AC: Shadows breakdown: campaign will be more intense but shorter, with ton of meaningful locations

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's extensive storyline and numerous optional tasks drew criticism from fans, a concern Ubisoft has directly addressed in its upcoming title. Shadows of Valhalla will feature a more streamlined approach, with improved visibility and a more compact design for in-game environments.

Game director Charles Benoit stated in an interview that completing the main Shadows campaign will take approximately 50 hours. A full playthrough, including exploration of all regions and side quests, is estimated at 100 hours. This contrasts with Valhalla's minimum 60-hour main campaign and potential 150-hour completion time.

Ubisoft reportedly focused on reducing optional content to avoid overwhelming players, aiming for a better balance between narrative progression and optional activities in Shadows. This aims to reduce tedium while preserving the richness of the world and depth of the story. The goal is to cater to both players who prefer extensive gameplay and those prioritizing a focused narrative experience, avoiding the need for hundreds of hours of playtime for completion.

Game director Jonathan Dumont highlighted the team's research trip to Japan as a significant influence on Shadows' development. The scale of Japanese castles, mountainous landscapes, and dense forests exceeded expectations, leading to a commitment to increased realism and detail.

This commitment to realism is reflected in the game's world geography. While travel distances between points of interest will be longer, promoting exploration of open landscapes, each location will be far more detailed and nuanced. This differs significantly from Assassin's Creed Odyssey's system, where points of interest were often closely spaced. Shadows prioritizes longer travel times to create a more open and natural world, ultimately enriching the locations and enhancing the immersive Japanese atmosphere. Dumont emphasized the significantly higher level of detail in Shadows, promising a truly authentic Japanese experience.