Assassin's Creed Shadows

Ubisoft

PC; PlayStation 5; Xbox Series X|SPremium purchase + cosmetic and DLC expansions

Health Score

DECENT

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About This Game

Super Review

Assassin's Creed Shadows is an open-world action-adventure set in feudal Japan, allowing players to embody both a stealthy shinobi and a direct samurai. While its historical backdrop and dual-play style offer thoughtful engagement, the experience is expected to be deeply mature, featuring graphic violence, mature themes, and potential for extensive play sessions. It's a qualified fit for older teens with clear family rules.

Super Review

Parent verdict

Assassin's Creed Shadows is a qualified fit for older teens who are ready for mature themes and graphic combat, typical of the long-running series. Its blend of historical immersion and varied gameplay, switching between stealth and direct action, can be rewarding. However, parents should be prepared for significant content intensity, including blood, violence, and mature themes, alongside the potential for time sinks due to its open-world design and optional in-game purchases for cosmetics and expansions.

What players actually do

Players engage in stealth reconnaissance and combat as a shinobi, using parkour and environmental elements to navigate and eliminate targets unseen, exercising strategic planning.
Players confront enemies directly as a samurai, utilizing melee combat skills and special abilities to engage in open battles, requiring timing and execution.
Players explore a vast open world inspired by feudal Japan, uncovering historical lore, completing missions, and collecting items, encouraging exploration and completionism.

Where it shines

The dual protagonist system offers varied gameplay, allowing players to switch between calculated stealth and impactful open combat, which keeps the experience fresh and strategically diverse.
The detailed feudal Japan setting provides an immersive historical backdrop, potentially sparking player interest in Japanese culture, architecture, and historical events.

Parent watch-outs

The game is expected to feature significant graphic violence, including blood and mature themes, making it unsuitable for younger players.
The open-world design with numerous collectibles and side activities can encourage very long play sessions, potentially leading to difficulty managing screen time.
In-game purchases for cosmetic items and DLC expansions are present, which could lead to additional spending beyond the initial premium game purchase.

Family rules worth setting

Set clear time limits for daily or weekly play sessions to prevent excessive engagement with the open-world activities and progression.
Discuss and agree on a strict budget for in-game purchases, if any are allowed, to manage spending on cosmetics or expansions.

Talk about this

Discuss the historical context and accuracy (or fiction) of the game's depiction of feudal Japan, comparing it to actual history if the player expresses interest.
Talk about the choices characters make regarding violence and stealth, and the consequences of those actions within the game's narrative.

Play style

This is a single-player, open-world experience with a significant amount of content. Sessions can range from short bursts for specific missions to very long explorations if players delve into side quests and collectibles. Difficulty can be adjusted, but combat and stealth encounters can be challenging, requiring careful planning and execution. Players will largely be self-sufficient, but some puzzles or combat scenarios might lead to moments of friction.

Score Breakdown

Positive Aspects

Educational Value

3/5

Creativity

3/5

Pro-Social

2/5

Risk Factors

Addictive Monetization

3/5

Time Pressure / FOMO

3/5

Social Risk

3/5

Content Intensity

5/5

Why this rating

Educational Value

3/5

The game’s setting in feudal Japan provides a rich backdrop that can inspire an interest in historical events, culture, and architecture, earning a score of 3. While not explicitly educational, the immersive world-building offers opportunities for players to engage with historical elements.

Addictive Monetization

3/5

As a premium purchase title with cosmetic and DLC expansions, the business model introduces optional purchases beyond the base game, leading to a score of 3. These additions, while not loot boxes, can still encourage additional spending and engagement with the in-game store.

Content Intensity

5/5

The game is expected to carry a 'Rating Pending (likely M)' from ESRB, with descriptors including 'Violence; Blood; Sexual Themes; Strong Language', justifying a high content intensity score of 5. This indicates very mature and potentially graphic content that is not suitable for younger audiences and requires careful consideration for teens.