Highlights

  • Assassin's Creed Red needs to meet high expectations by offering unique combat styles for samurai and shinobi protagonists.
  • The game should focus on high damage output combat and recommit to emphasizing stealth mechanics.
  • A strong, emotionally resonant narrative is key for Red, dialing back RPG elements for a more memorable experience.

For many fans, Assassin's Creed Red is the most exciting and promising Assassin's Creed project in several years. Gaming audiences have been pleading for an Assassin's Creed game set in Japan ever since the franchise settled into its anthology format, so Assassin's Creed Red needs to go above and beyond to meet certain expectations. Ideally, Ubisoft will be able to make Red reach those lofty heights with some help from thoughtful and meaningful game design.

Assassin's Creed games live and die by their settings, with each release's era and geographical location naturally informing things like gear, level design, and combat. This has helped make the franchise exciting and successful, but Assassin's Creed has also been criticized for being too similar across distinct releases, with many considering the new settings to be akin to fresh coats of paint rather than fundamental, powerful forces of change. Additionally, players have lamented a perceived loss in series identity following the release of Origins, which took Assassin's Creed in a more definitive action-RPG direction. These points can be addressed by Assassin's Creed Red.

Assassins Creed Red Logo
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Assassin's Creed Red Essentials

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Major Changes to Assassin's Creed Combat

Assassin's Creed Red will reportedly feature two protagonists: a shinobi and a samurai. In the case of the latter, it will be essential for Ubisoft to reconsider its approach to combat design, as the animation-based fighting of the previous four games wouldn't be a good fit for a samurai character, who should feel like a swift, lethal, and methodical fighter. Put plainly, whaling on an opponent, hitting them with a katana a dozen or more times, should not be commonplace, as it would undermine the samurai fantasy.

Instead, Red should be focused on making a combat system that is built around high damage output on both sides, much like other samurai games like Ghost of Tsushima, which steer clear of damage-sponge enemies. Taking notes from deflection-based combat sandboxes, like that of FromSoftware's Sekiro, could also make combat more rewarding, with a higher skill ceiling.

Assassin's Creed Red Needs to Deliver On Stealth

When it comes to the other rumored protagonist, Ubisoft will have to focus on making stealth gameplay worthy of the legendary shinobi title. Stealth has always been a core ingredient in the Assassin's Creed formula, but it's plain to see that it has taken a back seat in the series' modern releases. The post-Origins games have greatly altered and arguably de-emphasized stealth, as, while quietly assassinating enemies can often give the player a leg-up in combat scenarios, it's rare for a mission to be entirely built around stealth mechanics like in older Assassin's Creed games. If Red features a shinobi, or shinobi-like gameplay, it would be the perfect opportunity to recommit to the series' stealth roots.

Assassin's Creed Red will be facing some stiff competition when it comes to samurai combat, but far fewer modern games have perfected shinobi-style stealth. This could be where Red excels.

Assassin's Creed Red Should Dial Back RPG Elements

The emphasis that modern Assassin's Creed games have placed on RPG staples hasn't been without its benefits, but they aren't generally considered to be one of the franchise's greatest strengths. With Assassin's Creed Red being rumored to star a real historical figure, the RPG elements that have defined the most recent games in the series would be an odd fit. Instead, Ubisoft should aim to deliver a strong, emotionally resonant narrative in Assassin's Creed Red, prioritizing memorable, well-crafted storytelling over a huge, open-ended, player-driven saga.