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Remembering the Star Player Program In Memoriam Share 28 Nov 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database After months of speculation regarding it's future, Ubisoft has officially announced that the Ubisoft Star Player program is set to be discontinued with immediate effect. The news comes as another blow to community members trying to make a name for themselves in the world of content creation. For Ubisoft community members, an invitiation to The Star Player Program meant official recognition and support, early access and attending various events around the world. It was led by a special group of people within Ubisoft who went above and beyond to create amazing opportunities for fans, and its presence will be sorely missed. Replacing The Star Player Program is The 'Ubisoft Creators Program', a new initiative which recruits members via an application process, taking into account a person's social media influence, past projects, and consistent view counts. It can be tough to gain access to the program, and the whole system seems to be focussed around providing opportunities, such as 'drops', for streamers. Of course, for former Star Players or content creators with a small audience, the new shift in structure is a disappointing one, as it may feel like Ubisoft are no longer supporting small-scale community members. Also with the termination of The Star Player Program dies 'The Mentors Order', which was supposed to replace The Mentors Guild, another well-known community initative which was disbanded back in 2022. It's currently unknown why Ubisoft keeps on shutting down fan services which give so much to community members, but we can only guess that it's related to finances or staffing shortages. Everyone who was involved in the Star Player Program knows how special it was, and it's a real shame that content creators making a name for themselves going forward will never know the excitement it brought and passion for gaming it generated. Remembering The Star Players Program Do you have any memories of the Star Player program that would like to share? Let us hear them in the comments section below! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Assassin's Creed Cast Reunion set to assemble voice talent from Valhalla and Odyssey News Share 19 Oct 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) TOWCB Team Back To Database The team at Podcast141 have announced that an upcoming livestream has assembled a huge collection of Assassin's Creed voice actors who provided performances Assassin's Creed Odyssey & Valhalla. Magnus Bruun (Eivor) @ magnusbruun Michael Antonakos (Alexios) @ michaelantonakos Melissanthi Mahut (Kassandra) @ melissanthimahut Gudmundur Thorvaldsson (Sigurd) @ gthorvaldsson David Menkin (Dag) @ davidmenkin Aron Már Ólafsson (King Harald) @ aronmola Boris Hiestand (Rued/Fenrir) @ borishiestand Craig Burnatowski (Glod) @ craigburnat Mike Kovac (Krauser from RE4 Remake / Expert Host) @ fightmikekovac Marwen Heni (Host) @ marwenheni The show, hosted by Marwen Heni ( VenomSnake141 ), is set to bring together a total of eight actors who contributed performances to Odyssey and Valhalla, including three main characters, Eivor (Havi), Kassandra and Alexios, voiced by Magbus Bruun, Michael Antonakos, Melissanthi Mahut. https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_22b76abf5b7348ad8773ea52566996b6/720p/mp4/file.mp4 We can't wait to see the cast re-enact fan favourite scenes, tell behind-the-scenes stories and answer community questions! Check out the stream which airs October 22nd at 12 PM PT / 8 PM BST: VenomSnake141 on Twitch comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 4th - 10th June 2022: Origins Edition Community Share 18 Jun 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Killer Croc Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s first capture comes from @ G_Assassin90 over on Twitter. First up in our Assassins Creed Origins special is a super bird’s eye view of a crocodile wading through the water. I Really like how this shot has the predator partly submerged in the green water. Anyone who’s played Origins knows how deadly these creatures are especially when hiding in the reeds. The eco system in Origins is the best I have seen in a game so far. 2) Egyptian Sunsets Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins Photo number two comes from @ virtualmiky This one is a perfect phone wallpaper. I love the positioning of the shot but also the stunning colours. This capture flawlessly shows off the beauty of Assassin’s Creed Origins. The game maybe almost 5 years old but it certainly doesn’t feel like it. Bayek on top of a pyramid will always be iconic. 3) Golden Sands Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s third shot comes from @ PodToGo using the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture For me this shot is just like the promotional material put out by Ubisoft when Assassin’s Creed Origins launched. It was photos like this that got me hyped for the game. I would certainly recommend checking out the full set of shots. The contrast of the bright blue sky and the golden sand is spectacular. 4) Black & White Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP number four comes from @ joshy_navaneeth member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. Time to mix things up with photo number four as we bring in a bit of black and white photography. Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in character shots, but the buildings and environment can be just as awesome. I remember this location very well, it was nice how Origins was less repetitive with its buildings. You can see in this shot how people are just living here. It would be easy to mistake this for a real life photo. 5) Desert Hero Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins The final capture of the week comes from @kingforever008 member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. To close out our first Assassin’s Creed Origins showcase we have a real comic book style shot. I am a big fan of silhouette captures and this one mixed with the vibrant colours looks amazing. The rays from the sun behind Bayek make him feel like an imposing figure. I get real Batman vibes from this almost reminiscent of the Animated Series intro. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Pitching an Assassins' Creed Game: Building the Perfect Game Wishlist Share 9 Nov 2024 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database For any fan of the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game series, there will always be a personal wishlist, whether it be hopes for new parkour elements, combat techniques, or a new story direction. I always found it fun to brainstorm ideas for a potential new game in the series with a list of additions I would love to see. I think fans can all agree that each and every ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game could have different features that could slightly impact the quality of the game. Ubisoft does an excellent job already in creating these games, and they do a fine job of taking fan feedback into consideration, so the realistic gap between anyone’s wishlist can be small due to the great response that Ubisoft offers its fans. As good as any game can be, no matter what it is, there is always room for improvement as it's how the gaming industry works. I am going to build an ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game that would satisfy my expectations as a long-time fan of the series. I hope other fans will do the same as Ubisoft may very well be listening to our feedback, and there's always a chance the suggestions you make may one day be implemented into one of their games. Image via Ubisoft. I will start off with the basics, which is the overall formula. ‘Assassin’s Creed’ , in recent years. Has undergone some very significant changes. This has divided some fans, as some prefer the way the old games used to be played. But now, there are plenty of fans who love and appreciate the new style the more recent games have taken. The newer ones have also done a great job at creating new fans to the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series. There are many fans who never played any of the older games, that are now fans of the series thanks to the major reboot that took place back in 2017. I am a fan of both formulas, but I won't deny I see the appeal for each argument. I think there should be a balance of some sorts. Basically a bridge between old and new. I think combining both could easily satisfy both the older fans and the new ones. Doing this, however, would prove challenging to the developers at Ubisoft because they would have to sacrifice content from each different formula to mix them together. Meaning one aspect of the game would lack something important, which would impact both formulas in its own way. I think to find this ideal balance, there should be a mixture of these elements, but also something new and fresh, so that this hypothetical game would not only honor both the past and the present, but would also make an impact as a new and innovative game rather than feeling repetitive or recycled. This would prove quite the challenge creatively, and would take extensive research and brainstorming from the team at Ubisoft, but in the end, this company employs some of the best creative minds in the entire industry. Offering a new challenge for the team might prove beneficial in the long run. Promotional banner used to tease the reveal of Assassin's Creed Origins. Source: Ubisoft Next on the list, would be the parkour. Free-running and parkour have been a staple of this series since the beginning of its inception. Each game has always brought a unique aspect of the parkour that is so well known in these games, and fans often look back at different eras of the mainline games and how far the parkour has developed. For the original games, parkour was monumental at the time, now it's seen as an iconic part of gaming history. Looking back at how far the free-running and climbing has come, it's easy to forget all the fun parkour we have now, would not exist without the main inspiration of the original games. During the early days of the series, parkour was seen as basic, but effective. It was a treat for fans to be able to run across rooftops or scale the tallest building in the city in the beautiful settings all the games took place in. Many fans see 2009’s ‘Assassin’s Creed II’ as one of the best, if not the best game in the series for many reasons, and one of those would be the gorgeous setting of Florence and Venice in Italy in the 14th century. It was incredible to climb real life buildings and monuments that still stand in Italy to this day, and be able to look out to the city in either Florence or Venice. Parkour, of course, has changed a lot over the following years. Which also depended on the setting of the game. ‘Assassin’s Creed III’ , for example, took place during the American Revolution, and had to change some features in the parkour to match that of the setting. For example, the playable characters in the game were able to scale and climb trees, which was new and exciting for fans to experience, but also a great creative change from Ubisoft to adapt to that timeline, and not stick to only what they were familiar with, but to branch out and stay authentic to the time period in history. As a fan of the series since its creation, I think the ideal parkour would be to once more adapt to the setting of the game. Not every aspect of the new games that will follow a different time period will be the same as the last, some will have different terrains or cultures to adapt to. I think to match this authenticity, the team at Ubisoft will have to do what they do best. Study the era inside and out to come up with a solution that not only satisfies fans, but also matches the setting of that particular game. Capture from Assassin's Creed III by Col_96 The next bullet point to follow would be combat. I think Ubisoft has adapted the combat in the series very effectively. The original games had specific combat loopholes that made the need for the traditional fighting less important, where instead some fans could easily manipulate that feature by using the loopholes left in the games. Ubisoft has done an excellent job in cleaning that up and making the combat realistic to the era, and also mechanically fluent in terms of game development. I think Ubisoft would be wise to stick to the current style of combat, if I had a say in this, I would mostly leave it as it is. Ubisoft has perfected the art of combat in modern video games. Changing this would not make sense as it wouldn’t match that of today's standards. However, one thing Ubisoft could continue in its combat mechanics are the extended use of special abilities while fighting enemies. These abilities allow the developers to get creative. There's a lot of potential in creating these special abilities to give the player an aid in combat by having these unique skills be authentic to the game's time period. Ubisoft has already accomplished this in the past, for example in ‘Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’ , one of the special abilities you could use and equip was the infamous Spartan kick. The game was set in Ancient Greece, and this technique is well known today by being shown in different types of movies and TV shows, as well as the actual inspirations of Greece during that time period. The game adopted this type of ability specifically for ‘Odyssey’ as it fit perfectly in the Ancient Greek lore. Lastly, one thing I would add to create my picture perfect ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game would be the continued use of the skill tree. The universal use of skills in ‘Assassin’s Creed’ games only became a part of the series in more recent years. Almost all games created in today's era have adopted the same use of a skill tree. It has become a staple of the gaming industry. Any new ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game could further take advantage of this option by being “different” in their use of a skill tree. It will be creatively challenging, but if Ubisoft were to create a skill tree that looks and acts differently that the usual of what we see today, it would bring publicity to the game by having a unique aspect of it that so many other game developers have typically recycled this part of their game, which is understandable as most skill trees are supposed to be basic, as developers would not want to confuse fans with an overly complicated skill tree feature that could end up worsening the experience and creative gamble they would take. I think a good example of this would be what we saw in ‘Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’ where the skill tree was turned into a system that changed skills into “power”. This was a healthy change in what we are so used to in games today. ‘Valhalla’ did a great job at their attempt to be unique in the skill tree aspect of their game. Assassin's Creed Valhalla Skill Tree from TOWCB 'How to' Guides I think overall that these specific aspects, along with the great foundation Ubisoft has already built for the ‘Assassin’s Creed’ series, would create a game for everyone. I think blending the elements of both past and present could be a pleasant surprise for any fan of the games. These are, of course, hypothetical suggestions, as this is all a personal wishlist for me, but it is a wise thing to do as a fan of ‘Assassin’s Creed’ because one day, if enough fans were to create something similar, the creators at Ubisoft may very well take interest in our suggestions, and perhaps a new ‘Assassin’s Creed’ game could fit our personal wishes. Anything is possible in today's era of the gaming industry. Which is why the hobby of gaming so many fans enjoy, is the best form of entertainment in the entire world. Related Articles Aztec Empire: Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game Chinese Pirates: Pitching an Assassin's Creed Game comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

