We've hidden more chests throughout the Caribbean, good luck and happy hunting!🗺️🕵️

• I would personally love it if they made it so I wasn't getting swarmed by someone begging for money every five minutes.
• It would also be cool if they could incorporate the crossbow, like it was shown in the original trailer.

I just started Claws of Awaji (current mission: Prison Break) and facing the first boss. He kills me in just 2 hits!! And this is me playing level 50 on Forgiving difficulty. I tried at least 5-6 times and gave up. I thought I would lower the difficulty to Story, but no, the game won't let me do that because I can't save apparently. I ended up having to quit the mission entirely.

I've played the entire game so far n Forigiving and only struggled with the Kimura Kei guy before. I had to turn down the combat difficulty to Story to beat him.

Is the DLC supposed to be harder than the main game or am I doing something wrong? And is it frustratingly hard even on Story? The whole point of lower difficulties is to make it, well, forgiving. But if even the lower difficulties are frustratingly hard (i.e. dying in 2 hits and leaving zero room for mistakes hard), then it defeats the purpose of having lower difficulties. Then they might as well add a disclaimer saying "this DLC only exists on Nighmare mode, don't play if you want to have easy fun".

That's my rant after booting this game to de-stress after a long workday, only to have my ass kicked by a boss who doesn't even pay me to suffer. I can't be mean to people at work, I can't beat a video game boss on easy mode, and I can't break my controller out of frustration because I'm the one paying for it. Adulting sucks. That is one DLC that is DEFINITELY harder and does not get easier. Ever.

/rant

Hello Assassins, we know you’ve been waiting for updates, and we’re happy to say we have some exciting things coming up this week!

📌Tomorrow: Black Flag Resynced’s Update arrives with New Game+, Nightmare Mode, and plenty of new treasure to uncover.

📌Thursday: Head of Content Jean Guesdon will share another update on what’s ahead for Assassin’s Creed. While there won’t be any major reveals, we want to keep you informed on the franchise’s progress.

Hello everyone,

The game has been out for a couple of months now and it’s been an absolute pleasure for us to watch you all sail through the Caribbean once more. A sincere thank you for all the love you have shown for the game.

Tomorrow, October 27th, we're pleased to release the final major content update for Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Resynced, available @ 14:00 UTC / 10:00 AM ET / 7:00 AM PT on all platforms. The team will follow-up with quality-of-life updates over the coming months.

Want to discuss the Title Update with your fellow community members?  Why not join our official Assassin’s Creed Discord server?

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to report issues to us via the Bug reporter. As always, you can contact our support team if you run into any trouble. 

Patch Sizes

• Xbox Series X|S: 15.5 GB
• PlayStation®5: 4.5 GB
• PC: 4.3 GB
• Steam: 2.1 GB

Patch Highlights:

New Game + 

Set Sail Again (& Again & Again & Again & Again)

Explore the Caribbean again, again, and again. New Game+ is finally here, leap back into Edward Kenway's legendary journey, explore the open seas, and rebuild your crew while keeping what you’ve earned!

What Carries Over:

• All of Edward’s tools, upgrades, unlocked weapons, and trinkets.
• All the Jackdaw’s upgrades, unlocked officer abilities and pets.
  • Officers will not physically be on ship and need to be recruited again
• All money, materials and trade goods from inventory.
  • There is a new currency used for NG+
  • Quest-related items will be removed
• All unlocked customizable outfits and their options.
• Hideout progression, perks, and art collection.
• All Kenway fleet ships.
  • However, forts will need to be taken over again as the map's fog will be reset.
• Codex items including each treasure map, acquired and completed.
• Items purchased from the store.

With each New Game+ playthrough, the seas become more dangerous. Elite Soldiers will appear more often, and max rank ships will start patrolling the waters. The difficulty ramps up each time you dive back in. You’ll be able to go up to New Game+++++ (that’s five times).

We’ve also added a new currency exclusive to New Game+ playthroughs, that you’ll be able to accumulate by completing challenges and looting previously completed chests. You’ll also be able to exchange Reales for Escudos at the General Store. You’ll be able to purchase new outfits and items exclusive to New Game+ using Escudos. Anything that was previously purchasable with Reales remains unchanged and can still be purchased at the same vendor for the same cost.

