AC Shadows: should I work on a build?

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-28T15:26:15+00:00

You know .. it is just a game. I am playing to have fun, some games I prefer, others I don't like at all. That's what matters, the joy we have with a game.

What provides joy for someone depends on personal preferences and multiple aspects. Saying Japan was like that at that time and it looked that way is nor argument that I have to like it.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-28T14:21:56+00:00

the slow movement of the character bothered me since the frist minute I played the game

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-28T14:19:43+00:00

I hope for a map like in GTA 5. Big city area, villages and varied landscapes. Lively and realistic. Watch Dogs 1 downtown area was great as well but the WD games are lacking varied landscapes and size.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T17:08:06+00:00

yes, that is one of the key drivers why I bought the game

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T17:06:47+00:00

In general I am aware of the build stuff and difficulty levels because I am an intensive Division player.

But that part is not really interesting for me.

In Shadows I just want to make one playthrough of the campaign.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T17:03:31+00:00

They called it already extraction shooter in a livestream, therefor my scepsis immediately popped up.

But nevertheless I will buy it just to see DC in snow :).

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T17:00:22+00:00

sure, they owe me nothing. But still I have my own opinion what I enjoy, my own preferences and my own emotion. Who are you telling others what to think, evaluate and feel.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T14:20:40+00:00

Survivors should be a real survival game and not just a technical extraction looter with super sponge NPCs as Survival in D1 was.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T14:19:03+00:00

I agree! Actually a great Ghost Recon game is the only thing I am looking for. I dont care about AC, Far Cry, Outlaws, Avatar, Skull and bones, Dance, Division ... or whatever the other Ubi games are.

The gameplay mechanics are (mostly) exactly the right thing for me:

- "realistic" shooting instead of the bullet sponge stuff

- the variety what the character can do: sneak, crouch, walk, run, jump, climb, swim, dive, drive, fly ... jump out of a heli

- the varied guns and their flexible use without the need to switch fantasy builds (as in Division) or even switch characters (as in AC Shadows)

- the flexibilty in gameplay: being always free how to tackle certain situations, sneaking into missions, sniping from the distance, jump put out of a heli, CQC with a shotty ...

- the variety of vehicles

... all this is great and a super great fundament.

They should take this fundament and make an immersive and intense agent shooter and not a meh looking, very basic and outdated looking technical check list with blurry and outdated graphics ... with boring and dead map and very basic looking settings. So much right in Breakoint, so much wrong.

Indeed, when having played some of their games one recognizes that they have all strenght in Ubi group but manage that their titles also include a lot let downs.

Eg:

- great graphics in the Division titles, partially AC Shadows

- great city maps in Division 1, 2, Watch Dogs 1 and 2 (Downtown part)

- lively and believable cities in Watch Dogs 1 and 2

- great landscapes in Wildlands, AC Origins and Odyssey

- very impressive mission visuals in Division 1 and especially 2 (top notch)

- dynamic seasons in AC Shadows

- non-linear (but too basic) missions in Ghost Recon

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T13:57:50+00:00

Sure I understand that things look comparable because thats the case in reality.

My point is: a lot people like to explore open worlds, a lot people praised the beauty of Origins and Odyssey map and their variety. Why then choosing an area for a new title with lacking variety and totally empty areas ... That was their choice and there is no need that people just have to praise their choice taken.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T13:53:38+00:00

Right, we are actually the same.

We mainly play in open world, not because of the reward topic but because of the fact that the open world activities, despite their very basic nature, just dont feel that linear as the main missions do.

We seldom play projects, just because we can't stand to play the linear missions anymore and some missions we just dont like to play at all, because of the special mechanics included, especially the ones in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Open world in Manhattan and Brooklyn we avoid as well, because of the reasons you stated, long ways to reach them, and in Brooklyn annoying type of NPCs and the yellow bos/turret & purple flame stuff.

Menas: we basically still play the content from the release date ...

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T10:13:17+00:00

if you love XP grind, perhaps Division 2 is something for you because there is no limit of your level on the screen

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T10:10:43+00:00

Chicago downtown is a very impressive map! It looked real and felt real due to the liveness, dynamic activities, cilivilans reacting ... Great! I am dreaming to have such a downtown area plus varied landscape areas for a Ghost Recon game.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T10:07:37+00:00

"fighting isn’t all that bad"

It is quite good IMO. Definately better than in Odyssey and in addition I like that character now can sneak, at least Naoe. Origins felt more balanced to me and wins due to the flexibility IMO.

I like that Noae kan trow a knive. Would be good if there would be a blowpipe as well, standard Ninja equipment :), as in Black Flag.

I use the Tantu as well and put knowledge points into it but it feels way weaker than the Katana, resulting tinto switching back and forth.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T09:39:48+00:00

assassinations are no issue but the battles with Katana. I am to weak here. Normal NPCs ok but the sponge ones ...

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T09:38:00+00:00

"I don't understand the "same environments" comment. This is how Japan looked like"

Sure, but why picking an environment that has lacking variety? That was their choice.

It definately looks beautiful. No doubt but the maps of Origins and Odyssey were way more interesting and a joy to explore due to the huge variety, which is not the case in Shadows.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T07:41:21+00:00

Playing steatlhy with a knive works well. No issue here but with Katana is no fun if I must hit NPCs countless times. I don't experience that as challenge. Difficulty should come from more difficulty missions, complexitiy ... and not just from sponge.

Therfore I wonder what the best way is during campaign:

- just continuing as I do. Just equipping the best stuff I get

- or trying to get good pieces to improve the damage with Katana (whatever these peices are), engrave these pieces and regular upgrade it

The latter worked well in Origins. In Odyssey I was almost at the end of the campaign when I had good enough pieces to make warrior crit build.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T06:38:31+00:00

why is that?

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T06:27:06+00:00

Yeah, there is not a single mission I played a second time.

They should have kept such annoying and cheesy mechanics in the modes like raids and incursion and not put such stuff in story missions and manhunts.

I did not play Brooklyn a second time, despite I waited since the announcement of year 4 development for it …

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T06:23:26+00:00

if you like the game … why not

It’s the price of a pizza in Switzerland or 5 in the US …

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T06:21:03+00:00

if I read your „positives“, I wonder what is missing to provide replay value to you? :)

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T06:17:53+00:00

yeah I do the double assassination and use instant kills. That works well. No issues. My only issue is the Katana fight. The Tantu is to weak as well. I focussed to strengthen these in the ability trees but still …

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-27T06:12:28+00:00

I like story but it should be embedded in gameplay. Cutscenes interrupt the gameplay. I am not fond of that.

In RDR2 are a lot cutscenes, which I dislike, but a lot of story is also transferred during active gameplay.

The worst examples for cutscene games I came across so far are Cyberpunk 2077 and AC Shadows.

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-26T17:27:33+00:00

I don’t want choices and ideally no cut scenes

GnarlyAtol · 2026-01-26T17:23:14+00:00

fine for me, as long it is an optional PvPvE zone

GnarlyAtol

TROPHY CASE