How To FIX Assassin's Creed
Did Shadows Fix Assassin’s Creed?
Welcome to MojoPlays, today we’re looking at whether the newest “Assassin’s Creed” title has managed to save the franchise.
If you’re a gamer, you’re already well aware of the precarious position Ubisoft has been in lately. Their older titles like “Far Cry 3” and “Assassin’s Creed II” were wildly successful games. So popular, they created a trend of Ubisoft-style open-world games. They’re characterized by climbing viewpoints and clearing enemy camps. Over 10 years ago, they were great fun, but people have become tired of them in recent years. “Star Wars Outlaws” is a perfect example, you would expect an open-world “Star Wars” game to sell millions, but that wasn’t the reality. Instead, it tanked, with everyone uninterested in the overdone format. Not only this, but they’ve upset the community with their monetization tactics. All their recent games have ridiculous levels of microtransactions, like “Valhalla” which was loaded with them. Their launcher is also a pain, which you can’t play most of their titles without. If you buy a title on Steam, you’ll need to go through both Steam, and then Uplay to start the game. All of these things have left a very bad taste in the gaming community’s mouth.
With the “Far Cry” series falling out of favor, it makes “Assassin’s Creed” their flagship product. Has “Assassin’s Creed” been declining as hard as their other IPs though? Well, before “Shadows”, it’s tough to say. In the height of the COVID pandemic, “Valhalla” was released, which quickly became the series’ best-selling title. Despite its commercial success, it was one of the most contentious titles. A lot of fans felt like it was oversaturated with boring content, prioritizing quantity over quality. It was the final entry in the controversial mythology trilogy, which felt more like “The Witcher 3” than “Assassin’s Creed”. Whether you love them or hate them, everyone agrees they’re hugely different from earlier titles. Afterward, Ubisoft promised a “return to form” with “Mirage”, set in the vibrant city of Baghdad. It didn’t perform nearly as well as “Valhalla”, with people finding it felt like a DLC for the prior title. Well, that’s what it was originally planned to be, then later fleshed out into a full title. Now, the fate of the series rests on “Shadows”.
Long before it was ever released, there were tons of anxieties about the game’s quality. If it came out in 2017, it would have been wildly popular, but since then there’s been a huge trend of video games in feudal Japan. Examples include “Sekiro”, or the one it’s more frequently compared to - “Ghost of Tsushima”. So, “Shadows” is kind of late to the samurai party. Another cause for concern is how boring “Valhalla” was. Everyone has been scared about “Shadows” also being excessively large, becoming just another massive RPG few will ever finish. On the other side of the fence, there was concern it could be too empty and shallow, like “Mirage” was. Additionally, the series has been going since 2007, with “Shadows” being the 14th entry. It’s not hard to imagine them running out of steam after so long. All these factors combined led many online to claim the title was doomed, months before anyone had even played it.
So now it’s out, was it as doomed as people prophesied? Two weeks after release, it boasts a strong score of 81 on Metacritic, then 82 on OpenCritic. Pretty much everywhere online, people agree that it’s one of the better entries in the series. Within a week, it had over three million players. On Steam, it reached 64,825 players a weekend after launching, a record for the “Assassin’s Creed” series. Although in fairness, they usually only come to Steam months after the initial launch. It’s done better than both “Origins” and “Odyssey” at release. So despite the pre-launch fears, plus all the controversies, it’s an absolute hit. It once again proves you can’t judge a game until you’ve played it. Already, a DLC has been announced, called “Claws of Awaji”, with frequent patches and updates also promised. It’s already sold more copies than “Star Wars Outlaws” did in 3 months, making it Ubisoft’s most lucrative product since “Valhalla”.
Now we know reviewers love it, let’s look at what they’re specifically praising about it. Firstly, the most widely praised feature is the seasons. It’s rare to see a game with dynamic seasons, especially ones that mix things up as much as “Shadows”. Older titles like “Assassin’s Creed III” tried to have them, but they were tied to the story, rather than in-game month. The stealth overhaul is wildly adored too, making Naoe potentially the best protagonist mechanically. It’s endlessly fun, being more fleshed out than in any prior title. Also, Naoe herself is a wonderfully well-written character, rivaling the likeability of Ezio Auditore and Edward Kenway. Exploration has also been widely praised, with the feudal Kansai region looking mind-blowing. The music and sound design also can’t be praised enough, plus the art direction is captivating. Even though it’s still early days, people have been calling it a contender for the best in the series, competing with “Brotherhood” and “Black Flag”. This might just be post-release excitement, so in a couple of years’ time opinion may have changed, but it’s easy to see why someone would think this.
Like all games, this one has a fair few issues. It’s not without bugs, but these days it’s rare a game releases without them. It certainly runs way better than “Unity” did, but that might not be the case if it wasn’t delayed. The lack of a modern-day plotline has upset people too, but if you dislike that aspect then you'll see it as a positive. This also extends to Basim’s plotline, which was left on a cliffhanger years ago, but has no resolution in “Shadows”. Hopefully, he doesn’t end up like Juno, who only got a resolution in a comic few read. Furthermore, if you dislike the Ubisoft format, then this isn’t the game for you. While it’s a fun rendition of the format, it’s still the same at its core. Another cause for critique is Yasuke, who doesn’t get the same stealth options available to Naoe. He’s a much more tanky character, letting him clear a castle in seconds. Despite this, Naoe is the more popular option, with her feeling more fleshed out than her samurai best buddy.
Let’s bring this discussion to a conclusion, has it fixed the franchise? Well, it’s the best entry this decade by a longshot, but many believe the series didn’t need fixing. “Valhalla” was their best-selling entry, making “Mirage” its only real recent lowpoint. It’s not “Assassin’s Creed” that needs saving - it’s Ubisoft. This is now their only hit series, so they’ll need to keep this level of quality if they want to stay afloat. Their next entries will be “Jade” and “Hexe”. The former is an open-world game set in China, 215 BC, which sounds promising until you learn it’s a mobile game. Following this, they aim to release “Hexe”, set during the infamous Witch Trials in the 16th-century Holy Roman Empire. It’ll be the first title set in Germany, so we’re all expecting tightly packed cities to parkour across. Outside of this series, things aren’t looking up for Ubisoft, they're still financially struggling. Many fear they could become bankrupt soon, with “Shadows” being too little too late, but only time will tell.
Do you think Ubisoft can maintain the high quality of “Shadows” going forward, or will they continue to decline with time? Let us know in the comments!
