There are two types of Assassin’s Creed expansions: simple sequels that build on the main game’s drama and intrigue, or utterly ridiculous fantasy games that completely upend everything by bringing you to Asgard or introducing unicorns. Claws of Awaji, Shadows’ expansion, is nearly entirely focused on the former. A completely new weapon type gives Naoe some new fighting skills, and the overall tenseness and hustle of exploration is increased because foes are much more deadly and driven to battle you. The simple journey is lacking in revelation and doesn’t establish a strong case for its own existence, and the land itself doesn’t feel all that different from the rest of Japan.
Similar to the main game, the story that transports our heroes from the mainland to the island is straightforward and predictable overall, but it is full of vibrant characters and a sinister gang of conspirators who must be methodically defeated. Though it doesn’t do much to satisfactorily tie those up by the end, it does pick up the threads of Naoe’s mother’s disappearance and the Templar order’s increasing dominance in Japan. Furthermore, it doesn’t really argue for viewing this reality anymore. Despite all of Valhalla’s flaws, each expansion seemed to add a new layer to the larger world that Eivor and his buddies lived in. When Claws concludes, Japan in the sixteenth century doesn’t seem all that larger than it did ten hours before.
Awaji Island is equally as lovely as the rest of Japan, but unlike when Eivor visited Ireland in Valhalla, for example, it isn’t so dissimilar from the mainland that someone who hasn’t played for more than 60 hours would be able to tell the difference right away. Due to the severe lack of fast travel locations throughout, Awaji is somewhat more mountainous, which becomes more apparent when navigating up and down the map’s length. Additionally, there are some hidden visual treasures, such as a large cruiser that is currently under construction or a gloomy swamp with eerie flora. However, this will look just like the peak covered with winter snow that you saw earlier this year.
This will resemble a mountain that was covered in winter snow earlier this year.
Awaji also offers more of the same types of side tasks and activities, which are useful for earning knowledge points to spend on the few new abilities and upgrades that Naoe and Yasuke can get. Other than that, though, they are largely optional and unimportant. It seems like side quests are even more hidden than the main game; I had to search for people with problems I could fix to find any of them.
In Claws of Awaji, Naoe obtains the bo staff, a brand-new weapon. Designed as a cross between a single-target mix-up machine and a long-range crowd controller, I found it to be far more adept at the latter than the former. This is primarily due to its innovative stance-based attacks, which use low sweeps to knock opponents off balance and expose them to large, consistent damage and high jabs to disrupt them. The bo was always my second slot choice in the unlikely event that I engaged in protracted combat as the Shinobi.
Both Yasuke and Naoe have acquired new abilities, but I didn’t think they were all that exciting. Both Yasuke and Naoe had new skills, but I didn’t think they were spicy enough to replace my tried-and-true favorites that had been put through dozens of hours of stabbing and chopping. Unless you truly enjoy clearing every icon on the map, the additional equipment that may be obtained via pillaging castles isn’t much of a carrot worth pursuing, much like in the base game.
The goals of the main quest are deftly intertwined with the island’s inherent disarray.
I enjoyed how the main quest’s goals—to eliminate the three loyal taisho of the local Templar leader—were deftly woven into the overall pandemonium of the island. Take those roadside ninjas, for example. They work for Nowaki, a hunter with a gun who terrorizes the area for fun. You can check their pockets for hints on where their master could be hiding if you stop to take them out rather than ignoring them.
Tomeji, the burly vanguard who maintains order with an iron fist, is the boss of all those jittery guards. Although he is highly noticeable in a castle with his elite guards around him, he will send those guards out to stop you if you start fights and create a general commotion. Additionally, he becomes increasingly exposed to your impending siege when they fail to return since you retired them early.
The third major enemy on the island is a shadowy spymaster with a thousand aliases, so using your scouts to find goals will put the search zone on high alert. Given Claws’ relative length, this odd harmony—which would have been annoying in the longer adventure—is a pleasant challenge. Claws of Awaji still divides up the work between Yasuke and Naoe in a way that makes sense when the main goal missions reach crescendos that call for the team to collaborate more directly.
This allows Naoe to concentrate on assassination and stealth duties while Yasuke handles the majority of the open combat. The couple’s particular capabilities are also well-utilized in the few new boss fights, such as a really awesome stealth battle that somewhat resembles Metal Gear Solid and requires all of Naoe’s abilities to win.
Verdict
The Claws of Awaji addition doesn’t really make much of a difference either way, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows provided the series with much-needed promise and vigor. Its unmemorable plot and dearth of fresh, captivating side attractions don’t take away from how much fun it is to ride around the region’s turbulent badlands and use cunning and force to defeat yet another criminal gang. However, it also doesn’t present a compelling argument for the need for additional epilogues.
