Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Longest Developed Game in the Series Brings Exciting New Features

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been in development for four years, the longest in the series’ history. Ubisoft has clearly taken its time to craft something special. While it’s not a total reinvention, it’s packed with exciting new mechanics that push the franchise forward.

X user SynthPotato posted the list of key features in a new Ubisoft game.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows feels like a culmination of the series’ best elements with plenty of innovation. It’s shaping up to be a standout entry in the franchise.

Parkour

Parkour gets its biggest upgrade since Origins, with the dodge button now letting Naoe vault over ledges and perform flips from rooftops. This makes movement faster and more dynamic. The introduction of the grapple hook also adds a new layer, letting you swing across ledges, climb hard-to-reach areas, and even assassinate enemies from above.

Combat

Combat has been overhauled, focusing on parrying and breaking down enemy armor. It feels like a blend of Ghost of Tsushima and Valhalla, keeping the abilities wheel while adding more depth and strategy.

Stealth

Stealth mechanics have been refined, allowing you to go prone for the first time. You can now hide in shadows and use darkness to your advantage by taking out light sources. The assassination animations are faster and more in line with the original AC games. Going prone also opens up options like hiding in shallow ponds or grass, but unfortunately, social stealth didn’t make the cut this time, despite Mirage’s success with it.

Weather

Weather isn’t just a visual upgrade; it impacts gameplay. Strong thunderstorms can help mask your movements during stealth missions, and the visuals are stunning. Seasons make an exciting return, changing the world dramatically. As the story progresses, Japan transitions through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, with gameplay evolving too—like frozen ponds in winter that you can’t use for stealth anymore.

Grapple Hook

Surprisingly, Assassin’s Creed has never had a proper grapple hook until now. In Shadows, you can use it to swing across ledges, climb tough spots, and even take out enemies from above.

Seasons

Seasons are one of the coolest features in AC Shadows and a nostalgic throwback to AC3. As the story progresses, Japan shifts through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, with big gameplay changes. For example, a pond you could hide in during summer might be frozen solid in winter!

Dual Protagonists

Dual protagonists Yasuke and Naoe bring unique playstyles. Naoe excels in parkour and stealth with assassin tools, while Yasuke focuses on brute strength and samurai equipment. Most quests let you choose between them, except for character-specific missions that dive into their individual stories.

Speed

Naoe is officially the fastest Assassin’s Creed protagonist ever! If you’ve been a fan of the series, you’ve probably noticed how much slower characters have become since Ezio. But Naoe changes that, she zips across environments, making movement feel fast and fluid again, which is such a relief after Eivor’s slower pace.

Details

The world is packed with small details that add immersion. For example, Naoe can slip on icy ponds, which wouldn’t be frozen in a different season. These touches make the world feel alive and reactive.

Settlement System

Lastly, the settlement system lets you build your own village, placing roads, buildings, and stores while upgrading them over time. It’s almost like a mini Cities: Skylines within the game.