Nightmare Mode  

No second chances. No mercy. Nightmare Mode transforms Black Flag Resynced into a brutal fight for survival where every duel can be your last. Enemies react faster, hit harder, and punish hesitation. The Caribbean is as beautiful as ever, but beneath the waves and beyond the horizon, death awaits the unprepared.

Ground Combat

• Enemies do 1.8x damage
• The timing for parrying is reduced
• No more white glint on enemy attacks
• Ranged enemies shoot more often
• The one-shot kill safety is disabled.
  • This is the most impactful since the game does not prevent an instant death, even if the player has a lot of health left. Players should be extremely mindful of bullets and explosives. 

Stealth

• Detection time greatly reduced
• Investigation time extended
• Enemies can hear the player when they’re moving faster than a walk
• Edward needs to be at least 6m above an enemy to stay hidden in a high spot, instead of just 4m

Naval

• All ship damages are increased

Activities

• Underwater sharks deal more damage
• Urchins and jellyfish damage is doubled
• Oxygen meter depletes faster
• All harpooning wildlife deals more damage

Hidden Community Chests! 

We’ve hidden new community chests for you to find, some with special community requested rewards.

Since you’re all excellent detectives, we’ve made these ones more challenging and won’t be giving you any easy hints. Goodluck Pirates.

Additional Highlights :

New Takedowns

We have brought back takedown animations from the original game, including hidden blade, unarmed, single sword and gunblade takedowns. 

New Cosmetic Items

As we mentioned above, there are a bunch of new cosmetic items in this update. Ranging from outfits to new Pet skins and trinkets, collect them all by playing through New Game+.

Thank you for your support, fan art, videos and millions of photos shared in Photo Mode. It was a real honor to bring back Edward’s legacy to life, and to see that same excitement find its echo amongst you throughout the year.

List of Bug Fixes

General

• Fixed an issue where Players were unable to launch the game in Offline Mode if connection to servers was lost whilst playing.
• Increased number of Rogue Waves happening during storms.
• Fixed an issue where Players owning the Deluxe edition did not have the Blackbeard items displayed as ‘Owned’ in the Exchange.
• Fixed an issue where Players were able to Fast Travel to unsynchronized viewpoints in Havana and Long Bay.
• Fixed an issue where the Game would freeze while playing ‘Nine-Man Morris, Checkers or Fanorona’ at a Tavern.
• Fixed an issue where Camera Field of View was permanently altered indoors after experiencing ‘Delirium’.
• Fixed an issue where Pistol ‘Customize’ did not affect the pistols on Edward’s hips.
• Fixed an issue where the Rope Dart was still attached to Edward’s hand in the following cutscenes after assassinating a ‘Boss’ with it.
• Fixed an issue where the Merlion trinket’s healing effect was still active even after quitting to memories.
• Fixed multiple world map location icons that were not updated when all activities were completed.
• General spelling and punctuation fixes.
• Fixed some Accessibility Narration issues.

Gameplay

• Fixed an issue where Edward could get stuck in an aiming position if he got hit while taking corner cover and aiming with a smoke bomb.
• Fixed an issue where Edward was unable to assassinate sleeping casualties if they collapsed onto a bush hiding spot.
• Fixed minor issues experienced while fighting and assassinating.
• Fixed quality of life issues while handling tools.
• Fixed an issue where Players were unable to raise to travel sails after certain quests.

World

• Fixed an issue where the chest icon might remain visible after clearing the San Ignacio wreck.

Progression & Economy

• Fixed wrong location for Capuchin Monkey’s Codex entry.

UI/Menu

• Fixed an issue where the World map could be grayed out and locked controls for a while.
• Fixed an issue where hidden gear will still appear in the pause menu.

Visuals & Graphics

• Fixed an issue where the Jackdaw might remain looking damaged despite repairing the ship.
• Fixed general issues where Enemies would snap to their feet if Edward assassinated them while they slept.

Stability & Optimizations

• Improved stability.

Audio

• Fixed an issue where the Gunshots were muffled after exiting inventory and activating the ‘Blades of the Damned’ sword perk.
• Fixed some gunshot sounds that were silent.

