Assassin's Creed Shadows map is pretty big, in fact, despite initially seeming like Shadows would be on the smaller side, it turns out it's rather large.
Unlike Valhalla, Shadows focuses on a smaller part of Japan than Valhalla did for the UK. Shadows takes place in Japan, specifically in the central to central-east area of the map. You’ll visit Kyoto and Osaka on your journey as you explore nine map regions. Settsu is the first region you will play within; however, after that, you are mostly free to do as you please. The game will likely push you into Yamashiro next, before truly opening up after that.
Each region has a level that it "requires," with enemies inside it being able to one-shot you if you are five levels or more lower than that. But, you can adventure, collect things, and pick up Sync Points.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Regions
.jpg)
The AC Shadows map is divided by region, with each being soft-gated by a player level. This level dictates the enemy’s difficulty, with enemies above your level being much tougher to defeat, and completely immune to assassination attempts.
Here are the AC Shadows map regions by order of difficulty based on our review gameplay:
- Settsu
- Yamashiro
- Omi
- Iga
- Harima
- Wakasa
- Yamato
- Kii
- Tamba
Pro tip: As you level, zones will level with you. Though the early zones (Settsu and Yamashiro) will always remain "easy." For example, when we were level 28, Settsu and Yamashiro were level 24 zones, whereas Iga was level 28.
What's the Largest Assassin's Creed Map - How Does Shadows Compare?
The Assassin's Creed Shadows playable area is roughly 80km2, however, the overall map is estimated to be 125 km2. Here is how it stacks up against the other Assassin's Creed maps.
- AC1: Damascus 0.13km2
- AC2: Florence 0.30km2
- AC2: Venice 0.37km2
- AC3: New York 0.93km2
- AC Revelations: Constantinople 0.94km2
- AC Brotherhood: Rome 1.41km2
- AC3: Frontier 1.41km2
- AC Mirage: Baghdad 2.3km2
- AC Unity: Paris 2.40km2
- AC Syndicate: London 3.70km2
- AC Rogue: North Atlantic Sea 70km2
- AC Shadows: 80km2 (playable)
- AC Origins: Egypt 80km2 (92km2 w/ DLC)
- AC Valhalla: England 94km2 (Land only) 120km2 (Sea Included)
- AC Black Flag: Caribbean 235km2
- AC Odyssey: Greece 130km2 (Land Only) 256km2 (Sea Included)
FAQ
Can you Travel the Entire map?
Yes, all the areas on the map can be got to, though some higher-level areas will be harder to get to due to high-level enemies. As you level and progress the story, more areas will become "unlocked" to you, with the main story acting as a form of bridge to get you to the next zone.
Can you Only Travel on Land?
There are small personal boats around the map. These are mostly used to reach the small islands you find within zones, though you are able to swim. One good use of the boat is getting to Cat Island, a location we highly recommend you visit, unless you hate cats.
Will the Map Expand in Future
The map will expand at least once within the first year of release. The forthcoming Claws of Awaji is the first and only DLC currently in development for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. This expansion will follow Naoe and Yasuke as they explore the enchanting island of Awaji, located west of Osaka. The duo finds themselves trapped on this mystical land and must devise a plan to escape. Players will be challenged to uncover a lost treasure while navigating through deadly traps and ambushes posed by new, formidable foes. We don't know how large the new map is at this time.
