But the game struggles to balance its two playable protagonists, and player choices are still inconsequential.
Plus, it tells one of the best stories in this Assassins Creed universe since the days of Ezio.
Unfortunately, one character takes the spotlight more than the other, and the narrative choices feel largely inconsequential.
However, these are minor blemishes compared to everything this new AC gets so right.
Low-profile assassinations are executed better than inMirageas they feel more fluid.
While Valhalla featured these, they felt slower.
Naoe can take down enemies quicker than Eivor, while walking or hidden in objects around the world.
Both characters wield different weapons and each comes with its own ability attacks and gruesome finishers.
But Shadows still struggles with balancing the two characters.
Yasuke doesnt feel as necessary to the plot as Naoe.
Dont get me wrong, Ive enjoyed playing as an overpowered samurai with abilities that enemies cant defend against.
I felt more inclined to stick with Naoe when exploring the open world and doing side quests.
Of course, there are character-specific side quests that must be completed as either Naoe or Yasuke.
Naoe carries a sense of nostalgia.
AC fans, like myself, yearn for the days of Ezio because of his emotional backstory.
To me, Naoes story feels nearly as sentimental.
You piece it together by completing Kuji-kiri (timing and memory challenges) around the world.
I found myself often thinking that it wouldnt have made a major difference if Naoe was theonlyplayable character.
This is an aspect I love.
I could then plan which fires to extinguish to stay hidden.
Youll also embark on Naoes quest to complete parkour-specific side quests to uncover the secrets behind the assassin brotherhood.
Leaps of faith are executed just as well and play out differently depending on the character.
While Naoe is quick, Yasuke is clumsy, as youd expect of a samurai.
Its similar in size to Origins map with diverse geographical elements and changing seasons.
Seasons change automatically or they can be manually triggered after some time, and this refreshes your scout availability.
Scouts are a new mechanic.
you might use them to pinpoint quest objectives on the world map.
Earning money is fairly easy as is earning mastery and knowledge points to unlock perks in the skill tree.
The tree itself is smaller and feels more refined like it actually makes a difference to your play style.
Regardless of what I chose, the game played out the same way.
Choices mostly affect romance which has no real impact on the story.
Your choices lack enough consequences to feel anything meaningful.
Feudal Japan looks gorgeous and is brimming with activity and idle chatter, while the story itself is compelling.
Player choices are redundant as they have no substantial consequence on the story.
Despite these shortcomings, Shadows feels like a comeback, one that incites hope for future titles.
Its even better than Id hoped and I was fully invested after just a few hours of play.
Assassins Creed Shadows has become my frontrunner for Game of the Year.
