Assassin’s Creed Shadows is currently facing some challenges on its path to release. Initially slated for a November 2024 launch, the game encountered its first setback just weeks before the expected date, as Ubisoft announced a delay to afford developers additional time for polishing the final product. Recently, the game faced yet another postponement, moving from a previously set February 14, 2025, release to March 20, 2025. Ubisoft has cited community feedback as the key reason for this further delay.
This new installment is taking on a considerable amount of content. Returning to a dual protagonist narrative for the first time since 2015’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Shadows will feature two characters, each offering unique playstyles and mechanics. Moreover, the game’s expansive open world prometes to be as rich with content as previous entries in the Assassin’s Creed action-RPG saga.
A New Frontier: Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Canon Mode
Understanding Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Canon Mode
The Assassin’s Creed series has historically navigated its narrative with a flexible approach to canon. While players explore the memories of long-dead Assassins through the Animus, the subjective nature of these memories has allowed for variations and retcons, often leaving players uncertain about which storylines are considered “true.”
However, Shadows is set to offer a more definitive approach to its lore. As detailed in a Reddit Q&A with the developers, the game will include a ‘Canon’ mode in which predetermined decisions guide the story along a narrative path deemed canonical by the developers. In this mode, players will experience a more streamlined journey, unable to make choices regarding romances or dialogues, thus providing a traditional “choice-free experience”while still enjoying the ability to switch between protagonists.
Enhancing RPGs: The Potential of Canon Modes in Remakes and Remasters
A hallmark of the RPG genre lies in its provision of player choice, with many titles featuring extensive dialogues, branching quest outcomes, and divergent endings. However, when sequels are released, this intricate web of choices can lead to complications regarding the continuity of events.
As sequels emerge from choice-laden RPGs, they often reveal which decisions are considered canonical, leaving players who made alternative choices feeling as though their input was dismissed. This situation is intensified in franchises with multiple entries, where deciding what remains canon can seem arbitrary.
Here is where the implementation of a Canon mode in Assassin’s Creed Shadows could significantly impact the RPG landscape, particularly for remastered titles. For instance, a future remaster of Fallout 3 might benefit from such a mode. Based on Fallout 4’s representation of the Brotherhood of Steel, the “good”ending from Broken Steel is often assumed to be the canon ending. By integrating a Canon mode, players could be guided toward making decisions that align with this established timeline, effectively clarifying and streamlining complex narrative threads.
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