As is the case with many video games these days, the beginning of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is filled to the brim with tutorials. Not only do players have to learn the controls, the entry also contains several mechanics the franchise has never really used before. Because of that, players will need to spend some time learning all there is to know about Assassin’s Creed Shadows. While there is nothing inherently wrong with that, the game may have a bit of a tutorial problem.
It really feels like the first few hours of Assassin’s Creed Shadows are just tutorial after tutorial, some of which can be quite repetitive. For example, players may encounter a tutorial that teaches them how to fight, and then, a little bit later, they may be learning how to do it yet again. And just when players think they are done with tutorials, even more crop up. While it may be too late to go back and fix this now, future Assassin’s Creeds will hopefully limit their tutorials a bit more.
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Naoe’s Story Setup Is Familiar, But Welcome
Assassin’s Creed Shadows begins with a very familiar story setup, but it still works even years after its first use in the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Spends a Lot of Time Teaching the Player
The First Few Hours Are Filled With Tutorials
When players first start their Assassin’s Creed Shadows adventure, they step into the shoes of Yasuke as he helps Oda Nobunga conquer the land. It is here that players get introduced to the game’s combat and movement controls, along with its story, which is par for the course with so many titles. Shortly after that, players take control of Naoe as she helps defend her lands alongside her father. While this section helps set the stage for what is to come, it is also used to explain the mechanics that players have just learned once again. And if that was not enough, there are a couple of other missions that also feel like they exist simply to re-teach mecahnics.
One such mission comes in the form of a sparring match between Naoe and her father. In many games, these types of matches are often used as a way to teach players how to fight. That is the case in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, as the match teaches players different attacks, how to dodge, and how to deflect. While that should be useful, this mission comes shortly after players have already learned those exact mechanics as both Yasuke and Naoe. Even if Ubisoft wanted to use this mission as a way to build out the characters further, it feels strange to go from one tutorial to another that feels nearly identical.
These Repeated Tutorials May Hamper the Starting Experience for Some
Even though the beginning of Assassin’s Creed Shadows does a good job of sucking the player into its world, it also feels like it spends way too much time teaching, and then re-teaching, the same mechanics. It would be one thing if its gameplay loop was drastically different from games that have come before it, but for the most part, Shadows feels in line with previous Assassin’s Creed titles and other action-adventure games. And while newcomers will likely appreciate the lessons, veteran players may be put off by the numerous tutorials they have to push through to get to the open-world.
Of course, because Assassin’s Creed Shadows has already hit store shelves, Ubisoft likely cannot, and will not, go back and remove some of the tutorial missions. This is how the studio chose to tell the game’s story, even if it may be a bit annoying for some. That being said, future Assassin’s Creed games will hopefully not follow this same model. There is nothing wrong with having a few tutorials, but repeating the same information multiple times can become a bit excessive.
- Released
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March 20, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language