Can you play Assassin’s Creed Shadows as a newcomer to the series?

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is shaping up to be one of the most highly anticipated entries in the series. Set in an immersive Feudal Japan, the game primarily revolves around stealth gameplay. Being the 14th mainline title in the series, many newcomers may ask: Can you play Assassin's Creed Shadows with no prior experience?

To answer this, yes, you can play Assassin's Creed Shadows even as a newcomer. While the franchise has built up years of lore and interconnected storylines, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is designed to be a fresh starting point. It doesn’t throw overwhelming exposition at new players, and its standalone narrative makes it an easy entry into the series.

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Do you need to play previous AC games to enjoy Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set to release on March 20, 2025 (Image via Ubisoft)

One of the biggest concerns for newcomers is whether they need to understand the long and complex Assassin’s Creed storyline to enjoy Shadows.

The good news? Not at all. The game introduces players to its world without requiring knowledge of past events. Even though Assassin’s Creed has a deep mythos spanning ancient civilizations, secret wars, and sci-fi elements, Shadows focuses on its own self-contained story set in Sengoku-era Japan.

Unlike some previous entries that leaned heavily into overarching series lore, Shadows lets players experience Feudal Japan as newcomers, focusing on its characters, world, and conflicts rather than deep Assassin-Templar history. If you’re new, you won’t feel lost. And if you’re a longtime fan, there will still be many references and Easter eggs to appreciate.

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Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows too big for a first game?

While Shadows is a great entry point, there’s one thing to consider: it’s massive. With an estimated 30-40 hours for the main story and approximately 80 hours for full completion, it is expected to be one of the biggest games in the franchise. If you’re not used to open-world RPGs, this might feel overwhelming.

Newcomers might want to ease themselves into the franchise with shorter, more streamlined entries like Assassin's Creed Unity or Syndicate before trying out Shadows. At the same time, Shadows blends the best of past games with new mechanics, making it one of the most polished Assassin's Creed entries yet.

Starting with Shadows is fine if you're willing to commit to a large, content-rich world.

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