AC SHADOWS es el PEOR ASSASSIN'S CREED que he jugado.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Review

Initial Impressions

• The speaker acknowledges that "Mirash" has made progress, particularly in parkour mechanics and a shorter storyline, indicating a positive direction for the franchise.

• The reviewer warns that they may be overly critical of Assassin's Creed Shadows, labeling it as potentially the worst entry in the series.

Game Context and Features

• Assassin's Creed Shadows is described as Ubisoft's latest release, featuring significant changes such as two playable characters and a Japanese setting with new parkour elements.

• Despite promising features like character switching during missions and enhanced acrobatics, these aspects did not meet expectations upon release.

Technical Issues

• The reviewer experienced sound bugs early in gameplay, noting missing audio elements which detracted from immersion.

• There were also graphical memory issues leading to texture loading problems, impacting visual quality.

Controversies Surrounding Character Representation

• A notable controversy involves the inclusion of a Black protagonist in feudal Japan, raising questions about historical accuracy and representation.

• The speaker compares this choice to an absurd hypothetical scenario involving racial misrepresentation in another historical context to highlight perceived inconsistencies in Ubisoft’s approach.

• Another point of contention is the introduction of a non-binary character within secondary storylines, which the reviewer feels is historically inaccurate for the game's setting.

Graphics and Artistic Direction

• The graphics are praised for their dramatic improvement due to global illumination technology; however, there are exceptions noted by the reviewer.

• Dynamic seasonal changes enhance aesthetic variety but winter scenes fail to impress due to unrealistic snow effects on vegetation.

Visual Details

• Rendering distance and detail are highlighted positively when climbing towers; however, practical use remains limited.

• Beautiful volumetric lighting effects are noted at sunset; destruction physics allow interaction with environments (e.g., cutting bamboo).

Critique of Animation Quality

• Water graphics receive criticism for being subpar compared to previous titles like Origins.

• Facial animations fall short despite some improvements using motion capture for key cutscenes; overall character interactions suffer from outdated animation techniques.

Critique of Game Graphics and Mechanics

Facial Animations and Immersion

• The facial animations in the game are criticized for appearing amateurish, detracting from the overall experience.

• Poor facial expressions disrupt immersion, especially in a visually impressive game like this one; they feel unrealistic and robotic.

Artistic Direction and Soundtrack

• The game's artistic direction receives high praise (10/10), but the soundtrack is criticized for including out-of-place Asian trap remixes.

• Some ambient songs are noted as repetitive and not memorable, failing to enhance the gaming experience.

World Design and Detail

• The game world is described as beautiful with highly detailed villages that feel alive, showcasing dynamic environments as players move closer or further from the coast.

Gameplay Mechanics: Movement Challenges

Parkour Limitations

• While new acrobatic moves add visual flair, parkour mechanics are underutilized due to map design constraints.

• Players can only use a grappling hook at specific points, limiting fluid movement across rooftops.

Exploration Issues

• Forest areas make up 85% of the map but are poorly designed for traversal; players cannot climb trees freely.

• The lack of freedom in exploring natural landscapes leads to frustration when navigating through vast empty spaces.

Combat System Evaluation

Weapon Variety

• Combat is considered an improvement over previous titles; players have access to various weapons such as katanas and shurikens.

Horse Mechanics Critique

• Horses in this game are deemed inferior compared to earlier titles like Assassin's Creed 1; they lack realism in movement and combat capabilities.

• Unlike more immersive games where horses exhibit lifelike behavior, here they feel robotic and unresponsive.

This structured summary captures key insights from the transcript while providing timestamps for easy reference.

Analysis of Weapon Choices and Combat Mechanics

Weapon Diversity and Character Abilities

• The game features a variety of weapons, each offering distinct gameplay experiences. Naoe's weapons are faster, while Yasuke's are slower but more powerful.

• Combat complexity is enhanced through various moves and combos, making it more intricate than previous Assassin's Creed titles. Players can combine weak and strong attacks for effective strategies.

Dual Character Dynamics

• The game introduces two characters: Naoe, a fast and stealthy assassin, and Yasuke, a slow but strong warrior. Each character has unique abilities that affect gameplay.

• While players can choose which character to use for missions, the narrative fails to integrate both characters effectively during gameplay moments.

Narrative Integration Issues

• The story struggles with the dual character concept; players often feel one character is absent during critical moments despite their narrative connection.

• Situations arise where both characters appear together only for one to disappear when switching between them, leading to awkward storytelling.

Boss Fights and Mission Design

• Main missions lack originality; boss fights feel repetitive with minimal variation in settings or mechanics compared to earlier games in the series.

• Players experience a sense of déjà vu as many bosses seem like copy-paste versions from previous encounters without innovative challenges.

Difficulty Levels and Stealth Mechanics

• Increasing difficulty levels negatively impact stealth mechanics; higher difficulties render designed stealth paths ineffective due to enemy detection issues.

• It is advised not to play on hard mode as it diminishes the enjoyment of stealth elements integral to the Assassin's Creed experience.

Stealth Gameplay Insights

Stealth Mechanics Overview

• Stealth remains an essential feature in this installment. However, player engagement may vary based on personal objectives within the game.

