Ubisoft has officially unveiled Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a stealth-action adventure set in Feudal Japan. As revealed in its new cinematic trailer, it will star dual protagonists on a quest to discover their “common destiny” while contending with turmoil in the late Sengoku period.
Shinobi assassin Naoe will seemingly be fighting for revenge, by embracing the way of the Shinobi. She will cross paths with Yasuke, a Black samurai warrior who is a notable historic figure. In real life, he served daimyo Oda Nobunaga, and is believed to be the first foreigner to have become a samurai in Japan.
In the game, he will serve in a mentor/companion capacity to Naoe, although he will tread an entirely different path. Based on the cinematic trailer, it appears Yasuke will have access to a more action-oriented combat toolkit, and Naoe will be stealthier and rely on various tools. You’ll be able to change between both characters during gameplay, and they’ll both have a role in the Shadows story.
You can see them in action in the game’s new trailer:
Read: Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review – Turning Back Time
As detailed by Ubisoft, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will feature a vast open world game, in the vein of Valhalla, Odyssey, and Origins – but there will be additional gameplay quirks to keep the action feeling fresh. One of these is a “seasons” system, which will change the world as the story advances.
When winter approaches, lakes you previously crossed will be frozen over, crops that can be used for cover will grow in spring, and so on. New lighting mechanics will also change how you’re able to move through the world – with darker shadows allowing you to hide, and heroes being more visible in the light.
For now, Ubisoft has kept back larger reveals, such as actual gameplay, but we can anticipate more details about Assassin’s Creed Shadows soon. It’s currently set to launch for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Mac and PC on 15 November 2024 – so we anticipate fresh trailers and story tidbits in the months ahead.
Ubisoft has locked in its annual Ubisoft Forward showcase for 10 June 2024, and this will likely be the next major showcase for the adventure. Stay tuned for more on this upcoming game.