Like with previous entries in the series, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has a ton of side content to sink your teeth into. When you first start in the game, you might struggle to figure out where to start. Fortunately, I’ve put together this list of eight pointers to help you get started on your adventure with Naoe and Yasuke across Sengoku period Japan.
Play Through the Tutorial
Before you can explore the open world, you’ll need to play through the opening tutorial missions in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. This sees you play as both Naoe and Yasuke briefly, before focusing you in on Naoe’s story for the majority of the time.
This is more of a necessity than something you’ll have the choice of doing, but it’s worth just pushing through this as quickly as possible so you can enjoy the meticulously crafted, open-world rendition of Sengoku Japan that Ubisoft has created.
Check Out the Skill Trees
Naoe and Yasuke have individual skill trees that allow you to build out each character to suit your playstyle. Each character is focused on a specific style of play — Naoe the typical, agile assassin and Yasuke the slow but heavy-hitting bruiser — but you can still fine-tune how each plays with the skills you unlock.
We’ve got our recommendations for the best skills to level up first in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but it’s worth taking some time early on in your adventure to figure out what skills you’ll want to focus on unlocking first.
Get a Cool Layered Outfit
If you’re going to go around the sprawling map of Sengoku Japan assassinating countless targets, then you’ve got to do it in style. After all, if you don’t look good while you’re assassinating from above as Naoe or bludgeoning countless with Yasuke’s long katana, are you really playing AC Shadows properly? The answer to that is no.
Shadows has a layered armor system that allows you to choose an armor set to take the appearance of, without having to use its stats. That way, you can use that eyesore of an armor set that makes Yasuke a human tank while looking slick in another.
The customization options don’t stop there. You can also customize the parts of your weapons. You can customize the blade, hilt, and other elements of your katana to ensure it looks as formidable as it is in Yasuke or Naoe’s hands.
Set Up Your Hideout
After completing the tutorial, you’ll soon come across the ‘From Spark to Flame’ quest that sees you visiting Tomiko at her home. During this conversation, Tomiko will essentially give her home to Naoe for the greater good. This will become your hideout in AC Shadows, where you can build and upgrade buildings for some very handy rewards.
If you’re a creative person who loves a bit of base building, you’re going to have a ton of fun with the options here. I prefer functionality over everything, so I focused on building and upgrading my hideout to reap the rewards. There’s a forge for upgrading and dismantling weapons and armor, a dojo to train and recruit allies for your quest, and themed rooms to provide other helpful buffs for your adventure.
Complete Castles for Legendary Gear
While you’ll find plenty of common and uncommon weapons on your adventure across Japan, if you can get your hands on a legendary weapon (or any gear for that matter) you’ll never really need to use much else. While there are several different ways you can get legendary weapons, clearing out castles and defeating the Samurai Daisho inside is the safest bet for picking up some valuable gear.
After defeating the Daisho, you’ll be able to unlock a legendary chest within the castle. With a bit of luck, you’ll get a legendary weapon like a katana. Upgrade this as you progress through the game and you probably won’t need anything else for your adventure.
Unlock Character Switching
Shadows follows the stories of both the assassin-like Naoe, and warrior Yasuke, but for the opening section, you’ll be locked into following Naoe’s. If you liked the taste of Yasuke’s gameplay you got in the opening tutorial, then you’ll want to focus on pushing through the opening two assassination missions for Naoe.
At this point, you’ll then be able to play as Yasuke again and can freely switch between the two characters. Typically, I’ve found exploring has been far more enjoyable (and faster) with Naoe as she’s agile and faster. But sometimes, you just want to wield a really big katana and go hacking your way through swathes of enemies with Yasuke.
If you beeline the main story quests, you can unlock the character switching in about 10 hours. It’s a bit of a time commitment, but well worth it. Plus, having Yasuke unlocked will also enable you to access some areas of the world that Naoe can’t.
Play Around with Photo Mode
Ubisoft has put a ton of time into making a truly beautiful, detailed rendition of Sengoku Japan. Amidst the fires and destruction of battle, you’ll find jaw-dropping panoramic views. If you consider yourself a bit of an artsy type like me, you might want to capture some of these stunning views and use them as your desktop/ home screen background. Or maybe you want to capture some of the brutal finishing moves of Yasuke or a slick assassination by Naoe. Whatever floats your boat, Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s photo mode has you covered.
Photo mode aficionados will be pleased with the multitude of options and settings to tweak here, too. Camera roll, focal length, cycle grids, ISO options, filters, exposure, decorations, the list goes on. While there’s plenty to do in AC Shadows, playing around with photo mode can make for a fun distraction and offer up some stunning results.
Play the ‘Thrown to the Dogs’ Preorder Bonus Quest
I like dogs. You like dogs. Everyone likes dogs! Ubisoft knows that, and one of the early quests you can complete if you pre-ordered the game is the ‘Thrown to the Dogs.’ The quest sees you find an injured dog sat by its late owner’s grave. Without diving too much into spoilers, you’ll be tasked with seeking vengeance for the dog.
It’s a simple quest, but you’ll be able to give the adorable dog Tsuki-Maru some closure. You’ll also unlock it as a pet for your hideout and earn you 1,000 XP. That’s quite a lot of XP in the early stages of the game, making it a very good return on the time investment.
Published: Mar 19, 2025 12:11 pm