Ubisoft has announced the decision to move the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows from November 15 to February 2025 on Twitter.

In a conference call caught by VGC, Ubisoft explained that while the game is feature-complete, the team is working to implement lessons learned from the unsuccessful launch of Star Wars Outlaws.

The company will also do away with the t??raditional season pass model, saying, "all players will be able to enjoy the game at the same time on February 14, and those who preorder the game will be granted the first expansion fo??r free."

Is Assassin's Creed Shadows being delayed for a different reason?

Trying to polish the game to avoid repeating the catastrophic release of Assassin's Creed Unity would be a valid reason to delay the game. Another would be an attempt to course-correct Ubisoft's recent monetization efforts that seemingly didn't work well enough with Star Wars Outlaws. That, however, might not be all.

This delay is but the newest chapter in the unreleased game's already troubled history with players. The original reveal?, which struck most as a breath of fresh air, still irked a very vocal corner of the internet who cannot fathom the concept?? of a black Samurai.

Even when a Japanese historian who didn't graduate from the University of the Internet guaranteed that Yasuke, one of the two main characters, did indeed exist and was undoubtedly Samurai, people didn't stop complaining.

Though most complaints were unfounded, Ubisoft released a press statement apologizing to Japanese players for some inaccuracies of? the portrayal of feudal Japan in the game. Strange, as they were definitely not the demographic behind most of the noise.

That disappointing caving in has led a few to theorize that Ubisoft might be trying to overhaul not just the mechanics and monetization, but many of the original story beats and character detai??ls as well.

The announcement comes a day after Sucker Punch revealed Ghost of Yotei, which looks amazing. Here's hoping Ubisoft is only delaying t?he game to make it even? better in the face of such such daunting competition.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is now set for a February 14, 2025 release.

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The Assassin’s Creed franchise has no shortage of beautifully crafted historical playgrounds for its fans to enjoy exploring. From the narrow streets of Florence and Venice in Assassin’s Creed II to the sprawling landscapes of Ancient Greece in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the series has always impressed me with its outstanding attention to historical detail in world design. Sure, it's all a fiction. However, there's no denying that the best Assassin's Creed games feel like taking a trip back in time.

In this ranking, I’ll be discussing how well Ubisoft has adapted the time period and location of each Assassin’s Creed game to support open exploration, enjoyable gameplay, and historical immersion. This adaptation process is a key part of what makes the best Assassin's Creed games so great.

13. Colonial America in Assassin’s Creed Rogue

Assassin’s Creed Rogue is the lowest on this list because it’s the only game in the franchise where it feels like signific?ant historical details are missing in the game world’s creation. The focus era of the game is the Seven Years�War, but the game has little to do with the conflict. The River Valley area of the map is a bit too shallow in terms of side quests and other explorative activities, and the ability to sail a full-sized pirate ship around central New York is some??what comical.

12. Viking-era England in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Valhalla is the franchise’s biggest land map to date, taking players from the fjords of Norway through to a vast recreation of Viking-era England. DLC expansions to the game also allow you to travel to Ireland, France, and other more mythological lands, such as Asgard. However, the expansiveness of the Valhalla is its main detriment, particularly in the game’s England maps. The seriesâ€?iconic parkour mechanics are limited in nearly every zone, and many of the game’s towns and villages feel unremarka?ble because there’s very little to see or do in these locations that you?? can’t do in other corners of the map. 

11. Constantinople in Assassin’s Creed Revelations

Ubisoft’s rendition of 1500s Constantinople in Revelations is a less intriguing landscape in comparison with other game worlds from the series, primarily because the city's districts lack distinction from one another. There are of course many iconic landmarks sprinkled across the map, such as the Hagia Sofia and Galata Tower, but the story doesn’t interact with them very often which means you can easily miss them. On the plus side, traversing the map can be very enjoyable, with additions such as the hook blade a??nd zip lines improving the parkour experience from earlier titles.

10. The Holy Land in Assassin’s Creed

The original Assassin’s Creed is an incredibly atmospheric experience. The division of each city between richer and poorer districts nicely complements the themes of the story when it dives into the philosophical elements of the creed. However, there’s no denying that the first game has not aged nearly as well as its sequels. There are no side quests that help players engage with the history of this era, and the Kingdom area between the three cities is unremarkable. I’ll always be holding out hope for an Assassin's Creed remaster that fixes these issues, but in the meantime, the world of the origi?na??l game is decent enough.

9. Rome in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood is the middle chapter in the trilogy of games covering the series�most beloved protagonist, Ezio Auditore, and his adventures through Renaissance Italy. As a result of the storytelling, many aspects of the setting are borrowed from the previous entry, Assassin’s Creed II. The signature monuments of Brotherhood’s Rome, such as the Colosseum and Castello Sant’Angelo, are well utilized in the game’s storytelling, but many of the outlying areas of the game felt unimpressive, particularly compared to the countryside in Assassin’s Creed II. The core of the city, h?owever, is excellently crafted and highly inte?ractive.  

8. Ancient Greece in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Odyssey’s maps and open landscapes are massive. However, the game’s regions are more distinct than those found in Valhalla, and offer unique vistas and lively historical settings that constantly ?had me snapping screenshots. But while the game’s Mediterranean setting is undeniably beautiful throughout, there is sometimes a lack of interactivity in the landscape. In short, not all regions felt relevant to the quests. Parkour opportunities felt limited, and you'll traverse most of the map by boat or on horseback.   

7. Revolutionary America in Assassin’s Creed III

Assassin’s Creed III centers its gameplay on revolutionary war America and divides its players�time between the colonial cities of Boston and New York and the frontier wilderness. Each of the game’s regions change with the season appropriate to the main story, and weather mechanics such as snow banks appropriately shift the ease of traversal and visibility. The key battlegrounds and buildings from the Revolutionary War are more than just sig??hts to visit. Instead, they play central roles in the game’s story.

6. Baghdad in Assassin’s Creed Mirage

The most recent game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise returned players to a more linear game experience, where story and stealth take center stage and were well supported by the game’s environment. The city streets of Mirage’s Baghdad are lively, colourful, and filled to the brim with iconic landmarks. The ability to blend in with the crowds makes a welcome return, and the architectural designs of the buildings made parkour enjoyable once again. I was also particula??rly enchanted by the game’s interior spaces, but found the desert beyond the city to be a bit too empty.

5. Ancient Egypt in Assassin’s Creed Origins

Origins is the first of the three RPG- style games in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, and thus was the first to design its game map for full open-ended exploration. Ptolemaic Ancient Egypt was a significant departure from the historical backdrops of the preceding games, almost all of which were set within 500 years of modern day. The new surroundings of Origins undoubtedly helped to keep the franchise feel fresh and exciting, and new mechanics like diving and the Discovery Tour also gave us new ways to explor?e ever??y nook and cranny.  

4. The West Indies in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag 

The golden age of piracy is one of the most iconic historical time periods in the franchise, and the world design of Black Flag does not disappoint in bringing this era to life??. Capturing forts, digging up buried treasure in underwater shipwrecks, and uncovering Mayan ruins are all unique activities that allow players to directly interact with the setting. Vibrant jungles, unique cities, and changes in the ocean environment when sailing all assemble to create a fun and entertaining adventure.

3. Victorian London in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

With the addition of the rope launcher and carriage driving, Syndicate’s rendition of Victorian London offered us a fantastic blend of new mechanics for exploring the city’s wider streets, bridges, and rivers. Iconic buildings such as Big Ben and Westminster are present, but the narrow streets and alleyways of Whitechapel and Southwark are arguably ??even more interesting in terms of exploration. City districts are distinct, and small details on the street, such as posters and signs, give the game an impressive amount of gritty yet enjoyably goofy Victorian style.

2. Renaissance Italy in Assassin’s Creed II

Renaissance Italy is one of the most beloved settings in the entire Assassin’s Creed catalog, and for good reason. The importance of this era in Italian history is incredibly well explored in both the story and interactions with characters like Leonardo Da Vinci and Machiavelli. Florence and Venice are distinctly beautiful, suit the protagonist’s parkour movements perfectly, and leave a lasting impression on the player. The game of course greatly benefits from Jesper Kyd’s now iconic soundtrack. It gives the world of Assassin’s Creed II a level of mystique tha?t inspired me to explore every corner? in search of satisfying scraps of franchise lore.

