Assassin's Creed Shadows

Assassin's Creed Shadows marks the series' return to sprawling open-world adventures and is the first entry set in feudal Japan. The player switches between two playable characters - Yasuke, an African samurai inspired by a real historical figure, and Naoe, a kunoichi trained in stealth techniques - each offering a different playstyle: Yasuke is a slower, powerful fighter suited to direct combat, while Naoe sticks to the series' traditional stealthy assassin approach, using a grappling hook and the ability to hide in the shadows.

Development was led by Ubisoft Quebec, the studio behind Origins and Odyssey, and Shadows builds on their systems - a vast open map, dynamic seasons that change the look of the landscape as well as tactical options (snow limits hiding spots, while dense reeds enhance them), and a customizable assassin hideout. The game launched simultaneously for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC, with the new-generation console versions using their extra power to render densely forested areas and castles in detail that wouldn't have been possible on the previous generation.

Why play it: For fans of the series longing for a return to its stealth roots combined with a huge open world - the pair of playable characters with different playstyles gives Shadows a variety that older entries lacked, and the Japanese setting is one of the most visually striking in the series' history.