Feudal Japan is a vibe. We’ve wanted this setting since the original Altaïr days, but there’s always been this nagging fear that Ubisoft would just fill the map with mindless icons. You know the ones. Follow the blue dot, kill the guy, get the loot, repeat until your eyes bleed. It’s the "Ubisoft Formula" that everyone loves to hate. But with Assassin's Creed Shadows side quests, the developers at Ubisoft Québec are actually trying something a bit different this time around. They're leaning into what they call "emergent discovery."
Honestly? It's about time.
Instead of a map that looks like it has chickenpox from all the icons, the game encourages you to actually look at the world. Naoe and Yasuke aren't just hitmen; they’re part of a shifting political landscape. The side content reflects that. You aren't just doing chores for random NPCs who have no name. Well, mostly. There's still some of that, but the focus has shifted toward world-building that feels earned rather than forced.
Why Assassin's Creed Shadows side quests feel different this time
The biggest change is the removal of the traditional "synchronized" map reveal. In older games, you’d climb a tall pagoda, hit a button, and—boom—forty icons appeared. Now, you have to find things yourself. Or, more accurately, you have to listen.
Information is a currency in 16th-century Japan. You’ll find that many Assassin's Creed Shadows side quests start not with a yellow exclamation point, but with a conversation you overhear in a tea house or a rumor whispered by a spy. This is the "Spy Network" mechanic. It’s not just a menu fluff piece. You actually send out agents to gather intel, and that intel unlocks the side stories.
The Tale of Two Protagonists
Because we have both Naoe and Yasuke, the side content isn't one-size-fits-all. Some missions are strictly for the shinobi; others require the raw, intimidating presence of the samurai.
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Think about it. A side quest involving a corrupt merchant might play out entirely differently depending on who you pick. If you’re playing as Naoe, you might be tasked with stealing ledgers under the cover of a storm—using the game's new dynamic weather and lighting systems to stay hidden. If you’re Yasuke, that same quest might involve walking through the front door and demanding justice, which triggers a massive brawl in the courtyard.
This isn't just about combat vs. stealth. It’s about social standing. Yasuke is a historical figure, a high-ranking warrior under Oda Nobunaga. People react to him. Naoe is a shadow. The side quests lean into this duality hard.
Beyond the "Fetch Quest" Stigma
Let’s be real. Nobody likes carrying a crate of spices across a mountain for 50 XP. Ubisoft seems to have heard the screaming of a thousand frustrated Redditors. The side content in Shadows is categorized more like "World Stories."
One example involves the changing seasons. Because the game world cycles through spring, summer, autumn, and winter, some side quests are time-sensitive. You might find a quest in the summer where you need to navigate a lush, overgrown forest to find a hidden shrine. Come back in winter, and that same path is blocked by snow, or a frozen lake opens up a completely new route to a different objective. This adds a layer of "metroidvania" logic to an open-world RPG.
- Environmental Storytelling: Finding a deserted village isn't just a location to clear; it might trigger a quest to investigate a local plague or a bandit raid that happened weeks ago.
- Historical Context: You'll run into figures who aren't central to the Nobunaga plot but are vital to the Sengoku period's flavor. Potters, poets, and disgraced ronin.
- The Spy Network: This is the "meta" side quest. Building your network is technically optional, but it’s how you find the best gear and the most interesting narrative threads.
The weight of your choices (sorta)
We have to manage expectations here. This isn't The Witcher 3. You aren't going to fundamentally rewrite the history of Japan through a side quest. However, the way you complete these missions affects your reputation in specific regions.
If Yasuke goes on a rampage and kills everyone in a village to finish a quest, the locals aren't going to be particularly helpful later. Naoe’s approach—leaving no trace—tends to keep the heat off the Brotherhood (or the early version of it). This regional "heat" system makes the side content feel like it has stakes. You’re trying to build a rebellion, after all.
The technical side of the hunt
The Anvil pipeline engine has been upgraded for this. Why does that matter for side quests? Destructibility.
In one previewed side mission, a target was hiding in a fortified house. In Valhalla, you’d find the one locked door and look for the key. In Shadows, Yasuke can literally bash through the thin shoji walls. This means side quests can be "solved" through physics rather than just scripted triggers. It's a small change that makes the world feel less like a movie set and more like a playground.
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Is it actually "Human-Quality" writing?
People often complain that open-world games feel like they were written by a committee. To counter this, the side quests in Shadows often focus on smaller, more intimate themes. You might spend twenty minutes helping a mother find her son who ran off to join a monastery. It’s trope-y, sure, but the dialogue (at least from what we’ve seen) focuses on the specific cultural tensions of the time—the shift from old traditions to the brutal reality of the unification wars.
What most people get wrong about the map
There’s a misconception that "less icons" means "less content." That’s not it. It’s just that the game stops treating you like a toddler. You have to use your eyes.
If you see smoke on the horizon, go there. That’s probably a side quest. If you see a group of soldiers harassing a farmer, that’s a quest. The game is moving toward the Elden Ring or Breath of the Wild style of "see it, do it" rather than "check the list, go to the coordinate."
Practical Advice for Completionists
When you finally get your hands on the game, don't rush the main story. You'll miss the best gear.
- Invest in the Spy Network early. It feels like a chore at first, but it pays off by revealing high-tier weapon locations that aren't on the map.
- Switch protagonists often. Some side quests "evolve" if you visit the area as the other character later.
- Watch the weather. Some NPCs only appear during specific times of day or weather conditions. If a quest giver says "meet me when the rain starts," they actually mean it.
The Assassin's Creed Shadows side quests represent a pivot for the series. It’s a move away from the "map bloat" of Odyssey and Valhalla and toward something a bit more organic. Whether Ubisoft can actually pull off a 60-hour RPG without it feeling repetitive is the big question, but the tools they’ve built—the seasons, the dual protagonists, and the spy mechanics—suggest they're at least trying to respect the player's time.
Stop looking for icons. Start looking at the world. The best stories in Shadows aren't usually the ones marked with a gold pillar of light; they're the ones you stumble upon while hiding in the tall grass, waiting for the moon to go behind a cloud.
Next Steps for the Savvy Player
- Prioritize the "Shinobi Path" missions if you want to unlock the grapple hook upgrades early; they are essential for reaching vertical side quest objectives.
- Focus on regional "Intel" nodes before clearing outposts. Knowing where the commander sleeps makes the side objectives significantly easier for Yasuke.
- Check the seasonal calendar in the menu frequently. Some side quests in the Iga province are only accessible during the "rainy season" when river levels rise or fall.