Well, here we are... The embargo has officially lifted, and the reviews for Assassin’s Creed Shadows are in. But let’s be real — did anyone actually expect mainstream gaming outlets to be giving out anything other than glowing words in their praises? Ubisoft’s latest entry in the long-running franchise is already being showered with near-perfect scores from the usual suspects. Are we serious, guys?
Review Scores: A Familiar Pattern
Here’s a look at what the big-name outlets are saying:
10 - GamingTrend
9.5 - Noisy Pixel
9 - CGM, PSX Brasil, TechRadar, Gamespew, TheSixthAxis
8 - IGN, Gamespot, Push Square
7.5 - Press Start
7 - PSLS
4/5 - VGC, TheGamer, Eurogamer, GamesRadar
(Score as of March 18, 2025)
For even more context, this Metacritic score puts Shadows on par with some of the industry’s most hyped and heavily scrutinized games like Concord, Dustborn, and even Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Yet, there’s something off here—Shadows isn’t just being praised; it’s being propped up as a masterpiece that redefines the franchise. Ironic, as it has, as of this writing, the same exact Metacritic score of 82 as Dragon Age the Veilguard.... as long as you ignore the actual audience score lol...
Glowing Reviews Ignore Major Problems
Ubisoft’s marketing machine is... apparently... in full swing, and the review excerpts practically read like a press release. All we are missing is "A return to form" at this point from these outlets:
“There are problems with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, for sure. But it’s so fun to play, it’s telling a gripping story, and there is so much sense of progress and reward for every little thing you do that it actually feels like an open world game...” — VG247 (100/100)
“At the end of the day, it’s a game about killing. But here, death and beauty are linked – and the act of killing is given a gravity that must be clearly understood. It’s not killing for the sake of killing...” — Games Hub (90/100)
"Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the series refresh badly needed after Valhalla, showcasing a huge technical and visual upgrade alongside a new gameplay blueprint. A fantastic story and well-developed characters ground the game in a believable era..." — NME (100/100)
“Few other games have done such a good job with this setting, as you run through lush bamboo forests before scaling ancient castle walls and sneaking inside to steal treasures. These moments of brilliance more than compensate for its weaker points.” — Guardian (100/100)
Oh... and let's not forget ESPN is apparently reviewing this game as well, because... reasons? I covered that in a livestream the other day and we all had a good laugh.
"The best thing Ubisoft could have done for the series..." — ESPN
These reviews are peppered with vague, PR-friendly praise about the “massive technical upgrade” and “well-developed characters.” Yet, when you read between the lines, there’s clear admissions that the game has significant problems, and some outlets STILL give the game a perfect score. How is that even possible?? But, conveniently, those issues are always over"shadow"ed by its apparent fun factor.
Sound familiar? This is the same kind of excessive praise that Concord received before crashing and burning on launch. The same kind of review-padding we saw with Dragon Age before it flopped. here we go again...
Ubisoft’s PR and The Fear of Criticism
Let’s not forget: Ubisoft's the same company that has now allegedly set up internal teams to monitor what social media and YouTubers say about their games. They’ve reportedly flirted with the idea of throwing lawsuits at creators who criticize them, disguising dissent as “hate speech” or “harassment.”
I covered this in a previous video (above), where I discussed how Ubisoft has grown increasingly aggressive in controlling its image, cracking down on any form of criticism that doesn’t align with their carefully curated PR narrative. Strikes me as some pretty heavy desperation coming from Ubisoft these days.. and the reviews of Assassin’s Creed Shadows fits perfectly into this pattern.
Why Gamers Aren’t Buying It
Despite the glowing reviews, the wider gaming community isn’t as convinced at all. The biggest point of contention? Ubisoft’s blatant DEI-pushing with Shadows’ Yasuke protagonist, complete with bi-sexual lighting and the ability to make him gay:
The historical revisionism going on right now is turning off a lot of longtime Assassin’s Creed fans, and the beyond obvious forced inclusivity feels like yet another attempt to appeal to a demographic that ...doesn’t even buy their games. Remember that oh-so non existent 'modern audience' they were going for?
Ubisoft just can’t seem to do anything right these days. They're desperately clinging to the Assassin’s Creed franchise as a lifeline, but AC: Shadows is looking like yet another manufactured hit designed to be propped up by mainstream media, rather than succeeding on its own merits. I'll be playing it for myself to decide, but I won't be holding my breath to be blown away by anything... Who knows?
Time will tell, but if the past Ubisoft releases are ANY indication at all, this game's headed straight for a collision course with reality. Just like Dragon Age: The Veilguard, I expect to see a MASSIVE disconnect between critic scores and player sentiment once the real reviews—you know, those from actual gamers—start rolling in.
What do you think? Are critics once again shilling for Ubisoft, or is Assassin’s Creed Shadows actually deserving of the hype? Let me know in the comments!
~Smash
