Fans of Assassin's Creed Valhalla have voiced concerns over the game's extensive plot and plethora of optional tasks, prompting Ubisoft to take action with the upcoming title, Assassin's Creed Shadows. The developers have promised a more streamlined experience, with game director Charles Benoit revealing that the Shadows campaign will take approximately 50 hours to complete. For those eager to explore every nook and cranny, including all side quests, the total playtime extends to around 100 hours. This is a significant reduction compared to Valhalla, which required at least 60 hours for a main playthrough and up to 150 hours for complete exploration.
Ubisoft's strategy for Shadows involves trimming down the optional content to prevent player overwhelm. The aim is to strike a perfect balance between story progression and engaging side activities, ensuring that the gameplay remains enjoyable without feeling tedious. The developers are committed to preserving the depth and richness of the world, ensuring that players who value detailed gameplay won't feel shortchanged on quality for a shorter game duration. Conversely, those who prefer to focus on the main narrative can complete the game without dedicating hundreds of hours.
Game director Jonathan Dumont shared insights into the development process, highlighting a research trip to Japan that significantly influenced the creation of Shadows. The team was struck by the grandeur of the castles, the layered mountain landscapes, and the dense forests, leading them to prioritize realism and detail in the game's design. "The sheer size of these fortresses makes you say, I didn't expect this scale," Dumont noted, emphasizing the need for enhanced realism.
One of the major shifts in Shadows is the more realistic depiction of world geography. Players will now need to travel longer distances between points of interest to truly appreciate the expansive landscapes. Unlike Assassin's Creed Odyssey, where points of interest were closely spaced, Shadows offers a more open and natural world. This approach means that travel will take longer, but each location will be richer and more detailed, allowing players to immerse themselves fully in the Japanese atmosphere. According to Dumont, the heightened attention to detail in Shadows aims to deliver an authentic experience of Japan's diverse environments.