1. Revolutionary Paris in Assassin’s Creed Unity

Assassin’s Creed Unity perfectly captures France in the early throes of Napoleo??nic-era revolution. The dense crowds of NPCs in the game bring the city to life in a way that the franchise has yet to match and establish the chaos of the times in a very interactive way. Details as unmissable as the riots going on in the streets and as small as the newspaper clippings available on street corners made me feel as though I was walking around in nothing short of a turning point in human history. 

The ability to not only climb but seamlessly enter and explore iconic landmarks such as the Notre Dame, Palace of Versailles, and the Bastille was also an outstanding upgrade from earlier entries. While there have been many Assassin's Creed games since Unity, they haven't risen as ??high in terms of his??torical world design and immersion.

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Between this year's Assassin's Creed Shadows, the upcoming Assassin's Creed Hexe, mobile title Assassin's Creed Jade, and the Assassin's Cred Infinity service, you would think Ubisoft had enough Assassin's Creed projects in the works right now. Yet that's still not enough for the company, as it has formally confirmed it has some Assassin's Creed remakes in the pipeline too.

This comes courtesy of Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot himself, who said as much in an interview published on the company's official website. When asked about the future of the Assassin's Creed series, Guillemo?t answered, "Players can be excited about some remakes, which will allow us to revisit some of the games we've created in the past and modernize them." He stopped short of hinting at which titles will get the remake treatment and when fans can expect any of them to come out, but at the very least it sounds like Ubisoft ??intends to remake multiple games.

Guillemot also promised there will be plenty of variety in the sort of Assassin's Creed games the company puts out, explaining that the goal is to have them come out more regularly, "but not for it to be the same experience every year." Considering most of the modern entries, like Assassin's Creed Valhalla and the upcoming Shadows, are action-RPGs, breaking up these releases with remakes of the older, more stealth-focused entries would fit this vision. Plus, the release of Assassin's Creed Mirage, a deliberate throwback to the original titles, proved there's a market for them thanks to a very successful launch. Ubisoft even described it as the company's "biggest New Gen launch in terms of u?nits sales to date."

As for which Assassin's Creed games could see a remake, the original 2007 title feels like a safe assumption given its age and its status as the first entry in the series. Although Ubisoft could skip it and go straight to Assassin's Creed 2 given the popularity of not just the game but also its protagonist, Ezio. And while it arguably doesn't need one, the pirate themed Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is perhaps the top choice for a remake, if only to have it on current hardware?.

In fact, a remake of Black Flag was already claimed to be in development last year. This was according to a report by Kotaku, who spoke with unnamed sources within Ubisoft. No other details were mentioned, aside from the fact that the project was still in the early stages and Ubisoft Singapore was heavily involved. Ubisoft Singapore has a history with assisting development on Assassin's Creed games, including Black Flag, and is also the studio behind Ubisoft's current pirate game Skull and Bones. Hopefully, if the Black Flag remake is real, it doesn't take as long to release as Skull and Bones did.

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When Apple unveiled its iPhone 15 Pro last September, it also announced the device would be capable of running some major AAA video games, including the Resident Evil 4 remake and Assassin's Creed Mirage. While certainly impressive and a great way of drawing attention to the iPhone 15 Pro, I had to wonder how much demand there ?was for such games to see native mobile ports. Turns out the answer is not a l??ot.

Recently, Mobilegamer.biz shared an analysis, based on estimates by Appfigures, on the performance of the mobile ports of Resident Evil 4, Resident Evil Village, Assassin's Creed Mirage, and Death Stranding. To be blunt, it seems not a single one of these games has been profitable on mobile. Resident Evil 4, for example, launched on iOS on December 23, but is estimated to have only made $208,000 from roughly 357,000 unique downloads. For the sake of comparison, the console/PC release pushed three million units in its first two days according to Capcom.

Resident Evil Village, meanwhile, has seen more downloads, but only 370,000 of them. Plus, it's made even less money, generating an estimated $92,000 in revenue since its October 2023 launch. Assassin's Creed Mirage, which launched earlier this month, has fared much better already, but it's still made a shockingl?y low $138,000 from approximately 123,000 downloads.

All three of these games are technically free-to-play, allowing mobile owners to try out a portion of them before purchasing the full game. The price varies from game to game but, given how low these estimated figures are, it seems not enough people are being convinced to actually put money down for these games after downloading them. The one game that isn't a free download is Death Stranding, which launched on mobile this past January and costs $20. It's actually been the most successful of the bunch, making an estimated $212,000 from roughly 10,600 downloads. But that's hardly cause for celebration when the original PlayStation 4 version is believed to have accrued over three million players in its first six months (via Gamstat), far more than the mob?ile version has managed in five months.

Mobilegamer.biz does reiterate these figures are only estimates, and also points to more optimistic estimates from data firm Appmagic, but they're not that much better. For example, Appmagic says Assassin's Creed Mirage has made roughly $221,000 in revenue, which is still nowhere near the $250 million it's believed to have made on consoles and PC (per Insider Gaming). At the very least, Ubisoft called Mirage its "biggest New Gen launch," which ??it definitely wouldn't have said had?? it performed as well as the mobile port has.

In retrospect, these ports were probably doomed from the get-go. As Appmagic head of content Andrei Zubov points out, the top performing mobile games "typically feature simpler controls, prioritise unique art styles over high-end graphics, and are suited for shorter play sessions." People who frequently game on mobile are thus less likely to be interested in ports of bigger titles. Plus, anyone who would want to play them likely already bought them for console or PC. And if you're someone who doesn't own Resident Evil 4 or Death Stranding, why wouldn't you ??play them on a platform they were originally designed for than your mobile phone?

Not to mention these ports are, again, only available on the new iPhone 15 Pro. I doubt anyone would consider buying the device just to play the ports, especially since the phone costs $999. This makes it far more expensive than a brand new PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X|S. Apple still intends to put No Man's Sky and the upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows on high-end iPads but, if all this data is anything to go by, I can't imagine they'll perform any better, and I'd be shocked if any more AAA console/PC titles get native mobil??e releases in the future.

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Wizards of the Coast is launching two Secret Lair drops alongside the major Assassin's Creed Magic: The Gathering set. These drops will contain ten unique cards that are perfect for Assassin's Creed and MTG fans or coll??ectors alike, bringing characters and gear to life like never before.

Secret Lair drops compliment major set releases with incredible artwork, additional cards, or just alternate versions of cards that fans will find when they're opening packs. Every drop is limited, meaning only those who purchase them when available or when stocks last will ever have them. As with every other Secret Lair drop, the Assassin's Creed: Lethal Legends and DaVinci's Designs Superdrops won't be reprinted and will be a piece of MTG history you can own, play with, or keep in your colle?ctio??n forever.

Every card in the Secret Lair x Assassin's Creed: Lethal Legends and DaVinci's Designs Superdrops

As I mentioned above, there are ten cards in the Secret Lair x Assassin's Creed: Lethal Legends Superdrop. These are split into two sets of five, so you can purchase either or both. I'm going to aim to get both because I ?love the shift in themes between the two. See below for the cards you'll get in each set.

Both sets will be available from June 24, 2024, until July 14, 2024. Wizards of the Coast messed up the dates during the official WeeklyMTG livestream that revealed these cards, but Secret Lair confirmed the correct dates on Twitter.

All Secret Lair x Assassin's Creed: Lethal Legends Superdrop cards

These five cards are fairly straightforward and easy to understand. I have to say th?at Basim, Master Assassin sounds crazy and if you manage to pull off a win with his ability, then you're a tactical ??genius.

