Exploring the New Progression System in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows introduces a detailed progression system that allows players to enhance the abilities of protagonists Naoe and Yasuke. Central to the game’s design is a shared progression mechanism ensuring that both characters develop evenly, regardless of player preference.
Ubisoft’s development team has focused on aligning the game closely with the themes of mastery and martial arts. Players can dive deep into Mastery skill-trees, investing points to elevate their ranks in Knowledge and skill proficiency.
Mastery and Character Development
The Mastery system is traditional in its approach, rewarding players with experience points as they progress through the game. This includes completing missions, eliminating targets, and overcoming formidable opponents such as the samurai Daisho in their stronghold forts. Accumulating these points allows players to unlock new combo attacks, enhance weapon skills, and acquire new abilities tailored to each character’s unique style.
Yasuke, for instance, can unlock powerful samurai abilities, while Naoe can develop into a formidable stealth assassin. This dual development track ensures a balanced gameplay experience, whether focusing on a single character or switching between the two.
The unique Mastery trees offer freedom to players to specialize in specific weapons, playstyles, or archetypes, enhancing their depth of mastery. Points invested in a Mastery tree not only progress a character’s capabilities but also unlock additional bonuses for that specific weapon or archetype.
Expanding Knowledge Through Exploration
Beyond combat, the game emphasizes Knowledge, which players can enhance through peaceful exploration of the game world. Engaging in activities such as discovering Lost Pages in temples, praying at shrines, performing Kuji-kiri Meditation with Naoe, or learning new Kata with Yasuke, can significantly boost a character’s Knowledge rank.
This exploration not only benefits the character performing these activities but also enhances the other protagonist’s abilities, thanks to the shared Knowledge system.
Game Release and Expectations
After several delays, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set to launch on March 20 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S. Players anticipating a spoiler-free experience may need to avoid certain social media channels, as early physical copies have led to premature spoiler shares online.