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Sourced analysis

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

A gorgeous open world, a return to stealth and two complementary heroes, held back by uneven storytelling.

PC PlayStation 5 Xbox Series X|S Nintendo Switch 2
Release dateMar 20, 2025
Sourced analysis

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: feudal Japan with two blades, a sourced analysis

Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes the series to late Sengoku-era Japan with two playable characters, the shinobi Naoe and the samurai Yasuke. A summary of official information and three reviews of the PS5 version; this is not a hands-on TricknFix review.

Game trailer

Watch on YouTube ↗

A shinobi and a samurai

Developed mainly by Ubisoft Quebec with around a dozen other Ubisoft studios, Assassin’s Creed Shadows launched on 20 March 2025 on PC (Steam, Ubisoft Store, Epic Games Store), PS5, Xbox Series X|S, Macs with Apple silicon via the Mac App Store and Amazon Luna. Players switch between Naoe, a shinobi built for stealth, parkour and the hidden blade, and Yasuke, a samurai based on a historical figure and built for open combat. The open world cycles through seasons and weather that change stealth options. A Nintendo Switch 2 version launched on 2 December 2025 with all free updates released so far, targeting 30 fps both handheld and docked and sold as a game-key card according to Ubisoft; the Claws of Awaji expansion was announced there for 2026.

What the press says

On PS5, GamingBolt (9/10) calls it one of the best Assassin’s Creed games in years: two very different protagonists who are both great to play, a gorgeous map that is a joy to explore, the return of proper parkour, stealth much improved by light and shadow, and near-flawless performance; it finds the writing and storytelling clumsy. Push Square (8/10, reviewed on PS5 Pro) enjoys the story, characters, open world, seasons, stealth and soundtrack, but notes that combat eventually loses its edge, the RPG elements can feel forced and the English dub is rough. TheSixthAxis (9/10) says the wait for a Japanese entry was worth it. On PC, PC Gamer (80/100) praises excellent stealth and combat but a forgettable story; that review is cited but not counted, as it covers another platform.

Editions and prices

Checked on 12 November 2026: on Steam, the Standard Edition costs €69.99, the Digital Deluxe €89.99 and the Premium Edition, which adds the Claws of Awaji expansion, €109.99. On the PlayStation Store (PS5), the Standard Edition is €79.99, the Premium €119.99, and the Digital Deluxe is on sale at €39.99 instead of €99.99 until 21 November 2026 at 00:59 Paris time, making it cheaper than the Standard Edition while the offer lasts. On the Xbox Store, the Xbox Series X|S versions cost €79.99, €99.99 and €119.99; the Xbox Store PC versions are sold separately. On the Nintendo eShop, the Switch 2 version costs €59.99. The game is also part of the Ubisoft+ Premium subscription, which is not used as a purchase price. Ubisoft Store, Epic Games Store, Mac App Store and physical edition prices were not checked for this survey.

Who is it for?

Fans of big open worlds and stealth, and series fans who missed the parkour and discretion of the early games, as long as they do not expect a story that matches the setting.

Press average

The score block above shows the press average computed from original reviews of the PS5 version, checked on 12 November 2026: GamingBolt 9/10, Push Square 8/10 and TheSixthAxis 9/10. Each score is converted to /20 and averaged with equal weight. These launch reviews cover neither the Claws of Awaji expansion nor the Switch 2 version. This summary is not a hands-on review.

What to know

One of the strongest entries in the series, carried by its open world, stealth and two heroes, despite weaker storytelling.

Strengths

  • Naoe and Yasuke, two very different heroes who are great to play, say GamingBolt and Push Square.
  • Gorgeous feudal Japan open world with dynamic seasons and weather, say GamingBolt and Push Square.
  • Return of parkour and stealth improved by light and shadow, says GamingBolt.
  • Near-flawless performance on PS5, says GamingBolt.

Things to consider

  • Clumsy writing and storytelling, says GamingBolt.
  • Combat eventually loses its edge, says Push Square.
  • RPG elements can feel forced, says Push Square.
  • Rough English dub, says Push Square.

Sources and credits

Game gallery

5 images

Game details

Developer
Ubisoft Québec
Publisher
Ubisoft
Release
Mar 20, 2025
Genres
Action · Adventure · RPG
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Where to buy

Compare by platform, region and format. Prices were observed on the dates shown.

RetailerEdition and platform PriceCheckedLink
PlayStation StoreFRDigital game Édition numérique Deluxe (promo, prix normal 99,99 €)PlayStation 5 39.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 Ends Nov 21, 2026 Source ↗ View offer ↗
Nintendo eShopFRDigital game Édition standardNintendo Switch 2 59.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 End date unknown Source ↗ View offer ↗
SteamFRDigital game Édition standardPC 69.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 End date unknown Source ↗ View offer ↗
Xbox StoreFRDigital game Édition standard (Xbox Series X|S)Xbox Series X|S 79.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 End date unknown Source ↗ View offer ↗
PlayStation StoreFRDigital game Édition standardPlayStation 5 79.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 End date unknown Source ↗ View offer ↗
SteamFRDigital game Édition numérique DeluxePC 89.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 End date unknown Source ↗ View offer ↗
Xbox StoreFRDigital game Édition numérique Deluxe (Xbox Series X|S)Xbox Series X|S 99.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 End date unknown Source ↗ View offer ↗
SteamFRDigital game Édition Premium (avec extension Traque sur Awaji)PC 109.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 End date unknown Source ↗ View offer ↗
Xbox StoreFRDigital game Édition Premium (Xbox Series X|S, avec extension)Xbox Series X|S 119.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 End date unknown Source ↗ View offer ↗
PlayStation StoreFRDigital game Édition Premium (avec extension Traque sur Awaji)PlayStation 5 119.99 EUR Check shipping Nov 12, 2026 End date unknown Source ↗ View offer ↗

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