Gaming Assassin's Creed: Shadows

[Bebe]

Next mainline AC game, for any still interested in the franchise.



the two main characters at least sound like they could be interesting, but knowing Ubisoft writing I won't be holding my breath.

 

[hobbers]

Ghost of Tsushima rip plus Ubi style bloatcollectibles for £60 base price. Nah.

 

[Hoof the ball]

Read through the changes to the gameplay and it's fairly substantial with a particularly ambitious seasonal weather system that has direct impact on stealth success.

The Setting

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place in the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japanese history. The story begins in 1579 and will continue into the early 1580s. The time period means this is the first game in the series to feature the Assassins and Templars in their ‘classic’ forms since 2015’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate.
• A number of historical figures play prominent roles in the campaign. These include Oda Nobunaga, the “great unifier” of Japan, and Fujibayashi Nagato, a master ninja of the Iga clan.
• Much like Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Shadows features two protagonists and you can switch between them as you play through the campaign. The first of these dual leads is Naoe, the fictional daughter of Fujibayashi Nagato. She is trained by her father to be a skilled shinobi.
• The second protagonist is Yasuke, a real historical figure. Originally from Africa, Yasuke came to Japan with the Portuguese in 1579 and soon became a samurai in the employ of Lord Oda Nobunaga. Shadows is the first Assassin’s Creed game to ever let you play as a real person from the past.

Stealth and Parkour

• As the title suggests, light and dark is a major part of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ stealth systems. A new global illumination system creates dynamic light and shadows that affect enemy vision. You can now hide in shadows and even create darkness by destroying lanterns or killing torch carriers. A light meter on the UI shows how well concealed you are, from fully visible to completely hidden.
• Servants are a new type of NPC, ranking between civilians and enemies. While they cannot fight, they are able to call in reinforcements and raise alarms. They have their own patrol routes, and carry lanterns at night.
• There is now the option to knock out foes when performing a stealth takedown, allowing for a more pacifist playthrough.
• You can now crawl along the ground in a prone position, allowing you to maintain a lower profile as well as get through small openings.
• Naoe has a grappling hook that can be attached to every roof edge, as well as a number of other anchor points. Unlike the zipline-like grappling hook from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, this rope uses physics simulation to allow dynamic swinging.
• The grappling hook can be used to quickly climb into the ceiling space above corridors, allowing you to lay in wait for enemies patrolling beneath you.
• Eagle vision returns, allowing you to spot silhouettes of NPCs through walls. Enemies are marked in red, while the new servants are coloured orange.
• The drone-like bird, used in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla to scout out areas and mark targets, is not available in Shadows. You’ll need to do your own reconnaissance work.
• As a shinobi, Naoe is the most skilled at stealth. Yasuke can use stealth, but his size and armour plating means he’s better at using those skills to get the drop on targets rather than perform a fully silent infiltration.

Combat and RPG Systems

• This era of Japanese warfare did not make use of shields, so your gear does not include any defensive options aside from your armour. Dodges and positioning is paramount.
• As a samurai, Yasuke is able to use his weapon to block incoming attacks and perform parries. Naoe is able to engage in combat, but she is unable to block or parry – instead she can ‘deflect’ enemy blows. Ubisoft didn’t clarify the difference between paries and deflects, but it may be that parries enable counter attacks while deflects are a more evasive tactic.
• Enemy armour has a durability system and can be broken during combat.
• Pretty much every prop in the game is able to be dynamically damaged by your weapons. Katanas will slice through bushes and baskets Fruit Ninja-style, leaving accurate blade marks. Arrows will leave precise puncture marks, while blunt weapons will smash pots into tiny pieces.
• Many period accurate weapons are available to use, including katanas, the kanabō war club, yari spears, shuriken, kunai, and the kusarigama (a sickle on a chain).
• Yasuke is able to use arquebus rifles, providing him with a powerful long-range option.
• Each weapon has its own skill tree. Investing time into using a particular weapon will improve your proficiency with it.
• You can craft your own katana from gathered components and personalise it. A transmog system will also allow you to tailor your gear to look exactly how you want it.
• Active combat skills return and are unlocked by finding Ninja Scrolls in the world.
• Yasuke and Naoe have individual skill trees and gear, but share XP, collected weapons, and resources.

