I’m having a great time with Assassin’s Creed Shadows and I just wanted to share some of my thoughts after about 20 hours with this game. I know there is a lot of bizarre discourse about it online but the only thing that really matters to me is if a game is fun and this one is.
The world they have built here is one of the most beautiful environments I’ve explored in a video game. It’s incredibly rare that I ever engage with a game’s photo mode but I cannot stop taking pictures in AC Shadows. I said the same thing over on my Bluesky account and shared some of the shots I’ve taken but I have tons more.
I’ve played about 20 hours of AC Shadows and I’m having a great time. I don’t normally engage with a games photo mode but I’m using this one all the time.
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— Gabe (@cwgabriel.bsky.social) March 26, 2025 at 6:17 PM
In my 20 or so hours with the game I have only really played as Naoe, who is the ninja. This game has some of the best stealth gameplay I’ve seen in recent years. It makes great use of in game shadows and even lets you extinguish lights to use darkness in interesting ways. I love slinking through these massive castles and their intricate gardens trying to take out everyone I can without ever being seen. They have crafted a truly incredible ninja simulator here.
That’s not to say that direct combat isn’t fun. When pressed to fight, Naoe has an assortment of weapons to choose from and each offers a unique combat style. I’ve been having fun with the Tanto which is just a small dagger but she wields incredibly fast. Like other AC games the combat is based on timing blocks and dodging, but it feels very well executed here and really fits the setting. Facing off against a samurai and holding your attack while you circle each other waiting for the right moment to parry or strike just feels right.
Like our comic suggested, AC shadows also features a customizable hideout. You can construct and arrange buildings, decorate their interiors and fully customize your outdoor garden space. I was thrilled when I opened a treasure chest last night and got a new stone lantern for my garden. I’m not joking when I say I have a dozen different stones all with their own unique patina of moss and I take the placement of these rocks very seriously. The only thing it doesn’t have is the ability to actually rake your gravel. Maybe they can add it in a patch.
You know I’m not a story guy and I’ll be honest, I’m skipping my way through the bulk of this one. I’ve watched a couple smaller moments and enjoyed a few of the side quest stories but that’s not what has me excited to get back into it every day. For me, I just want to explore more of this incredible world and I know that over the next rise will be some new fortification full of assholes for me to meticulously murder from the shadows.
-Gabe Out