I’ve been a fan of Assassin’s Creed since the beginning. I’ve also been deeply disappointed by it—especially in recent years. Valhalla was a low point: boring combat, a painful slog of a story (I couldn’t even get through the game without skipping half the cutscenes), and if you could "fat-finger" parkour, they fat-fingered the LIVING ISH out of parkour. Odyssey was a solid RPG and dare I say an AMAZING game, but let’s be honest—calling it Assassin’s Creed was a branding decision, not a design one.

So when Assassin’s Creed Shadows dropped, I came in with a cautious and abusive relationship between pessimism and optimism- and after 15 years of wanting AC in Japan… I really wanted this game to be the GOAT.. But in all honesty, I didn’t expect this game to be the one. Oh how fantastically wrong I was.

This is the best Assassin’s Creed game Ubisoft has ever made.

First, the combat. While the katana combat itself doesn't quite reach the depth, weight and impact of Ghost of Tsushima, the weapon variety easily fills in the gap. Whether you're using a katana, tanto w/ hidden blade, or even the badass kusarigama, every option feels intentional and satisfying. It's fast, fluid, and finally—finally—feels like it belongs in an Assassin’s Creed game.

Then there's the parkour. Up until now, Unity was the gold standard- And lord know the special folk who think pre-ACIII parkour was peak are gonna hate this.. I mean, If I had a nickel for every time I heard someone complain about the lack of “hEigHt gAiNiNG bAcK EjeCts” I’d have enough money to buy another copy of Assassin’s Creed Shadows Deluxe Edition 😐 BUT ANYWAYS, back to what I was saying: Shadows has officially surpassed Unity, becoming the #1 parkour system in the franchise. Movement feels fast, stylish, and meaningful again. You’re not Spider-man anymore, freely climbing flat walls; you're DELIBERATELY flowing through the environment like you’re meant to be there. Urban traversal feels like a mechanic again, this time with all the exaggerated swagger of a Feudal Japan Shinobi.

The story? Surprisingly excellent. While it doesn't delve as deep into the AC lore as much as I wanted it to.. for the first time since Ezio, I was balls deep-invested in the animus story (though unfortunately, there's not much of a modern story this time). The plot has structure, weight, and momentum. And while Naoe and Yasuke might not have Ezio’s charisma, they really don't need it—because the world around them is grounded, emotional, and beautifully acted (and I cannot stress this enough, in IMMERSIVE MODE… because the English voice acting is straight up BAD). Perhaps the most surprising of all… the CINEMATOGRAPHY. It's honestly a STANDOUT at times—stark, stylized, and full of intentional framing that evokes a kind of Tarantino-meets-Kurosawa vibe. It's like the game periodically gets possessed by the soul of KILL BILL.

This is the first time in years the series has truly felt like a stealth assassin game again, without sacrificing modern design. And it doesn’t feel like a copy of something else either—it respects its influences but has its own identity.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows isn’t just a return to form. It’s the form finally realized.