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ASSASSIN'S CREED SHADOWS
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: 40 Details You Need To Know
All the important information you need on Ubisoft's samurai and shinobi sim.


BY MATT PURSLOW
UPDATED: MAY 15, 2024 8:48 PM
POSTED: MAY 15, 2024 5:00 PM


After years of fans asking for a feudal Japan-set game, Ubisoft has finally announced Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Set during the era of samurai and shinobi, it brings elegant katana duels and the ninja arts to the franchise.

IGN recently visited Ubisoft Québec for an exclusive look inside Assassin’s Creed Shadows, where we spoke to seven different developers about what they’ve been creating. You can check out our in-depth interview to learn more, but if you like your details in quick-fire list formats then you’re in the right place. Here’s everything we know about Assassin’s Creed Shadows so far.

Assassin's Creed Shadows - Art and Concept Art
10 IMAGES



The Setting

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes place in the Azuchi-Momoyama period of Japanese history. The story begins in 1579 and will continue into the early 1580s. The time period means this is the first game in the series to feature the Assassins and Templars in their ‘classic’ forms since 2015’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate.
• A number of historical figures play prominent roles in the campaign. These include Oda Nobunaga, the “great unifier” of Japan, and Fujibayashi Nagato, a master ninja of the Iga clan.
• Much like Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Shadows features two protagonists and you can switch between them as you play through the campaign. The first of these dual leads is Naoe, the fictional daughter of Fujibayashi Nagato. She is trained by her father to be a skilled shinobi.
• The second protagonist is Yasuke, a real historical figure. Originally from Africa, Yasuke came to Japan with the Portuguese in 1579 and soon became a samurai in the employ of Lord Oda Nobunaga. Shadows is the first Assassin’s Creed game to ever let you play as a real person from the past.

Stealth and Parkour

• As the title suggests, light and dark is a major part of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ stealth systems. A new global illumination system creates dynamic light and shadows that affect enemy vision. You can now hide in shadows and even create darkness by destroying lanterns or killing torch carriers. A light meter on the UI shows how well concealed you are, from fully visible to completely hidden.
• Servants are a new type of NPC, ranking between civilians and enemies. While they cannot fight, they are able to call in reinforcements and raise alarms. They have their own patrol routes, and carry lanterns at night.
• There is now the option to knock out foes when performing a stealth takedown, allowing for a more pacifist playthrough.
• You can now crawl along the ground in a prone position, allowing you to maintain a lower profile as well as get through small openings.
• Naoe has a grappling hook that can be attached to every roof edge, as well as a number of other anchor points. Unlike the zipline-like grappling hook from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, this rope uses physics simulation to allow dynamic swinging.
• The grappling hook can be used to quickly climb into the ceiling space above corridors, allowing you to lay in wait for enemies patrolling beneath you.
• Eagle vision returns, allowing you to spot silhouettes of NPCs through walls. Enemies are marked in red, while the new servants are coloured orange.
• The drone-like bird, used in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla to scout out areas and mark targets, is not available in Shadows. You’ll need to do your own reconnaissance work.
• As a shinobi, Naoe is the most skilled at stealth. Yasuke can use stealth, but his size and armour plating means he’s better at using those skills to get the drop on targets rather than perform a fully silent infiltration.

Combat and RPG Systems

• This era of Japanese warfare did not make use of shields, so your gear does not include any defensive options aside from your armour. Dodges and positioning is paramount.
• As a samurai, Yasuke is able to use his weapon to block incoming attacks and perform parries. Naoe is able to engage in combat, but she is unable to block or parry – instead she can ‘deflect’ enemy blows. Ubisoft didn’t clarify the difference between paries and deflects, but it may be that parries enable counter attacks while deflects are a more evasive tactic.
• Enemy armour has a durability system and can be broken during combat.
• Pretty much every prop in the game is able to be dynamically damaged by your weapons. Katanas will slice through bushes and baskets Fruit Ninja-style, leaving accurate blade marks. Arrows will leave precise puncture marks, while blunt weapons will smash pots into tiny pieces.
• Many period accurate weapons are available to use, including katanas, the kanabō war club, yari spears, shuriken, kunai, and the kusarigama (a sickle on a chain).