• Eivor, Raven Clan Champion: A 3/2 Legendary Creature and Human Warrior. Whenever a Warrior attacks, you can have its controller create a 1/1 white Warrior creature token that's tapped while attacking. By paying one of each color mana, you can untap all attacking creatures. This also gives them Lifelink, Trample, and Haste until the end of the turn. After this phase, there will be an additional combat phase, but you can only activate this ability during combat.
• Altair, Brotherhood Mentor: A 2/2 Legendary Creature and Human Assassin with Vigilance and Haste. Gets +1/+1 for every experience counter you have. Tap to deal one damage to a creature you don't control. When that creature dies this turn, you gain another experience counter.
• Amunet, Tyrants' End: A 3/3 Legendary Creature and Human Assassin with Deathtouch and Haste. When Amunet, Tyrants' End enters the battlefield, you become the monarch. At the beginning of your upkeep, if an opponent is the monarch, create a 1/1 black Assassin creature token with Deathrouch and Haste.
• Basim, Master Assassin: A 4/4 Legendary Creature and Human Assassin with Deathtouch. Other Assassins you control get +1/+1. whenever a player loses the game, if they were attacked this turn by an Assassin you controlled, you win the game.
• Edward, Jackdaw Captain: A 3/3 Legendary Creature and Human Pirate. Other pirates you control get +1/+1. At the beginning of your end step, gain control of target nonland permanent controlled by a player who was dealt combat damage but three or more pirates this turn.

All Secret Lair x Assassin's Creed: DaVinci's Designs Superdrop cards

These five cards are all equipment, so you'll be using them alongside those Assassins above in the inevitable Assassin's Creed decks you build.

• Blade of Selves: A 2 mana Artifact Equipment. Equipped creature has Myriad. Equip 4.
• Conqueror's Flail: A 2 mana Artifact Equipment. Equipped creature gets +1/+1 for each color among the permanents you control. As long as Conqueror's Flail is attached to a creature, your opponent can't cast spells during your turn. Equip 2.
• Darksteel Plate: A 3 mana Artifact Equipment with Indestructible. Equipped creature has Indestructible. Equip 2.
• Deathrender: A 4 mana Artifact Equipment. Equipped creature gets +2/+2. Whenever equipped creature dies, you may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield and attach Deathrender to it. Equip 2.
• Whispersilk Cloak: A 3 mana Artifact Equipment. Equipped creature can't be blocked and has Shroud. Equip 2.

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When it comes to video games, there are a lot of? memorable characters. Outside of their design or role wi?thin a game, what makes these characters memorable is their voice, and every one of these comes as a result of actors spending hours in a recording booth. 

There are a lot of voice actors out there, but some are more prolific or memorable than others. Their voices res?onate in our heads as part of the cha?racters we come to love while playing, but who’s behind these voices and where else have they appeared?

Joel Miller (The Last of Us) - Troy Baker

Troy Baker might be one of the most well-known voices in video games. He’s not only the voice of Joel in The Last of Us but also Higgs Monaghan in Death Stranding, John Jones in Fortnite, The Joker in Batman: Arkham Origins, and the voice of Snow in multiple Final Fantasy titles, including Final Fantasy XIII.

Harley Quinn (Arkham City) - Tara Strong 

Tara Strong is a voice that’s iconic for multiple generations. To me, she’s Timmy from Fairly Odd Parents. To my daughter, she’s Princess Twilight Sparkle from the My Little Pony franchise. In video games, Tara has played not only Harley Quinn in multiple titles, but you can also hear her voice in Rage, and she’s the voice of Rikku in Kingdom Hearts II.

Snake (Metal Gear Solid) - David Hayter

While David Hayter is perhaps most well known for his role as Snake in the Metal Gear Solid franchise and outside of it in other titles, he’s also appeared as the Winter Soldier in Marvel Heroes, a Jedi Knight in Star Wars: The Old Republic, and has multiple voice roles in the Ghost in the Shell game, released in 1997.

Mario (Multiple) - Charles Martinet

I can’t in all good conscience write this list without including Charles Martinet. His voice simply is Mario to anyone who has ever played a single game of the franchise. However, Mario isn’t Charlesâ€?only voice role in the world of video games. He’s appeared as Orvus in Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time, Vigoro in Skies of Arcadia, and, perhaps surprisingly, The Cat in the Hat in a few titles aimed at kids, such as Dr. Seuss Toddler. 

Asterion (Baldur’s Gate III) - Neil Newbon

If TikTok is to be believed, Neil Newbon is the voice of everybody’s favorite Dom. However, before he was the voice of Asterion, Neil appeared in the Resident Evil games as Karl Heisenberg in Resident Evil Village and Nicholai in Resident Evil Resistance. He also played two roles in Detroit: Become Human, Elijah Kamski and Gavin Reed.

Ezio Auditore (Assassin's Creed II Trilogy) - Roger Craig Smith

Roger Crag Smith, I’m not ashamed to say, played a pivotal role in the formation of my love for gaming. I was, and remain to this day, obsessed with Assassin’s Creed II and will always consider it the best of the Assassin’s Creed titles. However, Roger Craig Smith has appeared in many more video games. He’s played Kale Vandelay and SEB-AAA in Hi-Fi RUSH, Sonic the Hedgehog in multiple titles and Mirage in Apex Legends. Most recently, you might recognize his voice as Mission Control in Helldivers 2.

Tiny Tina (Borderlands) - Ashly Burch

Although most recognizable for her voice as Tiny Tina in the Borderlands games, Ashley Burch has played a lot of memorable characters in other titles. She’s the voice of Aloy in Horizon Zero Dawn, Nebula in Guardians of the Galaxy: The Telltale Series, Mel in The Last of Us Part II, and also provided the voice of Chloe Price in both Life is Strange games. 

Urianger (Final Fantasy XIV) - Timothy Watson

Aside from gracing the world with the purely Shakespearean presence that is Urianger Augurelt in Final Fantasy XIV, Timothy Watson has also appeared in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla as King Burgred, has multiple voice roles in Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age, and played Mumkhar in Xenoblade Chronicles. 

GLaDOS (Portal) - Ellen McClain

The voice of everybody’s favorite psychopathic robot from the Portal games was provided by Ellen McClain, but it wasn’t the first time she provided an iconic robotic female voice in the world of video games. Ellen is also the voice behind the Combine Overwatch AI in Half-Life 2. She also appears in Cyberpunk 2077 as one of Delamain’s split personalities, though this one was model??ed after GlaDOS.

Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher) - Doug Cockle

Doug Cockle is the voice of Geralt in The Witcher game series as well as when Geralt appears in other titles like Soul Caliber VI. He’s also appeared as Bhaal in Baldur’s Gate III, Robert Nightingale in Alan Wake II, and provides multiple additional voices in Horizon Zero Dawn. Outside of gaming, Doug also played the role of Father John Maloney in 2001's Band of Brothers.

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Ubisoft recently shared proper information on its Japan-set Assassin's Creed Shadows. Aside from two trailers, which confirmed two playable protagonists, developer Ubisoft Québec has given some further insight about the game's new mechanics, but the one that most intrigues me ??is its new dynamic weather system.

I've always been a fan of dynamic weather systems in games, mostly for how they make a world feel more alive and can radically alter the mood of a scenario. Sometimes, though, they can offer more than just an aesthetic difference and can alter gameplay, like how rain makes it more difficult to climb up walls in The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. In an IGN interview, the staff at Ubisoft Québec explained how the changing seasons in Assassin's Creed Shadows have a direct influence on gameplay, drastically affecting how you approach c??ompleting objectives.

One example producer Karl Onnée provides is how, in summer time, you can go underwater in ponds to hide from enemies. Come winter time and those ponds will have frozen over. You may need to ditch your favoured hiding spots as the seasons progress, but this in turn opens up new opportunities. The stronger winds, for instance, will help obscure the so??und of your footsteps, making it easier to sneak up on enemies. As creative director Jonathan Dumont succinctly puts it, "Players will have to adapt constantly to what the environment is giving them."

Assassin's Creed Shadows certainly isn't the first Assassin's Creed game to have a weather system, but I don't think it's ever had one as advanced as what Ubisoft is promising for Shadows. What's especially unique is that the seasons don't just rotate after enough time has passed. Instead, the seasons change when you hit certain points in the story, which allows for an added sense of realism and suggests the events of Shadows will take place over the course of a whole year.

