If you’re all about diving deep into your gaming experience, there’s a myriad of ways to make games feel more real and engaging. One simple tweak is going into the settings and switching off the heads-up display (HUD). If you’re really aiming for realism, you might opt for modes where a single bullet can end your run. For those cinematic moments, wander around town or ride your horse into the sunset with a dramatic camera view, and maybe even queue up some Ennio Morricone on your music app to set the mood perfectly.
Players often take these steps themselves, particularly in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. They’re personal choices to enhance immersion, balancing out the clutter of icons, HUD elements, and other gaming graphics that crowd the screen. The series cleverly justifies this visual overload through the Animus, which is the in-game device that connects both the protagonist and the player to the virtual world, explaining all the overlays, stats, and numbers.
But sometimes, it’s just too much. Considering Ubisoft’s commitment to historical accuracy in the Assassin’s Creed games, like the Discovery Tour mode in Origins and Odyssey, it’s disappointing. Imagine strolling by the Nile in 43 BC Egypt, watching birds snatch fish from the river’s edge, only to be yanked back to reality by a Level 23 brute glaring at you from a nearby boat. Or finding yourself knee-deep in muddy fields of 872 AD Britain, constantly reminded of side quests, collectibles, and hallucinations poised to interrupt a drunken round of knucklebones. Talk about a buzzkill.
I’m not alone in feeling this way; it’s a sentiment widely shared and well-documented: the Assassin’s Creed series struggles with immersion. Why invest endless hours making breathtaking clouds if players are glued to a cumbersome mini-map the whole time?
Thankfully, with the introduction of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft seems to be taking a fresh approach. In addition to the usual tweaks like HUD settings and camera angles, this time around, they’ve introduced a game-changing feature called Immersive Mode.
Immersive Mode is all about authenticity. Characters converse in their native languages, which for Shadows – set in the Sengoku period Japan – means predominantly Japanese, sprinkled with Portuguese due to the Catholic missionaries active during that era. The story closely follows Oda Nobunaga’s quest to unify Japan, so the Portuguese influence is significant; they introduced firearms and other key elements that dramatically altered Japan’s societal direction in the late 1500s.
Sure, many gamers prefer English regardless of the setting, often with amusing results. Remember how Dynasty Warriors famously mispronounced Cao Cao as “Cow Cow” instead of “Tsao Tsao”? Those were the days. But this isn’t about spectacle. Ubisoft aims to weave a serious, historically-rich story here, not just have us dispatch a thousand foes with a sweeping naginata strike and an anime flair.
For such a small addition, Immersive Mode packs a punch when it comes to depth. Within just a few hours of gameplay, the benefits became crystal clear. The voice acting is top-tier, as expected from Ubi. More captivating, however, was how natural it felt to overhear Japanese dialogue among peasants, only to have the sudden intrusion of Portuguese, drawing my attention to a nearby cluster of churchmen and their discussions.
Besides heightening historical authenticity, this auditory exploration enhances the gameplay’s natural flow. Ubisoft’s big three goals for this title are to emphasize “scale, culture, and diversity” – and Immersive Mode beautifully intertwines these aspects, almost like the DNA helix motif the franchise enjoys paralleling.
Elements like these have me buzzing about Shadows. For Ubisoft, this game is pivotal, potentially a turning point. Enhancing the tried-and-true experience they’ve delivered for 17 years is a savvy way to maintain player interest. Let’s cross our fingers it holds up in the main release as well as it did in previews.
Mark your calendars: Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set to launch on Xbox Series, PS5, and PC on March 20, 2025. It was delayed from an earlier date, but the anticipation is only growing stronger with every insight we hear.
