Ubisoft released the cinematic premiere trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows today. The next installment in the long-running action-adventure franchise, previously referred to as Codename RED, is set to release worldwide on November 15, 2024,for Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
As previously teased, the game will take players to 16th-century Japan. "The country is heading towards a brutal path to unification, where unrest grows as new coalitions appear and corruptive foreign influences infiltrate the land," Ubisoft revealed.
"Players will experience the intertwined stories of Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin from the Iga Province, and Yasuke, the powerful samurai of historical legend," the developer explained. "Discover their personal stories, meet pivotal historical figures, and shape the duo’s common destiny as they usher in a new era for Japan."
While the cinematic trailer did an impressive job setting the tone of the game, it didn't offer us a look at any actual gameplay. Ubisoft did tease, however, that Naoe and Yasuke will offer two complementary playstyles, each with their own progression paths, skills, weapon options, and stats. Naoe is said to rely more on stealth skills, while Yasuke is more of a combat expert.
"With Naoe, they will experience refined infiltration mechanics using light, noise, shadows, and changing surroundings to avoid detection from enemies. With Yasuke, they will be able to take on larger groups of enemies with brutal precision," Ubisoft explained.
Assassin's Creed Shadows will retain the open world format of the franchise with varied landscapes that evolve through weather and seasons. "From spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and pastoral landscapes, feudal Japan comes to life with unprecedented dynamism built from the ground up with the latest version of Anvil engine and the power of new-gen consoles," the publisher boasted.
At the heart of these renewed exploration mechanics is a system in which players will build their own spies' network which will reveal new areas and hunt down targets. Players will also be able to recruit allies with specific skills and abilities that can assist on missions. Players can also customize their own hideout through base building options, layouts, decorations, and accessories.
We'll get our first look at Assassin's Creed Shadows' gameplay through a trailer revealed in June. The Ubisoft FOrward 2024 livestream event is scheduled for Monday, June 10, 2024.
With Assassin's Creed Shadows confirmed to arrive later this year, Ubisoft has already revealed pricing details and special editions of the game. The standard edition will be available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC for $69.99. Here are the details for the other Editions:
- The Gold Edition will include the base game, the Season Pass (including a bonus quest with additional unlockable content as well as two upcoming expansions) and 3 days early access to the game.
- The Ultimate Edition will include the base game, the Season Pass, the Ultimate Pack and 3 days early access to the game. The Ultimate Pack will contain the Sekiryu Character Pack (Naoe and Yasuke outfit and weapon, trinket and mount), the Sekiryu Hideout Pack, 5 Skill points and a Red and black photo mode filter.
- The Collector’s Edition will include the base game, the Season Pass, the Ultimate Pack, physical content and 3 days early access to the game. The physical content will be a Steelbook, the World map, Naoe & Yasuke Figurine, life-size Naoe's Katana Tsuba, a Wall Creed Scroll, an 84 pages collector's artbook and 2 sumi-e lithographs.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is being developed by Ubisoft Quebec (makers of Assassin's Creed Odyssey and Assassin's Creed Syndicate) with Creative Director Jonathan Dumont.