Interview with Simon Lemay-Comtois: Assassin's Creed Shadows Associate Game Director Interview Share 17 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the second article in a new series of interviews covering all things Assassin's Creed Shadows. Today we are joined by Associate Game Director Simon Lemay-Comtois from Ubisoft Quebec! Col: Hi Simon, thank you so much for joining us for this interview. Please can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your role on Assassin's Creed Shadows. Simon: Hey! My pleasure! The TL;DR on my role as Associate Game Director is - I’m the “gameplay guy”! I decide which button does what, and how fast our characters should run. But there’s more to it, of course. New characters Yasuke and Naoe, as seen in the Assassin's Creed Shadows TV Spot Trailer Col: When did you first begin working on the project, and when did the project officially gain the title 'Shadows' instead of 'Codename Red'? Simon: I think I joined as “employee number 12”on the project a little over four years ago. It's been Codename Red for so long, I still get tripped-up when talking about the project, but the game did acquire its name about a week before our initial CG trailer reveal, if memory serves. Col: Did you join the development team on the research trip to Japan? Simon: Unfortunately, not – I had personal business to attend to in another corner of Asia at the time. Col: What would you say are some of the main inspirations behind the atmosphere and tone the team wanted to capture within the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows? Simon: The levels of details at any scale – from Japan’s rolling landscape and agricultural valleys, down to the various types of wood, the lacquer used on door frames, floors or paintbrushes – the amount of details our art team went into to re-create feudal Japan is astonishing. Col: Assassin's Creed Shadows is said to have a huge amount of enemy types patrolling the map. What can players do on launch day straight away to prepare for the conflict ahead? Simon: Learn to pick out samurai from the rest! Unlike other archetypes – like Ashigaru soldiers, say - samurai are extremely well trained and ready for a fight at any moment. Sneaking-up on them can be tricky, as they do not easily fall for the usual Assassins tricks – and even when they do, they’ll likely be a step ahead of you. Official promo image via Ubisoft Col: Have you visited any other locations from the Assassin's Creed series? Simon: I’ve visited both New England and old England. Does that count? Col: What would you say makes Assassin's Creed Shadows different to other games in the AC franchise? Simon: The way AC Shadows splits the narrative, backstories and unique perspectives between our two protagonist - as well as how each of them plays – is quite unique in the AC Pantheon, I think. Col: Do different areas of the map feel different to each other? Simon: Yes of course! Each region has their own landscape quirks, weather conditions, specific flora and fauna, unique architecture and local specialties. We try to find and promote every specific things that defines our various regions during the Sengoku period. Col: Do Seasons play a role at all in any of the questlines at all or is it purely to change the appearance of the land? Simon: Short answer is – yes: seasons factor in some questlines. A more nuanced answer would be that, while some specific things might be season-specific, its is fairly limited and always logical. One example I could give is the painting of wild animal activity called “Sumi-e”: you will only be able to paint short-tailed macaques bathing in hot springs during winter – as they are known to do during the colder months. Col: Is there a large variety of wildlife in the game, and are there any animals in particular that you feel will excite players? Simon: Japan has a colorful and charismatic line-up of domestic and wild animals – from the beloved Shiba Inu to the gorgeous mandarin ducks. But for me, the tanukis feel special – especially their tiny babies! Col: The last RPG in the series, Assassin's Creed Valhalla featured the Ravensthorpe settlement, which acted as a base for players. Is there a headquarters or space you can customize in Assassin's Creed Shadows? Simon: Oh yeah :D Players can expect unprecedented levels of customization and self-expression when it comes to Shadow’s Hideout! Col: Naoe and her father live in Iga, a historical region occupied by Shinobi Ninjas. Are there any links between this faction and the Assassin Brotherhood? Simon: Maybe - or maybe not? Depends if you want me to spoil some interesting story elements, here. Naoe and her father, Fujibayashi Nagato Col: How big of a role does music play when exploring the world of Assassin's Creed Shadows, and will fans of the series recognize any sound effects from previous instalments? Simon: Sound effects, yes. We are using the same audio feedback for detection as Assassin’s Creed Mirage – because it worked so well there. But music is another story entirely. In fact, I believe we have one of the boldest, most eclectic musical score ever in the franchise. What our composers and musicians have made is truly special, and I can’t wait for people to get their ears on it! Col: What were some of the challenges that the team faced when recreating Japan? Simon: The one thing that really stood out to me was how castles of the period were deliberately laid out to mislead invaders, tricking them to take a left turn when they should’ve gone right - only to end up at a chokepoint or dead-end where arrows could rain down on them from above. So, creating cohesive gameplay spaces where players would not get turned around too much was pretty tricky, considering our source material was built to fulfil that exact purpose! Col: Are you excited to see the photo mode captures that will be taken by players once Assassin's Creed Shadows launches? Simon: Yes I am! But who’s kidding who - I’m even more exited to use it for myself :D Col: What sort of mysteries will players be able to find in the world? Simon: The mysterious kind, mostly. (Sorry, no spoilers!) Col: Are you pleased with the response to the game from fans so far, and how excited are the team for launch? Simon: Any time we get the game into players’ hands, we’re getting what all dev teams hope for: lots of smiles, a few loud shouts – and the occasional tear. We couldn’t be more exited for this thing to finally come out and find its way into players’ hands on a massive scale! Col: What would be your dream setting for a future Assassin's Creed game? Simon: I’m a big fan of World War 2 and all the secret bunker shenanigans an Assassin could get themselves into Col: Describe Assassin's Creed Shadows in three words. Simon: Deliberate, realistic, grounded. Assassin's Creed Shadows: Available March 20th 2025 We would like to say a huge thank you to Simon for joining us for this interview, and to Ubisoft for making it happen. In particular, we acknowledge the efforts of Dan St Germain from the AC Community Team! Look out for more interviews in the series, coming soon! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

What is going on with the Assassin's Creed X Netflix Live Action Series Prediction Share 31 Dec 2024 Written By: Edited By: UbiCypher (Joe) Colum Blackett Back To Database 2024 is nearing to its end and I was wondering what I'd like to see in relation to Assassin's Creed for this year besides the All-evident Assassin's Creed Shadows hitting the stores soon. Well, I decided to boot up Netflix with my mug of freshly-made eggnog (Yes I do those and they're delicious) and for some reason I decided to re-watch the Official Movie which, in all honesty, is a good piece of media in my eyes specially in terms of Lore-expansion and Modern Day treatment which is on par with the darkness Abstergo Industries represents along the color palette of the movie further enhancing that hostile and rude mood. It's incredible to think that the movie was released 8 years ago now and I still remember the premiere so vividly. So, what best time but now to do some backtracking and see what happened with the sequel and why we still have no word on the planned trilogy or Netflix Live-action adaptations for that matter, let's go back in time! Assassins Creed: The Movie Trilogy -"This is the sort of origin of his story. We have an idea of where he's going to go over the next two films". -Michael Fassbender. Michael Fassbender during an interview on the future of the Movies with Cinema Blend in 2016. According to Michael Fassbender in an interview hosted by Cinema Blend on the 16th of December 2016 a few days before the movie's official release, the Irish-German-born actor commented on the future of the Movie which by that point was already aiming for a trilogy stating -"We have an idea of where he's going to go over the next two films. We kind of did a three-film arc. We'll wait and see how people respond to this, but for sure, we have an idea of where he's going to go next". explaining the roadmap expected to follow if the budget somewhere between $130M and $200M was surpassed in terms of sales, which, never happened, the movie only roughly reaching $240M worldwide, enough for 20th Century Fox to remain silent on the matter, unfortunately these two sequels never seeing the light of day. The mixed receptions however did not slow down Ubisoft's efforts though as prior to the movie's release in theaters the French company was already in the talks with Netflix to secure a slot in their streaming service for "Multiple Projects" among which an official Live-action series, Animated spin-offs produced by American film producer and screenwriter Adi Sankhar; (DREDD, 2012), (Lone Survivor, 2013), (Captain Laserhawk: A Blood Dragon Remix, 2023), (Devil May Cry coming 2025) and Movie Sequels were planned to be developed until the 20th of March 2019 when Disney acquired Fox, restructuring the Studio and cancelling all projects tied to Assassin's Creed based on the movie's mixed reception and low box office takings. Assassin's Creed Official Show x Netflix Official Assassin's Creed Netflix TV Show logo. “We’re excited to partner with Ubisoft and bring to life the rich, multilayered storytelling that Assassin’s Creed is beloved for". -Peter Friedlander, Vice President, Original Series, Netflix. 27 October 2020. It wasn't until 2020 that we as fans would get any kind of information on Ubisoft's decision to make the long awaited jump to TV show at the yearly Ubisoft Forward conference where it was announced that an official partership with Netflix was settled to bring a Live-action show based on the hit franchise with Jeb Stuart, known for "Die Hard" and "Vikings: Valhalla" appointed as the showrunner a year later after the announcement. The river still followed its course without interruptions once again however and the raft was eventually lost at sea, Jeb Stuart quitting the project altogether in 2023 due to creative differences. "I think it was a little bit of a move of executives from LA to London, and it allowed the London group who, unfortunately, had to inherit my vision of what it was instead of getting to develop their own vision. So I think that's fair. I know it's going to be great whenever it comes out. I think the Ubisoft guys are fantastic. I think it's a terrific franchise. It was just a good, mutual time to move on for both sides." -Jeb Stuart during an interview with Collider, 2 January 2023. As of now, further details about the Netflix series, including its release date and new showrunner, have not been announced. We'll just have to wait and see, possibly at the next Ubisoft Forward. Also, it is important to keep in mind that Tencent is around the corner which may or may not put a halt to Assassin's Creed coming to TV at all in the future. Happy New Year! Image from our AC Netflix Community Fan Casting Article comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author UbiCypher (Joe) is an Assassin's Creed Transmedia expert who worked as the Lead Admin for the Isu_Network social media team, providing consistent social media content in the form of Assassin's Creed lore trivia, puzzles and news coverage, spending countless hours researching the series and real history. In 2025, he stepped back from his social media duties to pursue other opportunities. UbiCypher (Joe)

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 26th March -1st April 2022 Community Share 12 Apr 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Wildlife Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s first capture comes from @ GeeketteAna over on Twitter A first wildlife capture for our weekly roundup. I really like the Autumnal feel of this shot, with the fox as the main focal point. This truly is a beautiful photo. I feel like Valhalla really nails the design of foxes in the game. After playing Ghost of Tsushima I never thought this possible. 2) Cave Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @ _Jellybird over on Twitter. Sticking with Valhalla and we have a wonderful shot of Eivor exiting a cave ready for battle. I love the details on this one with the rippling water and the egg shaped cave entrance. The lighting is on point to, giving a window like feel. Not quite sure where this is on the game but I would like to find it. 3) England’s Beauty Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s third shot comes from @ Chris25551 over on Twitter. I picked this shot because of its beauty. Valhalla has such great scenery, and this showcases it. A fantastic, almost painting like capture that encompasses the range of colours in England. The sun breaking through the clouds creating a misty haze adds to the mystery of this shot. 4) Nefertiti’s Throne Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP number four comes from @ ophierian_vp over on Twitter. A change of game now for capture number four. This tilted image gives a great sense of depth to a sun-drenched imagine of Nefertiti’s Throne. It’s been a long time since I played the Curse of the Pharaohs, but I might just need to make a return after this. I especially love the small details in this shot. 5) Companion Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey The final capture of the week comes from @ Elvira04289 over on Twitter. I like this capture for two reasons: one it showcases Kassandra and Ikaros brilliantly, and in such fine detail. However secondly it made me smile. Ikaros definitely looks like he is photobombing here. I miss Senu and Ikaros so much, as they were great additions to their respective games. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 9th - 15th July 2022: Portraits Community Share 16 Jul 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Shadow Queen Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The first capture of the week comes from @ Lidertzz over on Twitter. This week’s portraits special begins with an image of Eivor looking very gothic. I love this capture as it is so intriguing due to the colour choices. I always feel that black is a difficult colour to work with as it can overpower a shot. This isn’t the case here where instead, it adds to the image, giving a menacing and mysterious feel to Eivor. I would not want to see her emerge from the shadows if I were a member of the order. 2) Warrior Queen Game: Assassin’s Creed Odyssey Photo number two comes from @ 6VAC1 over on Twitter. Next up we move to Odyssey and everyone’s favourite Misthios. I have spent more time with black and white virtual photography recently and have become quite a fan. This shot instantly caught my eye when it popped up on my feed. Here we have a striking capture of Kassandra that shows her deep in thought. She looks very much like a woman on a mission here. The lighting is perfect too and highlights much of the detail of Kassandra’s armour. 3) The Hidden One Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s third shot comes from @ JamesTiddlyQuid a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community. I have been looking for a portrait of Aya for quite some time, lucky for me this one showed up in the perfect week. A fantastic shot of Aya contemplating what she is about to do. Dressed as an assassin, she very much looks the part. I adore the amount of detail that has been captured here, it really shows off the amount of work that went into designing this character. I recommend checking out the full set of images captured by @ JamesTiddlyQuid as it showcases the whole scene brilliantly. 