Controls

• Fixed an issue for Mouse and Keyboard where the Player was unable to dive underwater if they changed the ‘Walk’ input from ‘Hold’ to ‘Toggle’.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Quests

• “This Tyro Captain”: Fixed an issue where some Players could be soft locked after skinning the Ocelots.
• “The Traveling Salesman”: Fixed an issue where the quest might disappear after retrieving documents from Prin’s courtyard.
• “We Demand a Parley”: Fixed an issue where Rogers might die of mysterious circumstances, preventing you from fully tailing him.
• “Commodore Eighty-Sixed”: Fixed an issue where the Player was unable to proceed if they managed to berserk dart the Commodore before the fight begins.
• “Captain Stede Bonnet”: Fixed an issue where the Loyalists would not move if Edward took an alternative route.
• “A World Without Gold: Not Even a Real Captain”: Fixed an issue where Players were unable to loot dead enemies and get stuck at 2/3 Intel.
• “Officer Quest: The One with the Gun”: Fixed an issue where the plantain is missing if the player started “A World Without Gold” at the same time.
• “Templar Hunt: Anto – Under Attack”: Fixed an issue where Players are unable to continue the mission if the final enemy wave does not spawn.
• “Templar Hunt: Rhona – A Thief in the Market”: Fixed an issue where the Player was unable to move if they stood at a specific spot in a crowd during “Locate a hiding spot in the market”.
• “Naval Contract: Realities of War”: Fixed multiple issues where the Contract giver was missing, or the contract could not be completed.
• “Naval Contract: Hunter Gatherer”: Fixed an issue where the quest icon and objectives were missing after entering the mission area.
• “Rift: Edward’s Memories”: Fixed parkouring issues in the spiked tunnel if You chose not to obey EGO and wait.

Hey
I’d like to get into reading Assassin’s Creed fanfiction, preferably stories that stay relatively faithful to the established lore and explore the characters we already know in more depth.
Do you have any recommendations for good fanfiction websites or specific stories to start with?

I’m open to different games and characters in the series, so feel free to recommend anything you think is worth reading!

I was gifted a PS Vita a bit ago and finally got around to getting it reset and up and running (corrupt memory card it seems, but it's fine after a format) and it came with AC III: Liberation. After managing to get the Vita itself linked up with my PS account and updated and such, I tried the Multiplayer option expecting it to bomb out, but it loaded right up into a semi-geolocated strategy game. It looks like there's still a handful of people playing? I'm not quite sure how to tell how many players there are but it looks non-zero. The last activity in the couple specific subreddits I found for it was over a decade ago, so I'm surprised to see it still working.

Or does it have some kind of simulation mode to fake a game if it can't connect?

I really wish that Ubisoft gives the same treatment to this title as CD Project Red did to Witcher 3 Remaster. To me, Origins (my favourite of the last big three) marks one of those pivotal moments in the franchise’s history that would benefit from the next-gen technology updates we have now with the incredible fidelity and detail. It would also re-introduce the game to a new generation of players who never played it. Of course you can always play the original, but with the constant release of new games, some people might be reluctant to try an almost decade-old game. Maybe at the 10-year anniversary in 2027 would be a good time to do this?

One would hope.

Some people think that Haytham is somehow different from other Templars, as if he is morally better. I saw some people even claim Haytham would hate the modern Templars behind Abstergo. But I think all that is incorrect, and that Haythan beliefs is the same as that of the average Templar. There are Templars worse than Haythan, I am not saying he is the worst one, just that he is not a good person or "what a Templar should be".

Haytham apologists usually bring up two things, one is that Haytham opposed Braddock and saved the people from the Iroquois confederation. And the other thing is his speech to Connor. First I will talk about the speech. Haytham says that the Templars are in favor of order and peace and yada yada, nothing out of the ordinary for a Templar. Connor says that the Assassins want freedom and Haytham says that freedom is a invitation to chaos, and some think this is some gotcha moment. However, when Haytham talk about chaos, he is talking about another thing. The Assassins are obviously not in favor of "anarchical" chaos were people can do whanever, including crimes, because the Assassins have show time and time again to support several types of goverments, from Republics to Constitunional Monarchies, to even Absolute Monarchies (Ezio supporting the Ottomans). Even Connor in this very game is supporting the state that will be created by the founding fathers. So almost no Assassin support the type of chaos that Haytham apologist think the Assassins support.

