Assassin’s Creed Shadow could be the kick the franchise needs – if it uses these inspirations

Assassin’s Creed Shadow will be taking the series to Japan after tons of fan demand, but it needs to tread lightly, lest it repeat the misfortunes of Valhalla and even Mirage.

The modern Assassin’s Creed games have undeniably lost some of their personality and direction. Syndicate was a smaller open-world adventure; Origins felt like it ignored using the Assassin faction altogether, Odyssey introduced a wide-spread open world with an immense amount of gameplay, Valhalla was… whatever that was, and Mirage boasted a complete reversal back to AC games of old.

As such, it leaves Assassin’s Creed Shadow in in dire need of direction as the games have lost some of their personality – and for it to succeed, it needs to take some inspiration from its predecessors and other popular titles.

Perfecting history with style

Ubisoft

While a lot of the new AC games’ details have been left in the shadows (get it?), we do know it’ll be set in feudal Japan, which is a key location fans have been demanding for years. However, such a location and rich history promote a considerable amount of detail and care.

Feudal Japan was a tumultuous time featuring various wars, class implications, and plenty of vital politics. Naturally, all three must appear in AC Shadow for it to do the time period justice. Assassin’s Creed Unity, while not the best game out there, handled class systems and discontent extremely well, so Shadow could take some key inspiration from that storyline.

Then, there are the anticipated factions and fighters in the form of Samurai. While it would be exciting to play as a Samurai, it would be so far away from what the warriors stood for and, therefore, just can’t work for such a title.

Instead, AC Shadow would be able to perfectly represent the Shinobi (ninja) as the protagonist. Perhaps they have some tension with the Samurai and their way of fighting? Either way, with the right attention to detail for the history, fans can get what they want without having to sacrifice the classic AC charm.

Assassin of Tsushima

After recent releases, it’s clear the franchise needs to find its footing, and to do that, it needs to look outwards. One key inspiration AC Shadow should take from is Ghost of Tsushima.

Both in its gameplay, visuals, and storyline, Ghost of Tsushima excelled. It felt like the ideal perspective on historical Japan and could serve as a fantastic starting point for Assassin’s Creed. After all, the story-driven adventure with combat and stealth woven into it already spells a great AC game, and that’s without taking away any features of Ghost of Tsushima.

In Ghost of Tsushima, you must choose between fighting honorably in combat or adopting stealthier, dishonorable methods to repel the Mongols and protect your island. This could work similarly in AC Shadow. Perhaps the protagonist starts off as a Samurai but is taught the way of the ‘Shadow’ (Shinobi)? Then, it’s up to the player whether they adopt the stealth aspect or the honorable combat.

However, moving away from the stealth elements of Assassin’s Creed might not be the best idea as it could exacerbate the accusations that the series has lost its identity.

The Odyssey of the Shadow

Ubisoft

To help combat that loss of identity, Assassin’s Creed needs to look into itself with the next release. While Odyssey wasn’t a success for all, it represents a stellar shift of genre and is the perfect representation of Assassin’s Creed becoming a longer and more detailed stealth RPG.

If Ubisoft took inspiration from Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and implemented similar gameplay into a Feudal Japan setting, it could just be the game the franchise really needs.

Picture the expanse of Ancient Greece while perched on a synchronization point. Now imagine the same visuals and vast open world in ancient Japan, with its stunning buildings shadowed by Mount Fuji. Then imagine all the small side quests dotted around its bigger villages and farmlands or the wars occurring on different parts of the island.

Using the same inspiration and attention to detail as Ghost of Tsushima and taking the expansive world and vast quests of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey could be the recipe Assassin’s Creed Shadow needs to truly set itself apart from the troubled past of the AC franchise.