Dynamic World and Seasons

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows is built upon a newly updated version of the Anvil game engine. The new tech allows for better lighting through global illumination, the new breakable props, more detailed asset meshes, and much less pop-in.
• The new Anvil upgrade has allowed for a season system that sees the world progress through spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The current season is dictated by your progress through the campaign in order to maintain historical accuracy, but there are ‘steps’ that each period goes through to create a sense of authenticity.
• Each season comes with unique features that link to gameplay. For example, in the spring and summer when plants bloom and flower, there will be bushes and long grass to hide in. Later, in autumn and winter, those plants will die and thus remove hiding spots. Water also freezes in winter, which prevents you from entering pools and ponds. Icicles will form on rooftop edges and can fall if disturbed, potentially giving away your position.
• Seasons also affect NPC behaviours. In the summer, enemy samurai cut through bushes in search of you. In the winter, foes stay close to fires and warm places, potentially opening up new, colder paths for you to take.
• A fully dynamic weather system provides appropriate climate conditions based on both the region and season. Severe weather, like deep fog, howling winds, and snow impacts enemy sight and sound. A storm is an opportunity to mask your footsteps.
• The world features a surprisingly detailed ecology system. In spring, for instance, wind will blow gusts of pollen that have been spawned by trees, replicating a real ecosystem.
• The map is similar in size to that featured in Assassin's Creed Origins, and replicates the central region of Japan.
• The map is divided into regions based on Japan’s real historical provinces, including Iga (the home of the shinobi), Arima (the location of a major battle), and Omi (an agriculture “bread basket” region.)
• The iconic synchronisation points return, but in a reimagined way. Climbing to the top no longer plots a multitude of icons on your map, nor does it trigger the spinning ‘drone’ shot of the area. Instead, from this vantage point you’re able to survey the area for highlighted points of interest, which you can then seek out when back on the ground. Ubisoft expressed a wish for there to be less icons this time around, and so this appears to be one way of fulfilling that. Thankfully, despite this slight change, synchronisation points still act as fast travel locations.
• Shadows is set during a time of flourishing urbanisation, trade, and warfare. This allows for a wide range of locations, including towns, trading posts, farm land, and colossal castles that have been rendered at near 1:1 scale. Beyond these settled areas are mountains and forests.

Assassinations and Quests

• Shadows features a non-linear campaign largely focused on targets. Ubisoft says that you will be free to track these targets in any order.
• Some targets simply exist in the world and you may stumble upon them organically, without having researched and hunted them first. Others have more structured infiltration-style gameplay attached to them.
• Ubisoft aims to create a more rewarding journey by being a little more hands-off. While the campaign is still objective-focused, the studio hopes to enable more player autonomy by using hints to push players in the right direction rather than outright telling them where to go next.
• Most main quests can be completed as either Yasuke or Naoe, allowing for freedom of approach. However, both characters also have their own specific missions playable only by them, as well as bespoke introduction quests.
• Side quests and world activities are available beyond the main campaign. Notable things to find in the world include castles, temples, shrines, and art.
• You can build up a spy network, with agents who can be sent on missions to gather intelligence on your targets.
• There is a hideout where you and your allies can gather.

 

[Kaos]

They're about a decade too late for this. Ghost of Tsushima already did this better than Ubisoft ever could.

 

[Withnail]

Man feck AC. Tell me it's not going to be a boring repetitive snoozefest rehashing every other game they've made following a formula that was tired 10 years.

They've never understood how stealth is supposed to work.

 

[tenpoless]

Man feck AC. Tell me it's not going to be a boring repetitive snoozefest rehashing every other game they've made following a formula that was tired 10 years.

They've never understood how stealth is supposed to work.

True and real.

 

[justboy68]

Next mainline AC game, for any still interested in the franchise.



the two main characters at least sound like they could be interesting, but knowing Ubisoft writing I won't be holding my breath.

Seems risky to do a samurai game with the Ghost of Tsushima comparisons it will bring. A game that basically took their formula and made the best version of it to date. I'm not against AC games, I just don't have the time these days, when there are often better alternatives available.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

AC has been a dull and uninteresting franchise for ages now. If they really want to this one to hit hard they should-

- Cut the bloat, finally. Have 300 hours worth of side content / fetch quests if you want but keep the main line quests and important side ones, to a maximum of 30 hours. Their games’ flaws stick out terribly in such long experiences.
- Given their games tend to be poorly written with forgettable characters, just sort the gameplay out for once. For such a huge company to still offer up such a janky combat and stealth system in an age where small studios are getting it right, is bizarre.