What Haytham means by chaos is part of the templar belief about chaos, that is, they believe that humanity ability to think is what leads to conflict. In the very first game the Templar Jubair is burning books related to religion because he blames them for the Crusades. So the Templars belief is this: humanity has the freedom to think, this leads to humanity creating different ideas that can't fit together, this leads to conflict. This is why Templars want to supress free will by any means necessary, not because they simply oppose crime as the Assassins oppose that as well, but because they don't believe humanity should think about anything, for them humanity should be like sheep, just living simple lives and going with the flock. The Borgia Templars wanted to enforce this by force and conquest, but other Templars like the modern day Templars want to enforce this by deception and consumerism: "Soon, capitalists and workers will be locked in a closed loop that is safe and prosperous for humanity. No more war, only desks, cars and TV sets. We will protect them and keep them safe, forever." Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.

So modern Templars want to put humanity in a life where they only consume and work and nothing more, thus, supressing their freedom while they think they are free. This is what order means for the Templars and for Haytham as well, this is why they are the villains of the series, because they want to take away humanity ability to be human, to express different ideas and to think for themselves.

As for Haytham supporting the Iroquois, he is no different than the average Templar. First, he directly says he is helping them to conduct research on their land, so he is just using them. But even without that, the fact is that a lot of Templars have show similar views as well. There are Templars who were racist (like Charlie Lee, the one chosen by Haytham...) and who actually had slaves, but the more relevant Templars oppose things like slavery, because they want to enslave mankind in a way where humanity accepts the enslavement, and physical enslavement is horrific and no one wants to be under that. Torres in Black Flag opposed slavery for this reason. Only the Assassins with few exceptions have show to support opressed people without wanting nothing in return (like Connor, who even after discovering the truth about Washington, still helped him because he genuily believed in his fight for independence, altrough this ended up to the detriment of himself and his people).

As for Haytham speech that Connor is supporting the wealthy elite (Washington) that think they are doing good for the colonies, that is again, nothing out of the ordinary. The Templars main rivals for power were the non-Templar wealthy elites, like kings and aristocrats, this is why Torres in Black Flagh shows contempt for the "Old Empires" and wantes to replace them with the Observatory. In Unity, de Molay and Germain both wanted to destroy the old order and create a new world controlled by Templar's techonology instead of Monarchies. Haytham had a similar world view, that a independent United States should be controlled by the Templars instead of rich people who just want to exploit the masses. In this last case he is right that the founding fathers were not the idealized people that Connor believed them to be, is just that this view of Haytham is the same view shared by several Templars as well, that tyrants and oligarchies exploit the people so the Templars should rule with absolute power instead.

In conclusion, Haytham is the standard Templar, he believes that a strong hand should guide humanity because he don't believe humanity should have freedom of expression, of ideas, of religion, or artistic freedom.

Just replaying Mirage, excellent game by the way, probably A tier in my opinion. This question has been on my mind since release, but I thought I’d ask it now.

Basim is totally fine with killing Caliphate guards and their allies, as are pretty much all the Hidden Ones. I get the idea is the Order has them all under their control, and the assassins have always murdered tons of law enforcement throughout the games (assuming the sheer amount is canonical) but Basim also says in one dialogue that ‘there are plenty of reasons to be disgusted with the Abbasids.’

I feel like the game’s story doesn’t really go into what said reasons are, nor do the historical codex entries from what I can tell. Is it the slaveholding? The killing of criminals? the guards don’t really do much evil on their own in the open world, in fact they even investigate if people report theft to them, which I like as it makes them seem less like bloodthirsty obstacles and more like actual law enforcement members. I was just wondering if anyone more familiar with the Caliphate during this time might know some of the reasons the Hidden Ones hate the Abbasid government in Mirage.

I’m not here to compare these two games, since they have very different premises. I also know that many people in this sub will probably agree with me (cause we are in a AC sub lol). I just wanted to share my perspective.

