Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 305 sampled Steam reviews (210 positive / 95 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing32% mention it
- Combat16% mention it
- Visuals & art14% mention it
- World & exploration11% mention it
- Grind & repetition9% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
- Story & writing42% mention it
- Combat25% mention it
- World & exploration17% mention it
- Grind & repetition17% mention it
- Visuals & art13% mention it
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
46%
24 reviews
5-15h
58%
33 reviews
15-40h
60%
68 reviews
40-100h
69%
109 reviews
100h+
90%
71 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 81 | 36 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 75% | 71 | 1000 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 62 | 675 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 66% | 64 | 866 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Jul 27, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 866 total reviews in window · weighted 174.5 up / 91.9 down · computed 2h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (91)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 70
“Assassin's Creed: Shadows is a game full of contrasts. On one hand, it offers solid stealth mechanics and a great combat system, but on the other, it features a lackluster storyline and generic exploration. If you're a fan of the series, you'll likely find something to enjoy here, but if you weren't convinced from the start, the combat and stealth may not be enough to win you over.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Shadows is a near-perfect blend of focused missions and leisurely exploration across a massive open world.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is the best entry in the series since Origins, a stunning visual achievement with a solid gameplay loop that, unfortunately, loses momentum over time and is held back by a weak story.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“And that's really the ultimate takeaway. It has a load of really fun parts, a fun gameplay loop, an engaging story, and an earnest effort to split the difference between the various elements of the franchise history. It's a good game! Take these reservations not as a subversion of that fact, but for what they are: Acknowledgement of its limitations.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“Ubisoft has finally struck the perfect balance between the series’ roots and modern advancements. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a masterclass in stealth-action storytelling and, without question, one of the finest entries in the franchise.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“While Assassin's Creed Shadows is unlikely to win over those who struggled to push through Odyssey or Valhalla, this is still one of the strongest overall entries in the series, and arguably the best of the open world RPG bunch. The storytelling is largely fantastic, the main characters are deeply likeable, and the open world itself is a thing of beauty.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Assassin's Creed Shadows is massive and spectacular, but also very familiar. Despite its flaws, it's close to being the Japanese-set installment fans have been asking for for years.”
read full review ↗ - 100
“If you’re not yet tired of Japan filled with samurais, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is highly recommended and a triumphant return to more open-worldy formula. Scratching the surface reveals an experience that feels very familiar and safe in many ways. However, that’s not a negative thing. Sometimes it’s simply really enjoyable to return to familiar video game series that you can almost guarantee it works well. With AC Shadows, it is also noticeable that every aspect in the game has improved since Valhalla.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“Although Shadows gives the Assassin's Creed formula a much-needed update, it continues to falter in some areas. The long cutscenes and dialogues are still present, and you encounter so many enemies that the battles get boring at times. We know that sounds crazy in a game where you play an assassin, but sometimes you just want to achieve your goal instead of killing one guard after another. Those two shortcomings are especially noticeable at the beginning of the game, which is a shame, because it kind of took away our desire to continue playing. Fortunately, we bit through, because the further we progressed, the more Shadows blossomed. There is an enormous amount to experience, and Ubisoft clearly invested where it was needed: in the storyline. It is vastly expanded and rarely bores. ”
read full review ↗ - 77
“Assassin's Creed: Shadows is an experience that was enriching, beautiful, and at times, gloriously confusing.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Assassin's Creed Shadows is another notch in the belt of this illustrious series. Sneaking and stabbing as Naoe or duelling foes in honourable combat as Yasuke, the duel protagonists are a genius addition to all the things we love about Assassin's Creed. Even though I haven't gelled with the more recent huge open-world AC titles, I leave my time with Assassin's Creed Shadows with renewed excitement for the series thanks to a more manageable map size and a great story. Add in the beautiful backdrop of medieval Japan throughout the seasons, and you've got a hit.”
read full review ↗ - 70
“Outside of the new, most sought after destination of Feudal Japan, Assassin's Creed Shadows never really escapes its own shadow of boilerplate gameplay systems and its tried and true open world formula the series is known for. Whilst the game is at the same high standard as every other entry, it doesn't truly excel at anything more specific.”
read full review ↗
Gamepressure
Slant Magazine
PLAY Zine
Gamer Escape
Gfinity
Push Square
LevelUp
KonsoliFIN
Worth Playing
Checkpoint Gaming
FingerGuns…and 79 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.1.13Aug 25, 2026
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.1.12 - Release NotesJul 27, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.1.11 - Release NotesJun 15, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Assassin's Creed Shadows Title Update 1.1.10 - Release NotesApr 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- Assassin's Creed Shadows - Hot Fix 1.1.9Feb 26, 2026
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.1.8 - Release NotesFeb 16, 2026significant · resets scoring window
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.1.7 - Release NotesDec 15, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.1.6 - Release NotesNov 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Assassin's Creed Shadows - Hot Fix 1.1.5Nov 6, 2025
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.1.4 - Release NotesOct 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Assassin's Creed Shadows - Hot Fix 1.1.3Sep 25, 2025
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.1.2 - Release NotesSep 18, 2025
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.1.1 - Release NotesSep 10, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- AC SHADOWS TITLE UPDATE 1.0.7 - RELEASE NOTESJul 28, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Summer Roadmap UpdateJul 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Get 25% OFF Assassin’s Creed Shadows now!Jun 26, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.0.6 - Release NotesJun 24, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.0.5 - Release NotesMay 27, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.0.4 - Release NotesMay 5, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows Post launch Roadmap UpdateApr 30, 2025significant · resets scoring window
- AC Shadows Title Update 1.0.2 - Release NotesApr 7, 2025significant · resets scoring window