Assassin’s Creed Shadows Open World Exploration Timeline Revealed

Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers a vast open world set in Feudal Japan. Players must complete the prologue before freely exploring its landscapes. Here’s when you can dive into the open world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

How Long Does the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Prologue Last?

Ubisoft is renowned for crafting immersive open worlds, but their games often feature extended introductions. Fortunately, Assassin’s Creed Shadows allows players to explore Japan sooner than some of its predecessors.

The prologue of Assassin’s Creed Shadows lays the foundation for the game’s narrative and introduces its dual protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe, as Samurai and Shinobi. It showcases Iga, Naoe’s homeland, and sets her on a journey across Japan. Packed with cinematic moments and dialogue, this section typically takes around 90 minutes to complete.

After finishing the “From Spark to Flame” Quest and establishing the Kakurega (Hideout) at Tomiko’s Homestead, players gain broader access to the open world.

Can You Explore All of Assassin’s Creed Shadows Immediately?

Once the open world unlocks in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players begin in Izumi Settsu, one of nine explorable regions at launch. Early quests and activities focus on this area before expanding northward to Yamashiro province.

While story missions may tether Naoe and Yasuke to specific locations, players can, in theory, venture to other provinces. However, two key factors may limit this freedom.

First, quests and activities in other regions unlock progressively through the story, offering little incentive to visit them early. Additionally, Assassin’s Creed Shadows incorporates RPG mechanics, requiring players to reach specific levels to thrive in certain provinces. The in-game map displays level requirements, with red diamond markers indicating regions where players are underleveled, making survival challenging and enemies potentially lethal.

In summary, while players can technically access higher-level regions early, doing so is inadvisable and may lead to a frustrating experience.