According to art director Thierry Dansereau, some side quests can be attempted during differe?nt seasons: "When in an open world [side] quest, it might happen that you will play a quest in autumn a??nd I will play the same quest and I'm going to be in summer." This should mean how you approach completing side quests will depend on the current season, allowing for players to come up with different methods. It may even make some quests more challenging or easier to complete.

It's obviously still too early to tell how this game will turn out, but so far Shadows is shaping up to be the most interesting Assassin's Creed game in a long time. Elsewhere in the interview, Ubisoft is also promising a stronger emphasis on stealth and parkour, which combined with a revised combat system is making Shadows sound like an ideal hybrid between the modern action-RPG Assassin's Creed games and the original stealth-based entries.

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Ubisoft finally revealed new information about Assassin's Creed Codename Red, now officially titled Assassin's Creed Shadows. The newly renamed Assassin's Creed is getting?? a full reveal, just ahead of the summer.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is set to release a reveal trailer on May 15 at 9 a.m. PT. Fans will most likely be able to watch the trailer directly on Ubisoft's Twitter account or find a higher quality version on Ubisoft's YouTube channel.

The devs first revealed plans for this Assassin's Creed as Codename Red during Ubisoft Forward in 2022. With only one short trailer to go off, most information remains shrouded in mystery, but Feudal Japan was confirmed ??as the setting with a new assassin wielding a one-handed sword, hid?den blade, and black Assassin Order robes.

This marks the first time that the franchise will head to Japan. Ubisoft Quebec has taken the helm for the project, which is the team behind other titles such as Immortals Fenyx Rising and Assassin's Creed Odyssey.

As for a release date, an Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot revealed during an earnings call in February that the upcoming Assassin's Creed would be part of a "promising lineup for fiscal ?year 2025". This y?ear is between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025. That window doesn't narrow down the range by too much, but the reveal trailer could provide more information.

A countdown has started on Assassin’s Creed social media channels, and there is an hourglass puzzle that players can complete to earn a reward. PC players can already Wishlist the game on the Ubisoft website. Wario64 noted that the store site says Assassin's Creed Shadows is coming to PC/PS5/PS4/Xbox Series but not Xbox One, though Shinobi602 claims the title isn't coming to PS4.

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Since the reveal of the official story trailer for Star Wars Outlaws, fans have had nothing but questions about cer??tain aspects of the gam?e that don't quite sit right with them in 2024.

First, there was a bit of a debacle about the fact that the game's physical edition requires an online connection to be fully installed. However, after a little time and research, it appears that this is more to avoid leaks and spoilers from copies being sent out too early than anything else. Still, it's not exactly normal and errs a little too close to a long-abandoned system some publishers used to employ that saw games come with a o??ne-time pass for story content that you'd need to pay for if you purchased a second-hand copy.

All the info we have on Jabba's Gambit points to it being small potatoes

The second stumbling block Star Wars Outlaws has hit still doesn't have a satisfying answer for some fans, though. It's a piece of DLC that only those who purchase the $110 Gold Edition can gain a??ccess to a missio?n called Jabba's Gambit.

When news that this mission would be exclusive to those who purchased the season pass for Star Wars Outlaws or a premium edition that includes it, there was a lot of confusion about how players would enjoy the full Jabba the Hutt storyline without it. Developer Ubisoft has since reached out, responding directly to PCGamer, clarifying that this mission is not the only one to feature the intergalactic godf?ather, nor?? is it essential to the story.

To clarify, the Hutt Clan is but one of the major "gangs" you'll interact with and complete missions for in Star Wars Outlaws. You'll see plenty of the slovenly slug in your travels, so this mission is more like icing on an already s??limy c??ake.

The thing is, if, like me, you've been buying various editions of games from Ubisoft for several years now, this isn't anything new. In fact, I'd go as far as saying Ubisoft should be as well known for not only offering a staggering nu?mber of editions but also for locking missions behind those editions and season passes as it is for radio towers in open world games.

As far back as Assassin's Creed 2, Ubisoft has been locking missions behind its special editions. The Black Edition of the game came with t?hree exclusive in-game quests, and every game in the series from this point followed suit. All of them had some sort of mission or quest that could only be played by those who had purchased a certain edition of each game.

Between Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, Assassin's Creed Revelations, and Assassin's Creed 3, Ubisoft offered even more exclusive editions. Utilizing the Ubiworkshop Store, Ubisoft created some unique editions for its games during this period, when Assassin's Creed was at its height. Brotherhood has an incredible-looking resin box that opens like an ancient tomb, Revelations a premium collection of goodies in a lithograph case, and 3 has a Cold War-style folder for everything it packs in. Some of the items you got with them, including collectible cards that coul?d have been part of a card game, an??d art cards featuring characters who have never been before or since.

Assassin's Creed wasn't the only series Ubisoft did this with, either. Watch Dogs and Far Cry games all got exclusive missions that were locked behind various editions, though they soon transferred over to coincide with the editions that included season passes as they became a more acc??eptable?? form of monetization with game releases.

In the Assassin's Creed series, a wolfskin cosmetic was the best thing I ever got from one of these exclusive quests. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood locked an entire side story and multiple quests behind its premi?um editions. The content of the actual quests has long left my memory, while that new outfit for Ezio really does look fantastic. Of course, the outfit has no bearing on Ezio's skills, so it's completely unnecessary and extremely frivolous.

For Watch Dogs, in particular, a trio of game modes were locked behind its season pass and pricier editions, only to be released as paid optional content further down the line. I ?fondly remember shooting cyborg zombies in the Conspiracy DLC one day with my collector's edition, which helped soften the blow of the game not quite living up to its E3 trailer.

Of course, all of these exclusive missions and quests are n??ow available to anyone who purchases the remastered versions of these games. Those that aren't are still there in season passes waiting to be unlocked, but I believe most have been ??brought over at this point.

When I saw Ubisoft promoting the various editions of Star Wars Outlaws and Jabba's Gambit, I was not phased. This is how Ubisoft has done business for more than a decade now. It's nothing more than a marketing scheme to make a version of this product?? look more appealing to fans who love collecting Ubisoft titles.

For now, the best thing to do is pre-order the edition of Star Wars Outlaws that you want and can afford, or wait and see, as usual. The season pass isn't going anywhere and will likely drop in price in the future, so you can pick it and this ??exclusive mission up then if you, understandably, don't want to pay double the price of every other game launching this year ?just so you secure that one mission for your first playthrough.

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Ubisoft has shared very little about Assassin's Creed Hexe, but a new report has claimed to have learned new information, including its target release window, gameplay details, and a structure that's more similar to the older Assassin's Creed titles.

According to Insider Gaming, which has allegedly seen early footage of Assassin's Creed Hexe in action, the game is aiming to launch in 2026, and is described as being a more linear experience when compared to the modern entries. Ever since Assassin's Creed Origins, the games became large-scale, open world action RPGs, though the most recent game�a href="//jbsgame.com/reviews/review-assassins-creed-mirage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Assassin's Creed Mirage—de-emphasized the RPG elements for a smaller adventure that aimed to return to the series? roots.

Assassin's Creed Hexe sounds like it could be following in Mirage's footsteps, since Insider Gaming has said Hexe will only feature "some elements of open world exploration." What's more, Hexe's protagonist—who is claimed to be a woman called Elsa—will boast supernatural abilities, including? one that allows her to posses??s cats and use them to distract guards. This suggests there'll be a focus on stealth as well, again more akin to the older games than the modern RPGs.

A previous report from 2022 claimed Hexe will be focusing on the 16th century witch trials. Having a woman protagonist with magical powers would make sense for it, with Insider Gaming's report adding that the footage they saw featured 16th century soldiers and a "dark and gloomy setting in the cobbled streets of the city." It'll apparently also bring back the Fear System from Assassin's Creed Synidicate's Jack the Ripper DLC, which would be a perfect fit in a game?? all about witches.

