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 experience for its upcoming installment, Assassin's Creed: Shadows. Feedback regarding the lengthy main plot and overwhelming number of optional tasks has been addressed.

Game director Charles Benoit stated that completing the main storyline of Shadows will take approximately 50 hours, while full exploration and completion of all side quests will require around 100 hours. This contrasts with Valhalla's minimum 60-hour main campaign and potential 150-hour completion time.

Ubisoft has streamlined optional content to avoid overwhelming players, aiming for a more balanced blend of narrative and side activities in Shadows. The goal is to reduce tedium without sacrificing world richness or narrative depth. The developers intend to cater to both players who appreciate extensive gameplay and those who prefer a more focused story experience, avoiding excessively long playtime.

Director Jonathan Dumont highlighted the team's research trip to Japan, significantly shaping Shadows' development. The scale of Japanese castles, mountainous landscapes, and dense forests exceeded expectations, emphasizing the need for enhanced realism and detail.

A key change is a more realistic world geography. Travel times between points of interest will be longer, reflecting the open landscapes, but locations will be significantly more detailed and nuanced. This contrasts with Odyssey's denser point-of-interest distribution. The increased travel time contributes to a more natural and expansive world, while simultaneously enriching each location with greater detail, immersing players in the Japanese setting. Dumont emphasized the significantly higher level of detail in Shadows, promising a truly authentic Japanese experience.