Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers a vast open world set in Feudal Japan. Players must complete the prologue before freely exploring this immersive landscape. Here’s when you can dive into the open world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
How Long Does the Assassin’s Creed Shadows Prologue Last?
Ubisoft is renowned for its expansive open worlds, but lengthy introductions often precede them. Fortunately, Assassin’s Creed Shadows allows players to explore Japan sooner than some earlier titles in the series.
The prologue of Assassin’s Creed Shadows sets the stage for the game’s narrative, introducing the dual protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe, as Samurai and Shinobi. It guides players through Iga, Naoe’s homeland, and launches her journey across Japan. Packed with cinematic moments and expository dialogue, this segment typically takes about 90 minutes to complete.
After finishing the “From Spark to Flame” quest and establishing the Kakurega (Hideout) at Tomiko’s Homestead, players gain greater freedom to roam the open world.
Can You Explore All of Assassin’s Creed Shadows Immediately?
Once the open world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows unlocks, players start in Izumi Settsu, one of nine explorable regions at launch. Initial quests and activities focus on this area before expanding northward to Yamashiro province.
Although story quests may occasionally tie Naoe and Yasuke to specific locations, players can theoretically travel to other provinces. However, two key factors may limit early exploration of these areas.
First, quests and activities in new regions unlock progressively as the story advances, so visiting them early may offer little to do. Second, with RPG elements in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players need to reach specific levels to effectively engage in combat in certain provinces. The in-game map displays level requirements, with red diamond markers indicating regions where players are under-leveled, making survival challenging and some enemies potentially lethal.
In summary, while it’s possible to visit higher-level regions early, it’s not advisable due to limited activities and the risk of a frustrating experience.
