AC Shadows Revamps: Campaign Enhanced with Depth and Brevity

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's extensive gameplay drew criticism, prompting Ubisoft to refine the experience for its sequel, Assassin's Creed: Shadows. The developers aimed for a more streamlined and balanced approach, addressing player feedback regarding excessive optional content.

Game director Charles Benoit estimates a 50-hour completion time for the main story, with approximately 100 hours needed for full completion including side quests. This contrasts with Valhalla's 60-hour minimum and potential 150-hour maximum playtime. Ubisoft's focus on reducing optional content aims to prevent player overwhelm, offering a better blend of narrative and optional activities without sacrificing world richness or story depth. The goal is to cater to both players prioritizing a concise story experience and those seeking extensive gameplay.

Director Jonathan Dumont highlighted the impact of the team's research trip to Japan. The scale and detail of Japanese castles, mountains, and forests significantly influenced the game's development, leading to a greater emphasis on realism and detail.

A key change is a more realistic world geography. Travel times between points of interest are extended, creating a more expansive and natural open world. However, this increased travel distance is offset by a significant increase in the detail and nuance of each location. Unlike Assassin's Creed Odyssey's densely packed points of interest, Shadows features a more open design, demanding longer travel but rewarding players with richer, more immersive environments and a heightened sense of place. Dumont emphasizes the significantly improved level of detail, designed to fully immerse players in the atmosphere of feudal Japan.