AC: Shadows Deep Dive: Intense, Compact Campaign with Immersive Settings

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's extensive playtime proved divisive, prompting Ubisoft to refine the experience for its upcoming installment, Assassin's Creed: Shadows. Feedback regarding the length of the main plot and abundance of optional content has been addressed.

Game director Charles Benoit stated that completing the main story in Shadows will take approximately 50 hours, while full completion, including all regions and side quests, will require around 100 hours. This contrasts with Valhalla's minimum 60-hour main story and potential 150-hour total playtime.

Ubisoft's focus is on a more balanced ratio of narrative and optional activities, aiming to avoid overwhelming players. The goal is to create a less tedious, yet richly detailed and narratively deep experience. The developers intend to cater to both players who prefer extensive gameplay and those who prioritize a focused narrative experience, without sacrificing quality for brevity.

Game director Jonathan Dumont highlighted the team's research trip to Japan as a significant influence on Shadows' development. The scale and realism of Japanese castles, mountainous landscapes, and dense forests profoundly impacted their approach. This led to a commitment to greater realism and detail.

One key change is a more realistic world geography. Travel times between points of interest will be longer, reflecting the expansive open world, but each location will be significantly more detailed and nuanced. This contrasts with Odyssey's denser point-of-interest distribution. The increased travel time contributes to a more natural and open world feel, while simultaneously enhancing the richness and detail of each location. Dumont emphasizes the significantly higher level of detail in Shadows, promising a deeply immersive Japanese atmosphere.