GAMERTIMES

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is only two weeks away from release, which comes out on March 20 for the PS5. The 20-minute new gameplay sequence was recently showcased by Ubisoft, as we see Naoe and Yasuke infiltrate Nijo Palace, a Kyoto-based castle complex. This intense display highlights the stealth aspects of the game, the combat options, and the capabilities of both lead characters.

Castles and Gameplay Mechanics

Castles in Assassin’s Creed Shadows are enemy-guarded fortresses with valuable resources and a unique loot chest. To conquer a castle (tenshu), players must kill the Samurai Daisho, and the chest with strong equipment is opened. Above a castle icon on the map, you can view the loot inside.

Seizing castles also increases the Knowledge Rank of the player, granting new skills and upgrades. Quests also grant experience points and mastery points that enhance the capabilities of Naoe and Yasuke. Castles also provide resources to harvest for the players. Small bunches can be gathered manually, but large amounts are to be gathered by scouts.

Naoe’s Stealth Approach

Naoe’s invasion starts at night, highlighting her stealth. She quickly kills a guard with her Hidden Blade before she uses her grappling hook to scout rooftops. Shadows does not have an avian scout, unlike other Assassin’s Creed games. Players use the “Observe” system instead to tag enemies, targets, and loot.

She spots a Samurai Daisho and readjusts her equipment to increase her air assassination damage so she can instantly kill the elite enemy. She later calls out her recruitable friend, Gennojo, to stun enemies to make them easier to kill. Shadows has a number of recruitable allies, each of which is called upon by their own bird call.

Naoe also employs fresh stealth capabilities, such as blowing out lanterns to create shadows and using her grappling hook to flee from patrols. She employs Eagle Vision to identify enemies and civilians—civilians will not engage but can set off alarms. A highlight of the game is her shoji door assassination, where she kills a Samurai Daisho through the sliding door using her katana.

Yasuke’s Stealth Approach

Though he is a power to be contended with, Yasuke is also a sneaky one. Without his grappling hook, he climbs up trees to access rooftops and stealthily kills guards with his katana and bow. He infiltrates by day, so he has to use strategic movement instead of night.

Yasuke employs Oni-Yuri, a poison specialist who knocks out a number of enemies. He disables a bell tower to prevent alarms before reverting to an explosive attack to eliminate guards. Switching to a kanabo club, he knocks out the final Samurai Daisho, which earns him another mastery point.

Combat Approaches for Naoe and Yasuke

Naoe’s fighting style demonstrates her agility and versatility. She wields a kusarigama, a melee weapon with a large range that is ideal for crowd control. With her new armor set, she can jump over enemies and rush assassinate. Summoning her ally Yaya, a strong brawler, she clears reinforcements before attacking her main target, Takahashi Shiro. Employing a combination of smoke bombs and accurate attacks, she disassembles Shiro’s armor before assassinating him.

For Yasuke, it’s all about raw power. He switches to a naginata and teppo rifle and wears armor to block unblockable attacks and bounce back damage. Charging forward, he busts down doors and kills enemies with his rifle. His brute force allows him to take control of the battlefield, quickly eliminating Shiro and then taking the castle’s loot.

Enhanced for PS5 Pro

Being the initial Assassin’s Creed game built natively for next-gen hardware, Shadows has a maximum resolution of 2160p and 60 FPS on PS5 and PS5 Pro. PS5 Pro features extended ray tracing, which offers reflective surfaces in the game world.

Graphics Modes Breakdown:

PS5

• Performance Mode: 2160p upscaled, 60 FPS, Selective Ray Tracing
• Fidelity Mode: 2160p upscaled, 30 FPS, Standard Ray Tracing
• Balanced Mode (requires 120/240Hz display & HDMI 2.1): 2160p upscaled, 40 FPS, Standard Ray Tracing

PS5 Pro

• Performance Mode: 2160p upscaled, 60 FPS, Standard Ray Tracing
• Fidelity Mode: 2160p upscaled, 30 FPS, Extended Ray Tracing
• Balanced Mode (requires 120/240Hz display & HDMI 2.1): 2160p upscaled, 40 FPS, Extended Ray Tracing

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Launches March 20

Naoe and Yasuke both possess two very distinct playstyles, so players can play stealth or combat. With graphics improved on PS5 and PS5 Pro, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will provide a rich feudal Japan experience when it releases on March 20.