LOS ANGELES – MARCH 19, 2025 – Netmarble, a leading developer and publisher of high-quality mobile games has launched several in-game updates for its squad-based RPG King Arthur: Legends Rise, to celebrate the 100th day anniversary following its official launch.
Players can celebrate this momentous occasion with special in-game events through March 25:
King Arthur 100-Day Celebration Event #1: Earn rewards including Special Summon Tickets or Staminas by reaching specific Gold milestones. A maximum total of 25 Special Summon Tickets can be earned.
King Arthur 100-Day Celebration Event #2: Receive Rate Up Summon Tickets, Special Summon Tickets, a Special Mystery Star Token and more by gaining Proof of Glory points that can be obtained by clearing Restricted Area dungeons.
King Arthur 100-Day Celebration Event #3: Acquire Special Summon Tickets, Special Mystery Star Tokens, and a Mysterious Relic Summon Ticket by using up Stamina to achieve higher ranks. The top 25 ranked players will receive Hero Summon Tickets and Relic Summon Tickets ranging from Legendary to Precious.
Spring Awakening Check-in Event: Receive bountiful rewards including a total of 1,500 Crystals or Special Summon Tickets by logging into the game.
A Returning Hero Rate Up Summon will be opened to players for the opportunity to obtain heroes Aine and Claudas. Both heroes can be collected by securing event points through clearing dedicated missions. Other gifts players can obtain include Special Summon Tickets, Awakening Stone Chests, a Mythic Star Seed and more.
Additionally, Season 3 of “Clan War” is now live to determine the strongest Clan along with Clan related mission events that offer rewards such as Special Summon Tickets, Golds and Clan Tokens.
King Arthur: Legends Rise is the next evolution of the crossplay squad-based RPG. Bringing a dark reimagining of the King Arthur story to life through intense combat, adventurous gameplay and best in class visuals powered by Unreal Engine 5 to PC and mobile. Joining Arthur’s quest to save Camelot from the threat of dreadful villains and the ancient gods, players will adventure across medieval Britain assembling a squad of powerful heroes. Alongside this action-packed story, players will also experience how Kabam has reimagined King Arthur’s legend into a visually stunning and vast turn-based RPG featuring both PvE and PvP gameplay.
Established in Korea in 2000, Netmarble Corporation is a leading developer and publisher of top-grossing mobile games worldwide. Through powerful franchises and collaborations with acclaimed IP holders, Netmarble strives to elevate the gaming experience and entertain audiences globally. As a parent company of Kabam and SpinX Games, and a major shareholder of Jam City and HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), Netmarble’s diverse portfolio includes Solo Leveling: ARISE, Seven Knights Idle Adventure, Tower of God: New World, Lineage 2: Revolution, MARVEL Future Fight, Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds and The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross. More information can be found at http://company.netmarble.com.
STOCKHOLM — MARCH 19, 2025 — Paradox Arc and XperimentalZ Games announced today that their party-based roguelike dungeon crawler, Escape the Mad Empire, will launch into Early Access on April 22 for PC via Steam. The game will be available for $17.99/£14.99/€17.49. Eager players can try out the free demo on Steam right now.
The Early Access release of Escape the Mad Empire brings a lot of content for players to explore. Choose from 13 unique hero classes, each armed with a wild array of skills and abilities, and outfit them with powerful gear, including (but not limited to) swords, shields, armor, and legendary pieces like the Heavy Helmet of Mindf*ckery!
Venture through a procedurally generated world spanning nine diverse biomes, packed with relentless enemies, fearsome bosses, and challenging mini-bosses. Take advantage of the tactical pause feature to instantly execute coordinated combos for devastating effect. Back at the home base, build incredible machines to recruit, upgrade, and restore heroes, as well as buy, craft, identify, and enchant gear to strengthen the party.
Overview of Early Access features:
13 hero classes with a wide range of over-the-top skills and abilities
Hundreds of insane items and equipment
Real-time gameplay with instant-attack on pause combat system
A plethora of challenging foes
An upgradable home base where to recruit, train and equip heroes
A procedural map made of nine biomes through which to make your escape
Plenty of quests, bosses, mini-bosses and story events
A ‘points’ based difficulty system which trades difficulty for more rewards
A vast array of tactical elements, like surface effects, cover, flanking, status effects, etc.
Escape the Mad Empire features a unique blend of CRPG, traditional roguelike, management, and action RPG elements. While it shares similarities with other games in the genre, it brings a whole new flavor with an intense, deep, challenging and rewarding tactical experience.
