs. Just to name a few: random no animations for moving NPCs, shopkeepers getting unavalieble after starting the tea cup collecting quest, or map not loading in the menu. -1 I'm glad they added the ability to enable instakill with the hidden blade in the patch, but it feels like the game was designed with the frustrating inability to use the hidden blade as it should be used. The closest they came to correctly challenging the hidden blade use was in AC Valhalla, where a tougher opponent required a QTE to intakill with HB, but here they significantly worsened everything in that regard. -1 Apparently Oni exist in AC universe . -1 Even though mechanically it makes sense to distribute many key skills between weapons to increase usability, after some time, especially after +50h when you have learned them all, you start to feel the lack of many skills that are useful in stealth. -1 still parrying is clunky, combat animations overlap so you take damage bc of glitches, not your skills. -1 all Yasuke's archer challenges are true nightmare. -1 Employee(s) who came up with achievements: "Enjoy the Ride", "Stars Unseen", "Worth Its Wait", should be dismissed from gamedev for eternity. Debunking the myths section (bc too many lies have been told about this game): a) Yasuke doesn't sleep with Lady Oichi. It is platonic unconsummated love . b) Yasuke has another female romance option than above. c) You can choose who you recruit to the ikki. I didn't recruit Yaya and Ibuki, even so I finished their side quests. d) You can't play the game as just Naoe or just Yasuke. There are many quests where you alternate between them, and at the beginning of the game, Yasuke isn't even around for a while. In the end I had fun, a lot, especially the more hours I got in the game. But I will give thumb down for all the reasons I mentioned in CONS section. Ubisoft, you are a big corpo, you are a big boy/girl, you can afford to make changes that this series struggles with since Origins. I wish you best, and you, dear reader, if you have a dime to spend, I recommend you this game if you are immune to grind and like roaming historical places and hunt down bad people like wild animals.

  Show more

  238 found helpful · 26 found funny

  Performance

  Gameplay

  Story

  Reviews written: 78

  On Steam
• ▲ Recommended

  118 h at review118 h total

  22 Nov 2025

  Shadows — the Assassin’s Creed of feudal Japan. Naoe and Yasuke. Between Kuji-kiri and Katas, between corrupt bandits and samurai clans, between conspiracies and dark secret organizations working against the empire. For me — and of course in this review I am speaking only for myself — Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the best Assassin’s Creed I have ever played. I can’t relate to all the “criticisms” and reviews from gaming journalists. Most of them are completely exaggerated, and the community often just repeats what they hear instead of forming their own opinion. A quick word about myself: I discovered AC around 2012 and started with AC III. Definitely one of the great entries, but in my personal ranking it’s fairly far down the list. I played AC Black Flag only during long gaming nights at a good friend’s house, never on my own — but it was still a unique Assassin’s Creed. After that, I took a long break and truly came back with AC Origins. And I was hooked. I’ve always been fascinated by history, and seeing Assassin’s Creed brought to ancient Egypt was simply brilliant. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful AC titles ever released. With Origins followed by Odyssey, Ubisoft did so much right, and I played both entries for countless hours. But an Assassin’s Creed with samurai and ninjas had always been a “childhood wish” of mine. I’ve been fascinated by that era of human history since I was young, and I always hoped Ubisoft would give us exactly that kind of Assassin’s Creed. Few settings fit the Assassin’s Creed fantasy better than feudal Japan. And finally, it’s here. The story is incredibly well written. The emotional journey with Naoe — dealing with the murder of her father, the brutality of war, the destruction, and the suffering of civilians — combined with the story of the unusual samurai Yasuke, constantly motivates you to keep going. The combat mechanics and finisher moves are consistently fun every single time they happen. The game keeps offering challenges, and the balance between a stealthy assassin silently eliminating targets and a samurai who can crush five or six enemies at once is just awesome. The hideout-building system offers hours of satisfaction as you construct your own little “domain” in the middle of Japan. The world looks absolutely beautiful. Roaming and riding through the landscapes is pure joy. The seasons and the corresponding loading screens during transitions are visually stunning — like walking through a living painting. At the time of writing, I haven’t finished the Claws of Awaji DLC yet, but even the beginning and the new island continue to add excitement to the game. After AC Valhalla, this feels like the right answer. Valhalla wasn’t bad, but it was clearly a step back compared to its predecessors. Shadows, for me, makes it a delight to jump back in again and again, and it fulfilled all my expectations, hopes, and wishes for an Assassin’s Creed set in Japan. For me personally — a fully subjective opinion — this AC is number one and definitely my favorite in the entire series. I hope Ubisoft continues on this path and that the upcoming titles will be just as good as AC Shadows. With that said, thank you for taking the time to read this review. Feel free to check out my profile, and I wish you all the best — stay healthy! KDB

