Assassin's Creed Valhalla's extensive playtime proved divisive, prompting Ubisoft to refine the experience for its upcoming installment, Assassin's Creed: Shadows. Feedback regarding the length of the main plot and the sheer volume of optional content has been addressed.
Creative Director Charles Benoit stated that completing the main storyline of Shadows will require approximately 50 hours. A thorough exploration of all regions and side quests could extend this to 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 prevent overwhelming players. Shadows aims for a more balanced blend of narrative progression and optional activities, striving for a less tedious, yet richly detailed and narratively deep experience. The developers aim to cater to both players prioritizing a concise story and those seeking extensive gameplay without sacrificing quality or immersion.
Director Jonathan Dumont highlighted the team's research trip to Japan, significantly shaping Shadows' development. The scale and realism of Japanese castles, mountainous landscapes, and dense forests exceeded expectations, prompting a focus on heightened realism and detail.
One key change is a more realistic representation of world geography. Travel times between points of interest will be longer, reflecting the open landscapes, but each location will be more richly detailed and nuanced. This contrasts sharply with Odyssey's denser point-of-interest distribution. Shadows prioritizes a more expansive, natural world, with richer, more detailed locations. Dumont emphasizes the significantly increased level of detail, promising a truly immersive Japanese atmosphere.
