We Love It's Guide to…
In feudal Japan, shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke hunt enemies across an open world using stealth, parkour, and direct combat.
Released 19 Mar 2025
Sneak Through Shadows
Assassinate Castle Targets
Switch Between Heroes
Experience an epic action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi assassin and powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos.
Developed by Ubisoft Quebec, Ubisoft Belgrade, Ubisoft Bordeaux, Ubisoft Bucharest & Craiova, Ubisoft Chengdu, Ubisoft Montpellier, Ubisoft Montreal, Ubisoft Osaka, Ubisoft Philippines, Ubisoft Shanghai, Ubisoft Singapore, Ubisoft Sofia, Ubisoft Ukraine · Published by Ubisoft
Set in feudal Japan during a time of upheaval, the story follows two playable characters: Naoe, a shinobi, and Yasuke, a samurai. They pursue enemies and personal goals from contrasting positions and perspectives.
In missions and enemy strongholds, Naoe can sneak through shadows, use tools to distract guards, climb, and assassinate targets. Yasuke takes a more direct approach, using weapons and ranged attacks in combat. You can switch between the two heroes to choose how to tackle encounters.
Exploration takes you through towns, castles, shrines, and countryside. Changing seasons and weather affect the environment and can influence tactics. Skill trees, equipment, allies, and an upgradeable, customizable hideout provide additional progression systems.
Players who enjoy the game often praise its feudal-Japan scenery and seasonal changes, as well as Naoe’s stealth tools and the contrast between her approach and Yasuke’s direct combat. Some also enjoy exploring and customizing the hideout. These strengths are tempered in the supplied reviews by recurring complaints about repetitive objectives, an uneven story, a sparse-feeling world, and technical problems.
“Shadows is some of the most fun I’ve had with a stealth game in a decade” —PC Gamer
Play as Naoe, a quick-witted shinobi, and use light, sound, and shadows to evade detection. Infiltrate enemy strongholds with many parkour options including the new grappling hook, distract guards with shuriken or smoke bombs, and assassinate your targets with your Hidden Blade. As the samurai Yasuke, use silent bow takedowns or unleash devastating melee combos with your katana or naginata.
Switch between these two heroes to adapt your strategy and experience feudal Japan through two radically different approaches – stealth and strength, shadows and steel.
“Assassin’s Creed Shadows creates one of the best versions of the open-world style.” —IGN
Step into feudal Japan like never before! From majestic castle towns to serene shrines and sweeping countryside, Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers a breathtaking open world where dynamic seasons, shifting weather, and environmental destruction affect your tactical approach.
And, to get full immersion, experience the game through Japanese voiceover.
“It leads to one of the most dynamic, fun, and best-looking open-world games I’ve played this generation.” —Kotaku
Experience a true next-gen leap with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, powered by the updated Anvil engine. Explore a world brought to life with ray-traced Global Illumination, real-time reflections, virtualized geometry, and dynamic wind and environmental particles.
From the shimmer of lantern light on rain-slick rooftops to the rustle of cherry blossoms in the wind, every detail is crafted to immerse you deeper into feudal Japan.
Whether you are a veteran Assassin’s Creed player or new to the franchise, feudal Japan awaits you! Join a community of millions of players and discover a title GameSpot describes as "an absolute blast to play," Eurogamer.es as "the best Assassin's Creed of the modern era" and GamingTrend as “the new benchmark for the series.”
| Platforms | Windows |
|---|---|
| Achievements | 75 |
| Age ratings |
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| Controller support | PlayStation, Xbox |
| Controller required | No |
| DLC / extras | 2 listed on Steam |
| DRM / EULA |
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| Content notices |
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| Website | Official website |