4) London Calling Game: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate VP number four comes from @ MissEvieFrye a member of our Assassin’s Creed VP Twitter Community . Syndicate captures are hard to come by, however thanks to the AC15 celebration week I came across multiple worthy candidates. This one stood out as my favourite though as the outfit and the stance are perfection. I am really impressed that this photo has been taken as a portrait, it really adds to the sense of falling. The incredible work blurring the background makes you feel like you’re playing the game. The outfit is the winner here though with the amazing red, black and gold showcased so beautifully. The hidden blade also catches the eye making this a true Assassin’s Creed shot. 5) The French Assassin Game: Assassin’s Creed Unity The final capture of the week comes from @ ophierian_vp over on Twitter. This last shot comes from Unity and actually completes a mini Assassin’s Creed timeline for this week’s showcase. This was a hard choice as the set in which this capture comes from is flawless. Once again we get to see the assassin in all his glory thanks to beautiful work with the depth of field. This photo gives me the sense that time is passing Arno by quickly as he awaits his next target. A fantastic outfit which gives off that French vibe, and the leather bracer with the Assassin symbol is just genius. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Rally The Creed Episode #3 Released Marketing for Assassin's Creed Mirage, Virtual Photography & AC Netflix Podcast Share 4 Jun 2023 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Ashlea Blackett Back To Database We are pleased to release episode #3 of Rally the Creed podcast, covering Marketing for Assassin's Creed Mirage, Virtual Photography and Assassin's Creed Netflix. Note this episode is recorded before the recent announcement of AC Mirage's release date. In episode #3 , guest host Jack from ThePhotoMode E-Magazine joins TOWCB Team members Lisa Zaman (Portrait Artist) and Aaron Young (Writer) to discuss all things in AC. Note: This episode was recorded before the recent announcement of AC Mirage's release date. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn1nl8PpnMA comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Searching for the Creed: Assassin's Creed London Landmarks Other Share 29 Dec 2023 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Colum Blackett Back To Database London - 1868 vs. 2023 Gustav also known as Gargudon from the TOWCB team, has found a second home in London over the few years, having done some back and forth travelling between there and Denmark, settling in London for a period of time every now and then. Seeing the city in real life provided the inspiration for this article, giving us the opportunity to showcase and compare various iconic landmarks of the great city, portrayed in-game in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate during the Victorian era, versus their real life counterparts today. St . Paul’s Cathedral St. Paul’s Cathedral, located right in the heart of the City Of London, is one of various landmarks there isn’t much about to say about, other than it has stood the test of time, and Marc Alexis-Coté and his team did a stellar job at recreating it in-game. It’s very likely some slight downscaling of the cathedral itself has taken place, but other than that it and the surrounding garden more or less looks the exact same. An iconic example of English Baroque architecture, St. Paul’s Cathedral boasts one of the largest domes in the world, inspired in the likes of the Roman grandeur. £23.61 to visit. Tate Modern Next is the massive factory and turbine hall in Southwark, right on the other side of the water from St. Paul’s, that has most likely turned into the museum known as Tate Modern. No name to this location is given in-game so we can’t be fully sure, but the size and location of it certainly suggests it. The factory has no matter what undergone a few changes on the outside, having an overall flatter exterior, no massive chimney on the left but in the centre instead… And most certainly on the inside too, trading in piping hot metal, dangerous machinery and fight rings for fancy exhibits, souvenir stores, cafés and such. The former Bankside Power Station that has now been repurposed into the Tate Modern as we know it was designed by Sir Giles Gilbert Scott, the same architect who designed the iconic red telephone boxes in London. No tickets needed / free access to the public. Tickets only needed for temporary events. Cost may vary and unclear. Waterloo Station The famous Waterloo Station right in the heart of Central London, has certainly seen its share of changes and expansions, since first opening in 1848. Back then it only had 6 operating platforms, while today it is the biggest train station in London and the UK overall with 24 platforms. The interior itself has certainly also changed its looks, going from a very classic industrial and Victorian look, to a much more modern and brightly looking design. Trafalgar Square This famous square, named after the iconic naval battle in 1805 on the Spanish coast, led by Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, whose monument is also raised at this location, also housing The National Gallery, more or less looks the exact same then as it does now, and Ubisoft did a great job at replicating it. The surrounding area has certainly seen changes though, with among other things the gate to the main road towards Buckingham Palace yet to be constructed. Leicester Square The iconic Leicester Square located right besides Piccadilly Circus, is one area that has certainly undergone various changes over the last century and a half. Then, really just a park. Today, that park but surrounded by restaurants, a massive LEGO and M&M’s store, cinemas, and home to world premieres of some of the biggest movies in the world, attended by some of the biggest names in film. Covent Garden Not much has changed about the famous Covent Garden market and halls, located not far from Leicester Square. While the selection of shops and places for refreshments has certainly expanded, the halls themselves and the square outside, also housing St. Paul’s Church remains intact. Piccadilly Circus Another area that has certainly changed over the last 155 years is Piccadilly Circus, located but a little north of St. James’ Park in the heart of Westminster. Famous for its massive billboard and the lights from it, it’s safe to say this crossroad wasn’t as bright nor necessarily crowded then as it is today. A massive double floor Boots store under the billboard, as well as restaurants and other shops in the surrounding area have also found their way into this iconic circus, but one part that stood strong then, and most certainly still does today, is the also famous fountain, right in the centre of it. Big Ben & Houses Of Parliament Not much to say about what is undoubtedly London’s and one of the world’s most iconic landmarks, other than with restorations and repairs made to the tower every now and then, Big Ben and the Houses Of Parliament, also known as the Palace Of Westminster, has stood the test of time, more or less looking the exact same today as it did during the Victorian era, where the tower itself was still a relatively new landmark, only having been completed 9 years prior in 1859. The Clock Tower’s nickname comes from Sir Benjamin Hall’s name , who was the first commissioner of Public Works in London and also in charge of the construction of the Houses of Parliament, the building to which the tower is attached to. You can find his name inscribed on the bell within the tower cast in 1852. Tickets range from £25 for adults, and £10 for children 11-17. Westminster Abbey Once again, not much to say about this one, other than it has stood the test of time and Ubisoft did a spectacular job at recreating the iconic abbey located right besides Houses Of Parliament. Only real noticeable changes on the exterior would be the fencing around the abbey, further construction and the addition of a souvenir shop in the bottom right corner, as well as a clock on just one tower instead of both. Originally a Benedictine Monastery, The Abbey has become one of the most popular London attractions. Serving as the resting place for several notorious people such as Isaac Newton and Charles Darwin (among others). Interestingly, the Abbey proudly holds the oldest door in the whole country. A wooden door leading to the Chapter House that was crafted around the 1050’s. Tickets cost £31.10 for entry. Buckingham Palace Except for restorations now and then, the iconic royal palace itself hasn’t undergone many changes, and Ubisoft once again did a great job replicating it. It’s mostly the area out front that has changed over time, being more round, and overall much larger and more spacious today. The Victoria Memorial is also something that has only found its way onto the outside palace grounds in the last century or so, being unveiled in 1911, with construction fully finished in 1924. Although the actual core of the palace was designed by John Nash in the early 19th century, the construction and planning of the Palace itself dates way back, most precisely, in the 1700’s commissioned by King George III. To this day, the Palace is not only the home of the Royal Family, but also 800+ people, all staff members. There's a cinema, pool, post office, police station, clinic and even a cash machine. Buckingham Palace is basically its own opulent little village. Tickets cost £38.39. (Now imagine all of this being read out loud by Danny Wallace) Merry Creedmas! -UbiCypher Credits Factual contributions by UbiCypher (Joe) Additional photos by Colum Blackett ( Col_96 ) Banner design by Thea Marie Rivedal ( Moonchildgecko ) Other articles in the series Searching for the Creed: Assassin's Creed Florence Landmarks comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills.

 His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Starter Guide: Norway Guide Share 2 Feb 2021 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Buckley Back To Database Assassin’s Creed Valhalla can seem like a daunting game at first. When you start in Norway the map is already a decent size. The amount of collectables and content to discover can feel slightly overwhelming, especially with most of the main game set in England. In this article I will try and set you up for your Viking adventure, with hints and tips for your beautiful starting location, Norway. I am going to keep away from the story aspects of the Norway arc, as it is best you discover this yourself. The only thing I will say is that the story can drag you in, and before you know it you will be sailing off to England without exploring everything Norway has to offer. Take time in-between quests to have a look around. Important to note, you will be able to return to Norway at any moment once you are in England. When you begin the game you will immediately start levelling up, however this is only the beginning. Norway is a snowy playground that you can use to set yourself up for your adventures in England. XP and the Map You will notice many icons scattered around Norway on the map. They range from gold (wealth), blue (mysteries) and white (artefacts). These are often separate from the main story and are here to enrich the experience. Completing the main quest will always be your best way to level up as the XP reward is high. The little gold markers have less of an impact on completing an area but offer valuable XP and resources. If you are a completionist like me then these small loot boxes are worth it even if they don’t seem like it at the time. For anyone who played Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Mysteries may come as a welcome addition. I found Odyssey a tad repetitive, but Valhalla’s Mysteries help diversify the world and keep things fresh. They often come with a small bit of problem solving, but be sure to check your surrounding area for clues. Mysteries are great for XP too, but don’t feel compelled to complete them all as some are power dependant. Gear and Skill Points Unlike Odyssey, don’t expect to find loads of gear throughout the world. Norway does not have many gear items and you can find yourself in the same outfit for quite some time. Personally I enjoy this, as I find I use each piece way more than I would in Odyssey/Origins. Your best way to scout out these gear pieces is to find the synchronization points. This will open up the world, and although Valhalla is less click and go, waypoints will become clearer after syncing with the world. Upgrading your gear can be done in multiple ways. The major upgrades will not be available until you reach England (Settlement Blacksmith), but runes and resources can be applied to your gear right from the start. I did this sparingly but if you follow the guidance above then you can use resources such as iron and leather to upgrade your gear as often as you like. Try not to get overloaded with skill points. The maximum power in Valhalla is 400, but this level will be increased during future DLC expansions. The points can be added to 3 different routes, however you do not have to specialise as by the end of the game you will most likely have filled all of the skill tree. Red is the way of the bear (Melee), yellow is the way of the raven (Stealth) and blue is the way of the wolf (Ranged). The game lets you view what is available under each section, so just find a skill you wish to acquire and work towards it. Combat Combat will take some getting used to but with perseverance you will prevail. I don’t tend to make the strongest builds or use that many different weapons, as I prefer to keep to the pure Viking simulator. If you take the time, you can make your character very powerful, even in the early stages of the game. When in Norway, I preferred the axe and the shield combination for close up fights and then switching to the bow for anything at a distance. There are not a lot of weapons to choose from in Norway, but there are enough to get you started. Once in England you will gain many more abilities which will tie in with your weapon choices. Health and stamina play a larger role in Valhalla. You will not have the luxury of health regeneration and must forage for food to store in a rations bag which can then be used during combat. Your stamina bar will deplete when running/fighting, so it is important to slow things down from time to time. Traveling and Discovering When navigating Norway it is best to use your longship. This will help you to discover fast travel points for easy access later in the game. It is also a great way to view the beautiful scenery Norway has to offer. On land you will find yourself on horseback. I found it a tad slow due to the mountain ranges. Try if you can to keep to the main paths, as this is a lot quicker and will not deplete your stamina. Quite often you will find items in the world that are trapped behind locked or barricaded doors. Sometimes it can be frustrating to find a way in. Remember, locked doors will always have a key nearby and Sýnin your raven can help. Sýnin cannot tag everything in the environment like Senu or Ikaros could, but your bird will still be useful for finding things. If that fails you have Odin’s sight (Eagle Vision) which will give you a glimpse of the environment around you. Anything that is barricaded will just be a small puzzle to solve. Keep an eye out for gaps in windows, or weakness in walls/roofs for a way in. Hopefully these tips will help you get started on your Viking adventure. Valhalla is a wonderful game full of intrigue and mystery with a story that sucks you in slowly. Be patient and take your time, you will not regret it. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

The Memory Corridor #25 Released AC Games Versus History & Future Historical Settings Podcast Share 4 Jun 2023 Written By: Edited By: Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon) Colum Blackett Back To Database In Episode 25 of The Memory Corridor, host Gargudon is joined by AC community member and content creator AC_Landmarks for a comparison of historical time periods and characters portrayed in the games and real history, as well as a deep dive into potential future historical settings. Covering everything from the real life Templars, the Renaissance, the American Revolution and much more in between. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUQR9P2x2VM comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Gustav / Gargudon is an active community member, who started out in podcast hosting in 2016, but today mostly specialises in video creation, interviews & composing. By joining The Ones Who Came Before in 2019, originally reviving 'The Memory Corridor' podcast, which had been offline for nearly a year, he has had the opportunity to expand his audience and further develop his skills.