  Show more

  208 found helpful · 25 found funny

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Reviews written: 10

  On Steam
• ▲ Recommended

  78 h at review78 h total

  15 Jul 2026

  ~ DIFFICULTY ~ 🔲 My 90 year old grandma could play it 🔲 Easy ✅ Normal 🔲 Hard 🔲 Dark Souls ~ GRAPHICS ~ 🔲 MS Paint 🔲 Bad 🔲 Meh 🔲 Graphics dont matter in this game 🔲 Good ✅ Beautiful ~ MUSIC ~ 🔲 Bad 🔲 Not special ✅ Good 🔲 Eargasm ~ STORY ~ 🔲 This game has no story 🔲 Like playing Temple Runners for the story ✅ It's there for the people who want it 🔲 Well written 🔲 Epic story ~ PRICE ~ 🔲 Free 🔲 Underpriced 🔲 Perfect Price ✅ Could be cheaper 🔲 Overpriced 🔲 Complete waste of money ~ REQUIREMENTS ~ 🔲 You can run it on a microwave ✅ Average 🔲 High end 🔲 NASA computer ~ LENGTH ~ 🔲 Very Short (0 - 3 hours) 🔲 Short (3 - 15 hours) 🔲 Average (15-50 hours) ✅ Long (50-90 hours) 🔲 Extremely long (90-110 hours) 🔲 No ending ~ FUN ~ 🔲 I'd rather watch paint dry 🔲 Hard to enjoy ✅ Repetitive 🔲 Actually pretty amusing 🔲 Ride of your life ~ REPLAYABILITY~ 🔲 It's a one-time experience 🔲 Only for achievements ✅ If you wait a few months/years 🔲 Definitely 🔲 Infinitely replayable ~ WORTH BUYING ~ 🔲 No ✅ Wait for sale 🔲 Yes ---------------- Assassin's Creed Shadows delivers an enjoyable experience that is often carried by its incredible presentation and ambitious scope. Feudal Japan has been realised with remarkable attention to detail, creating one of the most visually striking settings the series has ever explored. However, the enormous world can become exhausting over time, with the adventure lasting far longer than necessary. While there is plenty to see and do, the experience occasionally outstays its welcome. The story follows the journeys of Naoe and Yasuke, offering two contrasting perspectives throughout the campaign. Naoe stands out as the stronger protagonist, with a compelling personal journey that feels much more in line with the themes that have defined the Assassin's Creed series. Yasuke is an entertaining character in his own right, but his role often feels misplaced within the franchise, particularly given his complete lack of stealth capabilities. Despite these differences, the relationship between the two gradually develops into one of the game's strongest aspects, making it surprisingly easy to become invested in their partnership by the conclusion. Gameplay benefits greatly from the contrast between its two playable characters. Naoe's stealth-focused abilities provide the classic Assassin's Creed experience, rewarding careful planning, infiltration, and precise assassinations. Yasuke instead offers a combat-heavy approach that is satisfying in its own way, although it lacks the subtlety expected from the series and can feel disconnected from its core identity. The sheer amount of content is impressive, but repetitive objectives and the oversized map can make progression begin to feel like a chore. Visually, Assassin's Creed Shadows is exceptional from beginning to end. The detailed environments, dynamic weather, changing seasons, and beautifully crafted landscapes create an immersive world that is consistently rewarding to explore. Character models, animations, and lighting all contribute to an impressive level of polish, making almost every location feel memorable. Even when the gameplay begins to lose momentum, the breathtaking presentation remains a compelling reason to keep exploring. Overall, Assassin's Creed Shadows is a good entry that succeeds through its gorgeous world, enjoyable gameplay, and engaging partnership between its two protagonists. Naoe delivers the authentic Assassin's Creed experience, while Yasuke provides an entertaining, if somewhat mismatched, alternative playstyle. Although the oversized world and lengthy campaign prevent the game from maintaining its momentum throughout, the quality of its presentation and the emotional connection built between its central characters ensure it remains a worthwhile adventure. Assassin's Creed Shadows gets a 6/10. For more reviews check my Steam profile Hope you enjoyed my review, god bless you

