AC: Shadows breakdown: campaign will be more intense but shorter, with ton of meaningful locations

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's extensive gameplay drew criticism, prompting Ubisoft to refine the approach for its upcoming title, Assassin's Creed: Shadows. Feedback regarding the length of the main storyline and the sheer volume of optional content has been addressed.

Game director Charles Benoit stated the main storyline will take approximately 50 hours to complete, with full exploration and side quests potentially reaching 100 hours. This contrasts with Valhalla's minimum 60-hour main storyline and a potential 150-hour completion time. Ubisoft aims for a more balanced ratio of narrative and optional activities in Shadows, reducing the overwhelming nature of optional content in previous installments. The goal is to streamline the experience without sacrificing world richness or narrative depth. Players seeking extensive gameplay won't experience a reduction in quality, while those prioritizing the story can complete it without an excessive time commitment.

Director Jonathan Dumont highlighted the team's research trip to Japan as a significant influence on Shadows' development. The scale of the castles, mountainous terrain, and dense forests exceeded expectations, leading to a focus on enhanced realism and detail.

A key change involves world geography. Travel times between points of interest will be longer, reflecting the vastness of the open world. However, each location will feature increased detail and nuance, contrasting with the more densely populated points of interest found in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. This approach aims to create a more immersive and authentic Japanese atmosphere, with a far greater level of detail, according to Dumont.