“It’s more immersive.

So far, so Assassin’s Creed, you might think.

But then something unexpected happened.

Yasuke and Naoe stand inside a dimly lit room in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Only Yasuke isn’t a born and bred Assassin.

Tightropes will also break underfoot, blocking off certain routes that Naoe could traverse with ease.

Where Naoe can crouch orgo prone, so, too, can Yasuke without much consequence, it seems.

Cover image for YouTube video

Then again, it’s not exactly a problem if Yasuke gets spotted.

Alas, one thing they’ve both been robbed of this time is an accompanying eagle companion.

He cites the game’s 30-plus castles as an example.

The menu screen for Naoe in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

But if you look in your perspective, with Observe, you feel more inside the game.

These sorts of quests and side stories were in sadly short supply in my particular preview build.

And yes, I did go and fill mine with cats and tanuki pups -of course, I did.

Naoe and Yasuke face the screen, with the player presented a choice of who to fight as in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

If Ubisoft can stick the landing on this one, it will be worth the extended wait.

This article is based on a press event in Quebec, for which Ubisoft covered travel and accomodation.

Naoe surveys the castle town of Himeji from a viewpoint, revealing the town below and rice fields in the distance, in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke perches on a viewpoint and observes nearby landmarks, represented by question marks, in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Naoe runs past a rice field in the spring time in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The water is clearly visible in the field.

Yasuke rides past a rice field in summer time in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The plants are larger than they were in spring, obscuring the water.

Yasuke looks at the horizon towards HImeji Castle in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke falls into a hay bale in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke lies on the floor after messing up an eagle dive in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, saying “I am fine. This is fine."

Naoe perches on a rooftop looking at an alarm bell in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Naoe runs across wooden beams at the top of a gambling den in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke leaps towards a tree branch in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke hauls himself up over the edge of some bamboo scaffolding in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke blows up an explosive barrel with a teppo rifle in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke batters down a wooden door in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke holds his sword high as he fights shrine guardians in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Naoe fights several guards at once in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke performs a finisher move on a guard in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The screen is black and white, with only a red slash of blood in colour.

Yasuke performs a finisher move on a guard in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The screen is black and white, with only a red slash of blood in colour.

Yasuke performs a finisher move on a guard in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The screen is black and white, with only a red slash of blood in colour.

Yasuke performs a finisher move on a guard in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The screen is black and white, with only a red slash of blood in colour.

Yasuke performs a kata sword exercise in front of a large ship in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke crawls through long grass to observe two fighting boars in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Cats are being placed on a cobblestone path in the building mode of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Yasuke pets a cat in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.