About Paradox Arc
Paradox ARC incubates and publishes deep, replayable games from studios with great ideas, including the titles Across the Obelisk, Mechabellum and Starminer.
Our mission is to cultivate long-term relationships with talented teams from around the world, build an exciting portfolio for players to enjoy over many years, and find future video game franchises for Paradox Interactive.
Paradox Arc is an initiative that is wholly owned and financed by Paradox Interactive.
Take up Sir Lionstone’s magic shield and become the hero the world needs in Saber Interactive and Twirlbound’s new fantasy-action adventure!
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — March 19, 2025 — Saber Interactive and indie developer Twirlbound have revealed that The Knightling, the new fantasy action-adventure game featuring exploration, questing, combat and platforming, will release on Aug. 28, 2025, on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch. Wield a massive shield, embark on an epic journey across the land, and become the protector the people need in this lighthearted tale of bravery, chivalry, and magic. Though your task may be great, never forget: all heroes start small!
When the city of Clesseia’s legendary guardian, Sir Lionstone, mysteriously disappears, it’s up to his plucky Knightling to take up his magic shield and rescue him before it’s too late. Explore the enchanting lands of Clesseia, battle monsters and bandits, unearth the realm’s long-lost secrets, and unlock the extraordinary powers of Sir Lionstone’s mighty shield to save the day!
Key Features
All Heroes Start Small: Play as the Knightling, a brave knight-in-training who must embark on a daring quest to rescue their mentor, the great Sir Lionstone. Battle powerful foes, upgrade and master your abilities, and protect the people of the realm. Gather your courage and prove that even the smallest among us can be a hero!
The Best Offense Is a Good Defense: Harness the power of Sir Lionstone’s magical shield in action-packed combat against the realm’s greatest challenges. Use the shield’s might to block, bash, parry, and create openings in enemy defenses, then finish the job with huge attacks and combos.
Slide Into Adventure: Set off on an epic journey across Clesseia’s many diverse regions, using the astounding power of the shield to slide and dash across the land with ease! Explore the world, mastering platforming and puzzle challenges with the shield’s unique abilities to earn rewards for upgrades.
Saber Interactive is a worldwide publisher and developer consisting of 13 studios in the Americas and Europe. Creating games for all major platforms based on original and licensed IPs, Saber’s titles include Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, John Carpenter’s Toxic Commando, Jurassic Park: Survival, Turok: Origins, World War Z, SnowRunner, Expeditions: A MudRunner Game and RoadCraft. Founded in 2001, Saber is known for two decades of development partnerships with leading developers and publishers, including producing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for Nintendo Switch, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Crysis Remastered, and many others. Learn more at https://saber.games.
About Twirlbound
Based in Breda, The Netherlands, Twirlbound was founded in 2013 by Marc Peyré and Matthijs van de Laar while in game dev school. Since releasing their award-winning debut Pine, the small indie team continues their quest to develop high-end action adventure games set in gorgeous open worlds, ready to be explored by players of all ages. They are currently working on the adventure platformer The Knightling, set to release on Aug. 28, 2025.
Modern Russian, Chinese and American jets join the battle
Gaijin Entertainment announces that the “Hornet’s Sting” major content update for the military online shooter War Thunder is available to the players. Aside from the signature F/A-18 “Hornet” jet the update was named after, it also features Su-30SM, an advanced twin-engine Russian fighter, as well as J-11B, the backbone of the PLA Air Force. Dozens of other iconic military vehicles joined the fight, including 2S19 “Msta-S” howitzer, the Tracked Rapier SAM and the USS Colorado super-dreadnought featuring 16 inch guns.
Su-30SM is an advanced twin-engine fighter that can accelerate to a maximum speed of about Mach 2, all while maintaining amazing maneuverability for its size. AL-31F engines have rotating nozzles, allowing the pilot to change the direction of thrust — a feature known as thrust vectoring — along all axes during maneuvers, improving controllability at extreme angles. Su-30SM is equipped with a modern radar with a passive electronically scanned array (PESA radar), providing fast target coordinate updates in TWS mode, an RWR and a modern cockpit with multiple multi-function displays (MFD).
J-11B is a Chinese modernization of Su-27 fighters imported from Russia, featuring a new radar, RWR, digital cockpit with a new heads-up display, new MFDs and domestically produced WS-10A engines, generating over 12,500 kgf of available thrust in afterburner mode. This upgrade significantly improved the aircraft’s rate of climb to around 235 m/s, while also improving its maximum speed and acceleration in level flight. J-11B is equipped with a mix of Russian and domestic high precision missiles and guided bombs.