  Show more

  195 found helpful · 16 found funny

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Value

  Games owned: 497 · Reviews written: 197

  On Steam
• ▲ Recommended

  6.7 h at review43 h total

  22 Dec 2025

  Playing AC Shadows has made me realize that game review channels are either overly critical or I’m just easily impressed. Honestly, both are probably true. That said, this game is awesome. The prologue introducing both protagonists is incredibly compelling. I’m genuinely invested in where both of their stories are headed, which surprises me, especially since I wasn’t initially very interested in playing Yasuke as a fighter rather than a traditional assassin. I’m also really enjoying the side content, despite it being heavily criticized by many outlets. Drawing animals instead of hunting them feels far more aligned with the atmosphere the game is trying to create. The world itself is unbelievably beautiful. Honestly, it’s on another level compared to Valhalla, which was already a great-looking game. The combat may be the best in any Assassin’s Creed game so far. I’ve died more in my first five hours of Shadows than in any previous AC title. I’m starting to get the hang of it, and it’s becoming easier, but there’s definitely a learning curve. Finally, the cutscenes are outstanding. The music and choreography are incredible and honestly remind me of a Tarantino film. Maybe it’s just the reviewers I follow, but most of them were pretty negative about Shadows. Personally, I’m having a great time and am really looking forward to playing much more.

  Show more

  146 found helpful · 13 found funny

  Gameplay

  Reviews written: 18

  On Steam
• ▼ Not recommended

  3.3 h at review3.3 h total

  24 Mar 2025

  Подумал, что хоть в этот раз выйдет нормальный АС типа Unity, а не хрючево типа Одиссеи и Вальгаллы. Ошибся. Опять чистить 1000 аванпостов, прокачка со скиллами «повысить урон на 2%», ужасный сценарий, плохая озвучка (японская причем), лицевые анимации из обливиона и стелз в кустах. Ну и вишенка на торте — оптимизация. В игре с графикой 2015 года не может быть 40 фпс с ДЛСС на 4070, ну просто не может. Она реально выглядит хуже Unity, можете скачать и побегать по Парижу, вы сильно удивитесь, как вас скамит современная игровая индустрия и Digital Foundry. А, ну и магазин со скинами)) 2025 гейминг би лайк Я слишком старый для такого одноклеточного геймплея и слишком люблю свое личное время. Юбисофт, пожалуйста, пора уходить. Пора, родной, пора

  Show more

  146 found helpful · 18 found funny

  Performance

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Games owned: 1,947 · Reviews written: 30