While Ubisoft has not confirmed any concrete details about Assassin's Creed Hexe, Marc-Alexis Côté, vice president executive producer of the Assassin's Creed brand, did suggest its development would be handled differently when compared to Assassin's Creed Red, the next entry in the series. In 2022, he said, "One of the things that I want to be clear for our fans and for the people working on it is that we are taking a different approach to innovate in terms of gameplay, so that we have different creative tracks within the franchis??e to keep surprising people."

So, with Assassin's Creed Red expected to be another open world RPG, it seems everything's pointing to Hexe being a different beast altogether. Hopefully, this spells good things for the series' future, with Ubisoft not restricting it to one genre over the other. Red and Hexe will also serve as the first two games for Assassin's Creed Infinity, an upcoming platform that will serve as a central hub for all future Assassin's Creed release, whatever that means.

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Ubisoft is shutting down online services for 10 of their older games early next year. This includes a few older Assassin's Creed games on platforms like PC and Xbox 360, as well as Trials Evolution's PC servers.

This isn't the first time Ubisoft has elected to end online services for some of their older games. Although some may be displeased by it, eventually shutting down online services for older entries is common in the gaming industry.

The services are set to shut down early next year, on January 25, 2024 to be exact. Many noticed the abundance of big name franchises such as Assassin’s Creed. Here are the 10 games players will no ?longer have online acc??ess to from Ubisoft.

• Assassin's Creed 2 - Xbox 360
• Assassin's Creed Brotherhood - Mac
• Assassin's Creed Liberation HD - PS3, Xbox 360
• Assassin's Creed Revelations - PC
• Ghost Recon Future Soldier - PC
• Heroes of Might and Magic 6 - PC
• NCIS - PC
• R.U.S.E - PC
• Splinter Cell: Conviction - Xbox 360
• Trials Evolution - PC

Assassin’s Creed’s multiplayer legacy

During the prime of older Assassin’s Creed entries, online multiplayer was a huge staple  in the franch??ise. Some of the beloved modes that fans of the franchise used to enjoy included PvP modes that allowed players to hash it out in intense stealth battles. There were even a number of different scenarios that could acc?ompany these modes.

But, in newer entries, it is evident that the multiplayer aspect has become much less prominent. Some games, such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Assassin’s Creed Mirage, have completely discarded the multiplayer component that ?older entries once leaned on.

Although these games will no longer be available for online services, players will still have great memori?es of them.

The post Ubisoft shuttin??g down online services for 10 older ga?mes, including 4 Assassin’s Creed entries appeared first on Destructoid.

Requiescat in pace

[Update: "We don't take the decision to retire services for older Ubisoft games lightly," says Ubisoft in a statement to multiple news outlets. "Our teams are currently a?ssessing all available options for players who will be impacted when th??ese games' online services are decommissioned on September 1st, 2022."]

Ubisoft has quietly removed 2014 release Assassin's Creed Liberation HD from the Steam platform, rendering the title inaccessible for purchase. Furthermore, the Steam page is also apparently suggesting that, as of September 1, p??layers who have? previously purchased the spin-off title will no longer be able to play it.

Assassin's Creed Liberation HD is a remastered edition of the 2012 release Assassin's Creed Liberation, which is itself a spin-off of Assassin's Creed III. Set against the backdrop of Louisana in the 18th century, the title is particularly noteworthy for being the only game in the series to feature a Black woman protagonis??t �Aveline de Grandpré �who battles against American slavers as well as the series' primary antagonist, the Templar Knights.

Ubisoft is yet to offer an explanation for the title's removal, though it is speculated by fans that it may be for technical reasons. Ubisoft games are also noted for their strong DRM and connectivity licenses, given life through services such as the publisher's Uplay service. While Assassin's Creed Liberation HD is hardly at the top of the majority of players' "must-own" lists in 2022, fans are obviously concerned that its removal could set a precedent for more titles to be pulled from accounts in the future �citing last week's news that Sony would be removing paid movie content from certain PlayStation accounts.

The Assassin's Creed community has taken to the Steam forums and Reddit to voice their concerns to the company, although it has also been discovered that Liberation can be launched from within Assassin's Creed III proper. So this ??could potentially be a case of the spin-off title being removed as a singular entity from the Steam store, that will continue to live on as in-game DLC for the main release.

We will be sure to update this arti?cle if any further clarity is offered by ??Ubisoft or Steam.

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Head to Ravensthorpe

After a bit of turmoil, Assassin's Creed Valhalla is now ready to host its first DLC.

Wrath of the Druids is a major expansion in the same vein as "episodes" in past games, and the? way you access this one isn't super straightforward.

After downloading the DLC, you'll need to head to Ravensthorpe, then speak to Azar at the docks. From there you'l??l start a questline that allows you to enter Ireland via the Irish Tradepost: a new structure built for the DLC.

As an aside, you do not need to be a specific power level to access the DLC. In fact, the only requirement is that you can ge?t to Rav??ensthorpe, and you have Arc 1 and 2 completed via the England portion of the game.

When you start, it will be set at power level 55 however, so be prepared. The DLC automatically balances higher levels out to adjust for harder content, like some scaling open world games.

Good luck!

The post Here’s how to access Assassin’s Creed Valhalla’s Wrath of the Druids DLC appeared first on Destructoid.

It's more Valhalla, for better or worse

You want more Assassin's Creed Valhalla?

Well you got it! And not much else.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla: Wrath of the Druids (PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X [reviewed])
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: May 13, 2021
MSRP: $24.99 (also part of the $39.99 season pass)

Assassin's Creed DLC has historically been an interesting mix of the sacred and the profane: in a lite??ral sense.

Some of it leaned heavily into the mythical elements of the series, perhaps best shown in the Atlantis episodes for Odyssey: whisking us away to a completely new biome that almost feels like we've been transported to a sequel. Other stories are more grounded, and have a penchant for presenting a duller blade. Wrath of the Druids is a clever mix of both, but never really rises to ?the occasion of either threshold.

Wrath of the Druids immediately plops players into a medium-sized Ireland map following a short intro embarkation questline. We're given a stable connection to the zone very quickly (Eivor's convenient cousin is a regional ruling king) and the main gist is submitted for your approval: a conflict between druids and the crown. So, more crown problems! When will these Valhalla NPCs ev??er learn to cede some power every now and then.

Ireland, as a gamified map, is a decent size. It benefits from not being so large that's it's a slog to get through, but it is rather samey from an environmental standpoint. Its loughs (lakes) give it some character, but for the most part, the flatland doesn't really stand out, and I was constantly wondering if I had been somewhere before. It's still beautiful though, just staring out into the sky and vistas, a testament to Valhalla's unsung art style, which often oozes more personality ??than its cast.

[brid video="780913" player="12899" title="Assassin's%20Creed%20Valhalla%20Wrath%20of%20the%20Druids%20Review" duration="238" description="Destructoid's review of the Wrath of the Druids DLC for Assassin's Creed Valhalla.We're heading back to Assassin's Creed: Valhalla for its latest expansion -- Wrath of the Druids! No, this isn't Mystery of the Druids -- WRATH OF THE DRUIDS! Remember Wrath? I remember Wrath..." uploaddate="2021-05-12" thumbnailurl="//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/10260/thumb/780913_t_1620820117.jpg" contentUrl="//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/10260/sd/780913.mp4"]

The DLC itself plays out like a side story from a core region in the main game. That works both to its benefit, while detracting from the narrative's personality within the confines of this new untethered region. Wrath of the Druids' inherent disconnect from the main game isn't strong enough to always stand on its own two feet, though it gets by, and a few of the new characters are worth following through to the end. Similarly, Wrath of the Druids' new mechani??cal additions don't diverge too heavily, with the exception of a few abilities like the power to summon an Irish wolfho?und into combat.

So about that fantastical angle? It kinda-sorta feeds into the idea of what I'm calling "Druid Drugs." Entering areas (and scripted locations) with green mist allows for the conceit of unique character models, including horrifying creatures that are basically just Batman fear toxin hallucinations. These sequences are plentiful enough without overdoing it, and are some of the best portions of the DLC. I love how they don't get too over the top, with one spoilery exception near the end. In what is becoming a theme of AC DLC, there's also a new secret society to uncover, albeit a very ??shallow one with tertiary motivations.