 His unique skill set made him the perfect candidate for our team. Among other things, he is known in the community for the Sounds Of History project - an original Assassin’s Creed inspired instrumental music project, featuring five tracks inspired by as many different games - other original fan themes plus covers of iconic AC tracks, as well as video interviews with a number of high profile names in the world of AC, from Roger Craig Smith, Jesper Kyd and more. Fun fact, among his growing colourful tattoo collection, Gustav is the only member of our team to have the TOWCB logo inked. Gustav Poulsen (Gargudon)

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 7th to 25th July Community Share 10 Sept 2025 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Back To Database Welcome to the monthly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every four weeks we will be picking our top five favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run alongside @Its__Gurly a valued member of our virtual photography community. Gurly’s a highly talented virtual photographer who often brings her unique style to the world of Assassin’s Creed VP. Gurly specialises in atmospheric photography, and she showcases this in all her shots. We would like to thank Gurly for taking the time to support us with this fantastic theme. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. Theme: Assassin’s Creed Butterfly Game: Assassin’s Creed Shadows VP Artist: @ValkyrieQ8 The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Theme Judge: @Its__Gurly Gurly I like this shot because it has the perfect amount of light and darkness. The brightness of the butterfly gives it a feel of hopefulness in the dark times we go through. Aaron Assassin’s Creed Shadows is probably one of the brutalist in the series when it comes to combat. The game really ups the gore for this entry and that’s saying something after Viking England. However, scratch the surface and you will uncover a world filled with beauty that can often be missed. I find this capture to be so peaceful and yet troubling. The leaves breaking out from the darkness look so realistic and the lighting really helps achieve this. I love how the white butterfly stands out proudly, catching the eye immediately. I like to think the butterfly is a symbol of the Assassin’s and those leaves are the templars reaching out to drag it into the abyss. Out in the Cold Game: Assassin’s Creed Shadows VP Artist: @ opticsshatter.bsky.social Wildlife has always been such an important part of the Assassin’s Creed universe, probably more so since the RPG series. Ubisoft has used these animals to build a living world that assists in player immersion. You could easily boot up the game and play wildlife photographer for an hour. I have always been fond of fox captures, and this one really is up there as one of my favourites. I can’t get over how close to life it looks. The photo is really showing the graphical prowess of Shadows. The fog and tracks in the snow are amplifying the image, making it seem like an Xmas postcard. I think the winner is the tint, I find it helps elevate the shot and give it an almost artistic feel. Reflection Game: Assassin’s Creed Shadows VP Artist: @ carlswagen.bsky.social Assassin’s Creed portraits are always impressive, and that is down to the protagonists always being great subjects to capture. Like with most video games people like to shoot the main characters it’s a natural urge. What’s made this even better is the time-of-day function in the photo mode. We can now get the perfect lighting for these wonderful portraits. This shot however breaks the mould a little and that is exactly what makes it standout. The heron looks so graceful wading through the water looking for food. I like how the details of the feathers have been captured thanks to that sharp sunlight. I adore the reflection in the water; it really make the shot for me. The symmetry is so satisfying to look at that you can’t take your eyes away. Archway Game: Assassin’s Creed Shadows VP Artist: @saskiaemmischVP I must say when I started playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows I did not Invision myself capturing the coastal areas as much as I have. I think Ubisoft did a great job at diversifying the landscapes that we get to uncover in Shadows. The seasonal changes also allow for varied shots with no location looking the same throughout a year in Japan. Here we have a solum but striking capture from Saskia. Its photos like this that make you realise the graphical leap in this game. The clouds and rock textures are exceptional, and Saskia has done a fantastic job at showcasing them. I love the balance of sky verses water and that archway with the trading boat floating pass is a nice touch. Through the Streets Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @Birgamerinalbu1 The murky streets are something of a staple in the Assassin’s Creed series. Most notably in Unity and Syndicate. However, the recent switch to the RPG formula has eradicated some of these more sinister street level missions. Mirage did such a good job at balancing the two styles and that is evident here through this wonderful capture. I am very impressed with the composition and the mood of the shot. The foggy street with the warm glow of the exit really adds a layer of mystic to the photo. At first glance I was convinced this was from Syndicate. I like how Basim is heading towards the light, which is ironic because his character ends up doing the opposite. And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassin's Creed Shadows: TOWCB Spoiler-Free Review Review Share 18 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: TOWCB Team Colum Blackett Back To Database Banner by Frame Hold Photography. Thanks to Ubisoft for providing a code for the purposes of this review Contributions by: Colum Blackett Taylor McKay UbiCypher Aaron Young Frame Hold Photography Turið Torkilsdóttir ''Japan is a land of danger. Navigating it will take some thought and skill, as enemies lurk in the shadows. It’s a truly immersive experience.'' Described by one developer as ‘Ubisoft’s suicide note’, Assassin’s Creed Shadows could be the single most important game that Ubisoft has ever released, as the fate of the company may ride on its success. It’s a game that media outlets have pitched as a ‘make or break’ title for Ubisoft after a difficult financial year, so does Assassin’s Creed Shadows do enough to turn the tide? Early on in the marketing campaign, the development team dubbed it ‘the ultimate Assassin’s Creed game’, a bold statement considering the success of former releases. In this review, we will outline its strengths and weaknesses, dissecting it bit by bit to rate it not just as a video game but as an entry into the Assassin’s Creed universe, with the full weight of history and lore that came before stacked against it. After 2018’s Odyssey, Ubisoft Quebec moved on to 2020’s Immortals Fenyx Rising while envisioning their next AC in pre production. Full production began in 2021 leading Shadows to have the longest development cycle since the 2007 original, leading to a reinvention and re-evaluation of the core mechanics of AC. The game was also delayed twice, which massively increased expectations, but also gave the development more time to polish and finalise, something which is clear in the finished product. Shadows massively delivers on the majority of core Assassin's Creed pillars, and provides an engaging narrative which serves as a major cornerstone for the game's triumph. Promotional image for Assassin's Creed Shadows (2025) Narrative and Story 1579 Feudal Japan Our story begins in the Iga province of Japan in 1579 with a young woman named Naoe, training as Shinobi to protect Iga from Oda Nobunaga, who is conquering Japan into one united unit under the Shogun and Iga wants to remain independent. leading the game to open during Oda’s invasion in 1581. The game is set during a time where Portuguese influence was growing across Japan, and deals were being struck to increase the freedom of trading and movement for the Church. In return, Nobunaga gets a a new weapon in his arsenal, in the form of gunpowder called Toppo. This makes him and his forces a deadly adversary as they seek to conquer under one banner. Dual protagonists return in Assassin's Creed Shadows, connecting two personal stories into a shared arc which aligns at connected intervals, forming an engaging and interwoven narrative that drives the player forward. The game uses history to weave together a powerful story, in a way that has never been done before in the series. The attack on Iga event is seen from both perspectives, something which is new to the franchise, acting as a major lifechanging event for both Yasuke and Naoe. The connected story, which provides 9 main targets (the Shinbakufu), is incredibly satisfying. They can be completed in numerous ways, taking the original idea of a 'sandbox assassination' to another level. Both characters are incredibly driven in their pursuits and put themselves in danger to achieve their goals for the people of Japan. There are personal quests for each character, which demonstrate their personality in different ways. Many of the quests are calm and don't require combat, giving the players a glimpse at the humanity of each protagonist. They are both very likeable for various reasons: Naoe ‘’The life of an Assassin is pain’’ (Ezio Auditore) Naoe is the embodiment of this, and channels it, using her pain as motivation to strike against her enemies. She has to live with pain caused by her enemies, suffering a tragic backstory, as many Assassin's Creed characters do. It is used as motivation that fuels her. Anger turned into calculated risk. She is incredibly intelligent for her age considering her youth, and not rash when hitting back in response. She was trained as a Shinobi by her father for two years prior to the start of the game, giving her a great grasp of parkour and a sense of righteousness. As she is a native Japanese she has a clear understanding of the culture and world making her feel very part of the world. Although things are very different in her village compared to the rest of Japan, she is able to blend into society by keeping her true thoughts and motivations for only her most trusted allies. The flashbacks to Naoe’s past are excellent. They do interrupt the flow of the main campaign but they are used to further the audience's connection to her, making her history, a clear part of her future. She looks both backwards and forwards at the same time. Yasuke Yasuke is an outsider in a foreign land, possibly Mozambique in Southeastern Africa, who gains the interest of Oda Nobunaga, who sees his potential from the offset. Initially known as ‘Diogo’, a slave captured by the Portuguese, he takes back control of his situation by learning the language and customs of Japan. He is a stranger in a strange land. He is immediately an outsider, not only due to his skin colour but also his height as he is taller (6 foot) than the Japanese in general (average is 5 ft 4 inches) so they see him as giant. He has to fight for his place among the Samurai and Nobunaga’s presence as well as forging a name for himself. But once a samurai he has interactivity in the world as NPCs will bow to him when walking around the world and he will be acknowledged by other Samurai making him feel part of the world He is a tank, as when you control him he feels very heavy and slow to move: think of Eivor but with more physicality. The ‘One man army’ storms across Japan, making an impact, but there is also a more human and softer side to Yasuke that makes him likeable and caring about the plights of others. He begins his journey as a victim, but rises well above his expected station by becoming a respected warrior for Oda Nobunaga, winning battles and helping to unite Japan. He does not let power go to his head, but uses his new position to help people on a more personal level. Think of the homestead activities or world events in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, but with more opportunities to help and gain reward and status for doing so. Joint story The Joint story involves both Naoe and Yasuke hunting down the remaining members of the Shinbakafu as they each have a personal stake in seeing the order ended. They will each go through a personal journey and grow and develop and thus learn to work together with their skill sets. The story is engaging and aligns itself more with Origins than the previous few entries. Shadows is a slow burner, and requires a bit of patience. It is well worth it though once the game opens up and Ubisoft does what it knows best. With the possibility of 60+hours to complete the main storyline, players will haver plenty of time to get to know both Yasuke and Naoe. Both the main characters are very strong in their own right. We believe that Naoe is the most compelling and we wouldn't be surprised if she is able to match Kassandra as a fan favourite. That being said, Yaskue has his own playstyle and mystery so you constantly debate switching between the two, opening up more possibilities. Throughout the main storyline, multiple minor characters catch the attention of the audience early on in the game, with their stories slowly developing as you progress. It's nice to see the calmer moments which contrast against the violence, and bring depth to the world. We feel that players will be drawn to the main storyline and a higher number of players than usual will complete the game, as it is incredibly interesting and connects at numerous intersections that provides both satisfaction and at points, emotion. Naoe and Yasuke The World The world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is incredibly beautiful and full of opportunities. The dynamic weather cycle adds depth to exploration, and also makes it possible to notice the passage of time. Shadows introduces the first fully next gen open world Assassin’s Creed game, built for the latest platforms, pushing technology to be the best it can be. Vibrant colours contrast against the dark night, adding a layer of beauty to a land of war and politics. The weather can massively impact decisions for players, as a windy day can turn into a storm, making it easier to attack, whilst a sunny afternoon makes the chances of being spotted more likely. You can also feel the wind in the game, as trees and nature respond to it. There is a distinct balance of violence and beauty, contrasting between conflict and slower moments such as art, eating, celebrating, ordinary everyday actions that make the world feel more authentic to the period. The new method of synchronization encourages players to unfog the map for themselves, highlighting points of interest rather than revealing everything at once. This leads to more exploration, and takes players deeper into the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Japan is full of opportunities, and provides an atmospheric sense of uncovering the next secret, creating a rewarding journey for players. Throughout the world players will uncover: Shinto shrines, which provide some temporary bonus. Praying at temples, Kodas (Samuari training). Kofun, Shadows’ equivalent to tomb puzzles that reward a piece of gear. Kuji-Kiri (meditation areas that do trigger some flashbacks for Naoe). Sumi-E (Allows Naoe and Yasuke to exercise their drawing skill and draw paintings of animals that can be added to the hideout as pets and decorate buildings with. Horse archery practice Renga-shi (collaborative poetry). Outside of all these, players will also discover white orbs that appear in certain locations and these are the codex entries, similar to how they appeared in 2023’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage. If