  On Steam
• ▲ Recommended

  58 h at review58 h total

  5 Dec 2025

  Still sad about the fact that if Naoe had been a Chinese man, this could've been a Rush Hour game! DO YOU UNDERSTAND THE WORDS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF MY MOUTH!!?? Rest assured though modders will eventually do their magic. Can’t wait to see Yasuke going around looking for some mushu. Ubisoft games are the video game equivalent of movies that feature Kevin Hart and The Rock… ...but at least they only steal 90 minutes of your time and far less money. Why'd they have to go and put a black guy in it? They didn't even have those back then! Just how the Spider-man games make you FEEL like Spiderman this game really makes you FEEL like a Samurai. After playing AC Shadows I decided to start taking Kendo, laido, and Kenjutsu classes. I will admit, it was stupid to get into a martial art after playing a video game. However, I realise that this is something I should have started doing a while ago. I really enjoy it and it has helped me a lot in defending myself from my wife's boyfriend! Jokes aside yeah, I originally got it because I couldn't afford Ghost of Yotei, but I really enjoy Shadows honestly. I'm particularly fond of the time and setting, and that might cause some bias, but I think it's a step in the right direction for the series. This is the first game since Origins that feels polished in my opinion, and while it's not perfect, there is a lot to love. I enjoy how many side activities and organizations there are in addition to the main story, and while it does have some bad moments, the characters feel compelling and more alive than in previous titles. AC Shadows scratches an itch that Sekiro left me with after 100%ing it. I’ve been chasing that dragon for awhile, with Rise of the Ronin and Ghost of Tsushima, plus a few others. And while they were good in their own ways, they didn’t quite satisfy that “ninja running on rooftops assassinating enemies” itch I had. Shadows does, and I couldn’t be happier. Shadows is just such an experience, very unique. The stealth is amazing, the combat is amazing, the story had me invested and throw in some kill bill vibes. Not to mention I feel like l'm actually in a world. I get lost. In my first play through I followed a creek for like an hour. Me and my daughter followed a creek that led to different waterfalls along the way, and then found treasure at the top! The experience of this creek, the trees, the rocks, the water, the entire atmosphere. Felt like I was really walking in a creek in a Japanese forest. Tbh I'm here for the creeks man and this game has some seriously good creeks! The creeks, trees, and rocks bring me a ton of joy. And don't even get me started on the wind in the leaves! Glorious. It captured me every time I played! This is an amazing game, especially if you’re into Japanese culture and of course Samurai and Shinobi type stuff. I wouldn’t listen to the haters, the game is incredible and maybe one of the best looking I’ve ever seen. The seasons change which is a very cool dynamic, for instance if it’s winter the water is frozen to ice also the bushes and trees will lose leaves. I mean you can even watch the snow stick. Further more the stealth is better than ever, with the ability to prone now. Parkour is fun with Naoe as she has a grappling hook and she’s incredibly quick like a cat. Yasuke on the other hand is slow as can be, yet very effective in combat. He’s a brute and pushes through everything, not very nimble or stealthy as he can break walking ropes lol. I love how physical, yet elegant, Naoe’s parkour is… She flips and jumps like a dancer and climbs with such ease and grace. It’s a joy to infiltrate a castle or fort with her. Yasuke is a brute in comparison, but it’s fun sometimes to just run into a camp and cuts folks up with his posture attacks. It’s very satisfying. I like the secret organisation concept, it makes me feel like Naoe and Yasuke are helping the entire of Japan as opposed to just the brotherhood. I also love the gameplay as a whole, the storyline, the Templar incorporation and how the Shinbakfu is. Naoe draws a lot of traits from Ezio and Connor, for the two main ones that she harkens back to and she is 100% the main character, with Yasuke as the Deuteragonist, his story is important to Naoe's, but it's overall Naoe's story. Honestly Ubisoft was in a tough spot because you can't change the formula too drastically, this series is super popular for a reason and long time fans would be really upset. However, you have to find a way to please people who are casual fans (or non-fans) so you needed to also show some big changes too. I think they did a good job striking the balance and the dual protagonists ended up being a lot of fun. I really like how different they are, and it's fun deciding the pros and cons of which one to use depending on the situation. This has the smoothest gameplay and best graphics of the entire series. It’s the most fun to just flat out play and my god is it long. This is a long journey, but one well worth it in my eyes. The story isn't anything mind blowing, but it's good. The NPCs are likable, Junjiro is a little sh*t but I love that tanuki shaped f**ker. The world was fun to explore; it's absolutely gorgeous, and the changing seasons adds a lot to it like I mentioned. I really want more games to implement that. Just in terms of exploration, it's up there with Black Flag for me. And I enjoyed the combat a lot. It's definitely my favorite gameplay wise of the newer style games. The combat is better and less RPGey, feels more like the original AC but you can't just parry infinitely while enemies wait their turn. Yasuke unlocks late, and allows you to take on enemies several levels higher in open combat. Naoe cannot openly fight more than a few enemies without the right practice and skills. The weapons are pretty fun. It's one step above Skyrim combat on the surface, you just kinda throw heavy or light and have two executions that repeat over and over and over when you kill the last dude. You can absolutely mix up the combat and learn a more involved way to use perks, but it doesn't FEEL worth it outside of boss fights. In bigger fights with Naoe, you often throw 2/4 lights in the chain, and then need to wait for a parry or you get slapped. Long, flowing, mix up intense combat is doable during boss encounters. All in all this is a really solid game, coming from a guy whose favorite is Brotherhood and has beat every main installment in the series. If Shadows wasn't made by Ubisoft it would easily be sitting in the 90s with reviewers and everyone would be singing its praises. It is actually an insanely good game. The weather system is the best I've ever seen and it's not even close, the graphics and general world design are amazing, the forests are dense and oppressive. The world is 100% the main character in this. But then, the combat is actually fun and serviceable to both old and new AC players. The animations are incredible, and the stealth is near perfect. Reminds me so much of MGSV/Splinter Cell. Lastly, the story aside from the ending is surprisingly very good. The characters are good, you get so much backstory, and there's actually cinematics finally. Sadly most of the "meh" reviews are because it’s very much in line with the rest of the RPGs and not some innovative new exciting step forward. It’s an incredibly high quality game though, one of the best looking games I’ve ever played with really solid stealth, a good soundtrack, interesting characters, and by far the best combat of the RPG games. If you like the other AC games, you will like this. At this point they aren't doing anything new to draw in new people, but they know how to keep doing their formula. It's not the greatest game of all time, or even of the year. But it's still fun and worth playing. And finally… ITS JAPAN DUDE WEVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS FOR 2 DECADES! LETS GO!! 9/10

  Show more

  144 found helpful · 42 found funny

  Graphics

  Gameplay

  Story

  Games owned: 1,231 · Reviews written: 964

  On Steam