Assassin's Creed Shadows has been available on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S since last March 20. This installment, set in Japan, fulfills a dream for many fans of the franchise. As usual, Ubisoft intends to spoil them by ensuring the game's follow-up. This is not new, as the publisher had deployed patch 1.0.4 last May, providing a preview of what awaited players during the first year after release. Now that the spring content has been deployed, Ubisoft is giving more details on the summer elements. Let's take stock.
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Step 1: Relaunch the adventure with its achievements and new features
Since March 20, many players have reached the end of the adventure linking Naoe and Yasuke. That's no reason to put the game on the shelf or uninstall it from your hard drive. So, to encourage everyone to start a new game, Ubisoft will add a New Game + mode (or Nouvelle Partie + in French) starting July 29. Thus, all those who have completed the last mission and seen the end credits can restart the game. However, be careful, the progression in terms of story, objectives, and discovered locations will be reset. Nevertheless, you will keep everything else, including your character level, equipment, skills, and the evolution of the Hideout. Of course, since this mode implies that you are already well-versed in the basics, you won't have to replay the tutorials. However, you can choose to start your New Game + at the very beginning of the game or later, when Naoe takes over the Hideout.
In any case, the development studio has changed the maximum level for everyone. Forget level 60, the new goal is level 80. Of course, to add a little spice to the whole, some new features will be included, particularly on the side of the Hideout's buildings, which will include some improvements for Heiji's Forge. Ubisoft specifies, however, that one improvement will be available with the deployment of the new mode, while a second will be added a little later. Even though the menu is already appetizing for this July 29, the French company has a little surprise in store, namely the arrival of Project 3. Exclusive themes as rewards, new resources, and files to collect, collectors will be delighted. Moreover, the studio promises not to put any pressure on the players who will have all the time they need to complete the two previous projects. If necessary, they can even switch from one project to another at their leisure.
Step 2: Enjoy improvements requested by the community
When a game like Assassin's Creed Shadows is released, it inevitably makes waves. Despite the team's love for their production, despite the ideas and everything that goes with it, it often happens that the community expresses criticisms or expectations. The development teams are listening. They gather the information, compile it, sort it, and thus determine the most requested improvements or new features. Finally, when possible, they do their best to integrate them via an update. This is exactly what will happen at the beginning of September. Those who play on PC will have the privilege of a special treatment with a welcome novelty: the removal of the frame rate limit for cinematics.
Besides that, everyone will have the option to choose the time of day, allowing time to be advanced to dusk or dawn. Another interesting point is that the world map will be revealed after synchronizing the viewpoints, at least this will be effective by region. The rarity of equipment via the Forge will be revised, allowing to reach the Mythic ranks (from Epic) and Artifact (from Legendary). In addition to all this, Ubisoft plans to fix several bugs, improve the Hideout, and even integrate content that will appeal to fans of the franchise. Surprise, surprise!
Step 3: Embark on the Awaji Hunt expansion
Take your calendar and mark the date of September 16. This is the date chosen for the release of the Awaji Hunt expansion. As a reminder, it will be offered to all those who pre-ordered the game, regardless of the edition. That being said, Awaji Hunt is a very big piece to come, a sort of game within the game since this expansion promises to add about ten hours to the clock. As its name suggests, it will require Naoe and Yasuke to travel to the island of Awaji located in Osaka Bay. For players, this will represent a whole new region to explore.
While our two heroes search for a lost treasure, new enemies, known as the Sanzoku Ippa, will hunt them down. They will be ruthless, setting numerous traps in their path. To help you get through it, Ubisoft has thought of everything since a new weapon can be added to your arsenal and some new abilities will be added to those you already have. Finally, a small but important reminder, to participate in the Awaji Hunt, you must first complete the main story of the game. If you haven't done so yet, you still have a few weeks to take on the challenge.