The 2S19 Msta-S is a self-propelled 152 mm howitzer with an automatic loader and a good selection of shells, including two HE shells with up to 11.7 kg in TNT equivalent, a HE-VT shell, a HEAT shell and an APHEBC shell. It’s huge in size and lightly armored, so using it usually requires finding a good position for sniper fire or going behind your teammates when attacking as a support vehicle. With a careful, yet aggressive playstyle, the 2S19 (M1 and M2 variants are available in the game) will show its best side thanks to immense firepower and good reload speed.
More information in the content of the update is available at the official website.
About War Thunder
War Thunder is a free-to-play, cross-platform, massively multiplayer military masterpiece with millions of fans worldwide, that allows players on PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Mac and Linux to fight their way across air, land, and sea in the same battlefield. War Thunder offers 2000+ playable aircraft, armored vehicles and ships from the 1900s to the 2010s. The US, Russian, British, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Swedish, Israeli, South African and French military vehicles represented in game are carefully researched, historically accurate recreations of their real world counterparts. Fans can expect hundreds more added as Gaijin Entertainment commits to ongoing development via regular updates
About Gaijin Entertainment
Gaijin Entertainment is the developer and publisher of the online games War Thunder, Crossout, Enlisted, CRSED: F.O.A.D. and Star Conflict as well as other PC, Mac, Linux, PS4, PS5, Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, iOS and Android titles across several genres. The company’s diverse portfolio has received a range of mass media and game industry awards including such as Gamescom Award and many more.
The Iconic 90s Game Gets a Blockchain Makeover – And Players can claim a free limited-edition GDC Beamable POG
San Francisco – March 19, 2025 – Dust off your slammers and get ready to flip – POGs are back and they’re bigger than ever. Beamable and POG are bringing the legendary 90s game phenomenon into the future with POG Battle, an on-chain gaming revolution that blends classic fun with the power of blockchain.
Revealed at Game Developers Conference (GDC) 2025, POG Battle is already gaining a following, proving just how impactful Beamable’s technology is in the Web3 space. Since launching in beta, POG Battle has exploded in popularity with over 250,000 games played and $1.2 billion worth of POGs used in battles.
Powering POG Battle
Originating in the 90s, POGs were a schoolyard craze – a simple yet addictive game played with collectible cardboard discs and slammers. Now, POG Battle is making a modern comeback with a fully on-chain gaming experience built by Beamable using the POG Arcade infrastructure. With Beamable’s tech, players get seamless, real-time gameplay, true ownership of their digital POGs, and a frictionless Web3 experience. This partnership proves that old-school fun and new-school innovation can go hand in hand.
With Beamable’s tech, POG Battle delivers:
Seamless, real-time gameplay
True digital ownership of POGs
A frictionless Web3 experience – no complex wallets or onboarding
POG Battle is also integrated into Beamable’s Quest platform, bringing even more opportunities for players to play, earn and engage. Players can claim a free limited-edition GDC Beamable POG via the Launchpad, use it immediately in-game, and enjoy daily rewards inside the POG hub. Sign ups are open now at hub.pogdigital.com and launchpad.pogdigital.com.
Optimizing the POG Economy and Future Roadmap
To ensure long-term sustainability, POG and Beamable are optimizing POG Battle’s economy, adjusting how POGs are earned and used in Play for Coins. This includes a POG burn event to stabilize the in-game economy before the full arcade launch.
Looking ahead, Beamable and POG are exploring seasonal tournaments, expanded in-game content, and deeper blockchain integrations to keep the POG ecosystem engaging for new and returning players alike.
About Beamable
Beamable is an open, extensible game server platform that lets you create online games and virtual worlds in minutes. Rapidly add player auth, analytics, social, commerce, inventory, content management, meta-game features, GenAI, Web3 capabilities, and more to any game project. Prototype in minutes using integrations with Unity and Unreal Engine, and scale to millions of players. Led by a team of game-industry and software veterans, Beamable is based in the Boston area and has raised $21M from investors including BITKRAFT, Arca, Advancit Capital, 2Punks, Solana Foundation, P2 Ventures, Permit Ventures, GrandBanks Capital, Scytale Digital and defy.vc. Learn more at: https://beamable.com.
About POG®
POG, The Game You Collect, was the first game and collectible sold as trading cards. With over 200 Million Collectors and 10 Billion Collectibles Sold. POG discs feature artwork from POGMAN™, the brand’s legendary mascot, as well as more than 100 licensed brands like Disney Pocahontas, Lion King, Toy Story, Star Wars, Barbie, Smurf, Sonic, Donkey Kong, Power Rangers, POKEMON, NHL and more. POG is pioneering Web3 gaming by reimagining the classic POG Experience for the digital age. Through innovative gameplay, collectibles, and ownership mechanics, POG is bringing the excitement of collecting to a new generation of POGGERS. For more information, visit pogdigital.com.
