Assassin's Creed Shadows map will be less crowded

Summary

  • Ubisoft wants to reduce the number of icons and markers on the world map.

  • Assassin's Creed Shadows will encourage autonomous exploration.

  • Yasuke and Naoe will sometimes have to find alternate routes depending on which character you're playing.

Despite another delay in Assassin's Creed Shadows' release date, Ubisoft continues to release blog posts about specific features and upcoming changes to the legendary series. The latest post is all about exploration and describes how Ubisoft wants to hold the player's hand less than they did in previous entries and instead encourages autonomous exploration.

“We didn't want to hold the player's hand too much with icons and markers,” says game director Charles Dumont. “We wanted to create an open world where information is key and becomes a form of reward. This made sense in the context of playing shinobi and fighting for information. In Shadows, information is something you have to seek and earn, whether through your spies, NPC encounters, or your own eyes, in short, we want players to discover all our secrets on their own terms, through investigations, through their espionage network or by observing the world.”

At the start of the game, your world map will only contain region names. As you travel, a radius of the map around the player will gradually be revealed. Viewpoints have been reintroduced, but will reveal less than in previous entries in the series. These will be listed as undiscovered locations if the player has not visited the area before.

Less hand holding

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A Assassin's Creed Shadows promotional screenshot showing a close-up of Naoe wearing a hood.

Perhaps most importantly, the dramatic sync camera returns. You can see one of these cinematic moments in action on the blog post. Naoe is shown scaling the top of a castle before the camera zooms out to show the surrounding region. Each of these vantage points will also be a fast travel point, but several are deep in enemy territory, meaning sloppy fast travel can land you in conflict.

Interestingly, Naoe and Yasuke may have to use alternate routes to access the same viewpoint. Naoe can scale buildings with her grappling hook, while Yasuke can be forced to climb stairs and fight through guards to reach a vantage point. This is another example of Yasuke and Naoe's different play styles, which Ubisoft has emphasized with every blog post.

Through exploration, Naoe will be able to discover new Kuji-kiri meditation activities that reveal more about her life before becoming a shinobi. Yasuke will be able to learn new weapon-specific kata, and both characters will be able to paint wild animals in the Japanese countryside.

There is more information in the full blog post, including details on research and observation mechanisms. Assassin's Creed Shadows will be released on March 20 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows

Experience an epic historical action and adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a deadly shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Seamlessly switch between two unlikely allies as you discover their shared destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.

• Explore the immersive open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling harbors to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons and reactive environments.
• Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their captivating stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confuse your enemies. As Yasuke, strike down your enemies with deadly precision and power. Unlock new abilities, gear and progression independently for each character.
• Make information your weapon. as you explore the world and build your own network of spies to become your eyes and ears on locations to track your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help you complete your missions.
• Create a fully customizable hideout for your league. of growing shinobi as you train your crew, create new equipment, interact with key characters and choose your base layout, decorations and accessories.

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