AC: Shadows breakdown: campaign will be more intense but shorter, with ton of meaningful locations

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's extensive gameplay drew criticism, prompting Ubisoft to refine the experience for its upcoming title, Assassin's Creed: Shadows. Feedback regarding the length of the main storyline and the sheer volume of optional content has been addressed.

Game director Charles Benoit stated the Shadows campaign will take approximately 50 hours to complete, with full exploration and side quests potentially extending playtime to 100 hours. This contrasts with Valhalla's minimum 60-hour campaign and a potential 150-hour completion time.

Ubisoft aimed to create a more balanced ratio of narrative and optional activities in Shadows, reducing the overwhelming amount of optional content present in Valhalla. The goal is to streamline gameplay without sacrificing world richness or story depth. The intention is to cater to both players who prefer concise narratives and those who enjoy extensive gameplay experiences.

Director Jonathan Dumont highlighted the team's research trip to Japan as a significant influence on Shadows' development. The scale of Japanese castles, mountainous landscapes, and dense forests exceeded expectations, emphasizing the need for enhanced realism and detail.

A key change involves world geography. Travel times between points of interest will be longer, reflecting the expansive nature of the open world. However, this increased travel distance will be offset by a greater level of detail and nuance in each location. This differs significantly from Assassin's Creed Odyssey's more densely populated map. Shadows prioritizes a more open, natural world with richer, more detailed locations. Dumont emphasized the significantly higher level of detail in Shadows, promising a more immersive Japanese atmosphere.