Assassin’s Creed Shadows – A Closer Look at Exploration Gameplay
With its recent delay, Ubisoft has unveiled new details about Assassin's Creed Shadows through a deep dive into the game's exploration mechanics. According to Game Director Charles Benoit, the studio is taking a fresh approach, moving away from hand-holding and aiming to reward players with an immersive experience centered on discovery and strategic investigation.
Exploration That Encourages Discovery
Benoit highlighted a deliberate departure from using excessive icons and markers, focusing instead on creating a world where information is a prized resource. This design aligns with the narrative of playing as a shinobi, where players must actively seek out intelligence through their network of spies, NPC interactions, or careful observation. Undiscovered locations, marked by "?" icons, promise plenty of secrets, such as destroyed camps and hidden shrines, to maintain a constant sense of discovery.
"We want players to uncover our secrets on their own terms through investigation, their spy network, or by observing the world." – Charles Benoit
Viewpoints, a staple of the series, return in a reimagined form. Rather than revealing large portions of the map, Viewpoints now uncover nearby points of interest once tagged through the new observe mechanic—a system that excludes the use of a companion eagle. Each Viewpoint serves as a Fast Travel Point, but Ubisoft warns that some are located in hostile areas, requiring caution when using them.
Safehouses and Traversal
In addition to Viewpoints, Kakuregas (safehouses) offer essential features for players, such as resupplying rations, managing contracts, restocking scouts, and more. Unlike Viewpoints, Kakuregas are guaranteed safe zones and also function as Fast Travel Points.
Ubisoft has added more realism by making several mountainous areas in Japan unclimbable due to their steepness. This encourages players to follow roads, though shortcuts may still be viable in some cases. For those who lose their way, a new Pathfinder toggle highlights the best path to objectives when quests are tracked.
Objective Board and Scout NPCs
The Objective Board, which serves as the quest log, emphasizes investigative gameplay. Players can track Opportunities, representing quest steps linked to assassination targets. Scouts play a pivotal role in uncovering objectives, gathering resources, and managing alerts. Deploying Scouts increases the chance of locating targets or gathering resources, and they can even mark large stockpiles for later smuggling and upgrades.
Scout functionality explained
Upgrades and Wealth Management
The Scout system also integrates with wealth management mechanics, allowing players to mark resource caches for delayed retrieval. At the end of each season, flagged resources are automatically added to the Hideout's stockpile for upgrades.
Assassin's Creed Shadows launches March 20 for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series S|X. Pre-order bonuses and exclusive content have yet to be revealed, but fans can expect a rich blend of strategic gameplay and immersive storytelling.
What are your thoughts on Ubisoft’s new exploration mechanics in Assassin's Creed Shadows? Do you prefer this investigative approach over traditional map markers? Share your views in the comments below!