Sequel to one of the world’s most beloved skiing games hits major milestone just one month after launch.
March 19, 2025 – Sweden – Last month, Toppluva AB announced the launch of Grand Mountain Adventure 2 on iOS and Android, and today the team is pleased to share that the smash-hit skiing game has passed the milestone of 1 million downloads.
Grand Mountain Adventure 2, which was released on February 18th, 2025 is also sitting in the top 20 for both the Free Adventure Games and Free iPhone Games iOS global charts, reflecting the popularity of this snowy sandbox adventure.
“We’re amazed to have surpassed one million downloads for Grand Mountain Adventure 2 so quickly!” says Sebastian Sehr, Game Director. “Skiing and having fun in the mountains has always been our biggest passion, and bringing that into this game has been our focus. Seeing players from all around the world enjoying our virtual mountains has been a huge confirmation that we’re on the right track. And motivates us to keep working on our definition of a great day in the mountains. Praise the pow!”
Grand Mountain Adventure 2 is the sequel to Grand Mountain Adventure, a beloved sports game with over 25 million downloads. With even more activities to take part in and new mountain ranges to explore, Grand Mountain Adventure 2 builds on the original game to create the ultimate Winter Sports playground.
Grand Mountain Adventure 2 is available now on iOS and Android. For more details visit the official website here.
About Toppluva AB
Toppluva is a tiny indie studio based in Stockholm, Sweden. Founded in 2015, Toppluva develops the Grand Mountain Adventure series with 25M+ players worldwide on iOS, Android, Steam and Nintendo Switch. The studio consists of three snowboarding brothers — Viktor, Sebastian, and Alexander. With a passion for creating truly unique, handcrafted games, they design everything from scratch, including the game engine, physics engine, map editor, music, and 3D models.
Dissect the dead in grisly detail and unearth a gripping tale of psychological horror
19TH MARCH 2025 – Team17 and developer Woodland Games are bringing Autopsy Simulator, a first-person medical-horror experience, to PS5 and Xbox on April 3rd! In Autopsy Simulator, players will take on the role of a practice pathologist and study realistic case files, created in collaboration with real-world forensic doctors, to help guide their examination and dissection of anatomically accurate bodies and determine each subject’s cause of death.
Alongside their powers of deduction, players will be able to use a variety of medically authentic tools and procedures, certified by a real-world pathologist, to learn more about each body as they peel back the layers of individual cases and unravel the mysteries surrounding each death.
Autopsy Simulator also includes Autopsy Simulator:Dead Memories, a self-contained, narrative-driven psychological horror experience set in 1990s New Orleans that follows the story of Jack, a middle-aged pathologist whose life has taken a turn for the worse after a personal tragedy. Players will unravel a gripping mystery as Jack battles his inner demons while performing a range of medically accurate post-mortem procedures.
Apprentice examiners with iron stomachs can head below for a brand new gruesome trailer
Autopsy Simulator Key Features
Gruesome anatomical detail and medically certified autopsy procedures: Dissect anatomically accurate bodies using a range of autopsy procedures authentic to real-world practice pathology
Realistic true crime scenarios: Study a range of case files designed by real-life pathomorphologists and forensic doctors and use what you learn to guide your approach to each autopsy
Self-contained story mode with simulation gameplay: In Autopsy Simulator: Dead Memories, follow a gripping personal mystery while performing medically accurate autopsy procedures vetted by a certified pathologist
Free play ‘Autopsy Only’ mode: Learn the ins and outs of practice pathology bycompleting unique autopsy scenarios and unravelling the mysteries of death
About Woodland Games
Woodland Games is an indie studio based in Poland and founded in 2017. Currently, the team has 20 employees, supported by freelancers and associates, with an aim to create innovative and ambitious games with unique mechanics set in unconventional worlds. Their previous titles include SCRAP and I Wanna Fly released on iOS and Android, and their first PC title, Hell Architect, released in 2021. The team is currently working on Autopsy Simulator, alongside other unannounced titles.
About Team17 Digital
Founded in 1990, Team17 Digital is a leading developer, video games label, and creative partner for developers around the world. Part of Team17 Group plc, which floated on AIM in 2018, Team17 Digital has an extensive portfolio comprised of over 120 titles, and fully encapsulates the spirit of independent games. Team17 Digital’s portfolio of multi-award-winning and award-nominated in-house brands include Hell Let Loose, Golf With Your Friends, The Escapists, and the iconic Worms franchise, alongside its games label partner titles, including the award-winning games Blasphemous, Greak: Memories of Azur, and Overcooked! franchise.
