In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players will have access to two playable characters who provide drastically different playstyles. But how both the sneaky assassin Naoe and the powerful samurai Yasuke play will be affected by the seasons.
In the extensive gameplay reveal for the next installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise today, the developers behind Shadows said the season of the year will directly affect how gameplay plays out, providing both new challenges and opportunities. Weather and time of day will also have a great effect on the way you can complete missions.
“As you progress in your adventure, you’ll feel the time passing like never before,” said game director Charles Benoit. “We’re introducing a full-year cycle where you’ll be able to rediscover a location under a different season and weather. For example, during winter, ice will prevent you from going under water, but as the season gets warmer, you can use ponds to approach your enemies. Or heavy rain will help you blend in to an environment, to lurk, or escape your opponents.”
The extended gameplay look provided a few examples of this new system, including a path to an assassination using the pond as Benoit described. During the portion showing Naoe’s stealth gameplay, the player was able to extinguish lanterns to create more darkness, allowing for more opportunities to assassinate guards.
There are several ways in which this season/weather cycle could be implemented. Perhaps during the summer, when days are longer, there will be fewer opportunities to sneak around at night. Or during winter, footprints left in the snow could make it easier for guards tracking you to find you. More challenges and advantages of each season will surely be uncovered when the game is released on Nov. 15.
