Assassin's Creed: Shadows Unveils Character Progression and Enhanced Hidden Blade

Ubisoft's latest article highlights the gameplay mechanics of Assassin's Creed: Shadows, focusing on the equipment and progression systems for Yasuke and Naoe. A key feature is a significant upgrade to the iconic Hidden Blade.

Yasuke and Naoe each boast unique skill trees reflecting their fighting styles: Yasuke's emphasizes samurai techniques, while Naoe's centers on shinobi skills. Players allocate skill points to unlock weapon-specific abilities and refine combat styles. Mastery points, earned by completing open-world tasks and defeating challenging enemies like Daisyo samurai, fuel this progression.

Character growth is balanced, preventing one character from outpacing the other. Unlocking powerful abilities requires specific actions, such as tracking down a secretive shinobi clan. Other upgrades are linked to the "Knowledge" system, advanced by studying texts and visiting shrines. Reaching Knowledge rank six unlocks a new skill tree.

The game also features a five-tier equipment system (common, uncommon, rare, epic, and legendary). Gear can be upgraded and visually customized at a blacksmith. Special armor and weapon perks can dramatically impact gameplay.

The Hidden Blade makes a triumphant return, retaining its ability to instantly eliminate enemies with a single strike. Assassin's Creed: Shadows launches worldwide on March 20th for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5.