Ever since the first Assassin’s Creed franchise started exploring different time periods and countries to set itself in, many fans have begged for the franchise to be set in Japan. Between the country’s signature style, storied history, and of course the birthplace of the shinobi, it seemed like a sure thing. However, over the years as new games were announced and released those hopes dwindled until finally, Ubisoft revealed Assassin’s Creed Shadows, bringing fans of the franchise to their most desired location nearly eighteen years after its debut. Sporting dual protagonists and of course set during the final stages of the Sengoku period in feudal Japan, does Assassin’s Creed Shadows manage to make the most out of this long awaited setting?
Story
The story begins unlike any entry in the franchise before it, with players taking on the role of a real person that existed in historical times. Players begin their adventure as Yasuke, briefly seeing how the large African man is treated by his Portugese and Jesuit owners that rescued the man at sea during their travels to Japan. The group is meeting everyone’s (not) favorite warlord Oda Nobunaga to seek permission to spread the word of their religion within the region free of Nobunaga’s army or restraints. At the meeting, Oda Nobunaga takes an interest in Yasuke and makes the man his own subordinate and, after a time-skip, a powerfully skilled samurai warrior unmatched as a bodyguard as they lay waste to a rebel village.
It is here that the main story and, generally from the way it feels written, the actual protagonist’s storyline begins as Naoe finds that her village of shinobi warriors is being overrun by Oda Nobunaga’s forces. With only a swift death awaiting them, her father leads Naoe to retrieve an unknown sacred item contained within a box that they have been entrusted to protect for generations and while the pair manage to do so, it isn’t long before they are beset by over a dozen masked assailants. This unknown group of warriors makes short work of Naoe and her father, leaving both to bleed out into the dirt as Naoe burns their masked visages into her memory, swearing revenge. With the help of a passing monk and young boy, she survives her injuries and begins building her own “Iga Clan” hideout with a mission to track down the ones who slayed her father for revenge and regain the box that was stolen from them.
Perhaps it is because players spend almost the entire first part of Assassin’s Creed Shadows as Naoe, but her storyline feels far better crafted and more personal, working as a tale of both revenge and seeking out a deeper meaning behind everything all while trying to uncover the mysteries behind her own clan’s historical lineage. This not only includes the mysteries of her mother, but aspects that tie into the grander Brotherhood as a whole, making Naoe the de facto protagonist and main character of the journey. This even includes her interactions with most of the main side-characters who grow and interact with her as well, since certain characters will only interact with one character and not another. On the other hand, once Yasuke finally enters the story again and becomes a playable character alongside Naoe, his storyline and progression is still tied relatively tightly to her own.
Yes, there are still personal development as Yasuke comes to terms with how he became the warrior he is as well as trying to find out his own lost past while trying to find a new purpose in life, his storyline never really hits with the same impact as Naoe, though there are still some great moments and scenes where he finds purposes and a place for himself even in a land that will never see him as nothing more than a stranger. In fact, he himself even states that he feels bound to her in some unknown way, with various hints being dropped along the way about the Brotherhood and lineage. Yasuke’s lacking storyline isn’t due to the fact that he existed, in fact players are shown exactly the main interactions that he is mentioned in, including the scene everyone familiar with the Sengoku era knows is coming, nor is it tied down to his continued story as history doesn’t really say what happened to the man past this point beyond that he survived, so it’s just poor writing unfortunately. Thankfully, as a set of dual protagonists they work together quite well, as scenes featuring both Naoe and Yasuke are incredibly endearing past their initial hostile encounter. We won’t specify what these moments are so players can enjoy them for themselves, but these two protagonists interacting with one another is a great aspect of having a duel lead. It is also worth noting that there are various choices players can make throughout the game and while these appear to be rather minimal most of the time, some choices state they will “deeply affect” a character. Those who want the “canon” experience can select an option when starting the game that turns off these choices.
