Shadows Campaign Intensifies in Shorter Duration, Exploring Diverse Sites

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's extensive gameplay drew criticism, prompting Ubisoft to refine the experience for its upcoming title, Assassin's Creed: Shadows of Japan. The development team has addressed player feedback regarding the length of the main story and the sheer volume of optional content.

Game director Charles Benoit stated that completing the main storyline in Shadows will take approximately 50 hours, while exploring all regions and side quests could extend playtime to around 100 hours. This represents a significant reduction compared to Valhalla, which required at least 60 hours for a standard playthrough and up to 150 hours for complete game completion.

Ubisoft's focus has shifted towards a more balanced ratio of narrative progression and optional activities. The aim is to avoid overwhelming players while preserving the richness of the game world and the depth of the story. The developers aim to cater to both players who prefer a more expansive experience and those who prioritize a focused narrative, without sacrificing quality or requiring excessive playtime.

Director Jonathan Dumont highlighted the team's research trip to Japan, which profoundly shaped the game's development. The scale and detail of Japanese castles, mountainous landscapes, and dense forests exceeded their expectations, leading to a commitment to enhanced realism and meticulous detail.

A key change involves a more realistic representation of geographical distances. Travel between points of interest will require longer journeys, creating a more expansive and natural open world. However, this increased travel time is offset by significantly richer and more nuanced locations, offering a higher level of detail and immersion in the Japanese setting. This contrasts with the more densely populated points of interest found in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. Dumont emphasizes that Shadows boasts a substantially higher level of detail, allowing players to fully immerse themselves in the authentic atmosphere of Japan.