Assassin’s Creed Odysseymade a big impact on the series, but it had its problems thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowsneeds to avoid.Odysseybeautifully recreated Ancient Greece and had interesting main characters, but the huge amount of content could be overwhelming. With so many side activities, quests, and things to explore, players often felt bogged down. While at first, it was great, the repetitive tasks took away from the main story, and the size of the game sometimes hurt player engagement over time.
Now, Ubisoft is working onAssassin’s Creed Shadows, and it comes with the challenge of living up toOdyssey’slegacy. After the more focusedMirage,Shadowscomes courtesy of the team behindOdysseyand aims to return to the large RPG style seen inOdysseyandValhalla. However, the gaming market is very competitive right now. Many major games released in early 2023 raised the bar, and with the upcoming sequel toGhost of Tsushima,Shadowswill face tough competitionthat makes it more important than ever for Ubisoft to learn from the past.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Is A Very Long Game
It’s Long For The Sake of Being Long
Assassin’s Creed Odysseytells an interesting story set in ancient Greece, fromwhich Assassin’s Creed Shadowsshould take notes. The main characters, Alexios and Kassandra, are well-developed, and their adventures pull players into the Peloponnesian War and other events. The story includes family mysteries, rich mythology, and a large conspiracy that makes for an exciting narrative. However, this engaging storyoften gets overshadowed by too many extra activitiesin the game. The issue is not the story’s ambition but how the side quests and activities are handled.
90% Of Assassins Creed Shadows Will Be Completable With One Character, But The Devs Urge Players To Experiment With Both
Developers of Assassin’s Creed Shadows say most of the game can be completed with a single character, but there’s more to be gained by playing both.
The game world is stunning and filled with historical detail, but it can feel overwhelming due to the sheer number of side quests and activities. Many of these tasks repeat similar patterns, like clearing out bandit camps, retrieving stolen items, or swimming through caverns. While some side missions are interesting and offer unique challenges, too many feel like simple chores meant just to extend playtime instead of improving the experience.The map is cluttered with icons for countless objectives, turning exploration from an exciting adventure into a checklist.
Ubisoft hasother big issuesthat need to be fixed, but the bloated gameplay is one of the worst.
This excessive number of tasks makes the more meaningful side missions feel less important and overshadows the main storyline. This problem affects almost every part ofOdyssey’sgameplay. Activities like hunting rare animals or naval combat can become repetitive if there are too many to complete. Thisoverload takes away from the core gameplay experience, making the game feel less fun due to its lack of focus. Ubisoft’s approach of prioritizing quantity over quality creates a gap between what players want from the game and what it actually offers.
Additionally, like otherAssassin’s Creedgames,Odysseyincludes a modern-day storyline that many players find tedious and out of place by this point. These sections often break the flow of the historical story and can frustrate players, as they feel disconnected from the main plot. The less interesting modern-day story makes for a jarring experience, which negatively affects every game. The modern storyline feels likemore bloat to make a longer game.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Doesn’t Have Room To Breathe
There’s No Room For Error Here
This year is turning out to be a tough competition for major game titles, where even well-known series likeAssassin’s Creedhave to fight hard for players' attention.Shadows, set to release in November, is going up against theupcoming sequel toGhost of Tsushima,Ghost of Yotei, which is expected later this year.Ghost of Tsushimaalready established itself as theAssassin’s Creedin Japan that players wanted, soits sequel will be a huge competitor for the series.Ghost of Yoteipromises a great story and a beautiful open world rooted in a unique historical setting.
ForShadowsto succeed, Ubisoft must understand that players today don’t want unnecessarily long experiences just to fill time. In this tough market, a boring, repetitive story or an overload of meaningless side quests can quickly become exhausting.Reviews and word of mouth will heavily influence a game’s long-term success, and a low Metascore can deter potential buyers and redirect them to the competition. Ubisoft should take a lesson fromOdyssey’sproblem because there’s little room for error.
Leaks Showcase Assassins Creed Shadows First Expansion, Will Contain 10+ Hours Of Gameplay, Allegedly Called ‘Claws Of Awaji’
Following its recent delay, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has had its first expansion leaked by a seemingly mistaken update to the game’s Steam page.
A well-crafted and focused experience where every activity adds something meaningful to the story and gameplay is much more likely to win players over than a long list of tasks. This is a time for careful planning,not just expanding for the sake of it. While a big open world can make a game feel immersive, it can also feel empty if not filled with interesting things to do.
Thedevelopers ofShadowsneed to find a balance, making sure that its setting is rewarding to explore without losing focus on the main story. In short,Shadowsshould avoid the mindset of “more is better” and insteadfocus on “less is more.”A polished and focused experience is what will stand out in this competitive year.
Cutting The Fat Could Make AC Shadows Great
Stop Sprinkling Things In Thoughtlessly
Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis important to the series. WhileOdysseywas beautiful and had a great story, there was just too much content. The vast open-world is impressie, but it was bloated with repetitive tasks that weakened the main story’s impact. WithShadows, there’s an opportunity to create a more focused game, as players today are less willing to deal with worlds sprinkled with unnecessary content.The gaming market is crowded, and games that prioritize quality over quantity have a better chance of succeeding.
To do well,Shadowsshould focus on fewer, well-crafted activities that integrate nicely with the main story, aiming for maximum enjoyment rather than just playtime. The key difference between a successful, expansive game and a bloated one is the quality of content. The developers ofShadowsshould make sureevery part of the game is worthwhile. This means carefully curating the activities and ditching any that don’t add to the experience.
10 Best Mysteries In Assassins Creed Valhalla And Where To Find Them
With 233 total mysteries, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can really bog the player down with side quests. These 10, however, are really worth doing.
By focusing on the strongest elements of the series, creating a carefully designed world and storyline, and learning from the mistakes ofOdyssey, Ubisoft Quebec has the chance to deliver an exceptionalAssassin’s Creedgame.Assassin’s Creed Shadowshas the potential to stand out in the crowded market by delivering a great experience that cuts out unnecessary elements.
