Ghost of Tsushima and Assassin's Creed Shadows Are Both Getting the Lion's Share

Highlights

Assassin’s Creed Shadows faces comparison to Ghost of Tsushima, but may surpass it in some aspects.
Having dual protagonists sets Assassin’s Creed Shadows apart, solving previous gameplay issues.
Both games can thrive in the same setting, drawing attention to each other without overshadowing.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been taking a beating lately, being met with controversy after controversy, primarily surrounding its take on feudal Japan and its samurai protagonist. As if that weren’t enough, it is constantly compared to Sucker Punch’s 2020 hit, Ghost of Tsushima, which set multiple precedents in the game industry. Even so, Assassin’s Creed Shadows may rise above Ghost of Tsushima in some ways while remaining inferior in others.

Initially, Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ghost of Tsushima appeared to be obvious competitors, with Ghost of Tsushima often being acknowledged as the standard for games set in feudal Japan. The two are very similar, to the point that the claim that Assassin’s Creed Shadows will be riding in on the coattails of Ghost of Tsushima‘s success is somewhat warranted. However, if these two titles (and others) have proven anything, it is that their common setting allows for multiple games to thrive without each one casting too large a shadow over the rest. Furthermore, a Ghost of Tsushima 2 and Assassin’s Creed Shadows are likely at entirely different stages of the developmental process, meaning they are both set up to get the lion’s share, regardless of how similar they may be.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Dual Protagonists May Be the Missing Piece in AC’s Combat Puzzle

Assassin’s Creed may have already solved its playstyle dilemma with the implementation of its two diverse protagonists in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ghost of Tsushima Can Both Thrive in the Same Climate

Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ghost of Tsushima Only Reinforce One Another

In the same way that two opposing viewpoints can be true at once, both Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ghost of Tsushima can thrive in the same climate. A complaint has been that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is copying Ghost of Tsushima by adopting the now-popular feudal Japan setting. However, if Ghost of Tsushima had spectacularly failed, Assassin’s Creed Shadows might instead be praised for its rendition of feudal Japan, whether it is historically accurate or not. Trends have justifiably always been a target in business, so if Assassin’s Creed Shadows is hopping on the feudal Japan trend, its doing so is nothing new. In fact, Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ghost of Tsushima sharing their setting only serves to reinforce support for each game by drawing more attention to it.

With the upcoming release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Ghost of Tsushima has received considerably more attention. Of course, the same thing happened when Team Ninja’s Rise of the Ronin was released, and it still performed well in spite of persistent comparisons to Ghost of Tsushima. On the flip side, a spotlight has also been shone on Assassin’s Creed Shadows for taking after Ghost of Tsushima in many ways. Regardless of how similar the two may be, however, it can’t be denied that Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been in the limelight more than it might have been if it were released before Ghost of Tsushima.

It’s fairly safe to assume that a sequel to Ghost of Tsushima is currently in development. Unfortunately, Sucker Punch has yet to officially confirm that to be the case, chalking its development up to nothing more than rumors and supposed leaks. Nevertheless, even if it is in development, the release of Ghost of Tsushima‘s sequel will be considerably separate from the release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, meaning the two won’t be launch window competitors at the very least. As such, Assassin’s Creed Shadows doesn’t necessarily need to worry about getting overlooked by fans looking forward to the next Ghost of Tsushima, especially since a sequel is highly unlikely to even be announced until next year.

The comparisons drawn between Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Ghost of Tsushima are perfectly understandable, but that doesn’t mean either one of them will overshadow the other. It’s easy to believe that Ghost of Tsushima will always be the feudal Japan standard, but Assassin’s Creed Shadows may still surprise.