Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis by far the series' best entry when it comes to stealth since the original titles. It offers a more expansive stealth sandbox, a greater number of tools for players to utilize, and more interesting and dynamic world mechanics that influence how players approach each mission, such as the shifting seasons, lighting, and map layout. It is a huge step-up, especially from the likes ofValhalla, and the perfect entry for those who have been craving more stealth in their game all about assassinating people.
Another key reason whyShadowsworks so much better than other modern entries is because of how flexible it is. A good example of this is the option to toggle the ability to guarantee an assassination attempt, which will immediately kill the enemy you target, no matter how much health they have. It is a handy feature, one that makes the experience adaptable to the player’s desires and helps makeShadowsbetter thanGhost of Tsushima. However, as great as it is,Ubisoft missed a great opportunity to implement a more useful and helpful feature.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Has Unfair Assassination Denials
Your Assassination Can Be Denied Just For Being A Lower Level
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’Guaranteed Assassination mechanic is a nice touch for those who feel like Naoe slipping a blade into someone’s throat should kill them and not just remove two chunks of their health bar. It makesShadows’incredible stealththat little bit easier, which is certainly a bonus for those who feel they need it and not something that should be removed. However,it doesn’t addressShadows’biggest assassination problem: denied assassinations.
Essentially, in some cases, enemies can deny an assassination attempt, usually if it’s from an angle that they could realistically spot. It makes sense, in theory, and serves to force players to think carefully about how they want to tackle certain areas. However,enemies can deny assassination attempts from above, which absolutely does not make any sense. While I can’t speak for every soldier under Nobunaga’s command, I feel it would be quite hard to evade or react quickly enough to someone dropping on top of you and stabbing you in the neck.
Other AC Shadows Assassination Limitations Make More Sense
Players Should Be Able To Do Some Damage
Not only does denying an assassination attempt from above ruinAC Shadows’immersive realism, butit also makes stealth a tad frustrating at times. Stalking an enemy below along the rooftop, seeing the “assassinate” prompt appear, and leaping down only for them to have the reflexes of Batman and shove you away is utterly nonsensical, especially for the big, heavily armored, and slower enemies that typically can deny your assassination attempts.
To avoid this,Ubisoft could have added a toggle toAssassin’s Creed Shadowsthat removes denied assassination attempts - at least from above- but only deals a sliver of damage to tougher enemies. That way, players would still be able to have the satisfaction of dealing some damage while not getting the full benefit of the guaranteed assassination toggle currently available. It would also ensure that no enemy feels like a god-like tank and would give players the benefit ofAC Shadows’best difficulty modewhile still keeping things feeling approachable.
It is worth noting that Naoe can unlock the ability Hand Of The Creed when she reaches Knowledge Rank 5. This prevents some enemies from denying her assassinations, even when she’s coming straight at them. It is a workaround, but it also takes a while to unlock, and thus, players still have to suffer with denied assassination attempts for a large portion of the game.
It isn’t that denied assassinations should be removed altogether, as they do add an element of tension toAssassin’s Creed Shadows’stealth gameplay. Rather,Shadowsjust needs the option to allow Naoe to still deal damage from above, stabbing her blade into an enemy’s shoulder before she’s wrenched off. It makes more in-universe sense, retains the level of immersion, and prevents players from growing frustrated with what is otherwise great stealth mechanics.
Assassin’s Creed Cares Too Much About Levels Now
It Controls Too Much Of The Gameplay Flow
A big reason whyAssassin’s Creed Shadowshas denied assassination attempts in the first place is because of its focus on level-gating. The enemies that can deny assassinations are typically stronger, higher-leveled ones that, at least according to the game’s logic, therefore have super-human reaction times.This focus on levels isn’t always to the modernAssassin’s Creed games’detriment, but it can have an adverse effect on gameplay mechanicsthat should be significantly more straightforward.
After Assassin’s Creed Shadows, There’s One Feature I Can’t Wait For The Series To Explore Next
While Assassin’s Creed has changed drastically over the years, the lack of one feature feels like a massively missed opportunity for the series.
Assassinating from above shouldn’t be a complex issue. It already takes a lot of preparation, time, and consideration, with Naoe having to clamber up to a rooftop, across it, and then get into position, all while not being spotted. That investment of time and effort should be rewarded with at least Naoe dealing some damage. That was always the deal in previousAssassin’s Creedgames. However, if Ubisoft is insistent on including denied assassinations inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, then it should at least add a toggle to switch them off to some degree.
