The ending of Assassin’s Creed Shadows felt abrupt and open. It didn’t have a dramatic conclusion or particularly eventful climax. Naoe found out her mother was still alive while Yasuke’s dismantling of the Templar Order was half-finished. It didn’t sully the fantastic gameplay of the 60 hours I spent playing, but it was nowhere near as final as previous entries had felt. Claws of Awaji attempts to tie up loose ends, and while the story isn’t half as engaging as Assassin’s Creed Shadows had previously been, the new approach to feeling threatened by the enemy made it more exciting.
In the absence of power, a new threat has emerged. Like cutting off the head of a hydra, the daughter of one of the slain Templar’s runs the island of Awaji. In doing so, she controls much of how you no longer feel safe in a land Naoe and Yasuke are unfamiliar with. There are moments when you’re making your way across Awaji that escalate quickly into an ambush from nowhere. You are being hunted by the followers of three Templar lieutenants. The Spymaster, Shinobi, and Samurai stop at nothing to end your life. Keep your eyes open, everywhere you go.
Their control spreads across Awaji. The samurai will send warriors to fight you in open and brutal combat; the Shinobi will ambush you will various traps; and the spymaster plays into the fear of not being able to trust anyone you encounter. It’s a fear you don’t really have in the main game. Assassin’s Creed Shadows had its own tension when clearing out castles and avoided being spotted, however, you always felt in control until things went south. Here, you’re never sure who’s hiding in plain sight or when you might face resistance.
There’s no real refresher fights or warm-ups in Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji. It wasn’t long before my skills were being tested. From one boss fight early on, I was struggling to topple a hulking samurai. Constant dodging to get one or two hits in. Talking in excess of 10 minutes until I finally chipped away at his armour only to fail. It’s a sharp, stark reminder that the toughest fights in Shadows meant using every skill in the playbook. Except now, you’re doing so almost from the beginning.
As for the island itself, Awaji doesn’t feel drastically different. There are some interesting landmarks, but it looks rather similar. That’s not a bad thing. Shadows was utterly breath-taking, and I was more than happy to soak it all in. There are side quests like usual, but nothing stands out as fresh or different. The excitement comes from how much more enemies feel relentless. It’s difficulty feels ramped up in the best way. All of those hours spent honing skills is put to the test in every battle. There are some new skills to learn, but nothing that feels like an asset to the brutality.
Naoe gets a bo staff as a new weapon. It’s a pretty cool addition as it can be used effectively to control wider groups of enemies. Not only that, facing enemies one-on-one, the staff is also useful. It didn’t overtake my reliance on the katana or kusarigama, but some might love it. If anything, it embellishes the fluid combat with a new feather in the cap. Fighting was always thrilling. In Claws of Awaji, I never rolled my eyes at the prospect of engaging in a fight. It’s the highlight of the DLC, and further extends my love for Naoe.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji focuses almost solely on Naoe. While the base experience had some key story beats for Yasuke, it always felt like Naoe’s journey of revenge. This expansion almost feels exclusively about her. I enjoyed both characters, but it’s clear she is favoured of the legendary samurai. It makes sense as she’s the archetypal assassin, yet it would have been nice for Yasuke to get more of an integration in the overall narrative. It’s not the best story either as I hoped for more of an impact, especially after finally meeting Naoe’s mother.
Much of Claws of Awaji feels like it should have just been another chapter in the original release of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Still, the feeling of being hunted adds to how you fight back and scout, as well as how you decide to travel. The bo staff is a nice addition to Naoe’s arsenal, too. Awaji is a gorgeous island if a little similar to some of the areas already seen and Yasuke plays second fiddle once again, but it’s still so good to be back in the world of Shadows and fighting the good fight against the Templar Order.
