Ubisoft has released a full deep dive into Assassin’s Creed Shadows and if you have watched the gameplay video, you have likely noticed how different the game looks. If anything, Shadows almost looks like the series is being rebooted again thanks to various new gameplay mechanics that we haven’t seen yet.
From the included new grappling hook which adds new traversal opportunities to the game or the brute combat system, here are some incredible details you might have missed in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Samurai Combat
Yasuke boasts a number of different combat styles to use throughout the game. Not only does he have different weapons but they each have different stances that switch up combat. Changing stances to counter an enemy stance is key to winning duels with stronger enemies.
Enemies are also equipped with different armour pieces. Of which, can now be broken by damaging them while using a certain weapon. Attacking enemies over and over again will trigger a risky posture attack that stuns enemies leaving them open for a hard-hitting blow. However, other enemies might interrupt these attacks when used.
Similar to previous games, certain attacks from enemies can’t be parried and blocked. Players will have to dodge these. Other attacks can be blocked and deflected with the perfectly timed block. If successful, these blocked attacks will stun an enemy enemy leaving it open for a posture attack.
Attacks also fill up Yasuke’s adrenalin bar which can be spent to pull off devastating abilities.
Yasuke can try and sneak around. He can take enemies out by bashing through doors and other barriers all depending on where the mission is taking place.
Mission Selection
Main missions in Assassin’s Creed Shadows can be played by either Yasuke or Naoe. It depends on how you want to approach the mission. Yasuke, of course, takes the brute force approach while Naoe is the silent slayer.
Players will have to take into account the current situation in the game before making their choice. Some environmental factors make it easier to take the stealth approach while some location factors help with the brute force approach.
Players can quickly change between Yasuke and Naoe while in the open world and not on a mission.
Stealth Combat
When it comes to stealth, Naoe creeps through the world undetected. New stealth features in Assassin’s Creed Shadows include crawling through tall grass, peeking around corners to look out for enemies and putting out lights to create darker environments for stealth opportunities.
These stealth mechanics change according to the current season of the game too. For example, in the spring and summer, vegetation allows Naoe to crawl through bushes and tall grass. However, in winter, this vegetation dies making it more difficult to explore that way.
The same is said for ponds Naoe can use to swim around undetected. In the winter, these bodies of water freeze so you can’t use them to swim around. Naoe also has to be careful when walking through the snow in winter as she leaves footsteps behind which enemies can spot.
Rain is also helpful when it comes to stealth. It helps reduce the noise Naoe makes when creeping up on enemies. It also helps reduce visibility.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows features a new grappling hook Naoe can use to reach higher rooftops and knock out enemies. When exploring in the dark, this grappling hook helps Naoe take a higher path and pick off enemies one by one. She can also quickly grapple up to the ceiling to hang above enemies as they walk by. This is seemingly dependent on the location.
Generally speaking, the entire parkour system has changed in Assassin’s Creed Shadows too. Running and leaping over short walls is seamless and less clunky than before too. Naoe can also quickly mantle into small windows and leap out of them without having to hang onto the edge first.
This new parkour system seems very much in line with Assassin’s Creed Unity which featured similar mechanics which weren’t implemented into the series since.
Other details
- Spy Network
- Lets players send spies to different locations on the map to investigate mission objectives and identify targets and opportunities before a mission.
- You can pet dogs
- You can assassinate from a swing with the grappling hook
- You can also assassinate enemies through doors depending on the weapon equipped
- Naoe can breathe underwater using a bamboo stick
- Naoe can also chain together wall runs, leaps and grapples to get high into the air above enemies
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is expected to launch on 15 November for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