If you're looking for length, War of the Druids should last you around 10 hours for the critical path, with five-ish more after that to tie up all the loose ends, finish up the busywork, and conquer all the sidequests. I found myself wanting more: more druid stuff, more interesting characters, and a more diverse region. A lot of the subplots therein could have been substituted for any quest on Valhalla's "mainland."

Wrath of the Druids is simply more Assassin's Creed Valhalla, with a few added twists and some of the same baggage. The benefit of not swinging for the fences is that you're getting more AC comfort food, even if it falls far short of a home ?run. For 25 bucks, you might need something a little mo??re than that.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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Updates have been bumped to a five week cycle, from four

Have you ever played an Assassin's Creed game and thought "this probably needed a li??ttle more time?" Fo??r once, Ubisoft agrees.

Valhalla has been suffering from a number of bugs for a while now, which came to a head when an update was rolled out in March, and rolled back comple?tely due to huge glitches. It was a watershed moment, and one that made Ubisoft realize that they couldn't just keep churning these out, with the ?publisher admitting: "rec??ent title updates may not have met your expectations or been up to our standards."

We already knew that the first major DLC, Wrath of the Druids, was bumped to May 13, but now we know why. Ubisoft is evidently overhauling the??ir entire testing system, which will now grant their team an extra w?eek of preparation before updates roll out. Probably a good idea!

Their new developer blog explains that previously the game ran on a four-week title update release cycle, which will now shift to ?five weeks.  Here's the rub: "Creating Title Updates is a complex and time-consuming situation for our dev team. We are always striking a balance between including as many fixes for known issues as quickly after spotting them as we can, while also providing new and exciting content for players that may not run into issues at all."

New planned fixes include plans to bring back the missing fish (which won't be fully resolved until June, but will be "partially" addressed with the next title ?update), and updates for two quests: In the Absence of an Ealdorman, and Pig of Prophecy.

You can also check out the revised ro?ad map below.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Update Pipeline [Ubisoft]

The post Ubisoft is taking more time to release big Assassin’s Creed Valhalla updates to avoid more bugs appeared first on Destructoid.

Little Miss Throat Slit

The newest day in the Weirdest Timeline sees Ubisoft's stealth series Assassin's Creed cross over with Roger Hargreaves' 1970s children's book series, Mr. Men. As spotted by Rock, Paper, Shotgun, the two brands are collaboratin?g for a range of six titles based on the time-hop??ping mass-murder franchise.

"By mixing the Assassin's Creed sense of adventure and history with the colorful and delightful designs of the Little Mr. Men, these books will appeal to both young and adult readers," said Ubisoft in the announcement. "Follow Mister Ezio, Little? Miss Kassandra, and Little Miss Eivor, as the??y each try to complete their own missions in the first three books of this series!"

Mister Ezio! He's a killer! But Mr. Men is a cutesy thing for kids! Much Random!

Of course, this range is not strictly intended for kids, and is part of a tongue-in-cheek range of Mr. Men books written "For Grown-Ups." Previous titles in this series have featured characters from franchises such as sci-fi series Doctor Who, or have themes such as "Little Miss Shy Goes Online Dating," or "Mr. Grumpy Nails Fatherhood." The Mr. Men and Little Miss franchise is actually owned today by Hello Kitty's Sanrio, although the son of cre??ator Roger Hargr??eaves, Adam, still writes and illustrates the books.

Now, before anyone thinks I'm getting all "MUH CHILDHOOD!" about this, I'm really not. The?se books exist for the folk that want to buy them, and that's fine. I just think it's tacky, personally. I liken the concept to the sort of brand collision that led to the over-saturation of those dreadful Funko POP! figurines, or those "crappy-on-purpose" action figures that roll out for $30. But I'm not judging, do what you want with your hard-earned dollarydoos.

Now I'm just picturing an Ubi suit in a boardroom bellowing "LITTLE MISS W?ON'T SELL!"

The post Ubisoft is publishing a run of Assassin’s Creed Mr. Men and Little Miss books. Yes, really appeared first on Destructoid.

Cblogs of 4/10 to 4/6/2021

-Siflox Gaming reviews Apex Legends in its current 2021 form.

-Aurachad shares their thoughts on Assassin's Creed: Valhalla.

-Lord Spencer reviews SaGa Frontier 2 as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Exber rev??iews all ??the games they played in the first quarter of 2021.

-Beatlemaniaxx writes in detail about Mole Mania, a game ?that few people know was actually made by Nintendo.

-Siflox Gaming reviews Rouge Company.

-Gamingnerd rants on Sony and the future of gaming.

-Black Red Gaming reviews Ghost of Tsushima on the PS4.

-TheBlondeBass's Awards now have their [Epilogue].

-Boxed Swine discusses the Netflix show, Disenchantment.

-Spazzzh20 shares their thoughts on how to fix Evangelion 3.0+1.0.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the soundtrack of Donkey Kong '94 and old-time pop music.

-Taterchimp will do a charity stream of Final Fantasy VI, so check it out.

-ChronoLynxx opens this week's TGIF open community forum.

Thank you for this week's great content! Thanks, as always, to Lord Spencer for providing us with the recap. If you'd like to see your own? thoughts captured for posterity on our front page, then head on over to the Cblogs and have at?? it. We always enjoy reading your innermost thoughts!

The post As Apex Legends surpasses 100 million players, have you given it a sh?ot yet? appeared first on Destructoid.

They need to do Japan...eventually

Look, with Tenchu basically dead, I’m ?coming in hot ??here. HOT.

The next Assassin's Creed ??;should be? set in Japan right? So we're agreed.

Wait, you want Assassin's Creed Revelations 2? That retreads on the same locations you've been to before? You want another&nbs??p;Rome game? We have different priorities, frien??d!

But for real, folks have been pining for an Assassin's Creed set in Japan basically since the series came out. And in release order, we've gotten: the Holy Land, Italy, Spain (Discovery), Instanbul, America, the Caribbean, France, London, Egypt, Greece, and parts of Europe. You can pepper in side stories to surrounding areas in some cases, like New Orleans in Liberation, and so on. I mean, we did get China, India, and Russia, all through the Chronicles 2?.5D spinoffs! But those weren't fully featured open worlds and could stand to get a revisit one day.

Even in spinoff form, we haven't gotten Japan. Feudal Japan, mind. I should make that obvious wish clear, if you couldn't tell from the Tenchu header. I mean, I'm fully willing to admit that I just want more Tenchu in my life. I mean....it's still kinda around via Shinobido (even if the last game was 10 years ago) and projects like Aragami scratch that itch.

But a really well done, fully budgeted game with historical figures could be a homerun, especially after how well Sucker Punch handled it with Ghost of Tsushima. If Ubisoft wasn't planning a feudal Japan Assasin's Creed, they probably put it on their radar somewhere after Tsushima was released to critical and commercial acclaim.

As long as they sell, there are going to be more AC games. We just got a Viking one, and in spite of its faults, it sold and was generally well received. The question is...when and where is the next one? The answ??ers? "Soon," and "wherever they think will make them the most money."

The post What time period should the next Assassin’s Creed take place in? appeared first on Destructoid.

The theme is genius, as they can blame it all on the Animus

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla has been a glitchy affair, to say the least.

While a lot of open world games are known for glitches, Odyssey, the recent darling, managed to be spared from public tomato throwing for the most part. Valhalla's fate hasn't been as kind. Ubisoft reached a whole new level of bugs with a recent patch rollout, which was actually de??-rolled out, in parts, to prevent issues.

As noted on Twitter, a server-side hotfix was deployed to remove settlement decorations and festival quests: which were causing hard crashes. A "permanent fix" is coming at some point, but the hotfix was basically just removing the stuff they had already added in the big 1.2.0 update. That same update, mind, that un?ceremoniously added a transmogrification syste??m, with provisos, into the mix.

