Assassin’s Creed Shadows Has an Illusion of Choice Problem

Ensuring that the choices players make in a choice-driven game are meaningful has proven over time to be a very difficult task for developers to accomplish. Since there is generally a story that video game developers want to tell, attempting to integrate that into a game’s narrative while also allowing players to make choices that actually mean something to that narrative is a tricky balancing act. This has unfortunately led to many choice-driven games having the illusion of choice, where players are given options that seem to mean something, only to later discover that those options are inconsequential. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is one of the latest examples of this trend, giving players plenty of opportunities to make choices that really don’t mean anything in the end.

The Assassin’s Creed series has never been a choice-driven franchise and has instead opted to tell stories to the player rather than letting the player tell those stories. That’s not to say that the series has been entirely without freedom of choice, including within its dialogue. However, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has taken that freedom of choice to the next level by letting players choose between various dialogue options throughout the narrative, but it turns out those choices don’t really do much apart from implementing subtle dialogue changes.

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Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Choices Feel Weightless

Many of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Narrative Outcomes Render Choices Inconsequential

For the most part, regardless of the choices players make throughout Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ narrative, they will rarely (if ever) see different outcomes. One of the best examples of this is when Junjiro requests to stay in Naoe’s Hideout in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Upon his request, players can choose to either receive him or refuse him. However, no matter which option they choose, Junjiro moves into the Hideout and no questions are asked.

There are, of course, some different lines of dialogue for these choices, and that might be enough for some players who don’t mind inconsequential choices. In fact, simple dialogue changes might be enough for some of the most hardcore RPG enthusiasts. That being said, it can be quite immersion-breaking when a choice doesn’t lead to a definitive outcome, and that is very much the case in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. This also plays out when players are given the choice to kill or spare certain characters in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, as they result in identical narrative progressions.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Canon Mode May Be the Best Way to Play

In light of the game’s apparent illusion of choice, players might be better off enjoying Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ Canon Mode instead of its normal choice-driven mode. With Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ Canon Mode, player choice is removed entirely, allowing Ubisoft to tell the story it wishes to tell. It’s ironic, really, that the game’s Canon Mode even exists when it seems as though the intended story will be told either way. Additionally, even the presence of a Canon Mode in Assassin’s Creed Shadows suggests it would much rather players be told the intended narrative anyway.

While Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ efforts to give players the keys to the kingdom are commendable, it seems as though it is simultaneously reluctant to let players have any real control. The inclusion of choices that don’t carry significant narrative weight ultimately undermines the premise of a branching story, leaving players with the illusion of impact rather than real influence. Canon Mode may not be what every player wants, but it also feels more honest about the experience Assassin’s Creed Shadows is truly offering.

Game

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Released

March 20, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language