Shadows Fade: What is known about the new Assassin's Creed Shadows
The long-awaited installment of Assassin's Creed Shadows is out in just a few weeks: it's scheduled for release on March 20. After numerous changes and delays Ubisoft studio finally releases the game about feudal Japan, which fans of the series have dreamed of for many years. Details - in the material "Izvestia".
Initially announced under the name Assassin's Creed Codename Red project will be both a "return to the roots" and the beginning of a new stage of development of the series. The developers promise in Shadows a more classic style of play, which was characteristic of the first parts of Assassin's Creed. Shadows will again focus on stealth elements and open world exploration.
Setting
The action of Assassin's Creed Shadows will take place in feudal Japan, during the Adzuchi-Momoyama period. This time period is the finale of the Sengoku era, a time of fierce civil wars. The game will feature the historical character Oda Nobunaga, a military leader and prominent samurai at the height of his power after defeating the Takeda clan with firearms.
A screenshot from the game "Assassin's Creed Shadows"
Players will witness a key historical event of the time, Nobunaga's attack on Iga Province in 1581. This battle among others is notable for the participation of a large number of ninjutsu warriors, or ninjas. A perfect setting for an Assassin's Creed game.
A screenshot from the game Assassin's Creed Shadows
The game's geography will cover the central regions of Japan, including Kyoto, Kobe, Osaka, and Iga Province. The developers said that the map in Shadows will be the same scale as in Assassin's Creed Origins, but will be more realistic. There will be historically accurate Japanese castles Takeda and Fukuchiyama, monuments and fortresses will be recreated in detail. The atmosphere of Shadows will reflect the contradictory nature of this colorful period in Japanese history, when the country was greatly influenced by Portuguese merchants and Jesuit missionaries, spreading Christianity and European military technology.
Plot and Characters
The game, in the tradition of the series, will focus on the centuries-old confrontation between the Brotherhood of Assassins, fighting for peace and freedom, and the Templar Order, seeking peace through control. Players will be able to view the story through the lens of two main characters , female shinobi Fujibayashi Naoe and Yasuke, a black samurai. Yasuke's image is inspired by a real historical figure, an African-born Japanese servant and soldier of Oda Nobunaga. Naoe is positioned as a warrior from the people who fights for her home province of Iga, while the samurai Yasuke is a powerful and hardened warrior of the Oda clan.
A screenshot from the game "Assassin's Creed Shadows"
Users will be able to choose which character to play missions for. Each has its own control style and offers unique gameplay: the same tasks can be completed in different ways. Yasuke is a master of open combat, while Naoe is a classic assassin who uses stealth and stealth tactics. Her story will be full of political intrigue and a fight for survival. The game's cinematic trailer showed flashbacks of the characters: how Naoe's father, a ninja master of the Iga clan, taught her the skills of shinobi. And Yasuke narrates how he got into the service of his master Oda Nobunaga.
Gameplay and new mechanics
Shadows is developed on an updated version of the Anvil engine, utilizing dynamic lighting and interactive environments. Among the brightest new features are destructible items, a cat hook, and the ability to manipulate shadows and completely hide in them.
A screenshot from the game "Assassin's Creed Shadows"
The weather in the game will change depending on the seasons and affect the gameplay and stealth of the assassin. Thus, in winter there will be frozen water bodies and icicles, in spring - tall grass and flowering plants, and rain will muffle footsteps.
Non-linear missions will allow players to freely track down and eliminate targets. The signature card of the series, vantage points will remain, but their function will change: they will help to explore the environment. On them heroes will be able to enter a new mode "observation", which will allow you to scrutinize the location. And to unlock new mission markers, players will be able to hire and train spies, as well as bribe officials to find out the location of targets.
A screenshot from the game "Assassin's Creed Shadows"
Players will begin to move in new ways that will greatly diversify the walkthrough. It will be possible to crawl close to the ground and on rooftops, move through shallow water, and use a bamboo tube to breathe underwater. Naoe's character will be able to roll sideways to stealthily eliminate enemies. In general, stealth indoors will become more interesting, largely due to the specific architecture of Japanese houses, on which it is difficult to move silently and undetected.
The mechanics of eagle vision will remain and will allow you to detect enemies behind obstacles, as well as to detect and neutralize sounds created by NPCs.
A screenshot from the game Assassin's Creed Shadows
Shadows will give you the opportunity to hold in your hands a huge number of weapons: katanas, war clubs, yake spears and other types characteristic only for Japan. Each weapon has a skill system, thanks to which players will be able to choose and develop skill in one of the weapon types.
A screenshot from the game "Assassin's Creed Shadows"
Characters will have an individualized fighting style. Samurai Yasuke can use fire arquebuses that allow for long-range attacks, while Naoe carries a hidden blade and wields a chain sickle that can be used to attack enemies at a distance. The shinobi heroine's arsenal will also include classic smoke bombs for escape and surprise attacks, bells to distract enemies, throwing knives and shurikens.
Social Mechanics and Base
The game's environment will react to the chosen character in a plastic way: Naoe, a weak-looking woman, will be shown more aggression, while Yasuke, a warrior, on the contrary, will be feared. The game also promises romantic and friendly relationships: characters will be able to form bonds with other NPCs, as it was in Assassin's Creed Odyssey.
A screenshot from the game "Assassin's Creed Shadows"
An important part of gameplay will be the Player Base. Users will be able to build a whole small city, take a break in it and prepare for new quests. In the city it will be possible to erect various buildings, manage them, opening new bonuses for pumping, decorate the streets, and in the houses to place pictures and trophies. You can populate your city-base with animals, which will be abundant in the game world. In addition, the base will be inhabited by characters with whom you can develop relationships.
Platforms and Editions
Assassin's Creed Shadows will be released on PC, Mac, PS5 and Xbox Series X. In addition to the standard version, a limited edition will be available, including the "Abandoned to the Dogs" add-on and a collector's edition with a character figure, artbook, world map and other physical bonuses.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
