It looks like Ubisoft is banking on the success of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, especially with how actively they’re polishing Naoe and Yasuke’s story.
This comes in response to the company’s share price dropping following the middling reception of Star Wars: Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.
It raises the question: what will Ubisoft do to make Assassin’s Creed: Shadows a resounding success?
Polish
The first priority has always been fixing game-breaking bugs, avoiding a repeat of the disastrous launch of Assassin’s Creed: Unity in 2014, which significantly damaged Ubisoft’s reputation.
The developers are already addressing known issues, which was the primary reason for the game’s initial delay from 2024 to 2025.
Polishing the game ensures that players can enjoy Assassin’s Creed: Shadows with minimal issues. Exploring feudal Japan would be far more immersive without NPCs disappearing or glitching out, and players can experience both Naoe and Yasuke’s stories without performance dips interrupting the gameplay.
Open-World
Players are already familiar with how Ubisoft’s games operate. With their bloated open worlds and formulaic mission structures, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows faces significant pressure to prove that the franchise can break out of this tired cycle.
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and Valhalla are prime examples of this issue. Their massive open worlds often feel more like chores than adventures.
Valhalla, in particular, heavily relied on the bloated open-world formula, adding countless landmarks and one-off quests that contributed little to the overall story or atmosphere. While fans enjoyed both titles, many agreed that the formula grew stale.
The Far Cry series suffers from similar issues, though a new installment in that franchise is unlikely anytime soon.
Ubisoft needs to scale back the open-world content in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. Ensuring that each activity feels meaningful is crucial for the game’s success. Instead of scattering countless question marks across the map, the focus should be on quality over quantity. Assassin’s Creed: Mirage found a sweet spot in terms of content, but it ended up feeling too short for long-time fans.
Live-Service
One of the most perplexing aspects of modern Assassin’s Creed titles is Ubisoft’s insistence on incorporating live service elements. Season Passes, and Battle Passes have no place in a single-player game. Yet, Ubisoft continues to implement them, knowing that a significant portion of the player base won’t object and that it generates revenue. However, these additions contribute little to the core Assassin’s Creed experience.
Adding insult to injury are Ubisoft’s controversial “time savers,” which allow players to purchase extra XP, gold, and resources to reduce the grind. While some may argue that this practice is harmless in a single-player game, in an online setting, it would be considered pay-to-win.
Thankfully, Assassin's Creed: Shadows is ditching its seasonal pass model.
Story
The Assassin’s Creed series has long been celebrated for its rich storytelling and historical exploration. The early titles, particularly Ezio’s trilogy, are often hailed as the best in the franchise due to their compelling narratives centered on legacy in an ever-changing world.
In recent years, however, the series has suffered from a decline in narrative focus. The core concept of the Assassin’s Brotherhood has been replaced by open-world action. Fortunately, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows appears to be returning to its roots, emphasizing stealth and espionage, which is a promising direction.
The franchise’s identity has always been tied to themes of magical artifacts, ancient civilizations, and myths. Shadows, set in feudal Japan, has immense potential for exploring these themes in new and exciting ways. Hopefully, the game will also delve deeper into the present-day storyline, which has been neglected in recent entries.
Drama
It’s worth acknowledging the controversy surrounding Yasuke’s portrayal in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. Certain right-wing groups have criticized the inclusion of Yasuke, calling him a “false samurai” and attempting to diminish his historical significance.
While these voices are loud, they do not represent the majority of players. As a long-time fan of the series, I’m personally excited to see how Ubisoft handles Yasuke’s story. The narrative of a foreigner navigating a foreign land has the potential to be both compelling and thought-provoking.
Release and Reception
Recently, Ubisoft delayed the release of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows to March 20, moving it from its original February 14 release date. The delay was attributed to the company’s ongoing restructuring and cost-reduction measures to appease shareholders.
Ubisoft is undoubtedly on thin ice, and the pressure for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows to succeed is at an all-time high. The game’s reception will carry significant weight, potentially affecting the company’s future decisions and job security for many employees.
As for me, I remain eager to experience Naoe and Yasuke’s story, hoping that Ubisoft can deliver an Assassin’s Creed entry worthy of its legacy.