I can’t lie—Assassin’s Creed holds a special place in my heart. I grew up with this franchise, and a huge part of my love for video games comes from the Ezio trilogy. It shaped the way I think about storytelling in games, the way I appreciate immersive worlds, and the way I define fun in an open-world experience. And yet, if you’ve ever read anything I’ve written about the series, you’d probably think I hate it.

The truth is, I don’t hate Assassin’s Creed. What I hate is what it has become.

Ever since Black Flag, I’ve been waiting for Ubisoft to get the series back on track. Instead, we’ve had a decade of bloated, copy-paste open worlds, uninspired storytelling, and a complete abandonment of what made the franchise unique in the first place. It’s been frustrating to watch a series that used to be about stealthy, methodical assassinations turn into a generic open-world RPG where you play as an unstoppable murder-tank.

But maybe—just maybe—Assassin’s Creed Shadows is about to change that.

A Game That Finally Understands Its Audience

One of the biggest divides in the AC community comes down to playstyle. Some fans (myself included) want a return to the stealth-based gameplay that made the original games so compelling. The whole idea of playing as an assassin should, you know, actually involve being sneaky. Others prefer the newer RPG format, where combat is the focus, and you’re basically a one-person army steamrolling through hordes of enemies.

For years, Ubisoft has struggled to find a way to satisfy both groups. They’ve mostly leaned into the RPG side of things, tossing stealth fans the occasional bone with games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage. But Mirage felt like an afterthought—a shorter, smaller experience meant to appease longtime fans without truly committing to a return to form.

Shadows, on the other hand, actually seems like it’s trying to give both playstyles equal attention.

The dual protagonist system isn’t just a gimmick. The two main characters—Naoe and Yasuke—aren’t just different in terms of personality and story; they actually play differently. Naoe is the agile, stealth-focused assassin we’ve been missing, slipping through the shadows and using speed and cunning to take out her enemies. Yasuke, meanwhile, is a brute-force fighter, too heavy for tightropes, unable to perform an Eagle Dive, and much more suited to direct combat.

The best part? You can switch between them on the fly. You’re not locked into one character for an entire mission, meaning you can tailor your approach based on the situation. This is exactly the kind of gameplay flexibility that could make Shadows the best of both worlds.

More Control Over the Experience

Another new feature that caught my attention is Canon Mode. One of the biggest criticisms of the modern AC games is that they give players too much freedom in how they shape the story, often at the cost of a strong, well-written narrative. Canon Mode aims to fix that by offering a definitive version of the story, removing major player choices so you can experience the game the way Ubisoft intended.

On top of that, Shadows gives players more control over how they engage with the world. If you don’t want to spend hours aimlessly exploring, you can rely on scouts to guide you to your objectives. If you want a more immersive experience, there’s an option to play with Japanese voice acting and historically accurate Portuguese dialogue.

The name of the game here is choice. Ubisoft seems to have finally realized that not every player wants the same experience, and Shadows is trying to accommodate as many preferences as possible.

A World That Feels Alive

Even the best gameplay mechanics can’t save a game if the world feels empty and repetitive. That’s been a massive problem in the last few AC titles—these games have been huge, but their open worlds have felt like glorified checklists.

Shadows seems to be making a real effort to change that. According to early previews, the world is more dynamic and interactive than ever. Animals behave naturally in their habitats, and you can even take a moment to paint them for an XP reward. Fights in dense foliage actually affect the environment, with vegetation getting cut down in the chaos. These little details may not seem huge on their own, but they add up to create a world that feels truly alive.

A Base That Feels Like Home

One of my favorite changes is the new and improved base-building system. Valhalla introduced some settlement mechanics, but they felt half-baked. Shadows is going all-in, giving players a Sims-like building mode where they can construct and decorate their home base however they see fit.

You’re not just placing buildings to unlock bonuses—you can customize everything from foliage and pavement to furniture and paintings you create during your journey. And yes, you can even have pets. This level of personalization is something AC games have been sorely lacking, and it’s a welcome addition.

Will This Be the Assassin’s Creed We’ve Been Waiting For?

At this point, I’m cautiously optimistic. Shadows has a lot of promising ideas, but the real test will be in execution. Will the dual protagonist system truly feel balanced, or will one character end up feeling like an afterthought? Will the world actually be engaging, or will it still fall into the trap of repetitive side quests? Will Ubisoft finally fix the modern-day storyline, or will we be stuck with another forgettable subplot that nobody cares about?

I don’t know. But for the first time in a long time, I actually want to find out.

If Shadows delivers on its promises, it could finally be the AC game that brings old fans back while still keeping newer players engaged. It’s been a long, frustrating road, but maybe—just maybe—we’re finally about to get an Assassin’s Creed game that’s worth the wait.