Assassin's Creed Shadows: When You Can Start Playing And What Comes In Each Edition
Honor the Creed.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is nearly upon us. The return of the stealth action-turned-RPG series marks some compelling mix-ups for the nearly 20-year-old franchise, including two distinct protagonists with their own playstyles, and a game finally set in the widely-requested historical setting of feudal Sengoku Period Japan.
For those who plan to jump into the latest chapter in the forever feud between Templars and Assassins, there are quite a few options to consider. Thankfully, Inverse has you covered in deciding which is best for you. Here’s a guide for each launch edition of Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Release Date And Times
Ubisoft is rolling out Assassin’s Creed Shadows at different times in each continent.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows releases this Thursday, March 20. The game will be available at midnight Eastern Time and 9 p.m. Pacific Time here in the U.S. For our international readers, the game will be rolling out at different times depending on your location. There is no early access period for Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Does Assassin’s Creed Shadows Have Any Pre-Order Bonuses?
There are actually two great incentives for preordering Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The first is a fairly minor bonus quest that animal lovers will especially appreciate called Thrown To The Dogs. The quest is available right at launch and can be started fairly early on in the game.
Those who preorder will also get access to the game’s upcoming expansion, titled “Claws Of Awaji.” According to Ubisoft, the expansion will add at least 10 hours of new content to play through when it releases later this year. If you think Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a title you’ll love, this is as good a pre-order bonus as there could be.
What Comes Included In Each Assassin’s Creed Shadows Edition?
The Digital Deluxe Edition comes with several cool looking bonuses.
There are three total editions for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. There’s the $69.99 standard edition, which comes switch just the game and no in-game bonuses. As someone who played (and reviewed) the standard edition of the game, I’m here to confirm that there are no compromises with the vanilla experience.
For those who want a little something unique for protagonists Naoe and Yasuke, the $89.99 Digital Deluxe Edition may be the version for you. This version nets you the Sekiryu Dual Pack, which includes the Sekiryu Gear Set for both characters, unique dragon-themed Katanas, a Dragon Tooth Trinket, and a Sekiryu Beast mount. For those who are interested in jumping into the game’s cozy Hideout builder, this edition also includes exclusive ornaments and furniture. Lastly, you’ll also get an additional 5 Mastery Points for each character, which is used to obtain special abilities.
The Collectors Edition is perfect for those who want to commemorate their love of the frnahicse in their home.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Collector’s Edition includes everything from the Deluxe edition and adds on a handful of physical collector's items. Among them are a 40-centimeter statue of Naoe and Yasuke, a steelbook case for the game, a 76-page collectors art book, a physical map of the game’s open world, a wall scroll, 2 sumi-e lithographs, and a Katana Tsuba (a sword guard) replica modeled after Naoe’s in-game.
The Collector’s Edition costs $229.99.
How Long Is Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
The developers have already confirmed the game will take those beelining the main story of about 30 hours to hit the credits. However, I found that completing side content at a steady pace (which is mandatory if you want to unlock abilities and upgrade points) could easily bring things up to the 40 to 50-hour mark.
It’s a pretty grand adventure, and you can pretty easily spend hours just soaking in the beauty of what Ubisoft has made here. For the completionists among you, expect to put in at least 80 hours to see everything this open-world epic game has to offer.
