Assassin’s Creed Shadows Enhances a Beloved Series Feature

In the newest chapter of the Assassin’s Creed saga, “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” players dive into an expansive, stunning world that can feel a bit overwhelming at first. In games as vast as this one, having a clear and aesthetically pleasing map screen is crucial. Equally important is a well-designed objectives screen, which helps players manage the main story tasks alongside the numerous side quests that emerge as you interact with NPCs and explore the in-game universe. I must say, the objectives menu in Shadows stands out as a personal favorite. It continues the recent trend of improvement for the series’ quest maps, offering an intuitive navigation experience that pulls you right into the heart of the game’s story and world.

The objectives screen in Shadows builds on concepts introduced in Odyssey, Valhalla, and Mirage. It’s cleverly arranged in a way that resembles a family tree, segmenting different areas of the screen to represent quest groupings, areas of the game world, and the individuals you’re aiding.

Many games obscure their branching objectives systems, requiring you to complete multiple tasks to unlock the main ones. Shadows does the opposite by presenting a clear view of task progression, demonstrating upfront that most goals require several steps. By visually connecting each task to a person or region, the game offers a more precise picture of your progress than the traditional lists of completed greyed-out objectives.

The distribution of tasks across the objectives screen is unique, reflecting the parts of the game world you’ve prioritized. Instead of sorting them by the skill level needed, tasks are grouped based on their significance. For instance, in my playthrough, I focused heavily on assassination missions, which resulted in an abundance of red Xs on my screen. In contrast, some of my colleagues, who’d spent similar hours in the game but chose different focus areas, had a completely different objectives spread.

Having skipped Odyssey and Mirage and bounced off of Valhalla, Shadows is my first foray into an open-world RPG with a layout like this. I’ve found it both visually appealing and functional—it doesn’t clutter your view yet keeps you engaged in the game, giving depth to your role as a player. Rather than presenting a bland list of tasks, every mission is tied to someone or something within the game, making your quests feel purposeful.

My colleagues who are veterans of the series agree: Shadows’ objectives screen is the most refined yet. Even though Shadows brings a familiar mix of RPG mechanics within its breathtaking world, the way it presents player objectives continues to shine as a standout feature. This feature enriches the gaming experience, making your actions feel meaningful in the grand tapestry of the game.