you wish to find all of them, as they do not appear on the map, you will have to find them. This action and design decision encourages exploration so you may find several each time you play. Although the scenery is visually appealing, Japan is also a land of danger. Navigating it will take some thought and skill, as enemies lurk in the shadows. It’s a truly immersive experience. Animals in the game are peaceful, and are to be admired, not hunted like in previous games or the Far Cry series. The danger comes from enemies scattered across the land, posing a threat in restricted areas. The best way to proceed is by building a network of spies and scouts who can provide intel when deployed correctly, or assist players when called upon. Just like in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, the scouts patrol nearby and eliminate threats from stealth positions. The world of Assassin's Creed Shadows is incredibly detailed and beautiful, and we can't wait to see the photo mode captures at launch! Promotional image for Assassin's Creed Shadows Stealth This is by far the most ambitious, care taken, polished and refined stealth since the days of AC1. This is where the game really shines, from allowing you the ability to go prone and the inclusion of an expert mode for hardcore players. The introduction of prone l the team to completely rethink the standard Assassin’s Creed control mapping, which shows the dedication and commitment of the team to revamp this essential core pillar of the series. A s the title of the game implies, stealth is an element which is pivotal to the series. Valhalla did a good job at creating opportunities for stealth, but a lack of tools and an imperfect social stealth system made it difficult to master. Shadows introduces fresh ideas and tools, such as the ability to extinguish lights to operate in the shadows, perform double Hidden Blade assassinations and new tools such as the kukri (throwing knife), bells (to distract enemies), Shuriken, and of course, the return of the classic smoke bomb. Tall grass is new, and can be used to go prone in. It can also be destroyed if detected or hit with a weapon. The useful 'Last detected shadow' once again appears, allowing you to see where enemies lost sight of you allowing you to react. A simple feature is back with the whistle, which can be used to lure enemies away from their guarding positions. You can draw enemies towards a certain death if used correctly. Hiding spots return such as haystack, a coffin, a closet and a chandelier on the roof. Naoe is the master of stealth, but it can be challenging to use it effectively. Time and thought is needed for the player to also become the true stealth master. She is very fast and agile and you can feel the difference when playing as both characters. Something in particular which is incredibly satisfying in the game is the unlockable Shoji door assassination, which takes inspiration from old school Ninja movies. On the other hand, Stealth is challenging for Yasuke, with limited options available. Although he can go prone, it feels like his character is built purely for combat, although we have no doubt some players will master stealth for Yasuke, using the rifle to dispatch enemies from the bushes. You can infiltrate castles and hunt down samurai Dashos, who's death leads to a reward by gaining a mastery point. Clear all of them in a castle to unlock its gear chest. As restricted areas house many enemies, it is rewarding to use stealth to enter and dispatch enemies. Eagle vision is restricted to Naoe only but you can tag enemies with both characters; you can also play as Naoe to tag enemies, then switch to Yasuke and the tags remain. This is because Naoe observes her surroundings differently to Yasuke, due to her training and discipline. It is worth mentioning that social stealth has been removed. Blending, distracting enemies by sending large groups and bench sitting have all gone, but we feel that it is acceptable as Naoe operates in the shadows rather than in plain sight. For her to expose herself too often could lead to increased danger, and she has enough new tools, abilities and kill moves to make stealth both fun, challenging and rewarding. Stealth promo image for Assassin's Creed Shadows Parkour Naoe is lightweight and nimble, moving effortlessly across the rooftops. The revamped parkour system has been fully redeveloped. Gone are the days of every surface being climbable since the days of Origins. This has been replaced with a similar system seen in the Ezio and Kenway games with a definite parkour start and finish alongside path markers like bridges and robes, as well as the “yellow” paint with player guidance. Naoe’s rope can allow her to reach high places but it can’t be used as a rope between buildings. The tree swing assassination encourages parkour, so players will find themselves looking down on opponents frequently throughout the game to get the satisfaction of death from above. Naoe bring the delicate balance of precise manoeuvres, mastered during her time in Iga. She can quickly gain a vantage point and tag enemies or observe surroundings from above. Parkour feels useful again. Enemies no longer frequent high places, as was the case in Mirage and previous games, as parkour is limited to a select number throughout Japan, such as Shinobi. The game does a really good job at taking Naoe from street level to a high place in the blink of an eye, either by using the rope or by climbing structures. Some buildings are still in development, and Naoe can climb up the wooden beams before a roof has been added, also allowing her to enter and loot chests. Parkour has a host of new animations and flips which make it both fun and energetic. It's clear that Ubisoft put a lot of thought and effort into this, as Naoe moves effortlessly. The Parkour up and down functions serve the game well, providing opportunities to move with speed and purpose. Yasuke’s heavy build means that parkour is limited. He can climb on to roofs but not tall buildings making him ineffective in stealthy castle infiltrations. We feel that players will switch to Naoe if they wish to get a parkour experience, as Yasuke's physique makes it difficult to do more than jump from ledge to ledge or climb basic platforms. Overall, we're really impressed with the new parkour system. It doesn't feel sticky, and the player feels like they have full control over movement when freerunning. The animation team did a really great job at updating a system that hasn't really changed in recent Assassin's Creed games. It's great to see that the series still shows such a willingness to adapt and evolve. Naoe throws a smokebomb above her target, using height to her advantage. Combat Combat is a very different experience for Naoe and Yasuke. Combat for Naoe is a mixture of light and heavy attacks, carefully waiting for the opportunity to strike. She is better at waiting for the right opportunity to strike, rather than lashing out in haste. Due to her small size, a heavy attack can do major damage to Naoe. Yasuke has increased health due to his stature and heavy armour. He is lethal in combat due to his huge arsenal of weapons and abilities. In combat, players have the objective of destroying armour before delivering the killing blow, breaking down opponents and catching them off guard. Yasuke tends to block or parry rather than dodge, the favoured approach by Naoe due to her size. Each character has their own arsenal. Naoe has her aforementioned tools alongside a Katana, Tanto, and a Kusarigama, a long range weapon. Yasuke has a more varied arsenal with a Long Katana, a Kanabo, a Naginata, alongside ranged weaponry consisting of a bow and a Teppo (early firearm), exclusive to him is the ability to parry unblockable attacks as well as more health and two more health rations. He can also charge doors, which in missions can allow allies to join the fight. One thing that Naoe can do to even the odds is use silent arrows, which can pierce armour and break down an opponent before she even has to consider close quarters combat. The brutality of combat is immediate, with decapitations common and increased blood. A new series of kill animations will shock players, as Naoe can flip behind a player and slit their throat. Both players can cut an enemies head clean off its shoulders, making it easily the most fierce combat system in an Assassin's Creed game, beating the brutality of Valhalla. Yasuke has many unlockable abilities for combat, all of which make him more deadly when facing enemies. His kick in particular is strong, knocking enemies of all sizes to the ground. Think, Sparta Kick in AC Odyssey without the need for a Piece of Eden powering it. His size is pure muscle and strength, which he channels in combat. Even though Yasuke is a huge man, the enemies he faces are varied in size, so he doesn't always feel overpowered. Smaller foe like Shinobi are much quicker and can surprise with quick reflexes and multiple attacks at once. Learning the best course of action will keep players occupied when choosing the more direct approach. We thoroughly enjoyed combat in Assassin's Creed Shadows, but the majority of our team prefer the stealth approach in AC Title. That being said, both playstyles have their own benefits in AC Shadows that will keep players swapping depending on the situation or quest requirements. Yasuke in combat Modern Day Assassin’s Creed Shadows introduces a new present day story which is connected to the Animus Hub platform, the new overarching platform which acts as the home of Assassin’s Creed content. Immediately players are introduced to the ‘Animus Ego’, an incredibly powerful piece of Abstergo marketing which is hacked by an unknown digital entity known as ‘The Guide’, a hologram which provides cryptic digital support. It’s without a doubt the most visual and immersive Animus experience yet, but it would be a mistake to overly praise a modern day Animus experience that strips away gameplay entirely. ‘Welcome to the dark’. From the offset, it’s an engaging Modern Day storyline that calls back to the darker tones layed out in previous titles, channelling the easy vibes that were present during the Clay Kaczmarek glyphs and the Erudito Animus hacking cutscenes in Assassin’s Creed Liberation. The Modern Day air of mystery returns, something which will be a relief for old-school fans of the Assassin’s Creed Initiates platform, as completing activities in-game unlocks information and data that is stored in the Animus Hub database. Plus, the references to Carl Gustav Jung from which the Animus Ego is named after referencing his archetypes from which “The Shadow” is conveniently one of them, and the fact that it is a new type of Animus managed by an AI “Ego” that is able to harness the power of the Bleeding Effect by overloading the user's senses in order to subdue them and render then totally controllable. A new story arc revolving around Tatyana Dane and Joel Eastman in what seems like an “almost apocalyptic world” hunted down by operatives in Marrakech. The name Geoff Eastman also appears and is implied to be somewhat of an “Assassin” archetype as he is apparently the main reason why Joel (his son) is doing what he's doing in Morocco; “To change the world and make a difference”. Through the Animus Hub, you have memories, projects, exchange and vault Memories: Here players will be welcomed to a timeline and are greeted with images of the protagonist from recent Assassin’s Creed titles such as Basim, Kassandra and Eivor, booting up their memories, as the Hub acts as an all-in-one game launcher. Right now only Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla, Mirage, and Shadows are available. Projects : Data streams are corrupted. These quests are tied to the projects tab within the Animus Hub, these act as mini battle passes, and completing these tasks reward helix keys, you can also find them randomly strewn across the world. You can use these Keys at the exchange which replaces Reda’s shops with daily rewards. Exchange: This is Shadow’s version of Reda’s shop from Origins and Valhalla where you can see the deal of the day or gear to spend those hard earned helix keys earned through projects. The Vault: Here you can find text, voice or video files related to the modern day overarching narrative that are unlock through progression of shadow’s story and through levels completed through projects. There's a lot to look forward to in the Modern Day storyline, but it's disappointing to see a lack of playable missions. Shadows is another attempt at making the present day story optional, and running in the background via the Animus Hub. After Valhalla and Mirage helped to establish Basim as a new threat in the Modern Day, it would have been very interesting to learn more about his activities, rather than completing missions to gain intel. After years of stripping away Modern Day Assassination missions, should we even be surprised at this point? Things you missed We have exclusive information from Akim Milne, Director of Cinematography from Ubisoft Quebec who gave a fascinating presentation at the UK Assassin's Creed Shadows Community Launch event, showing the incredible depth of research and thought that went into the game's development. Camera Angles and references The game uses a wide range of camera angles which take inspiration from a number of sources, such as Japanese cinema, anime, Western cartoons and mainstream Western depictions of the East. These reference points can be seen throughout the game and have also appeared in the marketing campaign for Shadows. For example, Crash zooms, which appears in a number of films by Director Quentin Tarantino, famously appearing in the Kill Bill series. In Assassin's Creed Shadows, when an enemy of rank is revealed, the camera zooms in, revealing the true title of enemy. The team really pushed to get Japanese film references into the game, for example callbacks to Seven Samurai (1954), which were even present in early mood boards. When presenting Iga, the team wanted to show that all members of the community were constantly practicing martial arts, as is customary throughout Japanese cinema. More recently, in the film 47 Ronin (2023), an infiltration with grappling hooks takes place in the daytime, and this is something which the development team wished to replicate as players can't change the day and night cycle due to the dynamic weather feature. Another film reference is Naoe's rope dart which draws inspiration from Mortal Kombat when used in combat. Cultural references from a wide range of historical sources have been included in the game. The Hideout represents this, and shows the normality of everyday life, with NPC’s performing everyday tasks such as washing clothes. Due to the notable size differences between Naoe and Yasuke, during cutscenes, low angle lenses were often used to make Naoe feel small in a gigantic world, grounding the camera work and giving perspective against the ever present landscape. Many times throughout cutscenes, over the shoulder camera angles were used to highlight distance, creating a sense of awkwardness. For example, when Naoe meets leaders, the camera angles purposely build tension by showing her as a small figure who is meeting someone of power, raised on a platform. There is an ever growing sense of danger should she say the wrong thing. At times, there is a focus on forefront details as things go on in the background to draw viewers to facial expressions, an intentional artistic decision to highlight emotions, often fear, and show the power dynamic between the one kneeling, and the one standing. For example, a sacrificial beheading scene. It's worth noting that Akim believes that Naoe at times is faking the