Assassin's Creed Shadows Review: A Gorgeous Japan That Plays It Too Safe

One of gaming’s most prominent franchises finally heads to Japan in Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Hearkening back to the busy “RPG trilogy” that began with Origins, it’s a curious follow-up when compared with predecessor Mirage’s leaner design, even though there’s certainly less loot to sort and fewer map tokens to clear. The setting is an easy match for the series’ format and the story is appealing, but some underwhelming combat and a general lack of gameplay surprises soften the effect of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, and Ubisoft bringing its sandbox roadshow to Japan should feel more momentous in practice.