Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis having a bit of a rough time. Originally set to launch in November 2024,Assassin’s Creed Shadowswas delayed just weeks before its release date, with Ubisoft claiming that the delay was to give the developers enough time to polish the game. But about a week ago,Assassin’s Creed Shadowswas delayed once more, pushing it from its February 14 release date to March 20, with Ubisoft citing community feedback implementation as the primary reason for its delay.
But in all fairness,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis juggling a lot. For the first time since 2015’sAssassin’s Creed Syndicate,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis offering a dual protagonist narrative, with both characters offering very different playstyles with unique mechanics. That’s on top ofAC Shadows' open-world, which will presumably be just as jam-packed with content as the last fewAssassin’s Creedaction-RPG entries.Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis also introducing a wealth of new gameplay features to the series, such as the intriguing ‘Canon’ mode, which has the potential to break new ground for the RPG genre, especially in the realm of remakes and remasters.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Canon Mode Could Break New Ground for Remasters and Remakes
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Canon Mode Explained
TheAssassin’s Creedfranchisehas always played a bit fast and loose with its canon. While most ofAssassin’s Creed’s overarching narrative sees players diving into the memories of Assassins who lived long ago, those memories aren’t always treated as fact, with the Animus' technological nature being a great device to excuse any future retcons or changes to the canon, such as which version of the central protagonist was the ‘true’ one.
ButAssassin’s Creed Shadowsis taking the series' canon more seriously than ever before. Confirmed in a Reddit Q&A with the developers back in December,Assassin’s Creed Shadowswill contain a ‘Canon’ modethat sees the game making choices for the player based on what the developers deem is the canon story route. Those with the Canon mode enabled will not be able to make decisions when it comes to potential romances or dialogue with allies, giving players a more traditional, “choice free experience.”
Players will still be able to switch protagonists freely when usingAssassin’s Creed Shadows' Canon mode.
RPG Remakes and Remasters Could Use a Canon Mode to Great Effect
One of the greatest aspects of the RPG genre is its high level of player-freedom, with many games offering players a great deal of choice when it comes to dialogue options, quest outcomes, and the game’s ultimate ending. But things can get a little messy when sequels are eventually introduced.
When achoice-heavy RPGgets a sequel, it can often cause some issues regarding the canonicity of certain events. In order to move the story forward, many RPG sequels will need to confirm whether at least a handful of important decisions were canon, and for those who didn’t choose those story routes in the original game, that retroactive confirmation can feel disappointing, as though they’ve been told their choices didn’t count. This issue is exacerbated when a franchise has multiple entries, all of which contain some choices that are canon and some that are not.
This is whereAssassin’s Creed Shadows' Canon modecould help the wider RPG genre, particularly when it comes to remakes and remasters of older titles. A Canon mode in a remastered RPG could guide players to make the choices that lead to the ending that’s considered canon, at least in the eyes of the franchise’s subsequent entries.
For example, aFallout 3remasterhas been rumored for quite some time. Based on the Brotherhood of Steel’s status inFallout 4, it’s believed that the “good” ending ofFallout 3’s Broken Steel DLC is the canonical ending. AFallout 3remaster could ship with a Canon mode that guides players to make the choices required to achieve this canonical ending. This would allow developers to retroactively clean up some of the lore’s more convoluted or unclear aspects.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.• Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.• Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.• Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.• Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