submissive role, not making direct eye contact, looking away, something which causes tension. Iga is independent and remote, so didn't adhere to social hierarchy. As an Igan shinobi, she has been trained as an equal, but must succumb to the hierarchy and customs of respect that were prevalent in the period, or at least pretend to do so. Eye contact changes throughout the game depending on the relationship Yasuke or Naoe have with the character. This changes depending on the level of formality, as they wish to present themselves correctly. The game presents the historical mandatory distance for addressing a person of power. The intentional awkwardness of being on the floor, giving a full bow, feeling a sense of fear, and no eye contact really comes across in the final product. Some cutscenes aim to be fully immersive, with no talking whatsoever. Lots of cinematic shots in the game also look like paintings. The team really wanted to demonstrate the relationship between ink and blood, often using tones of red when calligraphy is represented to give the sense that war is always looming, and the spill of blood can be caused by the beautiful and peaceful act of ink painting, such as giving an order. The colour grade in the game is intentionally noticeable. The colours in Spring pop, and contrast the darkness of night, which are incredibly dark compared to previous AC titles, making Naoe practically invisible. The hyper saturated colours also mean that the cherry blossom trees stand out in a vivid shade of pink. Completely different light rigs were used for the two protagonists. Naoe has young skin lighter, creating shadows on her face. Yasuke beard, and darker skin complexion natural uses contrast to show colouring, with natural tones of orange and purple to add warmth and naturalise complexion in different lighting. Performance and Animation Focus on cultural gestures, bowing, early animation tests, authentic, came about from research. Minimalist approach was taken. Often in games, gestures exaggerated in approach. The team went back to drawing board and carefully select ones that felt legit to time, before creating their own. Traditional poses, Samurai would sit in Agura pose, proper way of sitting. Correct posture and stances were to feel minimal, and authentic. Mocap is used to capture moves etc, and are then sent to the animation team, who use them to embody scenes they shoot, rather than static storyboards. They are a reference to animation team rather than doing full body mocap like in the past. Performance capture is dots on faces, and records exact performance, but is very expensive, due to it requiring the full film crew, actors and stunt doubles. Combat moments are done this way. The voice actors include Japanese tonality phrasing of sentences. The actor who plays Yasuke would embody character, mentally transform, becoming larger in his posture. When Naoe talks to an ally, she can be herself. This is seen in her eye movement and facial expressions. Naoe weaponises her decision to use eye contact, faking it at times to infiltrate and gain information, pretending to be subservient. Yasuke will full bow at the start of the game, and do less as he gains rank. Bows are a major part of Japanese culture, so a wide variety of bow animations, depending on hierarchy and situation were created. They vary in length, show respect, and have different levels of eye contact too depending on circumstances. Villagers will bow to Yasuke, as Samurai have power and respect. There are situations where player needs to remember which bow is appropriate 700+ cutscenes feature in the game. As there are weather differences, height and body differences, the team had to create every cutscene independently as camera angles can't be shared. Also choices may branch differently, so a lot of time went into creating cutscenes. They had to Test animations in each and every scenario to make sense, ground the scenes and make them immersive regardless of time or day. The Transmog system can vary in depth, ranging from changing the look of a certain weapon to stripping it part by part, creating ultimate version of a weapon Conclusion After an insensitive marketing campaign struggled to drum up hype for the game until late in production, due to questionable marketing practices and lack of research, the game itself is overall a wonderful balance of old and new, bringing together the most complete relationship between the old games and the newer RPG titles, all within a well crafted immersive world. Strengths Voice acting performances and dialogue. Facial expressions and animations are much improved. Music is excellent throughout Atmosphere balances light and dark. Connected narrative, seen from both perspectives. Stealth options. Revamped parkour system. Naoe and Yasuke are both interesting protagonists. Negatives Lack of playable Modern Day The main Templar group feels undeveloped as characters The character not in use doesn't really do anything No hunting and crafting Removal of social stealth OUR SCORE 9/10 Closing Remarks Aaron Comments The opening sections of the game suffer with some flat lighting which makes the game feel a little outdated. However this becomes less frequent once the prologue has been completed. In fact I think the lighting can be quite impressive, especially in darker areas later in the game. I do feel like the skin textures of some characters feel a little off. Naoe especially has less facial details than Eivor or Basim. The Score is fantastic, really complimenting the story. You can feel the Japanese influence. At times there is a Taratino vibe when aspects of the game collide with this quirky soundtrack. The combat is a huge step up from the previous games. There is now a real sense of satisfaction from timing and a smoothness that enables encounters to flow seamlessly. The Animus Hub is a fantastic idea and presents itself very well to the player. I love the fact you can launch the previous RPG AC games from there. The animations of the characters are great and I love that for Shadows both protagonists wear what you currently have on in the game. The menus in the game are very clean and impressive. I like the dark backgrounds as it makes everything seem really professional and easy to read. Codex entries function like they did in Mirage. I actually enjoy this way of learning about the world. It does make me sad that we might not get a Discovery Tour though. I think it would be wise to mention the chromatic aberration. This was a contentious issue with Mirage. Once again it is turned on as default. If you are a virtual photographer it might be worth switching it off from the start. I found it negatively impacted the photo mode. Photo Mode Congratulations to Ubisoft for braving a new Photo Mode. It would have been easy to just copy paste from Mirage. The old PM is so user friendly, albeit a little outdated. You now have a completely different layout for the PM. There are tabs to switch between, similar to what we saw in Star Wars Outlaws. All the parameters in the Photo Mode are slow to adjust. This makes editing a shot a lengthy process, especially when compared to the previous games. The filters are such a cool edition, allowing players to diversify their captures. The red dragon is a particular favorite. I still believe that adding expressions for the characters would have further enhanced this photo mode. Unless you are in combat both Naoe and Yasuke have the same look on their face. With Star Wars Outlaws getting a time of day function, it is pretty disappointing that Shadows misses out. Especially as we can be locked in a season for quite some time. I am really sad that the fog option has been removed. This was such a unique feature to AC photo modes. The only saving grace is that the natural weather in the game produces some very nice fog. The depth of field is now aligned to a real camera. It functions well enough but can be hindered by the slow movement. It is tricker to use than the previous games and may become a barrier for new virtual photographers. With the lack of a bird companion in this game the range is now an issue. I think you can move the camera further than in the previous games but without the height of an eagle those long distance shots will be tricky. The Photo Mode does allow for nicer shots, with less post editing than we are used to. Once again you can post your shots straight to Ubi Connect or upload them to your console. Seeing everyones capture on the world map is always a joy. The frames are more aligned to Odyssey’s PM which I know will delight a few people. Frame Hold Photography’s Comments: Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a visually stunning and immersive game, and I have had so much fun with it during my early access preview. This latest entry into the Assassin’s Creed series truly takes advantage of all the newest tech to provide a gorgeous rendition of Feudal Japan for players to explore. The new dynamic weather and season systems are fantastic. It is incredible how much the world changes as you progress through the seasons and how the environment affects your play. Tall grass that was in one location in the summer is dead by winter, and water that you could once swim through freezes over. Snowstorms and thunderstorms can aid in your stealthy approaches toward camps, castles, and forts, while sunny summer days make it easier for guards to spot you. These elements are playstyles that never had to be considered in previous Assassin’s Creed games, making Shadows all the more unique and impressive. Shadows does not include a bird companion for Naoe or Yasuke. I was a bit upset when I first heard this news since the recon Senu, Ikaros, Synin, and Enkidu provided was extremely useful for tagging enemies, loot, and mission markers. Once I started playing Shadows, I soon understood why a bird companion wouldn’t fit into this game's pace, style, and philosophy. Everything in Shadows encourages players to slow down, calculate their movements, plan attacks, and admire the natural world and its beauties. The new Observe Mechanic better fits into this philosophy since it has players look around their environments, climb to higher places to have better vantage points, and pay attention to more minor details. While the bird companion was a much quicker and instantly gratifying tool, the Observe Mechanic is a new way to immerse players into the world. The combat and stealth systems in Shadows feel great. Combat feels weighty, parrys feel powerful, and abilities change the tides of fights. I’ve been enjoying the three weapon types both Naoe and Yasuke have access to. My favorite for Naoe is the Tanto blade since it’s fast and incorporates hidden-blade combat again! For Yasuke, I have been enjoying the heavy weight of the Kanabo. While slow, this weapon can absolutely decimate enemies. When it comes to stealth, Naoe’s grappling hook makes it easy to scamper up buildings quietly, and the ability for both characters to go prone opens up a host of new stealth opportunities. I have only experienced a fraction of the whole game, but the writing and character development within the first 20 hours have been rich, exciting, and outright shocking at times. Much like the Odyssey, the beginning of Shadows is starting to form a core ensemble of characters, and I am excited to see how they all develop throughout the main story. Lastly, I’d like to comment on the game’s music. The Flight, who composed the soundtrack for Odyssey, also composed the soundtrack for Shadows. The soundtrack weaves traditional Japanese instruments with modern Japanese Rock, creating a diverse range of sonic tones for the game–from peaceful and meditative to action-packed and adrenaline-filled. I love that this mix of styles pays homage to the musical history of Japan. Gentle tracks accompany the player as you explore the vast world, and heart-pumping rock songs set the tone for boss fights and intense game moments. Overall, I am incredibly impressed with what I have experienced so far in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and am excited to continue my playthrough! Taylor's comments The story is an interesting part of shadows. It is very dark and serious in tone, not comedic in any way. The pacing does suffer a little bit as unfortunately the prologue feels a little rushed and chopped up making the beginning feel off. In addition Act 2 also suffers pacing issues due to its non linear structure, think of a procedural case of the week TV show. While Naoe and Yasuke's personal quests let them shine. Some of the antagonists/targets feel underdeveloped as villians. The soundtrack is fantastic but i felt in some scenes it ruined the atmosphere or the music choice didn't fit. The world design impressed me with the variety of biomes as well the Codex entries have to be found by exploring, this encourages the player it really impressed further. This was further illustrated by the ?s really highlighting the culture of Japan with praying at Shinto shrines and meditating, it really makes the world feel that more real. I also appreciate the effort taken to provide Japanese and Portuguese audio as it adds to the historical accuracy. However I found some flaws that gave me concern. Side quests aren't marked for what character leading to tedious character switching. Season timer is not explained and needs more tutorialzation. When a character isn't in use they don't really do anything just sit in the hideout and it makes me upset as they feel more Avatarish than an inhabitant in the world. I feel that the English VO is kind of flat either due to a lack of direction or interpretation. Another thing I noticed is when it snows or rains in the game, their clothes get wet or snow on them but their hair is clear of any such blemish. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author A collection of articles from The Ones Who Came Before team. TOWCB Team

