First Impressions
Assassin’s Creed Shadows drops you right into its world, offering a familiar RPG experience that follows in the footsteps of Odyssey, Origins, and Valhalla. As a long-time fan of the RPG formula, I was excited to dive in, and so far, the game delivers on its core strengths—though it does have a few early hiccups.
Gameplay & Controls
The default control scheme feels strange, with X for crouching and B for dodging. While I attempted to remap them, the game threw errors claiming contradictions that didn’t exist. This issue could be a bug, but hopefully, it gets patched soon.
For those new to Assassin’s Creed or action RPGs, Shadows doesn’t hold your hand. The game throws you into combat quickly, which could be overwhelming for casual or new players. However, there are accessibility settings that may help, such as difficulty adjustments and a simplified controls option—I haven’t tested these yet, so if you have, let me know how they work!Combat is engaging, but parrying doesn’t feel 100% calibrated. It might take some time to get used to, or it may need an adjustment in future updates.
Visuals & Cinematics
The in-game world is stunning. Playing on an Xbox Series X with Quality mode enabled on a QLED TV, the game delivers breathtaking environments, rich details, and beautiful character models. However, cinematics are surprisingly rough in comparison to past entries.
One noticeable issue is the lighting during night scenes in cutscenes. For example, the final scene of the prologue had an off-putting lighting effect that made it look unnatural. Hopefully, this is something that can be tweaked in future patches.Final Thoughts (So Far)
While I’ve only scratched the surface, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is shaping up to be another solid RPG installment in the franchise. If you enjoyed the past three entries, this one feels right in line with them. Some technical issues could use refining—particularly with cinematics, lighting, and control mapping—but nothing game-breaking so far.
I’m looking forward to seeing how the experience unfolds over time. Hopefully, future updates will smooth out the rough edges and enhance an already promising game.
Have you played yet? Let me know your thoughts!
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