Assassin’s Creed Shadows brings back true stealth in a dream come true for long-time fans
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UBISOFT’s Assassin’s Creed series has had its ups and downs over the years, having reinvented itself multiple times since it started in 2007. Recent games have had a heavy focus on RPG elements, which has been largely well-received by many, but somewhat alienated fans of classic Assassin’s Creed gameplay.
![[a samurai and a ninja are standing next to each other in front of a castle]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/assassins-creed-shadows-yasuke-naoe.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Part of this was because of a shift to focus a bit more on combat, with characters able to fight off large groups of enemies, with stealth becoming less important compared to past games in the series. This is due to the nature of the RPG elements in the game — with more options for weapons and their upgrades, a heavier focus on combat is an understandable change.
![[Screenshot of a video game showing a player about to assassinate Lord Hayashi in Fukuchiyama Castle.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ACSH_Screenshot_UI_StealthAssassination_240610_1pm_PST1.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Assassin’s Creed Shadows tries to split the difference between these two styles of gameplay by offering players two distinct characters, a bulky, combat-focused samurai named Yasuke, and an agile, stealth-focused ninja named Naoe. In a four-hour preview of the game, we got to try out both characters extensively, and we came away surprised at how well everything flows.
![[Screenshot of a video game showing samurai fighting in the snow.]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ACSH_149_Screenshot_Previews_YasukeCombat_XBox_Jan231.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Shadows drops players into 16th century Japan, where legendary leader Oda Nobunaga is at the height of his power during a civil war to try and unify the country’s feudal states under one banner. Both Yasuke and Naoe have their own ties to Nobunaga, with the former having been freed from slavery by the warlord and the latter having had her village destroyed in his ruthless war.