The Bright Future of Assassin's Creed Analysis Share 18 Apr 2025 Written By: Edited By: Hayden Bird Colum Blackett Back To Database After the very successful launch of the highly anticipated Assassin’s Creed Shadows last month, Ubisoft has renewed serious momentum in the franchise, and has potential to take the series in several different directions. First, it is obvious Ubisoft is currently focused on post-launch content for Shadows and consistently updating the game so that it remains in the great technical state it is today. Ubisoft still has a lot of potential to explore in Shadows itself, but there's no doubt after the positive fan feedback, they may have their eyes set on the horizon as well. For what we currently know of confirmed projects in the Assassin’s Creed universe, the obvious ones are the upcoming game known only as “ Codename Hexe ”. which aside from a brief teaser trailer and logo reveal, not much information is out about this title, which is good news for Ubisoft as they can develop the game properly without the issue of countering potential leaks that could impact development and the way the game is made. The secrecy is exactly what Ubisoft wants, and there's no doubt they will use it to their advantage. Other projects announced or rumored is an upcoming multiplayer adventure in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Having the option to play with friends or other gamers around the world has been a welcome addition to the games that fans have loved, but there has been a major lack of such features since 2014’s Assassin’s Creed Unity , which still marks the last time Ubisoft implemented online play in any Assassin’s Creed game. This game is simply known also as a codename, and its title is “ Codename Invictus ”. There have been other rumored projects such as remakes of older games, but only time will tell if these games are truly in development. Aside from confirmed or rumored projects for the franchise, there is plenty of potential for fans to request and hope for after such a big and successful launch Shadows has received thus far. Ubisoft seemingly has endless potential for the series after proof fans still love and care about this long-running and iconic franchise of games. The outpour of success that has engulfed Shadows is the only proof needed to see such a high demand even if the franchise is well over 15 years old now. Some things the developers at Ubisoft could explore are the idea of continuing remakes of older classic games, as remakes and remasters are all the rage in today's era of gaming. There is potential to build off the hype remakes can bring, and the Assassin’s Creed series dates back all the way to 2007, a time with consoles a lot less powerful than what we have available now. Using this updated and advanced technology to recreate classic and beloved games that made the Assassin’s Creed series what it is today could be a solid move from Ubisoft. Ubisoft can also find other ways to expand the future of the Assassin’s Creed series by branching out of just the realm of video games and into film and television, an aspect of media that Ubisoft has already ventured into when they released the Assassin’s Creed movie in 2016. Ubisoft announced a partnership with Netflix back in 2020 which would turn the series into a live-action show and animated projects in development as well. News and updates on this partnership has mostly stalled over the last five years, but assuming these shows are still in development, it offers the Assassin’s Creed series a chance to reach a whole new audience who may not be big gamers but love film and television. This could not only satisfy the non-gamers, but also has the potential to reach an audience that could be swayed to try the games if they enjoy the series. It offers a lot of options for Ubisoft to grow their fanbase and even draw new fans to the series who may have overlooked it in the past. After several years of struggles and release disappointments from Ubisoft, they completely doubled-down on the Assassin’s Creed franchise knowing this is their guaranteed money making machine, and dedicating to their top IP that is sure to make an impact for both sales and reviews, whereas Ubisoft may admit they spent a lot of time and effort on projects that were risky and lesser known, which lead to financial difficulties and ultimately lead Ubisoft to seek assistance from the Chinese media giant Tencent to help the company remain stable despite the sales disappointments that had plagued Ubisoft for the last few years. This strategy of putting their all into Assassin’s Creed really shows their dedication to the brand, but also smart business plans to please audiences when they know if they can create a solid game, it will certainly draw fans for both sales and reviews like we have just witnessed with the recent launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows . If there is one thing fans can be certain of, is that the Assassin’s Creed series we all know and love is not going away anytime soon. It rather, in fact, has found new life under this dedicated strategy Ubisoft has put forth to prioritize its demand for the franchise and bank in on all the positive reception and money it will inevitably make. There is so much potential in this series even well over 15 years past its creation. Fans have proven that Assassin’s Creed remains a gaming giant that even after all these years, will still deliver and provide a brilliant adventure into any time period they choose. The series is not slowing down by any means, instead it has gained new life and a beyond profitable future even years and years into its existence. The massively successful launch of Shadows has truly been the proof Ubisoft needed to be certain their last-grasp strategy will work out. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Hayden is a passionate Freelance Writer based in South Carolina who joined TOWCB's Writing Team in 2020 during the Covid-19 Pandemic, writing articles on all things Assassin's Creed Valhalla. He left the group to focus on studies, joining our Alumni program, but triumphantly returned with fresh ideas in 2024 to pick up where he left off, only this time covering Assassin's Creed Shadows. In 2025, Hayden took on the position of Team Leader for TOWCB's Writing Team, overseeing article releases, assisting with recruitment and providing assistance with internal operations. Hayden Bird

This Week in Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography: 30th April - 6th May 2022 Community Share 14 May 2022 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the new weekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from The AC Partnership Program. Every week, we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. Aaron is a keen virtual photographer and loves to post his journeys through Assassin’s Creed on Twitter. Keep an eye on the site as more weekly shots are added, we are looking for capture across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to the #TOWCBWeeklyCapture for a chance to be featured. 1) Nomad Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins This week’s first capture comes from @_Virtualtourism over on Twitter. A clever shadow shot is first up this week. When I am looking through Assassin’s Creed VP each week, this is the sort of thing I am looking for. I like it when people take different captures you don’t often see. It must have taken some patience to line up both the camel and Senu in one shot. 2) Collection Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo number two comes from @UVioletra over on Twitter. Something completely different for picture number two. This virtual photographer’s captures have been on my radar for a few weeks now. I think this set is beautiful, there is an almost storyboard feel going on here. The greenery is incredible, and really captures the British landscape. I love how Eivor is just walking along, looking like she is the boss of these lands. 3) Nights Sky Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla This week’s third shot comes from @KayJay1718 over on Twitter. This is an incredible capture. I am guessing Eivor is in Norway here judging by the landscape. I just can’t believe how much detail has been captured here in the sky. You have the Sun rising, the stars shining brightly and then this gorgeous red tint. Not to mention the shooting star flying across the sky. 4) The Witcher Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla VP number four comes from @shinobi_space over on Twitter. My first thought when I saw this picture was The Witcher CGI trailer. This capture very much sums up the ‘Dark Ages’ in which this game is set. I love how dark and ominous the scenery is, and the fact that Eivor feels the need to travel by torch light. I would love to have this as a canvas on my wall. 5) Holy Armour Game: Assassin’s Creed Valhalla The final capture of the week comes from @Milz_VP over at ACFirstCiv Community. The final shot of the week showcases the Holy Armour. You could be forgiven for thinking this capture comes from Elden Ring. For me personally, I prefer more grounded Viking sets but thought this looked too good not to enter. The shield in particular matches so well with this gear set. In fact Eivor looks more like a villain here marching towards their target. And that sums it up for this week’s Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out this week’s photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next week keep those shots coming in. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Assassin's Creed Altaïr Game Cover Funko POP! Unboxing Images Merchandise Share 3 Mar 2023 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Ashlea Blackett Back To Database Article contains Amazon affiilate links which financially support TOWCB. Here are our unboxing photos of the brand new Assassin's Creed Altair Pop! Game Cover Vinyl Figure Product description: From Funko. Relive the life that started it all by helping POP! Altaïr eliminate the threats in his path. Add strength to your Assassin's Creed collection with this Assassin's Creed Pop! Game Cover, featuring POP! Altaïr in his signature white hood as he stands ready for action. Order yours here on Amazon! https://video.wixstatic.com/video/06e6c8_3757d6b34b5e43129d6502faf12ad82c/720p/mp4/file.mp4 comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young

Second Wave of Assassin's Creed Shadows Mobile Wallpapers Released Community Share 18 May 2024 Written By: Edited By: Colum Blackett (Col_96) Back To Database Check out the second wave of Desktop and Mobile Wallpapers for Assassin's Creed Shadows, created by Assassin1513 using recently released key art. Enjoy! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Col is one of the UK's leading Assassin's Creed Community members, and is best known for establishing both 'The Ones Who Came Before' fan community and 'Isu_Network' content creation program. As Team Leader for The Ones Who Came Before, Col was officially recognised by Ubisoft, becoming one the UK Assassin's Creed community ambassadors in 2016. He has attended many events after spending a decade in the AC Community, and has worked on countless projects, all of which you can find here on TOWCB website. He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player and member of The Mentors Guild, two recognisable community programs which opened doors and took his status within the AC Community to the next level. Colum Blackett (Col_96)

Assassin's Creed Shadows Spoiler-Free review & personal impressions. Review Share 18 Mar 2025 Written By: Edited By: UbiCypher (Joe) Colum Blackett Back To Database Assassin's Creed Shadows might be the last minute effort to save Ubisoft or a suicide note. Alright, I'll try to be as grounded as possible but its not going to be easy. It took me around 35-40 hours to beat the game on Expert difficulty and sticking as much as I could to the main quest, barely doing anything secondary except at times that I saw myself forced to do so because of the level gating. I finished the game at level 34 (max is 60) with my gear upgraded on par and level 3 knowledge rank that gave me enough options to properly build my arsenal to overcome almost every challenge presented to both Naoe and Yasuke even though I struggled at times but emerged victorious nonetheless, having to abuse of passives that granted health on hit or on critical hit in order to survive without rations at times, specially because of how spongy bosses are for no reason. (*coughs* Odyssey). Japanese World & Parkour. Shot taken by Ubicypher on Xbox Series X|S. First things first, two days from now, you will be roaming the lands of the Kansai region at your pace with the beautiful score composed by The Flight (If you spent 100H+ on Odyssey you'd know) and honestly, that alone is pretty awesome. But, with every new innovation there is always something that is downgraded along the way. “Place history back at the center of the player’s experience” That is what Marc-Alexis Côté said back in December at the BAFTA awards in regards to how the narrative in upcoming games will be handled from Shadows onward, and back at the cent er it is, no doubt. Assassin's Creed Shadows is what I believe to be the most "virtual tourism-oriented" game in the series given the amount of details and non-stop cultural homages scattered under the form of side activities in the likes of meditating atop a mountain with a gorgeous vista on valleys or practicing Kendo katas with your katana in the middle of a pond with ducks struggling to comprehend what you are doing and why. Shot taken by Ubicypher on Xbox Series X|S. It is all there for the average Japanese enthusiast to experience and enjoy. Truly, if I were to compare the level of beauty this game has (not personally being a fan of Japanese culture myself) to other games in the franchise like Origin's recreation of Egypt or Odyssey's Greece which I'm more fond of, I believe this one wins the round. The graphics are just good and the textures very well detailed. This new entry I believe is what Unity was to the franchise back in 2014 and we can really see the engine upgrade Anvil Pipeline is. Granted, movement is similar to other games in this new trilogy, assets were obviously going to be reused, same as sounds like that darn screeching rabbit sound that was introduced in AC III back in 2012 but that's not the point. The gameplay is good, it has been polished and it shows, parkour feels fluid and it is actually cool to have its practicality and fluidity adapted to environments in the wild and around the world (Cliffs, Caves, Narrow Mountain Trails, Dense Forests, among many other environments in which parkour is actually fun to use) something that was totally forgotten and simply compacted into one full sandbox where everything was climbable because the protagonists were able to glue themselves on flat walls for some reason. No, not at all. That kind of immersion-breaking-albeit-fun climbing system has been overhauled. It is now more grounded and realistic clearly marking a difference between what is "realistically" climbable and what isn't for someone with the sufficient training. I actually was one of those rancid fellas that disliked the constant vaulting and acrobatics used just to descend from a 1-meter wall, but damn it if its not actually addictive. A few minutes in the game and I just couldn't stop using it. Actually, it is a step up from previous games, it gives you a reason to engage with parkour and actually pull off cool traversal sequences in order to avoid enemies or to reach the higher end of a Tenshu tower in contrast to the three previous games were you literally climbed everything in a straight line when you didn't feel like taking your horse to take a detour or simply did not wanted to play how it was indented, reaching your objective in an almost cheat-like way, but then you remember that it simply is the trade-off enticed with the RPG transition of the franchise, having the character built around the world and not the other way around. Well, forget all that. Now , everything is designed in a way that you have to plan where and how you're going to go, not everything is climbable and the hook is only really useful to climb towers that are otherwise not climbable without it or if you want to quickly acscend a wall instead of manually climbing it yourself (which comes in handy when you want to quickly pass by a guard's patrol detection view) and it is in these little moments of gameplay, specially at night, that you feel like a true Shinobi with Naoe. However, since the focus of it all was to actually and almost forcefully make you stick to preset parkour-made routes out in the wild, the traversal of certain regions of the map -specially the ones that are mainly populated with dense forests and steep hills- is hellish in almost every way, you will be forced to follow dwindling paths and small trails that realistically circle mountains and hills as an human being would do, but we are in a videogame after all, so the fact that the map is heavily dense with vegetation that you literally can't see in front of yourself when you "try" to take a shortcut is criminal. Also, the geography is mainly hills and steep mountains in almost every province in Kansai (the region in which the game takes place), so you will find yourself sliding downhill most of the time if you choose not to follow the path you were on just because you wanted to take a shortcut through the forest. It's irritating. Other than that, the recreation of Japan and its biome diversity is incredible, I didn't have