With all the hype surrounding the release of GTA VI, combined with the fact that I’m not nearly as excited about it as most people seem to be, got me thinking about a few things. I’ve played both GTA (most of them) and Red Dead Redemption 1&2, and I still play them from time to time. I think they’re incredibly well-made and fun games, especially RDR2.

But personally (and this is just MY opinion), I still think the Assassin’s Creed franchise is superior.

I’ve never really been into shooters, so to speak. That’s why I find the more calculated and methodical approach to assassinations in Assassin’s Creed much more appealing. There’s an entire planning process before you actually carry out the assassination. (Also, to be honest, I’ve never been particularly quick with my reflexes, and I’ve always struggled a bit with using firearms in games lol.)

Now, the biggest difference for me comes down to the setting and the world-building. Yes, RDR2 (and the upcoming GTA VI) have amazing graphics. RDR2’s world, in particular, is incredibly immersive. But as a history nerd, I feel like these games mostly feature fictionalized settings that don’t have that many direct connections to real historical places. GTA VI appeals to me even less in that regard, since it’s set in a hypothetical modern American city in a pseudo Florida.

With Assassin’s Creed, on the other hand, we get to explore not only recreations of historical monuments and buildings (something Ubisoft does better than anyone else, in my opinion), but also entire historical settings brought to life. For me, there’s just no comparison when it comes to exploring Florence, Notre Dame, ancient Greek temples, or the Egyptian pyramids. I think I’ve spent more time wandering through the seemingly endless tombs and temples in Origins, admiring the details and the paintings on the walls, than I’ve spent driving around in GTA.

The other day, I was playing Origins and walked into a peasant’s house. Inside, I could see sacks of wheat, a fireplace, clothes hanging out to dry, a hunted animal, and a straw bed. That level of attention to detail never ceases to amaze me.It was at that moment that I realized just how much I love this franchise, and I decided to write this ridiculously long post about it.

Does anyone have this image but in those early 2010s promo/magazine covers they’d do for games? I could sworn game informer had one with this cover but I cant find it anywhere on the internet.

I Hope In Assassin's Creed Jade, We Can Chose Use Dagger Or Hidden Blade... (When I Explained How it Work for Story And How It Can Be, It's Deleted By Moderator)

So, How It Can Be?, In The Story, We Can Choose Dagger Or Hidden Blade

My Theories, Cassandra Teach Or Show Knive Below the wrist, To Wei Yu, And Then His Student, Xia (Our Character) Do What Cassandra Do, In The Story, His/Her Ring finger Cited Because enemy Accidentally Cut It

And then we can choose Use Dagger Or Hidden Blade, And I Hope ,Dagger Just Not For Stealth, But can use for combat... Sorry my English is stiff and some Word use... Well Maybe You Know

Tried my best to make it look like them and I’m not quite there yet but you can at least kind of see it!

After completing and gettin the platinum on each and every one of the ac mainline games... Im making this top 5 list of the most memorable games due to either difficulty and or tediousness... I'd love to see some of your takes..

NOTE THAT THESE GAMES ARE LISTED NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE THEY'RE DIFFICULT BUT MORE OR LESS BECAUSE OF THE LEVEL OF TEDIOUSNESS THAT I EXPERIENCED PERSONALLY WHILE I WAS ATTEMPTING TO GO FOR THEIR PLATINUM TROPHY

1. AC UNITY (gameplay inconsistency)
2. AC 3 ( an extraordinary man trophy)
3. VALHALLA ( collectibles)
4. AC BLACK FLAG ORIGINAL (multiplayer)
5. AC ORIGINS (old habits trophy)

I just finished my 70 h playthough and want to share some thoughts. Before playing it I was part of the haters; but now I believe AC:S is one of the strongest entries in the series, and also a deeply immersive action-stealth game with one of the most beautiful open worlds ever.