As for the core storyline, it is roughly what players have come to expect from an Assassin’s Creed title, only slightly more evolved. Players will be given targets that they can track and hunt down, revealing more plot details along the way and having various twists and turners that work quite well before blossoming into even grander “boards” of targets to hunt down. Even the side-quests are incredibly elaborate, whether they are trying to hunt down yokai rumors to put someone’s mind at ease or slaying (and even sparing) a twisted family tree tormenting a town, they all are rather unique though it must be said that discovering some of these could use a bit of work. Players can stumble right into the hostile location containing a target, kill him/her, and complete a mission they didn’t even know existed until the board springs up on the quest menu. Along these same lines, being able to hunt most of the main antagonists in any order, especially in the middle part of the game, does lead to some significant disconnect in the way the story flows, making it feel unnatural with entire targets having absolutely no knowledge or even reason to do what they did. This can lead to the middle part of the plot, which is unfortunately the largest, being the weakest aspect of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ grander story.
Gameplay
In many ways Assassin’s Creed Shadows is still the same as past entries as players will find themselves dropped into a sizable open world that, theoretically, allows them to travel anywhere immediately. This is stopped of course by the fact that certain regions have level limits where facing off against any opponent a few levels higher than the player would spell doom, even with an assassination attempt. The map is still filled with various question marks and “synchronization” points that no longer actually reveal the area but mostly serve as fast travel spots. These question marks must be traveled to to find out what they are, either a den of enemies, a temple/shrine to explore for knowledge, kofun to navigate, or even a full blown “castle” or “palace” filled with enemies to hunt and valuable loot inside. Quest objectives can be identified by one of Naoe’s spies or directly located by the player through a handful of clues given to them. Pinpointing them with spies helps speed up a search at the cost of being able to use them to smuggle resources back to the headquarters, though spy count can be refilled with in-game money or the changing of a season.
One completely brand new aspect that appears to add some level of extra gameplay depth is the seasons. Every few days (unrealistically) the seasons will change in the game, going from spring, to summer, to fall, and then winter before repeating. Along these time changes guards will respawn in previously swept areas, spies will return tto the player’s base with any smuggled goods they were assigned to teal, and the layout and design of some locations will also change. Longer nights can make sneaking around easier as Naoe while a pond that was an easy hiding spot is now frozen over and can make her slip if she runs roof ast over it. Along these same lines, guard and civilian patterns will adjust, grouping up more during the summer and spending time outside while huddling around fires or staying indoors in winter.
Regardless of the season, the biggest aspect of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the way its duel protagonists are meant to be played. Naoe is clearly the assassin, being of shinobi ancestry she is as agile of an assassin the franchise has ever seen at this point, capable of swiftly navigating up and down walls and rooftops, scampering across ropes, using her grappling hook to swing along, and of course utilizing her hidden blade for plenty of deadly assassinations from all manner of different angles all while utilizing various ninja tools such as kunai, shuriken, smoke bombs, and even bells to draw enemy attention elsewhere. Naoe can wield a katana, tanto/hidden blade combo, or kusarigama with both her and Yasuke both being able to equip two weapons at a time. Most of Naoe’s combat abilities allow her to either swiftly defeat a foe or escape from harm, utilizing longer distance attacks and dodges to target weakpoints as the young shinobi is not meant for a stand up brawl. She can certainly hold her own, as the game’s combat system revolves almost entirely around being able to deflect glowing blue or basic attacks and leaving enemies open or dodging out of the way of red unblockable attacks and counter attacking but any major battle will see her at a disadvantage even at equal level opponents.
Interestingly enough, stealth has evolved a bit in Assassin’s Creed Shadows as not only is there a “visual” meter that shows how easy it is for Naoe to be spotted thanks to how bright the environment might be, but enemy AI has grown a lot more intelligent. Whistling to draw an enemy into a bush will lead to them potentially swinging their blade down into the location of the whistle rather than blindly investigate, keeping players on their toes. Along these same lines, servants in larger areas can locate bodies and gather more guards to try and search for the culprit and if it just so happens that a kunai is buried in the body, they’ll be paying attention to the rooftops as well, knowing a shinobi was the cause. This adds some extra layers of navigation to stealthing around a large scale compound, though thankfully I have not noticed any missions that completely require stealth, meaning if players are caught they can likely fight their way out and sneak back to the objective, at least in my experience.
Those looking for a full down brawl will find that Yasuke is the character to pull out in these instances. While the large samurai is capable of crawling through bushes, he is incredibly noticeable and can snap brush and ropes with his weight alone, making sneaking nearly impossible. In fact, his assassination attack is literally a screaming murder that basically taunts every enemy in the area to his location. This is primarily because Yasuke is designed to be a monster of a fighter, capable of dispatching standard enemies with complete ease and cutting swathes through even heavier armored or larger foes. Combine this with the fact that some of his earliest abilities make him automatically block any attack and he can straight bull rush through doors and enemies, and he’s a force to be reckoned with. Wielding a long katana, naginata, kanabo, bow, or teppo (flintlock rifle), Yasuke is the antithesis of stealth and it does make for some interesting dynamics of seeing how to intricately navigate a location as Naoe, silently slaying her way through enemy guards, patrolling servants, and unlocking a treasure inside of a castle compared to just charging down the front gates as Yasuke and slaughtering everything in sight.
