Assassin's Creed Shadows - I give up.

I keep trying to jumpstart this blog over and over again, and yet it keeps not working. No country for old gamers, I suppose.

Anyway, main topic. Assassin's Creed: Shadows. Came out recently, with the expected massive gulf between journo and gamer reviews. I rather expected journos to aggressively glaze this rubber stamp of the Ubi formula as soon as gamers and Japanese people started questioning the decisions being made. Much has been made of the tokenism of Yasuke's implementation (something even GameSpot admits in a roundabout way) and the rampant disrespect for Japnaese culture and use of several shrines that are illegal to use without permission in Japan. However, with the release of the game, we find that Lady Oichi is the only non-LGBT romance for Yasuke, is yet another layer of insult for the Japanese. For those who aren't familiar, Lady Oichi was the younger sister of Nobunaga Oda, and the widow of Nagamasa Azai, with whom she had three children. Considering the importance of her position and her fierce loyalty to her brother, the notion that she would have been with Yasuke has been met with some rather intense debate. This wouldn't be so bad on its own. Hell, it wouldn't even be that bad if you included the non-binary Ibuki (non-binary being a modern concept, not a medieval one). Fine, whatever. However, it's part of what's been a huge problem with the game - a very carefree, cavalier disregard for Japanese culture.

Japanese people are rather tired of the casual disrespect of their culture, and I honestly don't blame them. The video I linked at the end of the last paragraph makes a good point - no one hated Afro Samurai. It's also been noted by others that The Last Samurai was positively received in the country. The issue isn't really one of "inaccuracy," but one of respect. This has led even to the Prime Minister of Japan expressing outrage over the destruction of shrines in the game.

The problem with Shadows, aside from it being yet another cookie-cutter, creatively bankrupt Ubisoft game, is that it treats Japan itself like some fantasy play land, not a place with a culture worthy of respect. Given the loving rendering of western cultures in other AC games, it strikes even a casual viewer as being racist, which is rather ironic, as that's been the accusation journos have hurled at anyone who dares criticize anything about the game at all. From the forced inclusion of a black character in a widely discredited role, to casual sprinkles of Chinese imagery in a game about the Sengoku era, to the absolute cavalcade of bugs, this game has been a disaster all around.

And still, the journos have closed ranks to defend this nonsense. I will give GameSpot credit, both for spotting Yasuke being more of a slapped on inclusion that isn't fun to play and for not using the term "return to form" in their review. However, they did join the rest of the journos in trying to prop up a massively flawed game, and I can only assume that it's for political reasons.

And the sad part? Much like what happened with Dragon Age: Vanguard, what initially happened with Concord before reality set in, and probably a whole bunch of other examples that escape me, nothing's going to change. Gaming websites are still going to be staffed by the same nepotistic culture that led to Gamergate so long ago, and any criticism will be met with a massive complex calling the critic every horrible name in the book. Nothing will change.

You know what? You win. You wanna call me a chud? I'm a chud. You wanna call me a bigot? I'm a bigot. Go ahead and brand the scarlet swastika on my forehead. I won't resist. I'm tapping out. I'll just be here, chudding with my Batocera setup, playing games from before the world went to hell and people stopped being able to talk to one another, and occasionally buying something from GOG or Zoom Platform. Enjoy your industry, where broken, buggy political propaganda is sold for $70 a pop and the customer is flayed alive for not buying.

I'm done. Call me back when sanity returns to this industry.

Lastly, to the people who will continue to persecute those who have ruined so much of discourse in the name of pushing "woke" agendas with all the subtlety of a ball peen-hammer, you're the reason Trump got re-elected. You're the reason for trans persecution, for the loss of abortion rights, for all the civil rights rollbacks that are going to happen in the coming decades under Trump and later Vance. It's your fault, not the fault of those who rejected your demand that they pay for the sins of their forefathers. Trump is a monument to all your sins. Consider that if you'd like to compete in 2026 and 2028.

It looks like the first interesting AC game in a while. I'm used to them treating different locations and events like a fantasy land, and they've taken lots of liberties before to tie everything into the assassins and templars throughout different eras, that's just what these games do. For the bugginess etc, over time they've refined the gameplay and it's a lot less janky and weird than back in the AC 1/2/3 days. I am really considering picking it up but I will probably wait for a price drop. With this and Outlaws (after some patches) it finally feels like Ubisoft is making some good modern games.