Despite the sameyness the one Ubisoft game I enjoyed recently was Far Cry 5. Because its gameplay loop and writing though nothing special is much better than AC games but most importantly excelkence matters less because you can finish it in 20-22 hours if you want. Immortals is the one I guess - that was pretty good.

 

[One Night Only]

I'll enjoy it, I'll piss you all off saying how much I enjoy it too. I will also enjoy that.

 

[Volumiza]

I'll enjoy it, I'll piss you all off saying how much I enjoy it too. I will also enjoy that.

That’s the spirit.

 

[Volumiza]

Seems risky to do a samurai game with the Ghost of Tsushima comparisons it will bring. A game that basically took their formula and made the best version of it to date. I'm not against AC games, I just don't have the time these days, when there are often better alternatives available.

Yeah, two samurai based games battling it out to see which can be more average and boring

 

[Hoof the ball]

Some of you are being far too harsh. For eg. As per the detailed notes from IGN, a few of the features/mechanics include :-

A new global illumination system creates dynamic light and shadows that affect enemy vision
They've created an ecosystem based around weather seasonality which explicitly and directly impacts environments and creates problems/solutions for stealth approaches at various seasons.

....allowed for a season system that sees the world progress through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Each season comes with unique features that link to gameplay. For example, in the spring and summer when plants bloom and flower, there will be bushes and long grass to hide in. Later, in autumn and winter, those plants will die and thus remove hiding spots. Water also freezes in winter, which prevents you from entering pools and ponds. Icicles will form on rooftop edges and can fall if disturbed, potentially giving away your position.
See above.

A fully dynamic weather system provides appropriate climate conditions based on both the region and season. Severe weather, like deep fog, howling winds, and snow impacts enemy sight and sound. A storm is an opportunity to mask your footsteps.

I don't know many other games (if any) that do the above, at least to that degree. Why not give credit to the attempt to do something different, instead of just copy pasting your criticism from last year (and the year before)?

 

[SilentWitness]

Think I will pick this up. Love the setting.

 

[hobbers]

Some of you are being far too harsh. For eg. As per the detailed notes from IGN, a few of the features/mechanics include :-

A new global illumination system creates dynamic light and shadows that affect enemy vision
They've created an ecosystem based around weather seasonality which explicitly and directly impacts environments and creates problems/solutions for stealth approaches at various seasons.

....allowed for a season system that sees the world progress through spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Each season comes with unique features that link to gameplay. For example, in the spring and summer when plants bloom and flower, there will be bushes and long grass to hide in. Later, in autumn and winter, those plants will die and thus remove hiding spots. Water also freezes in winter, which prevents you from entering pools and ponds. Icicles will form on rooftop edges and can fall if disturbed, potentially giving away your position.
See above.

A fully dynamic weather system provides appropriate climate conditions based on both the region and season. Severe weather, like deep fog, howling winds, and snow impacts enemy sight and sound. A storm is an opportunity to mask your footsteps.

I don't know many other games (if any) that do the above, at least to that degree. Why not give credit to the attempt to do something different, instead of just copy pasting your criticism from last year (and the year before)?

I was going to mock the stuff about seasonality and stealth, by pointing out that their idea of changing environments for stealth would just be what tall grass/plants/bushes you can "stealth mode" in, and then I read the next line

 

[Ainu]

I'll enjoy it, I'll piss you all off saying how much I enjoy it too. I will also enjoy that.

Weren't you complaining about how repetitive Ghost of Tsushima was? This will be that, only with even more of the repetitive stuff.

Having said that, I platinumed Origins and Odyssey. I don't know why I do the things that I do.

 

[Eriku]

I fell off around Unity due to the protagonist being an unlikeable ass and all the microtransactions. Recently gave Odyssey a shot since I could get it for free with PS+ and I’m like 70 hours in and having a blast.

Also have Origins to play (yeah, I know I am playing them in the wrong order), and will probably wait for Shadows to go on sale before I consider it, but my pessimism is lessened right now.

 

[Hoof the ball]

I fell off around Unity due to the protagonist being an unlikeable ass and all the microtransactions. Recently gave Odyssey a shot since I could get it for free with PS+ and I’m like 70 hours in and having a blast.