the time to fully appreciate everything but from what I could gather during my rushed playtime was enough to know that I'll fall in love again when taking in the game's atmosphere in the following days where I'll be completing everything. You are going to love it if you're into Japanese culture, that's for sure. Shot taken by Ubicypher on Xbox Series X|S. Combat & Loot. Assassin's Creed Shadows Promotional Photo. If there is one thing I hated in this new trilogy, that would be the combat. Except for maybe Valhalla. You see, people have an insane obsession with Dark Souls and The Witcher and in truth, I couldn't care less about any of the two, I was actually happy with older AC's combat and recently I replayed AC1 for the sake of getting all those flags so I had time to appreciate the combat once again and it was actually pretty good. What do you expect from a medieval game, actually? It is well balanced between waiting for your opponent to strike and you observing when it was ok for you to land your hits without being hit by another NPC from the back, which, they loved to do when you decided to finally engage after a 2-minute staring contest with the AI. When you compare AC1's "tactical" approach on combat to the rest of the games in the franchise you can see how it has progressively deteriorated until it eventually became a simple-button-press scheme where you could be playing the game and tearing through armies with one single hand, specially more so when they added the "chain-kill" mechanic that completely cancelled the point of even attempting to use the appropriate combos that were "required" to take down bigger enemies as all enemy archetypes could be taken down with a simple chain kill. However, The RPG Trilogy attempted to change this for good by taking inspiration from the aforementioned games (The Witcher 3, Dark Souls, etc) by focusing on response time; Blocks, parry, dodge and so on. This not only changed how you play but also how everything is tailored around the character (Space, Locations, Arenas) etc, trading off enclosed or even, claustrophobic environments more akin to an Assassin for plain out "arenas" that once you see them you know a boss fight is incoming. Shadows does not fall short on this either, however, the combat is polished indeed. Naoe's combat is "doable" but clearly not your main focus and you will find yourself abusing of the classic "smoke drop-hide-stabby stab-" moves when tougher enemies spot you which can be fun but tiresome, specially in higher difficulties. You could argue that that's why there's the "One-shot" assassination but let's be real, turning it on after three games of full on RPG is a low blow and actually a hit to your Ego. At least for me. Plus, the game is intended to be played in Expert if you ask me. You basically become more careful and attentive to your surroundings which in the long run reward you with better executed approaches to your targets. Yasuke's combat on the other hand is highly addictive. There's nothing else to say. I got into the game thinking I would only play with Naoe (specially after three games playing as a mercenary-like figure) but God only knows how brutal the slap in the face was when I actually played with him and realized how good it is to play with him. The only thing I will say is this; you will instinctively know when and how to use either Naoe or Yasuke in the story. Assassin's Creed Shadows Promotional Photo. However, one thing you do not know when you will be able to use, is Naoe's legacy outfit. Shot taken by Ubicypher on Xbox Series X|S. There is ONE thing that Assassin's Creed has always been known for and that is the cool-looking attires each Assassin has worn in each game. It is basically a staple in the series. Each Assassin has one. Even Naoe right? Well, no. It is random and I actually got it in the early hours in a random chest without any explanation or plot-related reason as to why Naoe chooses that specific gear with, mind you, an actual Assassin crest holding together the many belts and ropes across her back. This genuinely pissed me off. And the worse part? It was in a completely different color too. I actually spent the game without actually acquiring the full set. Well, yes, technically I had it. But in another color and look I know it isn't a big deal but it is actually for me. Other than that, the loot system is Odyssey 2.0 with no major overhauls. Essence & plot. Shot taken by Ubicypher on Xbox Series X|S. Honestly, the story is weak. Don't get it wrong, it starts on a good pace, there's a lot of intrigue, the characters are mysterious and actually introduced in a badass allure. The Onryo (Main antagonists) are cool successors to the Cult Of Kosmos and Order Of The Ancients but as you progress in the game and begin tracking them down, the story quickly becomes yet another story of revenge. The Assassin presence is almost non-existent and the Templars are a joke, it was basically a hook to lure us in, sadly. At least for me. The Templar presence didn't really seem threatening nor important, not quite memorable to be honest. And their endgame is not really that well explained, there is of course your typical "control everything" theme but if just feels generic and frankly, one would ask himself why even put them in the story at all other than to make the audience remember that the franchise was once about these two factions clashing throughout history. Now, this is the most "sensitive" part of this review as I'm not allowed to disclose anything about more than the first 20 hours of the game, so, I'll just say it like this; If you complained about too much Isu presence in previous games, well, we went from 100 to 0 without cashing in the 50. Make of this what you will. Modern day wise, it is a miracle that I managed to pull off something from my contacts that got the game before the press review teams and myself, (yes those who were lucky enough on Facebook's marketplace) otherwise, you wouldn't have what I managed to prepare for you guys on the 20th. I'll keep digging on my end to bring the MD out and have it freshly dissected, but for now, it is basically about whoever is able to spend the most hours playing and completing the weekly missions to progress through the free battle pass in order to get more files and it is only a handful of rewards that you can get because then you have to wait for a weekly reset. This is for now all I can say on the game. Here's how I would rate it; Combat: 8 (Grounded but spongy). Exploration: 8 (Immersive but clunky). Progression: 8 (Skills are useful and some of them are OP). Control: 7 (I don't like the new layout and crouching with X|◾️ after three games being with B|⚫️ is not a smart decision). Loot System/Reward: 7 (Nothing out of the ordinary). Hideout Building: 9 (Probably the coolest feature but I can't give it a ten because of how janky it is, needs an update + frame drop on Series X|S and PS5 in the Hideout's area). Side activities: 5 (I see why Japan fans would get a boner but paiting animals, meditating and practicing katas is not for me). Side Quests: 9 (Extremely varied and in quantity, numerous characters and different sub-plots + your league's allies have personal missions like in Far Cry 5 to 6). Database: 5 (Descriptions are mainly historical but there is a lack of in-game character descriptions + nothing on the antagonists or detailed entries on individual characters like the ones that are part of the Templars or historical figures). Quest System: 3 (Structure of the narrative is horrible, abuse of flashbacks that are important, yes, but the game should have followed a traditional "memory block" flow to properly and chronologically understand the whole thing). Personally, I wiped out pretty much all of the Order of The Onryo and then I realized that I needed to complete a certain side activity in order to unlock a flashback for Naoe that allowed me to continue the main story when I thought it was only to kill the baddies, plus, those flashbacks lead to a revelation that is narratively important and by the time I did it, the shock of such a revelation and impact weight to the natural character development of Naoe was not the same. Ubisoft Québec thought that bringing back Assassin's Creed Mirage's Objective Board was good because it worked. Yes, but in that game because it was short and smaller, specifically designed as an homage to AC1 using the same style of "investigation missions". This doesn't work here and the game is so vast that you can easily loose track of what you were doing and what you have already done. Assassin's Creed Origins and Odyssey's quest logs would have been, in this case, more appropriate. In short, I'd give this game a 7.5 to 8. We'll see what the DLC's have to offer as the ending is left open. Shot taken by Ubicypher on Xbox Series X|S. comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author UbiCypher (Joe) is an Assassin's Creed Transmedia expert who worked as the Lead Admin for the Isu_Network social media team, providing consistent social media content in the form of Assassin's Creed lore trivia, puzzles and news coverage, spending countless hours researching the series and real history. In 2025, he stepped back from his social media duties to pursue other opportunities. UbiCypher (Joe)

Assassin’s Creed Virtual Photography: 19th to 29th February Community Share 7 Mar 2024 Written By: Edited By: Aaron Young Colum Blackett Back To Database Welcome to the biweekly virtual photography roundup hosted by Aaron Young from the AC Partnership Program. Every two weeks we will be picking our top 5 favourite Assassin’s Creed shots and showcasing them on The Ones Who Came Before website, in order to promote virtual photography and talented content creators within the community. This theme has been run alongside @ JChoukroun aka Jean who is new to the virtual photography community. Jean is a game developer for Ubisoft and has worked on several titles. Jean has a passion for virtual photography, and we are honoured to have him with us. Keep an eye on the site as more shots are added, we are looking for captures across all Assassin’s Creed games. Tag your photos to #ACFirstCivVP for a chance to be featured. This theme week: Assassin’s Creed Protagonists and their Companions. Partnership Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ cop_filip The Ones Who Came Before Photo of the Week Judge: @ JChoukroun ''I really love this shot, because it reminds me of so many things, I adore about 2017’s Assassin’s Creed Origins. From the onset of the game, it is clear Bayek is a broken man, and I feel a deep melancholy emanating from his obscured face. The super strong depth of field calls back to Bayek’s sole focus being revenge. It blinds him to the rest of the world, which merely becomes a blurry backdrop upon which he will exact his vengeance. Amidst all this though, there is still love to be found as represented by Senu who will lead Bayek from seeking revenge to seeking redemption and reconnection, both to Aya and to the outside world.'' Aaron “You are the Medjay from Siwa.” Assassin’s Creed Origins is the first time we get to share our journey with a companion. For me Senu has the best personality of all the birds. Her friendship with Bayek is pivotal in the revenge quest he sets out on. She acts as emotional support for a wounded Bayek whose mission would be very lonely without her. This majestic capture embodies the relationship between the two. I believe the black and white of this photo make it appear classy, while the depth of field allows the viewer to focus on the friendship. Filip has nailed the timing too, Senu’s wings look magnificent. A truly beautiful capture from one of the best games in the series. Companion Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ Milz_VP “Yes Enkidu, food is coming.” Basim’s relationship with Enkidu is far more complex than previous games. He is gifted to Basim during his time at Alamut, before the young assassin sets out for Baghdad. As the story progresses the two become good friends, however the darkness inside Basim soon causes a rift between them. Here we have the two companions scouting out their next target. I really like the composition of this capture. The lighting is very good, as a result you can see such detail in Basim’s robes and Enkidu’s feathers. I think Eric has done a great job of showing the connection these two have, its just a shame it doesn’t end well. Aya and Senu Game: Assassin’s Creed Origins VP Artist: @ NovA1990 “Bayek, it has been too long.” This for me is a glimpse of what might have been or what could still be for Aya in this series. She is a character that deserves more story content. These two powerful females have such a dominating presence in Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Bayek relies on their support as he seeks vengeance for the death of his son. In this capture it is the head turns that makes it so special for me, they are almost mirroring one another. Both characters look very elegant, and the colours are in harmony. The depth of field is assisting to draw the eye to both assassin and eagle. Across the Desert Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ thefrostysm “It has been an honour to watch you walk your path”. When wandering the deserts of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, you cannot help but think back to 2017 and those highly impressive landscapes of Egypt. Origins has without doubt left a huge mark on this franchise and will do for some time to come. This shot is all about the shadows and how the capture has been split into two magnificent sections. I love the contrasting colours that represent the beauty but also the harshness of the desert. The silhouette of Basim on his camel is such a delight, I have seen quite a few photos in this style, and I am always blown away by their simple elegance. Leap of Faith Game: Assassin’s Creed Mirage VP Artist: @ BasimIbnIshaq_ “Ready to make the leap”. It isn’t a surprise that Assassin’s Creed Mirage has done so well. A return to the roots with a deeply interesting main character was always going to treat the fanbase. The setting is also a delight on the eyes and as a virtual photographer I couldn’t wait to jump into the photo mode. I love this capture; it is very cinematic and could easily be from a trailer. Timing is often everything and this shot proves it, with Basim flying just below Enkidu. I adore how both have their respective limbs outstretched. The camera angle is excellent allowing us a view of the streets these two are protecting. An impressive action shot that fits beautifully with the Assassin’s ethos. Assassin's Creed Virtual Photography Showcase: February 2024 by Turið Torkilsdóttir. Music: East Again by Gargudon (TOWCB Video Content Creation Team) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nfMRBt2Sl24 And that sums it up for this Assassin’s Creed virtual photography recap list! Thank you for checking out the photo collection. This would not be possible without the virtual photographers out there so a huge thanks to them. Until next time keep those shots coming in! comments debug Comments Write a comment Write a comment Share Your Thoughts Be the first to write a comment. About the Author Aaron is a passionate Assassin's Creed fan who joined our AC Partnership Program as an Online Article Writer back in 2021 after the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla. After building momentum and interest on TOWCB website for Virtual Photography, Aaron established TOWCB Virtual Photography Team, of which he is now Team Leader. Throughout 2024, TOWCB VP Team will be sharing community captures in dedicated articles, and providing a positive environment on Twitter for gamers to share their shots. Aaron Young