Assassin's Creed Shadows Review - Still Good in 2026?

The Iron Fist of Level Gating: The Curated "Open World" Frustration

Once again, I'd like to start with my greatest grievance, which is the excessive and complex level gating. Orchestrating players through a story, preventing them from encountering exposition that might spoil the story, or facing significant hurdles too soon is an attempt that I appreciate. It severely constrains the ability to roam around the world, however. The stunning and spellbinding views of soaring castles are completely wasted as getting anywhere near them would result in 'instant death'.

This interrupts all momentum because the phrase "I can go anywhere" has turned into "I can go anywhere in the world, but only after I complete enough side quests to unlock an arbitrary cap." This creates a sub-optimal narrative-driven gameplay loop where the exploration is no longer free form, limits emergent interplay of challenges, and fosters frustration among players who prefer quiet hovering without the overt need to accumulate XP. So, while I can float around the world freely, the spine of rediscovery of things shatters.

Repetitive Architecture: Castle Infiltrations and Structural Echoes

Although the world is intricately crafted, players who buy games will find that some of the core rote activities, such as castle infiltrations, start to feel a tad monotonous. The impressive architecture begins to reveal a few of the same patterns. For a game that boasts tactical combat, dynamic stealth, and an immersive world, there is so much more variety in construction, enemy fortifications, and unique environmental challenges structured within these bastions. True, this looms as a minor quibble, but after conquering dozens of these strongholds, the overwhelming lack of striking designs becomes regrettable.

Historical Fidelity: The Daibutsukan Disappointment

AC has its own version of historical fidelity criticism, and as a loyal fan, I was sorely let down by the omission of the magnificent Buddha statue in the Daibutsukan in Nara. It is clear that AC is a historical fiction and not a documentary. Still, this absence of finishing touches, where culture and history are intertwined, is disheartening. This seems like a phenomenal opportunity that could have been used to beautifully enhance the period being represented in its richly detailed splendor.

Shadows Vs. The Ancestors: A Comparison

Let us compare Assassin's Creed Shadows and its ancestors. What are the differences between Combat and Open World Design between Shadows and its predecessors? Shadows' combat continues the evolution of the RPG trilogy (Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla) and is more concentrated than Mirage's approach.

• Shadows vs. Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla: Shadows breaks staples of these three titles, such as the "damage sponge" foes and the floaty, over-telegraphed combat. Instead, it shifts to more focused, precise parry windows, strategic dodging, structured, and timed combat. A dual protagonist feature has far more variety in the styles of combat compared to a single protagonist featured in earlier RPGs. Odyssey had a convoluted ability system, and while Shadows is tactical and grounded, it lacks robust abilities; however, it makes up for it in engagements.
• Shadows vs. Mirage: With Assassin's Creed Shadows concentrating more on stealth, especially with Naoe, Yasuke deepens the action with his presence in combat. Mirage was, however, praised for going back to classic AC-style stealth and lightly RPG combat. It seems more likely that developers with Shadows expand on what Mirage did, providing more nuanced, rewarding parry and combat.

Open World and Progression

Here, Shadows makes a claim to a strong point of comparison, but offers a mixed bag.

• Level Gating: Every feature of level gating is present in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but with the lack of open world exploration on the user's terms, it feels even more pronounced. Odyssey featured a more "go anywhere for exploration, and enemies will scale to your level," which offered more breathing room, even though some areas were tougher. In contrast, Shadows has far more soft linear progression that is disguised as an open world; the opposite of Odyssey. This is reminiscent of older RPGs where venturing into areas meant for higher levels was instant death.
• World Design: Assassin's Cred Shadows showcases a more intricate, almost hand-crafted design of the terrain and its features when compared to the often desolate parts of Valhalla. Other AC games had not included this much detailed interaction as AC games, but the changing seasons are a refreshing addition. While the side quests do remind one of the seasonal cycles, there is a strikingly repetitive cadence of "clear this outpost, collect this," and other things associated with Ubisoft.

• Innovation: The incorporation of a changing seasonal system and dual protagonists features brings real innovation to the Assassin's Creed Blueprints. These changes both demonstrate an ability to adapt and a willingness to strive with the foundational elements of the franchise. While nostalgia-driven Mirage was a step backward, Shadows attempts to merge rooted stealth gameplay with the modern action RPG structure, primarily succeeding in core combat.

Conclusion

In summary, Assassin's Creed Shadows is an exhilarating entry where players who buy PS5 games could be satisfied by the combat systems across the series, which shine with satisfaction throughout. Action adventure enthusiasts will appreciate every swing of the blade unleashed, which deserves the respect of every adversary faced. Despite the unquestionable quality of combat, coupled with the brilliant innovative dual protagonist system, the experience is marred by level gating restrictions stifling organic exploration.