Before jumping in I want to first present the context and how I approached the game, setting my expectations:

• My history with Assassins Creed series: I played and finished AC 1, 2 and Unity. I enjoy these stealth-historical titles a lot, and do not care at all for the fantasy-lite/RPG grind heavy titles (Odyssey, Valhalla). I also tried Origins and Mirage and despite having beautiful visuals I dropped them due to very poor stories and/or gameplay loops.
• How I came to AC: Shadows. I was looking for a more historical feudal Japan title and was left with an unpleasant taste from Ghosts of Tsushima (I know, lots of people like it, I didn't enjoy the fantasy /oneiric world design and combat). I played Shogoku Mount&Blad Bannerlord lor but wanted something more grass roots after reading a lot about the peasant revolts and doctrine of original enlightenment in certain native Japanese schools of Buddhism

How I played AC Shadows -- this made a big difference I think in how I interpreted it as a game. I recommend these to people who are tired of open world bloat and want a more intentional relation with the game's content:

• 90% of the time played as Naoe -- I intentionally navigated the world and most quests as Naoe as I wanted to focus on the shinobi /stealth gameplay. Still, the sections with Yasuke were enjoyable, but towards endgame when combat grind became easier for him.
• I was all too aware of the Ubisoft formula so I didn't have the urge to clear every castle, I just travelled the lands, explored as I saw fit and bumped into stuff mostly on curiosity's sake. The game did not punish me for that and the level scaling was actually welcomed here to assure a fluid experience without requiring too much of undesired levelling.
• VA in Japanese, English subtitles. Even without knowing Japanese I felt the VA was leagues above the English one. Also it throwed me right in as a stranger, similar to Yasuke. I could emphasize a lot more with his character because of it.
• UI settings: huge importance. I made almost all UI elements absent and removed most of the combat notifications/flash info such as vulnerable, hit marker, etc. It made me always follow the NPC's attack patterns and navigate the combat as I myself saw fit (sometimes badly), without constant aids. Left health+tools dynamic, and Compass on. Everything else was off and it made the game much more realistic, as I coulda observe the NPCs more.
• Difficulty/Stealth: Normal/Hard. I sometimes dropped to Normal/Normal

Review:

After a lengthy but well acted prologue, I was set loose with Naoe on a huge map with assasination targets to uncover. Each quest flowed in multiple directions, but instead of overwhelming me with activities the game made me take the scenery in at every stage.

The level of detail that AC:S offers is staggering if you choose to pause, and just look at things. The game made me starre at houses, clothes, NPCs, armors, as I was doing in 2006 with Oblivion. In such an oversaturated market with HD looking games this is quite a feat. I will not spill digital ink too much on technicals: the game in Ultra with RTX is gorgeous. But it's the artists' work that is staggering. The sunsets, the inner vs outdoor lighting changes, the foliage and the changing of the seasons, the muddy roads after a thunderstorm, geese flying from rice fields and people gathering herbs. The wooden pagodas, some overgrown and abandoned, others charred after petty wars. Ruined temples, old waterworn rocks. Tall grass and birds singing. The game has so much world to offer, that you forget you are playing a fictious compressed version of Japan and instead take it as what is it: a beatiful abstraction, a game world that when you play it feels plausible.

I feel this plausibility is really important and quite a feat compared to other AC games. Despite getting negative press due to Yasuke being a foreigner samurai, etc; the game shows deep respects for many facets of Japanese culture. As a shinobi sneaking into temples you suddenly find your character's shoes taken off automatically when threading into a shrine or a friendly/neutral NPCs home. You find beautiful statues and Buddhist sites with rich history and well researched encyclopedia entries. In the heat of battle you hear monks shouting the Pure Land Nembutsu mantra. You see blacksmiths, tanners, and NPCs colliding in villages and creating the impression of a lived in space.

Sure, the world is not fully reactive. But the game muted some of its more glaring RPG grind, instead focusing on more direct and varied encounters. You can unlock safehouses and again explore "hidden in plain sight", or you can shoose to create tantrums and be hunted in certain provinces (like RDR2). Some quests can be resolved only during certain seaons; and you cannot skip time, you must always use what you have -- day or night -- and prepare accordingly.

You don't need to do each castle or camp to progress. Every province feels different and the geography is vast and varried. You feel like a ronin or a spy navigating hostile, uncertain lands, gathering information and bursting into brawls when cornered. The quest design is also much more pleasant: some have map markers, but most indicate directions of NPCs or quest objectives which you can sometimes inquire about with NPCs or send scouts to pinpoint.