Edit:

Oh I see 10 years later and still angry about the same stuff. Touch grass.

I read the OP. Yay me! I dont usually read posts that long.

Yeah, destroying shrines is kinda messed up. Never could get into the AC series. That said, I bought AC Odyssey just last week. Maybe it'll be gud.

One: Kudos to you for still posting here after all these years.
Two: I feel you.

From what I can tell quite a few 'modern' Assassins Creed fans are happy with Shadows. The issue really lies in that no one outside those dedicated fans give a shit about the game. It comes across as mid. As it's just more of what they had with adding some of the old Assassins Creed in, but not enough to really change the repetitiveness. Break down the Stealth, games pacing, and core combat and Assassins Creed Shadows is far from the highs, just not quite the lows either.

As such it's not going to win anyone into modern AC games, and the series, at least from a none AC fan is woefully not worth the investment. These games are large time investments, & I simply don't have the free time to waste on another AC game that looks so bland when I could be playing something far more enjoyable.

Assassins Creed has always been far too streamlined for its own good, and the years having that steamlined/ handholding/ play itself aspect has only hurt the series. Instead of building on its core for a more enjoyable experience they've only ever tried making the player do less and less. With mindnumbing activities. The latest repackaged RPG Assassins Creed isn't deep because the actual ninja can do some stealth.

Happy for those who just wanted more of the same pie, bland as it is. Yet it's a nothing burger in everyone else's mind. & doesn't hold a candle to the real 2025 GotY contenders.

I completely disagree with just about everything your wrote (the industry is not dying because it is more comfortable featuring non-white non-straight men, calling yourself a bad person is not going to fix anything, and blaming those wanting a better world for being given a worse world just out of spite of asking is clown behavior), but I’m here to support a Gamespot blog, because I want them to live too.

I wish Gamespot would fix them and allow them to thrive again.

Stopped reading because there was so much about japanese culture, history, politics, whatever. I don't care. It's a game, it has no obligation to be accurate to the world or whatever bothers you.

Read RSM-HQ's post and agree about every word.

@Litchie: If they hadn't said they were going to be historically accurate, they'd be getting less crap. Also, they should at least show the same love and reverence they showed to the middle east and Italy. It's not that hard to not be disrespectful.

@Willy105 Olympic reach, there. I know you wanna boil down the whole thing to "it's because there's a black person," but that ignores the insults to the Japanese, the rampant use of AI for the environments, or the bugginess that rivals Assassin's Creed Unity. See, THIS is the issue. Any time someone criticizes a game that features a minority, people like you are quick to say it's all about race. The lack of willingness to address criticism in good faith - especially among the incestuous journalist class - is exactly why we're here.

“Incestuous journalist class” is not a term people with good faith intentions would use. What exactly makes journalists a class separate from you?

You are wasting your breath on nonsense, so I think giving up is the right idea. Good for you for recognizing that.

I hope you can learn to stop feeling sorry for yourself and just tolerate or ignore the things you dislike, and find joy in the things you do like. No one likes a whiner.

It's not like there is a shortage of games taking place in feudal Japan. I recommend Shogun 2: Total War if historical accuracy is important to you.

Reads like something a far-right lunatic would write 🤣 "incestuous journalist class" ROFL good grief, drama queen 🙄

You know what the worst part of this is? The game is actually fun. You don't have to romance anyone. Yazuke [the black samurai] is actually a really cool character.

Some folks enjoy being angry more than they enjoy...enjoying things.

"Hey want to play a fun game?"

"NO I WANT TO BE UPSET ABOUT IT! WAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

@girlusocrazy said:

Edit:

Oh I see 10 years later and still angry about the same stuff. Touch grass.

It is a shame that the lad is still broken after all these years.😂

From people on the internet with too much time on their hands? Perhaps. I bet that you can find several things that are "wrong" with their games set in middle east and Italy too if you try. No idea why anyone would try, but.. you do you. Luckily they are games and not something that tries or should be historically accurate or respectful.

Talk about the game more instead of the other bullshit around it then. People are going to see the bullshit and point it out instead of giving you a good discussion.