Also have Origins to play (yeah, I know I am playing them in the wrong order), and will probably wait for Shadows to go on sale before I consider it, but my pessimism is lessened right now.

Origins is very good. The voice actor for Bayek is very talented and puts in a hell of a performance.

 

[nimic]

Origins is very good. The voice actor for Bayek is very talented and puts in a hell of a performance.

He was great in Raised by Wolves. He's awesome in general.

 

[DWelbz19]

I'll enjoy it, I'll piss you all off saying how much I enjoy it too. I will also enjoy that.

Did you play the most recent one? I tend to take AC games for what they are — normally capped at a 7.5/10 and generally tend to hover more at a 6-6.5, but I never got round to the most recent one

 

[nimic]

Did you play the most recent one? I tend to take AC games for what they are — normally capped at a 7.5/10 and generally tend to hover more at a 6-6.5, but I never got round to the most recent one

It's more of the same from Odyssey, but not as good IMO. I never finished it. I have been thinking of giving it another go, though.

 

[van der star]

Ezio was the last character that had me properly invested in the storyline, although I did enjoy black flag too, and haven't really played any other editions since. Seen some folk online being outraged about the main character being a black samurai

 

[Hoof the ball]

Ezio was the last character that had me properly invested in the storyline, although I did enjoy black flag too, and haven't really played any other editions since. Seen some folk online being outraged about the main character being a black samurai

Yeah.

Some were just disappointed that they weren't getting an actual Japanese protagonist in a game based in Japan, however, one of the two main protagonists is a Japanese woman, so, that's a moot point.

 

[nimic]

Seen some folk online being outraged about the main character being a black samurai

The reason is racism, it's that simple. People even started editing the Wikipedia article to add a Chat-GPT-esque "it's important to remember that he was never a samurai", which is a) not completely true and b) completely fecking irrelevant when you fist-fight the Pope in AC2 and George Washington has a magical Apple of Eden in AC3.

 

[swooshboy]

Looking forward to this! Agree with Parmo - have always liked the AC games - despite their recent bloat!!

 

[Bebe]

I don't know many other games (if any) that do the above, at least to that degree. Why not give credit to the attempt to do something different, instead of just copy pasting your criticism from last year (and the year before)?

Fair enough that it sounds like there are some cool, "next-gen" sounding features, but I think there's a tremendous amount of irony to the bolded given what Ubisoft have done with the AC franchise for well over a decade

 

[Hoof the ball]

Fair enough that it sounds like there are some cool, "next-gen" sounding features, but I think there's a tremendous amount of irony to the bolded given what Ubisoft have done with the AC franchise for well over a decade

True that.

This might be because it's the first Assassin's Creed that is next-gen only.

 

[Mr Pigeon]

Seen some folk online being outraged about the main character being a black samurai

Samurai can only be Japanese...

...or white...

 

[Bebe]

Samurai can only be Japanese...

Spoiler: image

...or white...

The people upset over Yasuke are ridiculous. Assassin's Creed has always been about historical fiction, and an outlier figure like him is a perfect canvas to tell such stories. And like you point out, the industry has been shoehorning white people into stories for decades...apparently it's only an issue if it's done to the benefit of a black/brown character.

True that.

This might be because it's the first Assassin's Creed that is next-gen only.

Between this and Outlaws, I'm more excited for Ubi projects than I have been in a long time (tbf, excited in this context means "I'll consider playing them after reviews and on a deep discount"). I think some of that comes simply from seeing what these mega studios can put out technically when no longer hamstrung by the PS4/Xbone.

 

[weetee]

Never been too much into AC, played a bit Odyssey which I enjoyed up to a certain point, and couldn’t play GoT (although it’s going to be released for PC soon I think) so not totally against it. But unfortunately the ubi games don‘t last long and get stale pretty quickly so … not going to pay full price for it for sure.

 

[Reditus]

I'll enjoy it, I'll piss you all off saying how much I enjoy it too. I will also enjoy that.

Me too

i still really like the series. I even preferred Valhalla to Odyssey

also everyone moaning about the bloat seemed to have missed last years release of AC Mirage which was a fraction of size but still a pretty good game

 

[nimic]

Me too

i still really like the series. I even preferred Valhalla to Odyssey

also everyone moaning about the bloat seemed to have missed last years release of AC Mirage which was a fraction of size but still a pretty good game

It's possible to think that Valhalla was bloated and still not want to go back to the original gameplay, which Mirage was marketed as basically doing. Also the setting seemed boring.

