Assassin's Creed Shadows Gameplay Overview Showcases Visceral Combat, Weapons and Abilities

Ubisoft detailed the combat gameplay in Assassin's Creed Shadows in a new update Tuesday, highlighting the basics of attacking, defending, skills and abilities available to players. The developer also shared details about the character-specific weapons in the game; Assassin's Creed Shadows features two playable protagonists that come with distinct playstyles and abilities. In its deep dive, Ubisoft showcased new gameplay footage of the game's action-packed and visceral combat design. 

Assassin's Creed Shadows Combat

The studio shared the details of Assassin's Creed Shadows combat gameplay in a blog post Wednesday. According to Ubisoft, players' choice of protagonist and weapon will “dramatically” change the combat experience in the game, with samurai Yasuke taking an explosive approach, while shinobi Naoe preferring more precise and quieter means of taking down enemies. 

Players can execute both light and heavy attacks in Shadows but pressing and holding the light or heavy attack input will result in a posture attack — a charged attack that breaks through enemies' guard. 

“Light attacks can be postured a bit faster than heavy attacks,” game director Charles Benoit said in the blog post, “but heavy posture attacks pack one hell of a punch, if you get the timing right. Take note, though - enemies will watch out for Posture Attacks and attempt to prevent you from charging them, so make you sure to keep your eyes out." 

In certain situations, enemies can also enter a vulnerable state, during which players can unleash a posture attack and deal high damage. 

When it comes to defending incoming attacks, both Naoe and Yasuke can dodge to avoid damage — Noae executes a directional roll, while Yasuke sidesteps the attack. Both characters can also parry incoming attacks; Yasuke, however, can also utilise a block mechanic to shield himself from melee and ranged attacks. 

Assassin's Creed Shadows Skills, Abilities, Weapons

Both characters will also come with unique skills and abilities, including active abilities that can be executed mid-combat. Levelling up and defeating certain enemies will grant players Mastery Points, that can be spent on weapon-based skills. One of the gameplay snippets posted on the blog showcased an active ability, the Naginata Crescent Strike, where Yasuke executes a spinning attack on three enemies.  

Yasuke and Naoe can carry two weapons each and switch between them in combat, but only the former can switch weapons mid-combo. While core fight mechanics for both are same, they feel different in combat with their distinct weapons and abilities, Ubisoft said in the post.

Noae's weapons include a katana, a kusarigama, and a tanto dagger and hidden blade used in combination. Yasuke, on the other hand, equips a formidable long katana, a naginata for crowd control, a kanabo, and ranged weapons like Yumi bow and Teppo flint rifle. Ubisoft also detailed some of the enemy types players will encounter in Assassin's Creed Shadows, listing their attack patterns and tactics.

From the gameplay footage, the combat system in Assassin's Creed Shadows seems to be a departure from the one seen in Assassin's Creed Valhalla, with greater focus on character and weapon-specific actions.  

Assassin's Creed Shadows releases February 14, 2025, across PC, PS5 and Xbox Series S/X. In September, Ubisoft announced it was delaying the game to next year from its original release date of November 15, citing the need to further polish the game.