Assassin’s Creed Shadows gameplay trailer has fans “quietly optimistic”

Following the Assassin’s Creed Shadows gameplay trailer shown at the Xbox Games Showcase, fans have revealed that they are “quietly optimistic” about the upcoming title. 

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is one of the most eagerly anticipated games in the franchise. Since the series launched, fans have wanted Ubisoft to tackle the feudal Japan era. After all, nothing screams master assassin like a stealthy shinobi. 

Now, after years of waiting, the developers have the perfect opportunity to make good on this highly requested setting. Despite complaints surrounding the game’s pre-order pricing and historical figures, the response to Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ gameplay has been positive. 

Ubisoft revealed its first gameplay trailer at this year’s Xbox Games Showcase, giving players a sneak peek into both the environments and its two main characters. 

One of the biggest moments was the demonstration of Naoe’s parkour sequence, which showed the shinobi effortlessly swinging between castle rooftops with her grappling hook, and performing deadly takedowns with her hidden blade. 

“It looks like they changed up the parkour. This honestly looks really great, more stealth mechanics and better combat,” wrote one player. “I had some hope for this game because the last AC I played was Odyssey and I really liked it. I’m honestly pumped for this.”

Other commenters were also keen to point out just how big Yasuke is compared to other characters and enemies – an area that directly impacts combat. While Yasuke can use stealth, his bulky armor and overall size make it hard to infiltrate a camp.

To make up for this, the legendary samurai excels at combat, using his strength and masterful katana strikes to cleave a path through his enemies. “It’s kind of cool that the samurai main character is so much bigger than the other enemies,” wrote one player.  

“Like I’m so used to the main character always being the same size as the enemies, and sometimes a little smaller. I’m much more interested in playing as the samurai than the assassin.”

While the majority of the Assassin’s Creed community praised the game for its removal of modern-day setting, which will now be told through Assassin’s Creed: Infinity, some were saddened by this news. 

“Choppy frame rate aside, this looks incredible, I want to be cautiously optimistic but I’m hyping myself too much. Extremely sad to hear that the modern-day stuff isn’t going to be a thing though, but sadly, it looks like I’m alone in this feeling,” replied one commenter.

“I’m just finishing up on Vallhala and as little presence it had, the modern-day developments blew my f*cking mind, I really thought they were on their way to getting back on track for that.”

Assassin’s Creed Shadows certainly looks to be the most ambitious game in the series to date, featuring a large variety of weapons, historical figures, and a detailed map. So, hopefully, it can live up to the hype and deliver an experience that wows the community.