Nighttime Advantages

• Nighttime offers strategic advantages for stealth gameplay; players can utilize darkness effectively by extinguishing lights with shurikens or hiding in shadows.

Exploration Mode Challenges

• The exploration mode presents challenges by removing map markers for mission starts. This design choice complicates navigation due to the game's expansive environment.

Critique of RPG Elements in Assassin's Creed

Mission Progression and Canon Mode

• The speaker discusses the mission progression, mentioning a "canon mode" that restricts dialogue choices during cutscenes to those originally spoken by the character.

• They express regret for choosing this mode, describing the story as disappointing and suggesting that having dialogue options could have made the unengaging cutscenes more entertaining.

RPG Mechanics and Their Effectiveness

• The speaker critiques the inclusion of RPG mechanics in Assassin's Creed, arguing they are unnecessary given the series' premise of reliving historical memories without altering events.

• They mention a "Hacienda" (or hideout), which has been a feature in previous games but feels disconnected due to lack of character engagement, making customization feel pointless.

Leveling System Flaws

• The leveling system is criticized for being poorly implemented; players can quickly outlevel areas, rendering level-based challenges meaningless.

• As players progress, all zones scale with their level, leading to an ongoing cycle of weapon obsolescence where new weapons quickly surpass favorites.

Skill Trees and Side Missions

• The skill tree system is deemed ineffective since players cannot fully develop all skills before needing to switch focus between weapons.

• Secondary missions lack depth and interest; characters often have generic stories or abrupt endings that fail to engage players meaningfully.

Collectibles and Exploration Issues

• Collectible missions are described as tedious; for example, climbing towers offers no puzzles or challenges beyond reaching a button at the top.

• There are over 100 towers with minimal interaction required, diminishing exploration rewards and player satisfaction.

Game Mechanics and Storytelling Critique

Game Mechanics Overview

• The game features 116 watchtowers, requiring players to spend approximately 48 minutes rotating the camera around them during synchronization.

• Players must engage in repetitive prayer activities as a collectible task, needing to pray 86 times for full completion, which feels excessive and frustrating.

• Each map zone demands players to defeat specific enemies and collect items for characters, often presented through unengaging narratives that lack depth.

• The game employs a formulaic approach with nine regions, each featuring a boss fight that dilutes narrative focus across multiple antagonists.

• This division of attention hampers storytelling effectiveness, making it difficult for players to connect with any single villain or storyline.

Narrative Structure Issues

• The game's open-world design disrupts logical story progression; players can tackle regions in any order, leading to disjointed narrative experiences.

• The speaker argues that an Assassin's Creed title should not adopt RPG elements of this scale without sufficient development time and detail.

• A more effective Assassin's Creed experience would involve a denser map with fewer but meaningful side missions tied to interesting characters.

Storyline Critique

• The speaker expresses disappointment in the game's narrative execution, suggesting it strays too far from traditional Assassin's Creed themes.

• There is criticism regarding the use of the Assassin's Creed name; the gameplay lacks true assassins or creed affiliations throughout the story.

• Key plot points are introduced late in the game (e.g., protagonist’s mother being an assassin), which feels disconnected from overall gameplay.

Character and Plot Summary

• The main character Diogo (later known as Yasuke), becomes involved with Oda Nobunaga after gaining his trust.

• Naoe attempts to protect an object linked to her father’s efforts against Nobunaga’s conquest of Iga but faces numerous challenges along the way.

• After being attacked by masked assailants who kill her father, Naoe is left with eleven targets representing key villains throughout her journey.

• This setup complicates emotional engagement since there are too many antagonists introduced without sufficient backstory or development.

The Journey of Naoe and the Quest for Power

Encountering Allies and Enemies

• The protagonist's journey begins with a confrontation against a villain, leading to the first significant character being eliminated.

• They meet Akchi Mitsugide, who reveals his intention to betray Oda Nobunaga, the commander of an 11-member group.

• Yasuke intervenes before a fatal encounter, revealing that Mitsugide's information about Nobunaga was false; he is not part of the antagonistic group known as Simbakufu.

Unraveling Secrets and Alliances

• Naoe forms an alliance with Yasuke after discovering they share a connection through hidden blades; Yasuke was saved by someone wielding such a weapon.

• The narrative deepens as they confront Yosiaki, who confirms their adversaries are not templars but were allied with two known templars seeking Eden's fruit.

The Search for Truth

• Yosiaki chooses to spare his life after revealing that one more person with a hidden blade remains—implying it could be Naoe’s mother.

• After defeating the remaining enemies, Naoe hides the box containing vital treasures using her father's ocarina melody as a key.

Discoveries About Heritage

• Hanzo appears with another box, explaining that three boxes form Japan's imperial treasure: a mirror, jewel, and sword; however, one treasure remains missing.

• It is revealed that Naoe’s mother belonged to the assassins' order—a critical piece of information unveiled late in the story.

Critique of Narrative Structure

• The speaker expresses dissatisfaction with the game's overall narrative quality, stating only 5% is meaningful while most content feels like unnecessary filler.

• A lack of resolution regarding key plot points leaves many questions unanswered; this leads to skepticism about future installments in the series.