If you’re aiming to dive deeper into the gaming experience, there’s a plethora of ways to ramp up the immersion. A simple trip to the options menu can let you shut off the HUD. You might choose ‘realistic’ modes, where a single bullet could end your game, for the thrill of realism. Want to set the mood while you’re exploring towns or galloping into the horizon on your trusty horse? Try switching to cinematic camera views and maybe even let some Ennio Morricone tunes play through your favorite music app to really elevate the vibe.
In the world of Assassin’s Creed, these immersion-enhancing tweaks are usually up to the player. They’re there for you to fiddle with if you want to cut through the visual clutter of icons, HUD elements, and other game overlays that cover your screen. Sure, Assassin’s Creed has a built-in excuse for this barrage of information, thanks to the Animus system that your character—and by extension, you—uses to interact with the game world. It explains all the graphs, stats, and numbers constantly in sight.
Yet, it remains a bit overwhelming. Considering how Ubisoft makes a point of crafting the Assassin’s Creed games with historical accuracy in mind, especially evident in the Discovery Tours available in Origins and Odyssey, it feels like a missed opportunity. Imagine the tranquility of wandering along the Nile in 43 BC Egypt, enjoying the sight of birds diving for fish, only to be disrupted by the reminder of a Level 23 bruise eyeing you from afar. Or picture yourself in the muddy fields of 872 AD Britain, trying to enjoy a game of knucklebones, only to be bombarded with alerts about side quests, collectibles, and hallucinatory interruptions.
I’m certainly not alone in this sentiment. Many players have noted how Assassin’s Creed sometimes struggles with immersion. Why pour hundreds of hours into crafting breathtaking cloudscapes if players are perpetually glued to the mini-map instead?
However, with their latest installment, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ubisoft is trying a fresh approach. Besides the usual settings like HUD tweaks and camera angles, they’ve introduced something at the game’s start that seems long overdue: Immersive Mode.
Immersive Mode primarily features characters speaking their native languages. If you’re familiar with the Sengoku period in Japan or have seen films like Shogun, you’ll know this means a predominance of Japanese, sprinkled with Portuguese, thanks to those persistent Catholic missionaries. Given Shadows’ focus on Oda Nobunaga’s quest to unify Japan, the Portuguese influence is significant; they were the ones introducing firearms and other Western goods that significantly shifted Japan’s political and military landscape during the late 1500s.
Now, while many gamers prefer English audio regardless of the setting, sometimes with amusing outcomes—like the Dynasty Warriors era of mispronouncing Cao Cao as ‘Cow Cow’—Ubisoft is aiming for a serious, heartfelt narrative steeped in historical intrigue, not the over-the-top epic battles some might expect.
For such a seemingly small feature, the impact of Immersive Mode is profound. Just a few hours in, I found myself thoroughly impressed. The voice acting is top-notch (no surprise there for a Ubisoft title). Hearing the Japanese locals chatter and suddenly perking up at the Portuguese conversations? It naturally drew me in, urging me to investigate what those churchmen were up to.
This approach not only makes the historical experience more genuine but also enhances the gameplay flow. Using auditory cues as part of exploration feels intuitive and rewarding. Ubisoft has honed in on three key aspects for this game—scale, culture, and diversity—and Immersive Mode beautifully showcases how these elements weave together to create a richer experience, much like the DNA helix motif the Assassin’s Creed series loves to explore.
These smaller, thoughtful additions make me hopeful about Shadows. This game is pivotal for Ubisoft, and refining what we’ve loved over the past 17 years with innovations like these could be the ticket to keeping fans engaged. Here’s hoping the full game lives up to the promise shown in previews.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be available on Xbox Series, PS5, and PC, launching on March 20, 2025, following an unexpected delay earlier this year.
