Assassin’s Creed Shadows Won’t Repeat the Mistakes of Skull and Bones

Hailed by Ubisoft‘s CEO as the first “AAAA” game, Skull and Bones did a magnificent bellyflop on launch, taking many by surprise. Ubisoft’s last big pirate game was the critically acclaimed Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, so how could the spiritual sequel fail? Considering how fresh that bumpy track record is, I wouldn’t blame you for worrying about Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Still, ninja and samurai enthusiasts should rest easy. Skull and Bones suffered in big ways that Shadows didn’t, and that’s likely to make all the difference. Here’s why Assassin’s Creed Shadows won’t repeat the mistakes of Skull and Bones.

Escaping the Fate of Skull and Bones

The biggest reason not to worry is that although Ubisoft made both games, it’s not the same Ubisoft. Skull and Bones was made by Ubisoft Singapore, while Assassins Creed Shadows was made by Ubisoft Quebec. The former game languished for a decade in development hell, transforming from a Black Flag expansion to an MMO before at last becoming the expired chum bucket it is today. As far as we know, Shadows didn’t experience these same growing pains. That’s not a knock on Ubisoft Singapore so much as it is recognition that sometimes projects get away from us, and that one did.

Ubisoft Quebec’s last big AC game was Odyssey, which is one more reason to be hyped for Shadows. Odyssey stands beside Black Flag and AC 2 as one of the best games in the series. Between Odyssey and Shadows, Quebec developed Immortals Fenyx Rising, but don’t lower your expectations for the team’s new ninja/samurai adventure on that account. Immortals was an original IP, which is always a gamble. Shadows takes Quebec back to something we know it does well: telling a thrilling, visually stunning Assassin’s Creed story.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ubisoft Quebec

If you put a wakizashi to my neck and told me to wager, I’d bet that Assassin’s Creed Shadows ranks in the top five best games in the series upon release. One of the biggest mistakes Singapore made with Skull and Bones was stripping Black Flag of its open-world exploration, eliminating hand-to-hand combat and mystery, thereby reducing settlements to dull storefronts. Ubisoft Quebec knows what AC fans want, and it will deliver. At least, it will deliver when it comes to gameplay.

Ubisoft will also deliver pricy cosmetics, a FOMO-exploiting early access edition, and other problematic business practices, but that’s a separate issue. So is whether or not Shadows is simply too little, too late, considering Ghost of Tsushima did it first (and possibly better). That said, if your big concern is whether we can trust Ubisoft with Yasuke or Naoe’s stories, the answer is “Yes.” Skull and Bones rode its anchor straight to the bottom of the sea, but Assassin’s Creed Shadows won’t.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S in November, 2024.