It’s looking likeAssassin’s Creed Shadowsmight actually make its way to the Nintendo Switch 2, and while that’s mostly an exciting prospect, it might also be an unusually underwhelming way to play the game. The lineup revealed in the Switch 2 Direct focused on plenty of impressive third-party ports, but Ubisoft’s big reveal wasStar Wars Outlawsrather than the newestAssassin’s Creedtitle. It might just be a matter of time, however, andAssassin’s Creedcoming to Switch 2 would make a lot of sense.
Historically, Ubisoft’s been perfectly willing to portAssassin’s Creedgames to underpowered Nintendo consoles. While nothing showed up on the original Wii, bothAssassin’s Creed 3andBlack Flaghad Wii U releases. The Switch, meanwhile, received remasters of both these titles, along with the Ezio trilogy andRogue.None of the gigantic open-world titles have yet appeared on Nintendo systems, however, which would makeShadowsa big leap forwardto the present status of the series.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Might Be Coming To Switch 2
PEGI’s Website Lists Some Surprising Information
The big indication of a potentialAssassin’s Creed ShadowsSwitch 2 release comes courtesy ofVGC, which reported on a change found on the PEGI game ratings website. As of the time of writing, the homepage highlightsAssassin’s Creed Shadowsas a heavily searched title andlists the available platforms as PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, and, most notably, Nintendo Switch 2.
AC Shadows Could Be Great On The Go
Wasting Time Is Better When It’s Filling In Gaps
Although the vast open worlds of modernAssassin’s Creedpresumably made ports to the original Switch too daunting to consider, this design shift is exactly what could makeAssassin’s Creed Shadowsa perfect Switch 2 title. The most common complaint surrounding the modern games tends to be the sense of bloat, with plenty of repetitive content falling between the most exciting challenges and narrative beats.Taking a game on the go can make that structure much more attractive, as it’s easy to spend brief snippets of idle time on frivolous tasks without committing to intensive endeavors.
While I wouldn’t particularly want to watch a major cutscene or assassinate a high-profile target on a not-quite-eight-inch screen,I’d be perfectly content to pick up lost pages, clear out a roadside enemy encampment, or work on theperfect design for my hideout. The relatively non-linear structure of the game’s quests would make it easy to quickly swap from these tasks to main story content when docking the Switch 2 at home.
The Graphics Matter In Assassin’s Creed Shadows
It’s All About The Environments
The big caveat, as I see it, is that the side content ofAssassin’s Creed Shadowsis unusually reliant on the game’s gorgeous visuals. With a painstaking recreation of Japanese landscapes and an impressive weather system thatspans eight different seasons,Shadowsbacks up its idle pleasures by marrying technical acumen and vibrant art design. This symbiosis goes beyond the typicalAssassin’s Creedstandards, and filler tasks like kuji-kiri take on a more meditative approach where the surrounding beauty is the primary appeal.
Despite its step up in power, there’s no way that the Switch 2 could handleShadowswithout some significant visual compromises. Even on stronger hardware, turning off ray-tracing leavesShadowswith frequently flat lighting, as the baked-in backup system pales in comparison to, say,Cyberpunk 2077’s standard lighting options.The Switch 2 would likely end up with flat lighting, underwhelming weather effects, and an inadequate resolutionthat leans on scaling solutions, robbing the game of its most natural pleasures.
While the right balance depends heavily on hardware and personal preference, tweakingsettings forAssassin’s Creed Shadowson PCto manage ray-tracing on mid-range hardware can be worth it.
Graphics aren’t everything, of course, and games likeBreath of the WildandSuper Mario Odysseyshowed how beautiful something could be even on original Switch hardware.Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis fundamentally designed for powerful hardware, however, and stripping it down will probably result in a game struggling to fulfill its own artistic vision. Even that might be fine, but in this particular case,the prettiness serves an unusually important role in the game’s appeal.
Assassin’s Creed Shadowscoming to the Switch 2 would ultimately still be a good thing. More platforms mean more people get to play the game, and if completing shinobi missions in a waiting room gives someone joy, then graphical limitations certainly aren’t going to ruin everything. It’s just an early example of the classic Switch problem re-emerging on the Switch 2. While games likeMario Kart Worldcan provide definitive experiences on the system,Assassin’s Creed Shadowswould be a salient reminder that the choice between portability and performance isn’t truly going away.
