Assassin’s Creed Shadows or Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?

Summary

• Compared to Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers superior stealth, more intricate level design, and satisfying movement controls.
• Exploration in Shadows feels engaging and natural with seasonal changes and random encounters.
• With a reworked loot system, streamlined character progression, and enemy overhaul, Shadows shows Ubisoft’s commitment to addressing player feedback from Valhalla.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the latest installment in Ubisoft’s long-running flagship series, offering a mix of familiar and fresh elements. The studio has addressed some of the issues from Valhalla, and introduced new ideas while expanding on what worked well in past games like Odyssey and Origins. Players who spent countless hours in Valhalla or Odyssey will feel right at home in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but they’ll likely also notice several much-needed improvements.

When comparing Shadows and Valhalla, the answer to which is better isn’t as obvious as it might seem. Many of the differences between the two are shaped by their settings and historical time gaps, influencing how Ubisoft has implemented certain features. In highlighting the major changes between Valhalla and Shadows, focus lies primarily on gameplay-related aspects, rather than expected elements like graphics, sound, or performance. With that in mind, here are some of the biggest ways Assassin’s Creed Shadows improves upon Valhalla.

1

Stealth

Living In The Shadows

Few players would argue against Shadows having vastly superior stealth compared to Valhalla, particularly when comparing Naoe to Eivor. Given the differences in their settings, it would be unreasonable to expect a hardened Viking warrior to move like a silent shinobi. Yet, this very contrast highlights an issue many fans have with Valhalla in the first place. The game doesn’t feel like Assassin’s Creed, with its armored warriors, loud castle sieges, and mythical creatures to slay.

Stealth in Shadows is among the best in the series, and feels more refined than in any Assassin’s Creed game from the past decade. With a wide range of tools, improved movement options, layered level design, and Naoe’s agility and speed, playing stealthily in Shadows is one of the game’s most satisfying aspects.

2

Exploration

Seasons And Random Encounters Make Exploration Feel Natural

Ubisoft learned from what worked (and what didn’t) in Valhalla, making exploration in Shadows more engaging and natural. Playing with the Guided Exploration option turned off is recommended, as this is the intended way to experience Feudal Japan. Without a drone-like bird revealing every location, players must explore their surroundings organically, analyze clues from objectives, or send scouts to investigate the map.

Additionally, the game’s changing seasons refresh locations, alter their appearance, and introduce new random encounters. This ensures that players often come across interactions with Japanese locals in need of help or advice — something absent in Valhalla, where every world encounter was a one-time event. Lastly, Japan’s diverse landscapes provide a richer setting than Valhalla’s vast but often repetitive depiction of Britain.

3

Loot and Gear System

More Reasons To Explore, Loot, and Fight

Tied to the previous point, Shadows takes a much-improved approach to loot compared to Valhalla, making exploration more rewarding. The loot system strikes a balance between Odyssey, which overwhelms players with constant gear drops, and Valhalla, which eliminates random loot entirely, leaving players with mostly upgrade materials from enemies and chests. While Valhalla’s gear system has its advantages, Shadows finds the perfect middle ground.

In Shadows, legendary gear, such as the best armor and weapons, are tied to large castles scattered across the map, allowing players to earn legendary equipment at a steady but not excessive pace. Players can also decide whether clearing a castle is worth the effort based on its rewards. Rare gear drops from elite enemies and various chests alongside materials ensure that exploration and combat remain rewarding.

4

Movement

Controls Feel Smoother and More Reliable

Assassin’s Creed games, Valhalla included, have long been criticized for unresponsive controls. Characters often fail to perform actions as intended, creating a disconnect between planning and execution. Eivor’s sluggish movement, while somewhat justified by their nature as a warrior, often feels cumbersome, particularly in parkour-heavy sections.

In Shadows, movement and controls feel more fluid, responsive, and predictable, reducing many of the frustrating mistakes seen in past entries. The range of available moves has also been expanded, allowing players to crawl, roll sideways, swing on a grappling hook, and more. Every addition to Naoe’s moveset feels purposeful, making character control much smoother and more enjoyable.