The resource system is much less intrusive as in other AC games and less required. You collect resources by marking the for collection as they get into your stocks the next season. Upgrades to your hideout bring direct effects in gameplay, and feel less like a requirement than some additional advantages.

You can play most of the game as stealth, and have many tools to do so: smoke bombs, skills to create diversions and satisfying roleplay options such as throwing weapons and historical weapon abilities.

The skill trees are enjoyable, not too bloated, and encourage experimenting. You have certain weapon types which you can switch depending on encounter, and can reset your skill points at any time. This creates a fertile ground for experimentation and fluid playstyles as you would approach in real life different tactical situations.

The animations and combat were really, really good for me. I do not remember since AC Unity being so immersed in simply walking and drawing out a knife. The movement, dodging and combat (without UI!!) makes for a decently challenging but very cinematic moment to moment gameplay.

The story is good, for the most part. I didn't follow each side quest or clear any companion missions, just what I felt like doing. Probably ended up doing 60% of the game's actual content, but I finished the MQ and together with exploring the regions and doing some side chains fully (like the Shinobi targets, or the corrupt officials, etc) really made for an immersive story evolution where my character(s) felt like slowly fighting a guerilla war against a congregation of corrupts. Without spoilling much, it was very refreshing that theAsssassin Guild stuff was so muted in-game, you basically picking up the pieces without knowing a lot; and the Templars themselves showing up just at the end with a minimal impact into what is otherwise a local, native story about corruption, wars and politics.

Finally, I would like to leave some screenshots as I feel the actual moment to moment gameplay, visuals, and sound design is doing much more than this review: it's simply a beautiful game, with well acted characters (in Jap VA), a decent revenge story, but an immersive world made with a deep love for the cultural and historical era and some great, great environmental designs:

https://www.reddit.com/r/AssassinsCreedShadows/comments/1xct1se/my_70h_journey_loved_every_moment_of_it/

If you want to be a shinobi in late feudal Japan, I can think of no better game than this. The Assassin's Creed stuff is both a bonus, and the framework in which all that happens.

Long post so my apologies, but I think about this every time I play AC, which is a lot. I grew up playing these games since AC1. It was the first computer game I ever owned, and I still remember the smell of the game as it came out of the disc box. Maybe I’ve become more sensitive to violence as I’ve gotten older, but I find it bizarre that these games portray their protagonists as fundamentally heroic, charming, often funny people, while they’re simultaneously going around murdering hundreds, if not thousands, of human beings.

And I don’t just mean the assassination targets, I mean the random guards standing outside buildings, soldiers patrolling the streets, people who are probably just doing their jobs and have families waiting for them at home. We kill them, loot their bodies, and then go off to crack jokes with our friends or have some heartfelt conversation about freedom and justice. Killing is consequential in a way that almost nothing else is, because it’s forever. These people are dead. Their lives are over because some Assassin decided they were in the way. It’s beyond fucked up when you actually think about it.

I think Altaïr and Edward are perhaps the two protagonists who make the most sense to me psychologically. Altaïr is cold, arrogant, and thoroughly indoctrinated into an ideology that regards assassination as a moral obligation. Edward is a selfish, opportunistic pirate whose violence is consistent with his worldview. Eivor fits here too, given that she’s a Viking warrior raised in a culture where raiding and killing are normalized, although the game still wants us to view her as this compassionate, honorable leader while she’s burning down monasteries and slaughtering people.

I actually think these games would be much more interesting if they leaned into the possibility that these people are, frankly, kind of psychos. Or at least so desensitized to killing that they’ve lost something fundamental about themselves. What does it do to someone to kill hundreds of people? How do they justify murdering some random guard who’s never personally wronged them? At what point does the Creed become an excuse?

Maybe we’re already supposed to view these characters this way. Because when you do, they’re sort of terrifying. Naoe’s calm voice as she slaughters people left and right. Connor’s deeply held sense of honor. Evie’s sharp wit and intelligence while she’s casually murdering people in London. Ezio’s charming, womanizing personality while he’s doing the same in Italy. Kassandra/Alexios' humor.... There’s something genuinely disturbing about someone who can be affectionate and funny toward the people they love while feeling absolutely nothing about killing a stranger.

