Assassin's Creed: Shadows Already in Players' Hands — Early Impressions Compare It to Ghost of Tsushima and Black Flag
Following the leak of its artbook, physical copies of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows have already surfaced in the wild. According to a Reddit user, some players have managed to get their hands on PS5 discs and are now freely exploring feudal Japan.
To back up their claims, gamers have shared several photos and gameplay clips. X user Danny Steven also posted his first impressions after playing for 11 hours:
- He completed 8 main quests and several side missions, calling all of them very engaging;
- The game starts with Yasuke’s story, but then shifts to Naoe. However, even after 9 hours, he still hadn’t played as the African samurai;
- The Assassin’s Creed: Shadows title screen appears roughly two hours into the game;
- After the prologue, Naoe sets out to assassinate Oda Nobunaga to avenge her father’s death, teaming up with samurai Akechi Mitsuhide, who once served Nobunaga;
- The game features a huge number of motion-captured scenes. Key cutscenes feel almost cinematic, but NPCs sometimes behave oddly, with some not even moving their lips when speaking;
- Shadows is well-polished, with no major bugs or crashes—aside from one instance where the main character walked through a wall;
- There’s a mini-game called Meditation that unlocks memories;
- The PS5 version has 55 trophies, including one for visiting every city.
Overall, Steven says Assassin’s Creed: Shadows met his expectations and feels like “Ghost of Tsushima with an AC feel with better stealth.” He also noted that the game has a slight Assassin’s Creed: Revelations vibe. However, he found the dodge and parry mechanics a bit too slow. Another player claimed Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is the best installment since Black Flag.
The game officially launches on March 20 for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.
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