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TLDR Review: Assassin's Creed Shadows PS5

By ShopSavvy Team

Published: February 11th, 2026

Pros

•The visuals are stunning, featuring impressive ray tracing and higuality graphics that make the feudal Japan setting truly immersive.
•Gameplay is fun, engaging, and highly customizable, offering diverse combat styles through two distinct playable characters—a stealthy, agile fighter and a heavitting brute.
•The characters, especially main duo Naoe and Yaskae, are weleveloped and their friendship adds depth and charm to the experience.
•The game offers a vast, beautifully detailed open world packed with environmental richness and numerous side quests that encourage exploration.
•Considered by many as one of the best Assassin’s Creed games to date, it significantly improves on previous franchise entries and maintains the saga’s high standards.
•Stealth mechanics are excellent, providing a satisfying and immersive gameplay style that many players enjoy.
•Combat is entertaining and varied, supporting multiple fighting approaches that keep the experience fresh.
•The game provides many hours of enjoyment with an engaging mix of exploration, stealth, and action.

Cons

•The main storyline is considered average and less engaging compared to other recent entries like Ghost of Tsushima or the Yakuza series.
•There is a lack of a compelling main antagonist, which makes the story feel a bit flat and uninspired in places.
•The final battle is underwhelming, leaving some players disappointed with how the climax unfolds.
•Main story and side quests aren’t clearly separated, which can slow down progress if you aren’t following a guide.
•Dense foliage in forests can sometimes obscure the character, affecting visibility and immersion during exploration.
•Some controversy online about the game seems unwarranted but might dissuade hesitant buyers.

Bottom Line

Assassin’s Creed Shadows (PS5) is a visually impressive and mechanically solid entry that delivers hours of engaging stealth-action gameplay in a rich, atmospheric feudal Japan setting. While the story doesn’t break new ground and the climax could be stronger, the well-crafted world and enjoyable combat styles make it a worthwhile experience—especially for fans of the series or stealth games in general. If you prioritize a deeper or more emotionally gripping narrative, you might also want to check out Ghost of Tsushima for a comparable setting with a more compelling story and open-world design.

Lowest at any Popular Retailer

$34.99 at Best Buy

How we researched this

About this review: We pulled together findings from professional reviews and hundreds of user reviews, and cross-referenced them with ShopSavvy's pricing data from 2 retailers to give you the short version.