I do think the franchise has made attempts to explore this. The first tenet of the Creed, “Stay your blade from the flesh of an innocent,” acknowledges that there should be moral limits to what these people do. Bayek’s acknowledgment that his past is strewn with the dead is another example. But I wish they went further.

This could actually be how we’re supposed to view the Assassins, but I think most games, particularly the rpg ones, lean into the power fantasy rather than the psychology of murder. There is absolutely no way you can convince me that Altaïr walking into Damascus, breaking guards’ legs before slitting their throats, throwing people into merchant stalls, barreling through crowds shoving innocent civilians out of his way, climbing whatever buildings he feels like and jumping off them, is doing something particularly moral. Half the shit he does is probably illegal before he even gets around to murdering anyone. Yes, “everything is permitted,” but what the fuck? Psychotic. Guess I’m a Templar?

And that raises an interesting possibility. What if the Assassins and Templars really are two sides of the same coin? Two organizations so convinced of their own righteousness that they’re willing to inflict horrendous, unforgivable damage on humanity in pursuit of their ideals. Perhaps neither can truly exist without the other. If that’s the intended interpretation, I think that’s incredible writing. But I wish the characters reflected the human cost of that conflict rather than just filling whatever ideological role the story needs them to represent.

Take Ezio, for example. By the end of his story we’re supposed to view him as this wise, almost saintly mentor. And yes, he’s lost people he loves, grown enormously as a person, and arguably helped save humanity. But he’s also killed a fucking enormous number of people. He’s essentially a terrorist, whatever that word even means in the context of a secret war between two ideological organizations. I find it strange that we’re supposed to regard him as this wise old hero without seriously considering what a lifetime of murder would have done to him.
He can slaughter twenty guards to reach a target and then have a solemn philosophical conversation about the morality of killing that one particular person. What about the other twenty?

I think Assassin’s Creed, more than almost any other video game franchise, is perfectly positioned to explore this, which is a societally interesting topic in the first place, especially with debate of violence in video games. There are countless games where we go around killing, killing, killing, without thinking about the humanity of the people we’re killing. But AC is different because its entire premise is built around moral philosophy, ideological conflict, and the justification of violence. Why not extend those questions to the protagonists themselves?

There’s enormous potential in exploring the psychological cost of living this way. The loneliness, the alienation, the justifications they tell themselves, the gradual loss of their humanity. Not every protagonist needs to be some guilt-ridden wreck, either. I actually think a character who’s become completely comfortable with murder, and whose friends gradually realize how disturbing that is, would be even more interesting.

I love these games, but I wish they were more willing to acknowledge that their protagonists aren’t heroes. They’re antiheroes, and they’re all pretty monstrous when you really consider what they do.

Ive been replaying this game for the first time since I was a kid, I never finished the game but im at the final target and I noticed i hadn't unlocked aerial assassinations yet like other combat moves.

I googled it and it says the game makes no effort to explain it and you need to lock onto a target before striking, and now im pissed off that ive nearly completed my first full playthrough and didn't use that attack once

The modern day has become so confusing, but moreover, I genuinely can't be bothered to play all the rifts and unlock every single bloody piece of animus data by doing every boring bit of side content in the mediocre modern games like Mirage, Shadows, AC BF Resynced... etc

I just want to know whats going on in actual detail. I get the gist of it - it's set in the future, people are being put into some kind of matrix-esque dark animus and all, but if someone would take the time to give me a detailed description of what is actually going on I would be extremely grateful!

I can't seem to find any youtube videos explaining the newest lore in great detail or anything and I follow all the main AC lore youtubers.

Feels like we've had so many climaxes and plot branches that have just never come to fruition like Basim in the modern day, Desmond & Layla in the library, Juno (which was literally concluded in a comic book)... etc.

Also what on earth does the future even hold for the modern day of the franchise, because they were selling this animus hub project as a sort of social hub that would expand upon it years ago and it is still nothing more than a game selection menu with a few microtransactions?