Assassin’s Creed Shadows review: The best since Black Flag

Assassin’s Creed Shadows transports you to feudal Japan through the eyes of Naoe, a Shinobi from Iga, and Yasuke, a samurai new to the country. What follows is a breathtaking adventure – the best since Black Flag – but with a few flaws that will be familiar to fans of the series.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has had a rough ride leading up to its release. It was delayed from November 2024 to February 2025, then again to March 20, 2025. The crux of this was to help iron out the controversy surrounding Yasuke and the game’s representation of the feudal Japan era which faced backlash regarding his skin color and historical inaccuracies.

Despite concerns from fans, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is one of the most engrossing and best-looking AC games to date. Complete with game-changing features, a thrilling storyline that rivals Black Flag, and the best combat in the franchise.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows screenshots

Classic Assassin’s Creed for better or worse

It’s been 18 years since the first Assassin’s Creed was released. Since then, Ubisoft has been striving to perfect its stealthy gameplay,  combining historical-based settings with death-defying parkour and brutal battles. Since 2017 (sorry Origins), the series has struggled to stick to what made it originally successful, often ditching its sneaky gameplay for a louder, more visceral approach. Well, Shadows puts those classic stealthy moments firmly back on the menu – and it’s all the better for it. 

Placing players into the shoes of Naoe, a shinobi who loses her loved one (no spoilers) and vows revenge on the league who are responsible, and Yasuke, a samurai who joins her on this journey after facing his own loss, Shadows takes you all around Japan to gather allies and finally take down the Lord responsible for so much loss.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has all the features you come to expect from the modern games. It’s got extensive exploration, more quests than you can shake a katana at, epic duels, and of course, enough hay bales to keep even the most daring base jumper satisfied.

Dexerto / Ubisoft

Shadows also feels positively inspired by the games that came before, featuring the same Odyssey-style evil group main quest and retaining that massive open world I adore. The deadly arsenal of weapons improves upon the battles of Origins, while the storyline is of the same quality as AC greats like Brotherhood and Black Flag.

Of course, Shadows isn’t completely bug or glitch-free (I saw my fair share of dead enemies halfway through walls), and I did occasionally stumble across an unkillable enemy (no, he wasn’t legendary swordsman Miyamoto Musashi).

On top of this, it has the classic Assassin’s Creed jank as I so professionally call it. The combat can feel stiff at times, where enemies will act predictably, leading to scenarios where your fighting skills easily outclass your fellow Samurai. 

Despite this, Shadows thrives in its environment, and fans of Odyssey (like me) are in for a treat. Odyssey in Japan probably isn’t a bad description of how Shadows plays, and that’s one of the biggest compliments I can give.

Naoe and Yasuke

Just like Syndicate, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has two protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke. Each has their own fighting styles, weapons, armor, trinkets, and storylines, allowing you to navigate between the two depending on your preference.

You unlock Naoe first and you’re not able to play Yasuke until around four hours into the main storyline. While this was surprising, it is a fantastic choice as it allows players to delve into the shadowy life of a Shinobi, learning about Naoe’s drive to wipe out the enemies that destroyed her ninja clan home.

As for her backstory, I won’t spoil too much but it’s a joy to experience. It’s simple, impactful, and a perfect way to round out a ninja who is known for keeping out of sight.

Dexerto / Ubisoft

Yasuke’s story comes later into the game, which does make him feel a little like a side character who will likely remain so for those who prefer the more nimble stealth side of AC. However, if you do take him into battle, you’ll quickly see just how badass he is.

Whether it’s swinging around his two-handed club, or just cleaving enemies in two with a clean-cut katana swing, Yasuke is much more brutal in his approach to combat. His lack of mobility won’t be for everyone, but being able to duel multiple foes like warriors from Kurosawa’s classics will always be fun.

It would have been great to see Yasuke’s backstory revealed a little earlier, rather than it being near the end of the main quests, especially given its impact on Naoe.

Regardless, both characters are given the chance to shine throughout the adventure. Their stories are consistently interwoven and feel touching and undeniably immersive, which is rare for an Assassin’s Creed game. Let’s face it, recent storylines like Origins and Valhalla haven’t always been their prized feature.

About time for something new

When a game’s part of a franchise, it’s easy to just compare it to those that came before, but there are a lot of new features that work wonderfully.

One of the most prominent is the hideout, which is one of the best additions I’ve ever seen in an AC game. This customizable base camp isn’t just somewhere for you to hang your decorations, it’s a place that directly corresponds to the main story. It’s a stellar addition to Shadows and heightens almost every aspect of the game by upgrading specific abilities, unlocking Scouts, and increasing your XP gain.

Dexerto / Ubisoft

Scouts are another enjoyable new feature. If you choose to (you should give it a go), you’ll need to hunt down your objectives rather than mindlessly following the blue diamond in front of you. Scouts give you word-of-mouth-style clues, which can be used to highlight points of interest on the map.

At first, Scouts started off a little frustrating as they felt like a pointless addition that was only there to punish geographically challenged players like me. However, once I mastered how to recruit them and unlocked more of the map, this feature became a joy to work with.

It felt all the more immersive and true to the characters. After all, how would Naoe, who’s spent her whole life in Iga know where to find the tea merchant in Osaka? She doesn’t know, and neither do I, but armed with a few handy Scouts, your objective is set. Sure, it’s tricky at the start, but this only heightens the stellar gameplay Shadows provides.

Then there’s the weather. Ahead of release, the weather was advertised as almost a third character – it changed often and altered how you would go through your adventures. Sadly, this didn’t ring true.

Aside from making the trees and landscape look different, most seasons did little to change how you approach combat, parkour, or exploration. Sure, winter made it hard to travel, but it didn’t provide the “everchanging adventure” I was expecting.

Verdict

Assassin’s Creed has been fighting to find its identity for over a decade, and thanks to Shadows it’s finally rediscovered it. Sure, its combat can be clunky and some story beats felt oddly placed (particularly Yasuke’s backstory), but Shadows is exactly what Assassin’s Creed needed to prove it still has a beating heart.

Whether you’re looking to explore the stunning world of feudal Japan, storm the gates of an enemy castle, or fall in love with the many NPCs that populate its world, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is an immersive treat that cements itself as the best Assassin’s Creed game since Black Flag.