The 10 Most Exciting New Features In Assassin's Creed Shadows

The 10 Most Exciting New Features In Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Welcome to MojoPlays, we were invited to an “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” preview event, so today we’re covering the 10 things about it we’re looking forward to most.

Dual Assassin Mechanic

This was first introduced in “Syndicate” back in 2015. It was fun, but had a handful of flaws. For example, a lot of missions were limited to one character. Also, while Evie was meant for stealth and Jacob combat, it wasn’t completely forced. Evie could pack a punch, and Jacob could hide with ease. In “Shadows”, missions aren’t locked to either, and you can even swap characters mid-mission. The difference between protagonists’ playstyles is much more polarizing too. Naoe is susceptible to being one-shotted, but her nimble moveset makes stealth a breeze. Yasuke, on the other hand, is a tank at fighting, but his size and slowness make sneaking nigh on impossible.

Naoe

For a stealth enjoyer, Evie was the best assassin at stealth in the series. Now, Naoe is here to claim that title. She’s the most stealth-oriented assassin of all time. Fighting as Naoe is extremely punishing, but she has a plethora of shinobi tools up her sleeve. She’s also arguably the best-animated assassin in the series. Parkour with her feels amazing, she moves with remarkable grace, and her constant flips and spins give her so much character. Combined with the stealth overhaul, we think Naoe will become an instantly adored shinobi.

Yasuke

Yasuke is the first assassin based on a real person, and we’re beyond excited to see how his story plays out. He’s the complete opposite of Naoe. Fighting is a walk in the park for Yasuke, with his mighty stature and strong skills. Yasuke doesn’t even get access to regular assassinations, instead, he can perform a “brutal assassination”, which causes immediate detection and intimidation. Unfortunately, he’s a slow climber, and easily the tankiest assassin we’ve seen. So, if you play the series for the power fantasy of chain killing 20 guards in a row, then Yasuke might become your favorite.

Dynamic Seasons & Weather

“Assassin’s Creed III” was the first game to introduce seasons. Many were disappointed when they were tied to story progression, and you needed animus hacks to change them. It also boiled down to just snow or no snow. Well “Shadows” has doubled down, and introduced four dynamic seasons, no longer tied to story progression at all. They’ll each be split into two, such as early autumn and late autumn. These seasons directly affect the weather, environment, and NPC behavior. For instance, during summer guards will frequently check overgrown bushes. In winter, these bushes won’t be viable hiding spots, but guards will stay close to heat sources. So certain missions will be easier depending on the time of year, an incredibly fascinating mechanic.

Assassin Summons

“Brotherhood” is considered the best in the series by many. One superb mechanic was the assassin recruits. While exploring, you could summon your recruits to your aid. Despite its popularity, it only featured in limited sequels. Now, it’s returning once again in “Shadows”. We don’t know much about it, but the recruits can possess unique abilities. It will also be tied to seasons somehow. We’re hoping it’s more fleshed out than ever, but with limited information, we have to wait and see. If done well, it will easily cause waves of nostalgia with Ezio enjoyers.

Exploring Japan

Fans have been crying out for a title set in Japan for years. Now, this dream has finally come true. It’ll take us across 9 provinces, set around the modern-day Kansai region. The most famous city we’ll get to see is Kyoto, Japan’s historical capital. They’ve also added a host of vibrant wildlife, greatly enriching exploration and immersion. There’ll be new activities populating the world, like painting wildlife. This is a refreshing change, since map completion has been quite similar in the newer games. Combined with the season mechanics, it’s going to be pretty difficult to get bored of exploring.

Grappling Hook

This feature was first introduced in “Syndicate”, where it was criticized for being too powerful. In a game about parkour, having a hook that lets you climb any building immediately feels a bit too strong. Now, it’s back in “Shadows”, but this time it’s a lot more balanced and interesting. The new grappling hook has proper weight and momentum, letting you swing between trees, or climb up tall structures with ease. This makes it less strong than in “Syndicate”, but significantly more fun. Keep in mind, that it’s exclusive to Naoe, furthering the gap in playstyles between the two.

Stealth Overhaul

The necessity of stealth has frequently changed, with it being almost essential in “Unity”, and then being completely optional in “Valhalla”. It’s optional once again, but you’ll be missing out big time. Eagle vision is now exclusive to Naoe, and she has a hefty bag of tricks to aid her in evading detection. Extinguishing light is new, allowing Naoe to hide in the shadows, making her almost invisible. She can also go prone, letting her crawl in tight spaces, and entering areas inaccessible to Yasuke. This is the most fleshed-out stealth has ever been, and we’re beyond excited about it.

RPG Elements

The RPG side isn’t going to be as heavy as in the mythology trilogy, but it’s still a core aspect. It’ll include a variety of weapons, like katanas, spears, shuriken, kunai, and even a hefty rifle for Yasuke. There’ll be a separate skill tree for every weapon, letting you specialize as you desire. The combat skills introduced in “Origins” are back once more, except this time with beautiful animations. There’ll thankfully be transmogrification, and you’ll be able to craft a personal katana. The two characters share XP and loot, so don’t worry about having to complete everything twice.

Co-op Mode

It’s not often we get interesting multiplayer, since it’s a primarily single-player series. “Unity” was the first with co-op, and now “Shadows” will bring it back. Hopefully, there’ll be more freedom than in “Unity”, where it was limited to specific missions. You couldn’t explore the open world with a friend. There are few details available, but we’re hoping you can play the whole game in co-op. Combined with two assassins, this will be way more fun than “Unity”’s co-op, where everybody was Arno. Fingers crossed, it lets us play with both assassins together, which could be an undefeatable combination.

What are you looking forward to most? Let us know in the comments below!