“Hide in plain sight, be one with the crowd,” so goes one of the tenets of the Assassin’s Creed, but sometimes, all subtlety goes out the window, leaving no choice but to face foes head-on. To this end, Ubisoft has released its combat overview for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, showing off the myriad tools available in the game to efficiently clash blades with enemies.
Having previously covered stealth systems, Ubisoft’s latest blog post details combat fundamentals and promises a wide variety of options available depending on the chosen character, be it the assassin Naoe or the samurai Yasuke, and the weapon of choice used to dispatch foes.
Being a bulky, heavily armoured samurai, Yasuke unsurprisingly possesses more tools in his arsenal for combat, with five weapons to choose from, compared to the more stealth-focused Naoe, who only has three. Armed with a classic long katana, a naginata polearm, the heavy kanabo war club and a yumo bow or teppo rifle for long-ranged assaults, Yasuke has a lot more flexibility when it comes to direct conflict.
Naoe, meanwhile, relies on swift attacks and movements, wielding a katana, the kusarigama ball-and-chain weapon as well as a dual wield option with her tanto and Hidden Blade combo. Both characters have access to light and heavy attacks for each weapon, and holding down the respective key for each result in a posture attack, which can break an enemy’s guard.
Defending, however, works slightly differently for the two. While both can use directional dodges to avoid incoming strikes, only Yasuke can enter a blocking stance, allowing him to withstand both melee and ranged attacks. He can also parry strikes, and if timed correctly, staggers the opponent briefly and allows for counterattacks. Naoe has a similar deflect mechanic, which sees her pivot to the side of enemies once performed, allowing her to attack their flank, but also opens herself up to attacks from any surrounding foes.
To supplement combat, each character also has unique skills and abilities, acquired throughout the game. These can range from manually activated moves to extensions of current combos and are unlocked with Mastery Points gained from levelling up or defeating specific enemies.
Finally, more information was provided on the various enemy factions found in the game, and they fall under the following categories:
- Outlaws
- Ashigaru Soldiers
- Ronin
- Samurai
- Samurai Daisho
- Guardians
Enemies possess tactics of their own, with the two mechanics highlighted in the post being Flurry attacks, a short string of incoming strikes marked with a blue glint that need to be parried or deflected in quick succession, and Unstoppable attacks, strong strikes marked with a red glint that cannot be blocked, parried or deflected, and must be avoided instead.
With the latest overview of combat, it seems that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is being built to suit various needs and play styles, not just stealth enthusiasts. While some might be understandably concerned that the series is straying further away from its original stealth-focused roots, the element of choice is always welcome, and for now, the future looks bright as the title approaches its release on 14 February 2025.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