Both Yasuke and Naoe share level ups, “master points” that serve as skill points, and even knowledge level that raises as players complete puzzles in the open world. Ironically, players who spend a bit too much time in the early part of the game may find themselves unlocking and obtaining armor and weapons exclusive to Yasuke even though they can only play as Naoe up until act two. Once the two join forces, players can choose to swap between them at will outside of enemy territory but it is worth noting that some missions will require players to take on a certain character no matter what, meaning if players have been neglecting to keep Yasuke’s equipment upgraded he might be in a bit of trouble in these instances. Though once again, players will also often be given choices on who they want to have tackle a situation, selecting between Naoe and Yasuke but unfortunately rather than giving players control of one and the computer the control of the other, the other protagonist vanishes entirely from the mission, something that feels like a massive oversight to the whole “dual protagonist” aspect. Sneaking through a castle as Naoe while Yasuke tears up guards and causes a distraction would have made for some exciting dynamic gameplay but unfortunately that is never the case here.
Outside of standard exploration, stealth, and combat, players will also have their home base to manage to some degree. The home base can be upgraded and have various buildings that provide buffs such as the ability to have more scouts at a time, upgrade previously obtained gear so players can keep their favorite items up to snuff, and even manage allies they recruit along the way. There are also plenty of little cosmetic additions players can make such as adding in landscaping, trees, lanterns, shrines, or just simply make a small zoo of pets that Naoe and Yasuke have interacted with out in the world or Naoe has drawn as one of the collectables. Unfortunately, this can also lead to some less than stellar rewards during exploration. Wiping out a bandit camp and looting a treasure chest only to be given a different type of tree or gravel path feels like a complete waste sometimes, making loot something of an issue throughout the game.
Audio & Visuals
It must be said that Assassin’s Creed Shadows is an absolutely gorgeous looking game. This is especially true thanks to the aforementioned seasons system that will see every location in the game vary slightly from season to season. Lush spring foliage with cherry blossom trees, flashes of lightning during a monsoon-like rainstorm that obscures everything, or blanketing an entire village and countryside white with snow, the season system is quite gorgeous. The layout of the maps is also quite interesting as well, though since it stays true to Japan’s mountainous nature, a lot of locations are only easily accessible by following paths, making straight shots to an objective often a harder trek around unclimbable hills or difficult brush that has to be slashed through to navigate. The character designs are handled excellently and there is a nice level of detail to every element of clothing, armor, and weaponry with each also having quite a lot of variety, though players can make any armor look like another if they’ve obtained it before. It is also an incredibly bloody game, with Naoe able to slash throats like the best assassins and Yasuke brutally taking down enemies even in open combat, using a naginata to cut off a foes arms before decapitating them or just directly slicing a head clean from a body with his long katana.
It also must be stated just how cinematic a lot of the in-game cutscenes are presented. These cutscenes look straight out of a samurai movie with both presentation and sound design. This is thanks to the soundtrack featuring an excellent collection of background music that is both fitting for the time period but also a number of tracks that work wonders during the more action packed or high impact moments. The voice acting is unfortunately a bit less impressive, as the English voice cast is, for the most part, bad. The English voice actors for Naoe and Yasuke handle their roles well enough but almost every other side-character, including some of the primary villains, sound terribly stilted in English. Thankfully, players can choose to either play with a Japanese voice track accompanied by English subtitles or even an “authentic” option that will mix in Japanese voice work as well as Portuguese depending on the character talking at the time.
Overall
Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivers on the long-awaited promise of exploring feudal Japan, offering an expansive world and protagonists with distinct playstyles, one more compelling than the other. Naoe’s journey stands out as the emotional core, blending a personal tale of revenge with the larger Assassin’s Creed mythos, while Yasuke’s brute-force approach provides a refreshing contrast, despite his storyline feeling underdeveloped in comparison all while both characters provide a fittingly distinct gameplay experience, even if Yasuke is a bit too busted. That being said, while the evolving seasons and intelligent enemy AI add layers of immersion, the fragmented mid-game narrative, slightly bloated open world that often has poor rewards, and occasional pacing issues detract from the overall experience. Nevertheless, Assassin’s Creed Shadows successfully combines the series’ signature stealth and combat with a richly detailed historical setting, making it a worthy addition to the franchise despite its flaws.
