Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the perfect size

I can’t believe I’m saying it, but: I’m excited that Assassin’s Creed is huge again.

This is not a note about the noise for the premiere Assassin’s Creed Shadows (3 million players per week) or Cultural Cachet obtained by social media managers (so far at least one vengeful billionaire emptied on his own social media platform). It literally means: Assassin’s Creed Shadows It is a huge game, and it rules.

Over the years, Assassin’s Creed Games has evolved from modest adventures in the open world in a kind of bloating, which is synonymous with “Ubisoft Map Games”. This evolution ended in 2020. Assassin’s Creed Valhallawhich was infamous Too much game. Data tracking site Howlongtobeat puts an average Valhalla Gameplay after about 100 hours and closer to 150 hours for the run. This is an addition to three extensions and Free Roguelike mode This was practically designed in the laboratory to absorb my time. I sank 91 hours Valhalla Before reaching loans, and I skipped the whole region basic game.

After Valhalla2023 Assassin’s Creed Mirage There was a breath of fresh air. The whole game was in one city (Baghdad in the 9th century) and its area, imitating the form of older series entries such as Assassin’s Creed Bracthood. There were several types of collector’s items and several repeated puzzles, but the Byzantine menu and micromanization of statistics have disappeared OriginIN OdysseyAND Valhalla. Reviews (including ours in Polygon) praised his restraint and I must admit that it was nice to play the concentrated game Assassin’s Creed for the first time in years.

But a recent edition Assassin’s Creed Shadows released my internal gold. Valhalla There was a Tour de Force, but with every modern gray hair I find, my patience for games of this size disappears. Mirage A change of pace was welcome, but she lacked strength. Shadows nails balance.

Where Valhalla he presented too many things to do, Mirage There was a lack of flow that was present in every Assassin’s Creed game released in post-Witcher 3 world. You know this: you scale the castle needle, a giant tree or a central galleon mast. You scan the horizon and evaluate all compact question mark icons that set your view. Then you choose one. Because it may be something nippy, like a fascinating platform sequence over the underground river. Or maybe it is something satisfying, like a sword with a word “unique” or “legendary” in the description of the object. Maybe it’s a quick event.

Shadows It presents the mastery of this flow. There is an almost meditative quality to jump out of the purpose so that the lens through the village of the 16th century Japan. (It certainly doesn’t hurt Shadows It is quite uncomplicated for the eyes, rendered with painting beauty.) Not knowing what you will find, it is part of the fun. And for the most part, what you meet is really worth your time.

Sometimes you come across a castle where you have to murder several high -level enemies in exchange for a occasional armor, or you can come across camp bandits full of resources necessary for your hideout. But these actions do not only concern the murder, despite the name of the game. Platforming gloves called Hidden Trails and Lungeons called Kofun add some variety. Temples require a handful of hidden objects known as lost pages. Even fast-based parties based on a rhythm called Kuji-Kiri-are convincing: they unlock the missions that fill the story for Naoe, one of the double heroes.

To make it clear, I say it from the perspective of a fairly peaceful player. I played for just over 20 hours and only Just Unlocked Yasuke, second hits. Peers who finished Shadows Let’s say that completing the main story takes about 40 hours, or something closer to twice, that in the case of the run (a lot of time, undoubtedly, but much less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less than less Oh God, it will never end Vibe of Valhalla). Who knows, maybe I would burn out! But at this pace, the pace and scope of the list of things to do are perfect.

Well, unless Ubisoft destroys the room with a free Roguelike mode.