 

[Laurencio]

I think AC got better with Odyssey when they tried to introduce some of the Witcher III elements into it. So hopefully it gets better now too when they are clearly trying to add some Ghost of Tsushima into it.

 

[One Night Only]

I think AC got better with Odyssey when they tried to introduce some of the Witcher III elements into it. So hopefully it gets better now too when they are clearly trying to add some Ghost of Tsushima into it.

Like what? I felt like GoT added basically nothing to the basic formula for these type games.

 

[Hoof the ball]

Like what? I felt like GoT added basically nothing to the basic formula for these type games.

The wind mechanic was a great innovation in GoT to replace relying on mini maps, etc.

 

[One Night Only]

The wind mechanic was a great innovation in GoT to replace relying on mini maps, etc.

It was cool, but then got sick of the same things blowing all the time, copy and pasted plants to death.

I liked the standoffs at first but they got old pretty quick tbh.

I got really pissed off at those mongol tents, every one with the exact same interior pretty much avoided them in the end.

Apart from those 2 things, I can't really think of anything off the top of my head which would make the game stand out, just completed it the other day too. Didn't really enjoy it as much as others have. Maybe game burn out, maybe me getting old, who knows.

 

[swooshboy]

It was cool, but then got sick of the same things blowing all the time, copy and pasted plants to death.

I liked the standoffs at first but they got old pretty quick tbh.

I got really pissed off at those mongol tents, every one with the exact same interior pretty much avoided them in the end.

Apart from those 2 things, I can't really think of anything off the top of my head which would make the game stand out, just completed it the other day too. Didn't really enjoy it as much as others have. Maybe game burn out, maybe me getting old, who knows.

Agree with you 100%

 

[One Night Only]

Did you play the most recent one? I tend to take AC games for what they are — normally capped at a 7.5/10 and generally tend to hover more at a 6-6.5, but I never got round to the most recent one

Yeah I played Mirage, fairly small map, you can see where they were going with it, removing a lot of bloat, and RPG elements. It was kinda back to the roots with the better graphics. Characters largely forgettable again though.

It's definitely closer to the original assassin's creed than the latter imo, it's a decent enough game, definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoyed the original ACs. It still suffers from some crap side missions, but some are decent. Been a while since I played it, as I completed it and lent it to a mate, who still has it

 

[One Night Only]

Me too

i still really like the series. I even preferred Valhalla to Odyssey

also everyone moaning about the bloat seemed to have missed last years release of AC Mirage which was a fraction of size but still a pretty good game

I enjoyed the newer installments, Valhalla and Odyssey especially. Mental how much people hate Valhalla, it's not a perfect game, but it isn't bad. It is feckin humongous though I was in no rush to complete it.

I actually really really hated it at first, took quite a while for me to get into it, thought the combat was complete muck for the first few hours.

I probably enjoyed it more as I was watching vikings aswell around the same time, so I kept hearing names I knew and was like "I know them".

People banging on about it being too big and wanting a small game are the same people who goto a steak restaurant and order a feckin salad. Wankers.

 

[nimic]

I enjoyed the newer installments, Valhalla and Odyssey especially. Mental how much people hate Valhalla, it's not a perfect game, but it isn't bad. It is feckin humongous though I was in no rush to complete it.

I actually really really hated it at first, took quite a while for me to get into it, thought the combat was complete muck for the first few hours.

I probably enjoyed it more as I was watching vikings aswell around the same time, so I kept hearing names I knew and was like "I know them".

People banging on about it being too big and wanting a small game are the same people who goto a steak restaurant and order a feckin salad. Wankers.

Can you really blame people for disliking a game you yourself say you 'really, really hated' at first, and whose core feature (combat) you thought was 'complete muck' several hours into the game?

Most people aren't going to play for hours and hours if they hate the game only to see if they like it later, particularly when it's such a massive game. That's the fault of the developer.

 

[altodevil]

Haven't played Assassin's Creed since the first one. Every other one looks like a rush job cash grab. Tend not to touch Ubisoft stuff for that reason.