Goodwill waxes and wanes in the gaming industry. With all of the boxes Ubisoft was checking with Odyssey, the problems with Valhalla showcase the weakness of the rapid-pace Assassin's Creed rollout model. Though it should be noted that Valhalla had a two-year wait period (just like Origins did when it launched), which is a little long?er than the typical one-year turnov??er for the franchise.

In any case, it seems like they still ?need more time to smooth out these games before they actually go on sale.

Ubisoft [Twitter]

The post Part of the last Assassin’s Creed Valhalla event was disabled due to a glitched patch rollout appeared first on Destructoid.

How do you mess this up, people already liked it

So Assassin's Creed Odyssey was kind of a turning point for a lot of people.

A lot of folks agree: it was a step up in many ways from previous Assassin's Creed games, and the string of free updates that were added after the fact only elevated that notion. Completely free transmogrification (also known as transmog, where you can change your appearance without sacrificing loot stats) was the cherry on top. Naturally, Valhalla screwed it up.

Transmog was added to Valhalla last week, but as folks noticed, it comes with a price. Literally, a price of 50 Silver, the game's in-game currency that can be purchased with real money. But that low price isn't as much of a problem as the hassle of having to go back to the hub zone and speak to the Ravensthorpe blacksmith every time you want to change.

So there's currently a debate about whether or not the silver price was meant to feed into?? the microtransaction system, and it's a little up in the air. Ultimately, 50 Silver is a nominal fee. The main issue is that it's just plain annoying when you combine it with another location-based requirement.

Why have these at all? Was Valhalla in need of some economy-stressed gold sink like a live service game or MMO? I remember when Odyssey got transmog; it was a blessing! I was constantly changing how my character looked on the fly and thought "I can't wait for this exact system to hit every Assassin's Creed game."

Little did I know Valhalla would get an inferior take on it months after launch. Like several other things in the follow-up to Odyssey, it feels like a step back.

Title update [Reddit]

The post Assassin’s Creed Valhalla finally added transmog, and like most things in that game, it’s somehow worse than Odyssey’s implementation appeared first on Destructoid.

Physical game sales up as COVID lockdown continues

As the UK continues to mire in poorly planned, poorly managed lockdown legislation, physical video game sales continue to rise. In fact, as reported by GamesIndustry.biz, total physical sales are up ove?r 2??5% on the same time frame last year, mostly carried by a raft of sales on a variety of Switch releases.

This week's Top Ten sees social sim Animal Crossing: New Horizons retain the coveted number one spot for a third week running, closely followed by the four-year-old Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and perennial Holiday seller Just Dance 2021 rounding out the Top Three.

Mega-sellers such as Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto V, Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and Electronic Arts' FIFA 21 are accounted for, but otherwise it's Nintendo all the way, with the Top 10 filled out with Ring Fit Adventure, New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and Minecraft.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: January 16, 2021
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
3. Just Dance 2021 - Ubisoft
4. Grand Theft Auto V - Take-Two Interactive
5. Minecraft - Nintendo
6. FIFA 21 - Electronic Arts
7. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
8. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo
9. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Nintendo
10. Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Eivor Unmasked

Ubisoft's pillagin' and plunderin' adventure Assassin's Creed Valhalla will receive a new update today, bringing a huge list of fixes and tweaks to make for smooth sailing for Eivor a??nd their clan of Nordic invaders.

Update 1.1.1 – which will roll out imminently on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC – doesn't feature anything in the way of additional content, but address a multitude of complaints that have troubled Valhalla since its November 2020 launch. Some of the bugs fixed include an issue? which highlights corpses in Animus Pulse mode, a phenomenon where your arrow inventory would randomly freeze, and a strange glitch preventing Eivor from changing out of their frightening Mari Lwyd gear once the outfit was donned.

Visual and audio fixes will be applied across the board, reducing instances of glitching character models, jittery animations, and repetitive war cries and other sound issues. The HUD will also receive an overhaul and Valhalla's color-blind options have ????been optimized for the game's UI and menus.

The above is just a small sample from the huge list of gameplay tweaks and bug-fixes featured in update 1.1.1. For full patch notes, check out the official Assassin's Creed Valhalla Reddit.

The post Huge bug-busting update sails into Assassin’s Creed Valhalla appeared first on Destructoid.

Switched On

In regards to physical video game sales, the past week saw one of the most lucrative "first weeks" in years, as ?the UK's latest state of lockdown saw many gaming fans purchase new titles to while away the hours. Nintendo was the majority driving force behind the sales, with Switch releases taking up over half of the places in this week's UK Charts.

Retaining the top spot was social sim Animal Crossing: New Horizons, which continues to shift steady copies each and every week, despite approaching its first anniversary. More amazingly, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe found itself in second place, despite having been on the market for almost four years now. Ring Fit Adventure and New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe are also in the top league, alongside Ubisoft's Just Dance 2021 and the Switch edition of Minecraft. A positive start to the year for Nintendo.

In the PlayStation and Xbox markets, the Top 10 is occupied by regular sellers such as Electronic Arts' FIFA 21, Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Take-Two's Grand Theft Auto V, and Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Valhalla. Got that Bro demographic covered. CDPR's beleaguered Cyberpunk 2077 has already left the Top 10, and currently sits at number 20. There is currently no official word as to when this latest? (but likely not last) lockdown situation will come to a clos??e.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: January 9, 2021
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
2. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
3. Just Dance 2021 - Ubisoft
4. FIFA 21 - Electronic Arts
5. Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft
6. Ring Fit Adventure - Nintendo
7. Minecraft - Nintendo
8. Grand Theft Auto V - Take-Two Interactive
9. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Nintendo
10. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Isabelle gonna start your year right

Nintendo's totes-adorbs lifestyle sim Animal Crossing: New Horizons has returned to the top of the UK Charts, beginning 2021 as the biggest selling physical title for the year's opening week. No doubt a result of a ?new army of post-holiday Nintendo Switch owners.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons was the UK's second highest-selling physical release of 2020, just behind Electronic Arts' football simulator FIFA 21, which is renowned for its persistent staying power as far as British retail is concerned. The remainder of the Top Ten is rounded out with steady sales from Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, and further Nintendo releases including Minecraft, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

2021 is set to be a tough year for the UK chart scene. Not only does each progressive year result in a further shift from physical to digital sales, but the incoming confusion and fragility?? of Brexit are likely to play havoc with trade routes, currency values, and the status of the UK high street. And this is all without even making mention of th??e ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It is set to be an awkward and difficult time for British retail going forward.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: January 2, 2021
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
2. FIFA 21 - Electronic Arts
3. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
4. Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft
5. Just Dance 2021 - Ubisoft
6. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
7. Minecraft - Nintendo
8. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo
9. Grand Theft Auto V - Take 2 Interactive
10. New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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Cblogs Recap: Week 52

-Lord Spencer writes a report on the top 80-71 games in Retro Sanctuary's To??p 100 PS1 game??s as part of his PS1 REVIEWS blogging series.

-Spinnerweb remembers the forgotten GameCube game, P.N. 03.

-Gamingnerd writes ab??out the history of ?selecting difficulty in games.

-Siddartha85 discusses some ??major video game media moments in 2020.

-Amburger reviews Dragon Quest XI S on the Nintendo Switch.

-Black Red Gaming reviews Super Mario 64 as part of Mario's All-Star package.

-Shoggoth2588 responds to this month's Band of Bloggers prompt regarding finishing games by focusing on his completion of Persona 4 Golden.

-Exber discusses his top nine video games of the decade.

-Lord Spencer reviews Alone in the Dark: The New Nightmare as part of his PS1 REVIEWS series.

-Virtua Kazuma discusses the top 10 difficult moves to pull off in the Virtua Fighter series.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the opera music in Final Fantasy VI and other opera music.

-Spinnerweb thinks it is about time we start romanticizing the 20?00s and goes down memory lane to do just that.

-Siddartha85 discusses some major mu??sic-related media moments in 2020.

-Beatlemaniaxx reflects on his addiction to collectibles during his time with Assassin's Creed II.

-PhilsPhindings discusses the similarities between the music of Super Mario Bros. and several jazz tunes.

-Siddartha85 dis??cusses some major fantasy book s?eries media moments.

