Will Assassin’s Creed Shadows Succeed Mirage or Valhalla?

Before the vast acres of land that were once known to stretch across countless miles, cities, and prehistoric landmarks, there was a much, much smaller scale—a field that, prior to the ascension of Origins, was the common blueprint for numerous iterations and spin-offs. Suffice it to say, the arrival of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows doesn’t only squash that decade-long battle between fans of the series and their impenetrable desire to plunge deep into feudal Japan, but it also brings about an elementary question that’s been looming over our shoulders ever since it first lifted its head from the sand: How will it differ from its ancestors? Will Shadows continue the quest to rekindle the beloved tradition of molding smaller maps and crafting linear gameplay experiences, or will it fall back into its open-world RPG habits, a la Valhalla?

To answer the above question, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows will, according to Ubisoft, be one of the “biggest” open-world RPGs in the saga to date, which essentially means there’ll be more quests to unlock, boroughs to explore, and side activities to indulge in over what we can only imagine to be an enormous campaign. To put it simply, the next installment in the series, which is due to arrive on consoles on February 14, won’t be anything like its predecessor, Mirage, or anything pre-dating Origins, for that matter. No, Shadows will, if anything, be aiming to elevate the roots of its kin, particularly Odyssey, which has ties to some of the most impressive open-world locales in gaming.

“We’re Talking About Origins Big…”

While it is known that Shadows won’t be taking the linear approach with its feudal Japan chapter, the folks over at Ubisoft have confirmed that it won’t be on the same scale as Valhalla; in fact, it will teeter more along the lines of Origins. So, to answer our own question — no, Shadows will not be on the same page as Mirage. It will, however, be working to deliver one of the most authentic period pieces to date, with Ubisoft claiming that the team have been making “creative choices” to “make the best experience possible” for their players. With any luck, we’ll be able to see all of this in the coming weeks when it finally graces the shelves.