5

Settlement Building

New Building System Is Both Accessible and Deep

When the first news about Shadows’ settlement hub, known as the Hideout, emerged, some fans were disappointed by its complicated mechanics and in-depth customization. Who plays Assassin’s Creed to build and upgrade a settlement? The concept was first introduced in Valhalla with Ravensthorpe, a pre-designed town featuring fixed buildings and minor customization and upgrade options.

However, skeptics were proven wrong, as Shadows’ Hideout strikes a perfect balance between accessibility and flexibility. There’s no need to invest excessive time in the Hideout for those uninterested in it, yet the system remains accessible and engaging. Players can create a layout that suits their needs, while each structure offers extensive customization options. Like in Valhalla, every new building and upgrade provides useful gameplay benefits. With such flexible tools at players’ disposal, Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ settlement system is a clear improvement.

6

Skills and Mastery Progression

Streamlined Character Progression For Easy Builds

Shadows moves away from Valhalla’s overwhelming passive skill tree, where players need hours to fully understand all the skills and make informed choices. It’s a smart decision that streamlines progression. Now, there’s no need to invest points in transitional skills just to reach a desired ability. In Shadows, each category is presented as a separate list. Skills are sorted by their function, allowing players to level up only the abilities that suit their playstyle.

Another odd aspect of Valhalla was how abilities were unlocked. Instead of choosing which skills to acquire, players had to find Books of Knowledge scattered across the massive world. There was no in-game way to determine where to find specific abilities. Shadows removes this random element, offering a more structured and player-friendly approach to character-building.

7

Level Design

Massive, Intricate Castles

It’s only natural that Valhalla’s crude castles and fortresses (set nearly 700 years before Shadows) pale in comparison to the intricate structures found in Shadows, which are vast, multi-leveled, and filled with pathways, treasures, resources, and enemies. Clearing each castle can take time, but the process is engrossing and rewarding.

Each location serves as a complex playground where players must strategize, use every tool at their disposal, and embody the shinobi spirit: retreating into the shadows, confusing enemies, and striking with precision. Shadows’ level design feels like a long-overdue redemption for Ubisoft, proving that the wait for a Japan-set Assassin’s Creed was worth it. The game delivers scope and detail that wouldn’t have been possible before.

8

Enemy AI and Variety

A Long-Awaited Enemy Overhaul

After years of criticism regarding enemy behavior in both combat and stealth, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has addressed these issues with a complete enemy overhaul. Compared to Valhalla, enemies appear more intelligent and observant, creating unique scenarios that heighten the tension of stealth gameplay. They reliably spot players on rooftops, investigate suspicious activity, and are far less favorable or forgiving of careless actions. The presence of numerous servants adds extra complexity, as they won’t engage in combat but will alert guards to the player’s presence.

Combat has also seen significant improvements. Enemies are more aggressive when they outnumber the player, often attacking simultaneously. They are also more adept at blocking and countering in direct encounters. The variety of enemies has increased as well, with different weapon types and strengths. While Shadows, given its grounded nature, may not reach the highest standards of enemy variety within the genre, it still offers fresher, more dynamic encounters that hold up better over time.

9

Journal

A Modern Take on the Quest Log

Valhalla features a traditional quest log, where each new quest, assignment, or objective is listed in text form. Shadows, taking some cues from Mirage, modernizes this with a more visually engaging approach, resembling an atlas. The game builds on the series’ familiar assassination list screen and expands this format to cover all objectives.

This new system provides a more intuitive way to track story progression, consolidating key information into a single screen. It streamlines navigation, making it easier to grasp objectives at a glance while eliminating the need to wade through Valhalla’s outdated RPG-style progression menus.

10

Pets

Just Look At Those Adorable Kittens

It’s rare to find a modern open-world game where players can’t pet animals like stray dogs or cats. At times, it can feel a bit forced or overdone. The feature is available in both Valhalla and Shadows, but it’s noticeably enhanced in the latter. In Shadows, the animals not only look cuter and interactions with them feel smoother, but every animal a player pets can also be added to the Hideout to live alongside them. This adds an optional yet delightful layer to the game.

Oh, and not to forget: Shadows includes tiny kittens and pups! They’re so adorable that it’s impossible to pass by without stopping to cuddle them. Compared to Valhalla’s oversized cats, this brings a whole new level of charm and cuteness.