I completed a marathon of all AC games last year, from the very first title, all the way up to Valhalla.
The games serves as a good reflection of Ubisoft over the years. The issues in the series and Ubisoft’s approach are amplified when one plays the games back to back.
The first title from 2007, albeit with clunky movements, had a promising story which was only elevated by its sequels.
The titles post-Revelations experimented a lot but the series settled at Origins, which was the last playable game, all aspects considered.
Valhalla is the worst of the series. It offers nothing new in terms of gameplay or story. It is just more of the same. Mundane and boring. It kept painfully reminding me that I am playing a video game.
Yet, I firmly believe that Shadows will be a lot worse with its live service mechanics.
A sidebar on AC 2007
I would be remiss if I did not mention that nostalgia might be compensating for some of the game’s flaws. I still remember reading the full/multi page spreads about the game in the local computer magazines.
At the point, I would consider the author’s scepticism being true a best case scenario, with every new piece of information I learn about Shadows.
It is baffling that it required so many years and attempts for Ubisoft to realise that their modern day storyline sucks. I would argue that it was a glorified side quest even during Desmond’s arc though it went downhill soon after that arc “closed”.
There is absolutely nothing that Ubisoft can say or do to win back my trust. This game is going to be as shallow as any of their recent entries, if not more.