Capsule Computers review guidelines can be found here.
We step back into feudal Japan and take on not one role but two, the powerful samurai Yasuke as well as the shinobi Assassin Naoe. We spend most of our time as Naoe, learning the ways of the assassin, and her tragic past, and exploring elements of Ubisoft’s brand-new open world with Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows – Gameplay
Experience an epic action-adventure story set in Feudal Japan! Become a shinobi assassin and legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch between these two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny and usher in a new era for Japan.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Developer: Ubisoft Publisher: Ubisoft Platform: Windows, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S Release Date: 20 Mar, 2025 Price: $69.99 USD
Recommended – “Assassin’s Creed Shadows brings feudal Japan to life with stunning visuals, and evolving gameplay, but uneven storytelling and lackluster open world rewards hold it back from greatness.”
Tommy Shelby and Family take over World of Tanks with new Crew Members, Premium Tank and Special Themed Content for fans of the Hit TV Show
March 19th, 2025 – World of Tanks today announces a partnership with Banijay Rights, the global distribution arm of content powerhouse Banijay Entertainment, to launch BATTLE PASS SPECIAL: PEAKY BLINDERS, a limited-time in-game event based on the hit television series.
Launching on March 20th and running until March 31st, the new Battle Pass Special delivers a variety of Peaky Blinders-themed rewards and will feature Peaky Blinders protagonist Tommy Shelby at the helm.
As part of the Special, players will be able to commend and recruit five of the most formidable figures from the hit drama series. Tommy Shelby leads the charge – sharp as a razor, cold as steel. His hot-headed enforcer of a brother, Arthur, stands by his side, while the young but fiery John Shelby brings his own ruthless streak to the fray.
For those looking to complete the family empire, a special bundle introduces Ada Shelby, the wily, sharp-witted sister, and ambitious cousin, Michael Gray – each ready to scheme their way through the ranks. Every Shelby comes fully voiced, bringing the unmistakable swagger and streetwise grit straight from the show to the battlefield.
The event’s ultimate reward is the Tier IX Premium French Medium tank – Char Murat, coated in “Tommy” 3D style. The tank is visually styled after the combat vehicles of World War I, the conflict which shaped and forever challenged the minds and personalities of the three Shelby brothers.
To truly own the battlefield, players can customize their vehicles with new Peaky Blinders-themed decals and inscriptions. And a specially composed soundtrack inspired by the show will transport them to the streets of Birmingham before they head into battle.
The multi-award-winning Peaky Blinders was created and written by Steven Knight (SAS Rogue Heroes, Taboo, See, Great Expectations). Originally produced for the BBC and distributed by Banijay Rights, it has sold in more than 190 countries and is widely available internationally on Netflix.
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About World of Tanks
World of Tanks is the first team-based, massively multiplayer online action game dedicated to tank warfare. Throw yourself into the epic tank battles of World War II with gamers all over the world. Your arsenal includes over 800 armored vehicles from 11 nations, carefully detailed with historical accuracy.
Wargaming is an award-winning online game developer and publisher headquartered in Nicosia, Cyprus. Operating since 1998, Wargaming has grown to become one of the leaders in the gaming industry with 15 offices around the world, including studios in Guildford, Prague, Chicago, Austin, Shanghai, Tokyo, Vilnius, Kyiv, and Belgrade. Millions of players enjoy Wargaming’s titles across all major gaming platforms. Our flagship products include hit free-to-play franchises – World of Tanks and World of Warships.
Leading global distributor, Banijay Rights, represents a world-class, multi-genre portfolio of over 200,000 hours of standout programming. Handling the distribution for content powerhouse, Banijay Entertainment, the division specialises in the exploitation of premium scripted and non-scripted brands to broadcasters worldwide.
Representing quality, excellence and experience in the business of linear and non-linear television and ancillary activity across all platforms, Banijay Rights’ catalogue encompasses a host of top titles from Banijay’s 130+ in-house labels, and a number of third-party producers, spanning drama, comedy, entertainment, factual, reality, family, formats and theatrical.
Delivering high-quality IP, which was born locally and travels globally, the distributor offers the best stories told the best way. Its landmark brands include Survivor, Big Brother, MasterChef, Peaky Blinders, Rogue Heroes, Marie Antoinette, Grantchester, Deal or No Deal, Home and Away, Mr Bean and Black Mirror.
Built on independence, creative freedom, entrepreneurialism and commercial acumen, Banijay Rights operates under the direction of Chief Executive Officer, Cathy Payne.
