Assassin’s Creed Shadows Takes Center Stage
Currently one of the most talked-about games of 2025, Assassin’s Creed Shadows has generated significant buzz within the gaming community since its release a few weeks ago. While discussions in our Polygon Slack channel have calmed down, mainly as some team members shift their focus to other engrossing titles like Blue Prince, I should have anticipated that I wouldn’t be able to mention my gameplay progress without stirring up curious responses from my colleagues.
Gameplay Progress and Reactions
“I’m ~26 hours in as of last night, and I just now unlocked Yasuke,” I posted on Wednesday morning and quickly received a flurry of replies, totaling 75 messages. The first reply came in just two minutes from our curation editor, Pete Volk, who asked,
What have you been doing? What’s your objective board like?
A Unique Playstyle
These were valid questions! Unfortunately, my responses were less insightful, like “my brain is broken” and “if you saw my gameplay style, you would want to give up within 10 minutes.” This reflects why I rarely finish open-world games, particularly in this installment of Assassin’s Creed, where I’ve spent considerable time already.
Unlocking Yasuke
Yasuke is one of the two lead characters in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, but players can only assume his role after finishing the first act. A typical gamer might reach this milestone in about 10-12 hours, with some guides suggesting it could take up to 20 hours. Yet, over 26 hours in, I still hadn’t unlocked him—raising questions about my gaming efficiency!
Open-World Distractions
As a self-proclaimed weirdo who easily gets distracted by in-game shiny objects, my gameplay style often leans toward exploration rather than completing story missions. My penchant for stealth, coupled with my perfectionist nature, means I often engage in “save scumming,” prolonging gameplay even further.
Exploring Feudal Japan
So far, I have chosen to sidestep the main missions to explore the game’s rendition of feudal Japan. I delved into side activities like infiltrating castles, which present a range of challenges as guards and civilians are positioned to thwart my stealthy attempts. Castles from this historical period were designed to protect, making them intriguing yet tricky terrains to navigate.
A Shift in Focus?
After clearing several castles, I’ve begun to notice a repetitive pattern in gameplay, which slightly diminishes the experience despite it being exhilarating. I hope that getting to know Yasuke will pivot my gameplay style away from Naoe’s stealth-heavy methods, even though my coworkers have indicated that the story may not captivate me more moving forward.
