Assassin’s Creed Shadows takes players on another epic adventure, spanning a breathtakingly vast world. It’s so expansive, in fact, that it can seem a bit daunting at first. In games as grand as this, having a well-designed map screen is crucial; it needs to be clear and engaging. Equally important, though, is the objectives screen. It serves as your guide to keeping track of the main storyline and the myriad side quests that surface as you interact with NPCs and explore. The objectives menu in Shadows stands out as one of my favorites from the series. It builds on the franchise’s recent evolution in quest mapping, offering a smooth and intuitive navigation experience that deepens your connection with the game’s world and story.
The objectives screen in Shadows refines an idea that previous games like Odyssey, Valhalla, and Mirage have experimented with. Imagine a family tree; the screen is laid out similarly, organizing quests by area, quest group, and the characters you’ll be assisting.
In many games, the branching objectives are hidden, revealing themselves only as you complete necessary tasks. Shadows, however, breaks this mold by displaying these connections openly. Each task is visually linked to its location or character, providing a more insightful representation of your progress than the typical list of completed greyed-out tasks.
As the objectives screen divides into different zones that highlight various parts of the game or world, it gives a unique glimpse into how you’ve chosen to navigate Shadows. Tasks are aligned by relevance rather than difficulty level, offering a personalized reflection of your journey. Personally, I’ve delved into numerous assassination missions, resulting in a screen filled with red Xs—quite different from my colleagues, who might have dedicated their time to other pursuits.
Having not delved into Valhalla, Odyssey, or Mirage, Shadows is my initial experience with this innovative objective layout in an open-world RPG, and I’ve really embraced it. Not only does it have an uncluttered and visually appealing design, but it also enhances my immersion in the world. You’re engaging with tasks that feel meaningful because they pertain to specific characters or goals.
My colleagues familiar with the franchise’s recent titles agree that Shadows delivers the most refined version of this objectives screen yet. While some traditional RPG elements linger in Shadows’ impressive world, the series continues to excel in reimagining how we track our objectives, making every player action feel impactful within the game.