-ChronoLynxx is back for another TGIF open com?munity discussion forum.

Thanks as always to Lord Spencer for the Cblog Recap and to our community mem??bers for their thoughts and feelings on a variety of topics this festive season. If you want to see your own thoughts included in next week's recap, head over to our Community Blogs and spill those words!

The post Cblogs of 12/19 to 12/25/2020: Alone in the Da??rk, Virtua Fighter, and difficulty choices appeared first on Destructoid.

History is doomed to repeat itself

Ubisoft caught a lot of flak for a time-saving microtransaction in Assassin's Creed Odyssey that permanently increased your XP rate by 50 percent. The problem is that a lot of people felt as though Odyssey's grind was specifically tailored to encourage the purchase of the XP-booster. When Assassin's Creed Valhalla launched, it did so without that same $10 microtransaction. It seemed as though Ubisoft was quick to avoid catching ?that heat all over again.

For 36 days. That's how long Ubisoft could resist. With yesterday's 1.1.0 patch, Valhalla got those same time-saving microtransactions that Odyssey launched with. As Game Informer reports, Ubisoft says "As more and more post-launch content becomes available, we want to give the option to players to advance their progression. Utilities allow players who lack the time to fully explore the world of Assassin's Creed Valhalla to be able to acquire the game's best gear, as well as other items, by accelerating their progress. For instance, these players can purchase maps that uncover some interesting locations i??n the world, but would still have to visit and play them to get their rewards."

Here's the thing: This is especially unnecessary in Valhalla. The game doles out skill points with regular frequency, and none of the skills are particularly effective. They all just kinda add up until eventually you're more powerful because the number next to your name is bigger. I genuinely can't imagine buying this XP boost would help you beat Valhalla faster.

But it's flagrant that Ubisoft held off on the boosters until it was clear of microtransactions dominating the launch window conversation. Now that Cyberpunk is the villain, Ubisoft has gone full speed ahead on the time-savers in hopes that they'll fly under the radar. They probably will to be honest. Everyone has a very short attention span. Rest assured that Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a long-ass game (too long-ass in my humble opin??ion) and none of these time-savers will actual??ly make it any shorter.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla Sells XP Boosts Now [Game Informer]

The post Ubisoft can’t help itself, adds an XP-boosting microtransaction to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla appeared first on Destructoid.

1.1.0 fixes some stuff but far from all

Assassin's Creed Valhalla just got its second major patch this morning, another much-needed Band-Aid as Ubisoft marches toward making this game function as intended. It really highlighted how long ???this is going to take.

As expected, the update 1.1.0 patch notes are all over the place. There's a bunch of general stuff like optimiza??tion and performance stability. There's broad-r?eaching gameplay tweaks like adjusting enemy power levels. As far as new content, this update also paved the way for an upcoming Yule Festival, which hasn't been detailed yet.

Most important, there are fixes for a ton of quests that were bugged. Ubisoft seems to be prioritizing the quests that affect actual progression while backburnering World?? Events that won't actually prevent p??eople from continuing to play the game. Just like the first patch, there are approximately 100 different issues that are addressed. Check out the patch notes to see if your specific problem was tackled.

How long will it take until Assassin's Creed Valhalla is in a perfectly acceptable state for the majority of players? A long time. On the game's forums, the mega-thread of known issues seems to be growing faster than bugs are being moved to resolved. In the Player Support sub-forum, people are p?osting their new bugs with a new thread popping up approximately every minute. There's obviously a ton of overlap with the same problems being reported multiple times, but it's crystal clear that so many people have so many issues that they need fixed.

Me? I've still got a few?? lingering bugs that are blocking 100 percent completion even though I haven't done everything in all the areas yet. There's not a ton of motivation when I know that I need to wait for Ubisoft to squash my particular problems. I'm going to leave this one on the figurative shelf for a few months and cross my fingers that Ubisoft gets around to them eventually. There's certainly a ton of other bugs that are higher priority.

Assassin's Creed Valhalla -- Title Update 1.1.0 [Ubisoft]

The post Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has a long way to go appeared first on Destructoid.

Night City Higher

Night City's fascinating and dangerous world - inhabited by a cast of intriguing and amoral characters - has been providing an exciting experience for many Cyberpunk 2077 players. However, the slew of undeniable controversies surround CDPR's development process and the title's eventual launch - from technical, critical, employee and consumer standpoints - has gone some way to damping the fire for what was one of gaming's most-hyped releases ever.

Of no surprise, Cyberpunk 2077 debuted in the No.1 spot of this week's UK Charts, becoming the second biggest UK retail release of 2020 - beaten out only by Electronic Arts' soccer sim FIFA 21. While this is an achievement, these numbers generally reflect the sales of the PS4 and Xbox One editions of Cyberpunk 2077, the very same editions that CDPR is currently offering refunds for, due to their shaky technical performance.

Elsewhere in the charts, other blockbuster titles such as Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Sony's Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Valhalla continue to jockey for both position and those all-important Holiday sales. Over in Nintendoland, sales continue for Switch releases Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Super Mario 3D All-Stars, and perennial Xmas seller Just Dance 5.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: December 12, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. Cyberpunk 2077 - CD Projekt RED
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
4. Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft
5. FIFA 21 - Electronic Arts
6. Just Dance 5 - Ubisoft
7. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
8. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Sony Interactive Entertainment
9. Minecraft - Nintendo
10. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

The post Amidst controversy and furore, Cy?berpunk 2077 debuts ??atop of the UK Charts appeared first on Destructoid.

No specifics yet

After Thanksgiving, I reported on the first big Assassin's Creed Valhalla update ?;by saying "Lotta stuff is broke so there's a lot??ta stuff to fix." That's still true and it's going to remain true for the foreseeable future. Past experiences tell us that Ubisoft will eventually whip this game into great shape, but it's far from perfect right now.

It gets a little closer in the coming days. Ubisoft has confirmed that Valhalla's 1.0.5 title ?update should be ready sometime nex?t week:

We have deployed a hotfix earlier today that should re-activate fast travel for some players. We can also confirm that our next Title Update will be available next week. More info on that in the coming days! Thank you for your patience. pic.twitter.com/8hkZXIOUEa

— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) December 10, 2020

There's no word as to what this patch addresses. (The last one hit more than 100 problems.) The forums are jammed full of requests from players about spe??cific things that don't work in their games. Ubisoft has no shortage of things to work on. One of the biggest outstanding things is that a lot of people can't see the resolution of the Order o??f the Ancients storyline at the very end of the game.

The war will not be won next week. It'll just get marginally better, and that'll keep happening until the war eventually is won.

The post Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has another major patch on the way next week appeared first on Destructoid.

FIFA 21 remains the title to beat

While we have already passed the typically lucrative Black Friday/Cyber Monday weekend, the UK Chart remains relatively stagnant this week. The same ten titles occupy almost the exact same ten spots that they did last week, with Electronic Arts' FIFA 21 retaining the? coveted number on??e position for a third week running.

The Top Ten is rounded out with some of 2020's most recent releases, including Activision's Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and Sony's pseudo-sequel Spider-Man: Miles Morales. Nintendo regulars Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars are present and correct, main?taining the steady sales that ea??ch Switch title has seen since launch.

There's a new gun in town however, and this week's launch of the long-in-development and highly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 is guaranteed to cause a stir when it launches December 10. With the UK high street temporarily out of lockdown, and Holiday shopping in full effect, it is?? very likely that next week is CD Projekt RED's for the taking.

U.K. video game sales chart w/e: December 5, 2020
(Chart reflects in-store physical sales only)

1. FIFA 21 - Electronic Arts
2. Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War - Activision
3. Animal Crossing: New Horizons - Nintendo
4. Assassin's Creed Valhalla - Ubisoft
5. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - Nintendo
6. Spider-Man: Miles Morales - Sony Interactive Entertainment
7. Just Dance 5 - Ubisoft
8. Minecraft - Nintendo
9. Super Mario 3D All-Stars - Nintendo
10. Marvel's Avengers - Square Enix

U.K. video game charts [GamesIndustry.biz]

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