Ubisoft has explained how Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ combat systems will work, including how its attack types, enemies, and weapon arsenal will differ between its two protagonists: the shinobi Naoe and the samurai Yasuke.
The update arrives a week after a similar deep dive into Assassin’s Creed Shadows stealth, as the game‘s marketing schedule begins to accelerate once again following its previous delay.
Shadows will arrive on February 14, 2025 as a pivotal title for Ubisoft, which is currently in the midst of talks with Chinese giant Tencent about the company’s future.
As expected, combat once again offers light and heavy attacks, but also new charged “stance attacks” that can be held indefinitely (by holding down the attack button) while you adjust your aim.
Defensive maneuvers once again include dodging (Naoe does a directional roll, Yasuke has a directional dodge step), parries (Yasuke forces enemies back, Naoe spins around them), and blocks (unique to Yasuke).
The stealth-focused Naoe can be outnumbered when surrounded by enemies, while Yasuke can last longer and perform a final attack to break guard at the end of a combo without performing a stance attack.
Both characters can carry two weapons, although Yasuke can also switch between them mid-combo. He can also perform a unique sheathed stance attack, where he can charge an opening attack while his katana is still sheathed.
Naoe has a katana sword, the extendable ball and chain kusarigama, and the dagger, which can be double-wielded with his hidden sword to perform double kills.
Yasuke has a long katana, a naginata arm, and a kanabo war mace for close combat, as well as the yumi bow and teppo flint file for ranged combat, with the former being quieter than the other.
Against whom will you use all this weaponry? Well, the game features basic outlaws, Ashigaru recruits and volunteer army lackeys (more aggressive towards Naoe, fearful of Yasuke), wandering ronin samurai, Daisho samurai found in military castles, and finally the Guardians, described as “a group of tough elite, samurai used as reinforcements.”
As in previous games, burst attacks will show a blue weapon glow, meaning you’ll have to defend an entire sequence in quick succession, while unstoppable attacks will again have a red glow.
Last month, Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed boss Marc-Alexis Coté spoke about the “devastating” impact of the Shadows diversity and inclusion backlash, explaining the reasons for Shadows’ delay to ensure it arrives with another layer of polished.
