Assassin’s Creed Shadows is Getting Positive Reviews in Japan

Posted by By our-little-miss-is-home March 27, 2025 41 Views 6 Min Read
Assassin's Creed Shadows is Getting Positive Reviews in Japan

Summary

  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows received positive reviews from some Japanese critics.
  • The game’s dual protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, were mostly well-received by reviewers.
  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows has a OpenCritic score of 81.

Many Japanese critics are reportedly enjoying the recently released Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Ubisoft Quebec’s stunning reconstruction of Feudal Japan in Assassin’s Creed Shadows has impressed reviewers, despite the game’s highly controversial launch.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows was finally released on March 20 after several delays and one of the most controversial developments in the franchise’s 18-year history. Many fans eagerly awaited an opportunity to explore feudal Japan, but the developer’s choice of dual protagonists sparked heated debate. While stealthy Japanese shinobi Naoe was widely anticipated as a welcome return to the series’ roots after the action-adventure combat of Odyssey and Valhalla, the hack-n-slash fighter Yasuke proved far more contentious. Even though supporters pointed out that the black sword-wielding warrior was a historical figure documented to be in Japan during the Sengoku period, critics were quick to question his actual status and in-game depiction as a samurai, with the debate even drawing the attention of Elon Musk.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Samurai Honor

Related

How Assassin’s Creed Shadows Explores the Honor of a Samurai

Through its contrasting dual protagonists and emotionally charged narrative, Assassin’s Creed Shadows does a thorough examination of samurai honor.

Polygon has compounded reviews from top Japanese outlets including Dengeki, Game Watch, Gamer, and 4Gamer, and found that the finely crafted, immersive rendition of Feudal Japan has struck a chord with gamers on both sides of the Pacific. Critics have now had their hands on Assassin’s Creed Shadows for a week, and reviews are mostly positive. Assassin’s Creed Shadows currently enjoys a healthy OpenCritic score of 81, placing it just two points below Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and three behind Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. Contrary to the skeptic’s argument that players would prefer a purely Japanese player character and story, Assassin’s Creed Shadows seems to be enjoying similarly positive praise from Japan.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Praised by Japanese Critics

Accentuated by the game’s impressive seasonal weather effects, the verdant mountainous scenery and bustling cities proved a remarkably accurate highlight, with one 4Gamer reviewer even calling the scenery “nostalgic” of his childhood. Equally praised were the game’s protagonists, with one review claiming “Naoe embodies the spirit of an Assassin’s Creed protagonist” with a deeper, more relatable connection to the game’s story. Slightly more criticism was aimed at Yasuke’s exaggerated characterization as a “perfect samurai” without any real faults. However, all outlets acknowledged his presence as a historical figure and even referred to him as a samurai. This acknowledgment echoes the earlier sentiment of Bayonetta and Okami creator Hideki Kamiya that the controversy surrounding Assassin’s Creed Shadows was overblown by a loud but vocal minority of players and not an opinion shared by the majority of gamers.

While Ubisoft Quebec may have gained the critics’ favor, the developer has also worked hard behind the scenes to appease the concerns of the Japanese Government. After a recent gameplay clip surfaced showing a player defacing an in-game replica of the Itatehyozu Shinto Shrine, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba issued a statement to deter any potential real-world vandals inspired by the game. Ubisoft Quebec has since issued a patch to make certain unique objects found in shrines and temples indestructible.

Source link