Choice has always been at the heart of the Assassin’s Creed series, giving you the freedom to complete your objectives any way you see fit. Now, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will expand upon this approach in an even more dramatic way, allowing you to pick which of the two new assassins, Naoe or Yasuke, that you’d like to utilize for your missions – and it’s a wild swing in either direction.

Shadows drops us into late 16th century Japan at a time of great internal turmoil in the region, which has allowed for corruption to seep into the various provinces. During a recent gameplay presentation ahead of UbiForward, we’re shown that this series of events has peaked Yasuke’s interest in the city of Fukuchiyama where a corrupt warlord has taken root.

As he walks into town, it’s like a giant has appeared. Villagers stand aside, bowing as both a term of respect and expression of awe — they’ve never seen anything quite like him before. It isn’t long until some of the warlord’s minions decide to measure up Yasuke’s abilities, which they quickly discover quickly is a tremendous mistake.

Wielding a massive Kanabo (a club-like weapon), Yasuke’s swings are punishing and skull crushing. Enemy swords are turned aside as these thugs are dispatched quick and bloody. Just to punctuate his skills, Yasuke switches to a Katana and just as efficiently cuts through more enemies until he reaches the base of the temple where his target resides. It’s here we’re shown the choice to either continue as the skilled samurai or switch over to the shinobi, Naoe – with whom stealth is placed at the forefront.

This is where Assassin’s Creed Shadows starts to feel a bit more familiar, as Naoe glides undetected across rooftops, utilizing Eagle Vision to spot enemy locations, silently dispatching foes with a Shuriken, and even piercing through a rice paper wall with a Katana to silence an unsuspecting enemy. She continues to quietly move through the medieval compound until she finds her target. He’s standing at the edge of a shallow pond, which is just deep enough for her to swim below the surface, breathing through a bamboo straw. She then swiftly emerges from the pond and stabs the warlord through the neck – and now it’s time to make an exit.

What was great here was seeing both elements of the familiar, open world approach to finding and eliminating your target, but also leaning in on how a ninja – with all their wonderful toys – can sneak into a compound, eliminate an enemy, and then swiftly escape.

We’re then guided through what an assassination looks like with the samurai Yasuke, who in this instance channels the Juggernaut from the X-men, crashing through doors and structures, slicing down guards, and easily dispatching his target with a swift stab to the gut. That isn’t to suggest that Naoe only must lean on stealth – she’s more than equipped to face guards head-on with her mix of agility and area of effect weapons like the Kusarigama (a chain-sickle) that keeps enemies at a distance, allowing her to methodically eliminate each enemy one at a time.

Beyond the combat, one element that I’m really interested to see how Assassin’s Creed Shadows handles will be the fact that we get to play as a historical figure for the first time as the Samurai, Yasuke. The fictional world of Assassin’s Creed has always been a stellar tale, from elaborate yarns that span everything from Templars to aliens, so seeing how they place him within this universe is going to be exciting to experience.

Finally getting to see Assassin’s Creed Shadows in action has only elevated my excitement for this entry in the series. From the dramatic choices in approach to targets, to its amazing feudal Japan setting, and stepping into the shoes of a historical figure, it has all the hallmarks to be another epic in the making for the team at Ubisoft.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set for release for Xbox Series X|S on November 15, 2024, and is available for pre-order now on the Xbox Store.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Ultimate Edition

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆ 29

★★★★★

$129.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to get a bonus quest, Thrown to the Dogs. The Assassin’s Creed Shadows Ultimate Edition includes: – The base game. – Up to three days of early access to the game.* – The season pass including a bonus quest at launch and two upcoming expansions. – The Ultimate Pack containing the Sekiryu Character Pack, Hideout Pack, and five skill points, as well as the Red Dragon filter in Photo mode. Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. – Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments. – Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character. – Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions. – Create a fully customizable hideout for your shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories. *Play the game up to three days before the official launch date. Exact dates and timings will be shared at a later date on assassinscreed.com.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gold Edition

Ubisoft

☆☆☆☆☆ 29

★★★★★

$109.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to get a bonus quest, Thrown to the Dogs. The Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gold Edition includes: – The base game. – Up to three days of early access to the game.* – The season pass including a bonus quest at launch and two upcoming expansions. Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan. – Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments. – Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character. – Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions. – Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories. *Play the game up to three days before the official launch date. Exact dates and timings will be shared at a later date on assassinscreed.com.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

UBISOFT

☆☆☆☆☆ 29

★★★★★

$69.99

Pre-order

Pre-order now to get a bonus quest, Thrown to the Dogs. Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan. – Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments. – Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character. – Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions. – Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.