After toiling down fans with multiple delays, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the most anticipated installment of the popular stealth-action-adventure gaming franchise Assassin's Creed, was finally released on March 20, 2025. Reimagining the franchise in a mediaeval Japanese setting and spicing it up with a double-protagonist narrative, Assassin’s Creed Shadows attempts to stand out from its predecessors. Here is an in-depth highlight of key features of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Full Review of Assassin’s Creed Shadows Game . Game Setting Assassin’s Creed Shadows invites players to a visual representation of 1500s Japan, known as the Sengoku period, when feudal lords all over the country were vying for power and wealth. More than the social depiction of mediaeval Japan, what sets the game beyond every other title of its genre is its rendition of the country's natural and geological details. The game spans regions like Iga, Settsu, and Yamato and cities like Osaka, Kyoto, and Asuka, rendering them into visual perfection. Every locale is designed to match its historical mediaeval age and intrigue players with its dynamic seasonal settings. Changes between seasons not only manifest into elemental and visual transformation but also impact gameplay. The same water body, uncrossable in summer, freezes into a roamable valley during winter, giving players opportunities to diversify their strategies. Read more: April 2025 Video Games: 8 Exciting Virtual Games Scheduled for Launch Story The story of Assassin’s Creed Shadows revolves around Japan’s political turmoil, which is indicated by a secret evil organisation named Shinbakufu. Intermittently switching between the narratives of Naoe, the princess of the Iga clan, and Yasuke, an African warrior, players seek to obliterate Shinbakufu's dark impact from one region at a time. Each region is an autonomous chapter with a distinct story that unfolds through a linear timeline. Only by resolving the conflict in one region can players move on to the next. The original story begins in 1581 with Yasuke’s arrival in Kyoto to accompany Jesuit priests and safeguard their passage to Japan. Showing his talent in battle, Yasuke impresses Oda Nobunaga, a warlord attacking neighbouring provinces, like the Iga clan, for power and wealth. Naoe, the daughter of the Iga clan’s ruler Nagato, was entrusted with a Hidden Blade by her father and told to keep a mysterious box from falling into the hands of Shinbakufu. To Naoe’s failure, members of Shinbakufu snatched the box and killed her father. On her journey to eradicate Shinbakufu and restore the box where it belongs, she meets Yasuke. And at a twisted turning of events, they find themselves on the route against the same enemy. Read more: Top 10 Best Offline Android Games Under 200MB for Low-End Phones Gameplay Fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise will immerse themselves in an explicitly new gameplay that delves more into tactical planning and open-world exploration than frequent hand-to-hand combats. The two switchable protagonists—Naoe, an agile shinobi specialised in sneaky attacks, and Yasuke, a mountainous samurai, destructive with mile attacks—advance with the game’s story, completing objectives given by people in need of assistance from an assassin. The objective board offers an innovative way for players to explore their missions. An interconnected web spreads throughout the board, pointing at different targets and allies. Unlike the checklist-guided objectives in the previous games, Assassin’s Creed Shadows encourages genuine exploration. Instead of pinpointing the hunting places, the map gives hints with subtle clues to players with underlying directions towards the next objective. The game interface has regular hide-and-crawl advancement and slashing enemies to their deaths. Besides, the new game lets players recruit allies and call them to engage in battles, upgrade weaponry, and manage resources. Players will enjoy roaming vast lands with danger lurking around every nook and corner and often find themselves in places with awestriking beauties and landscapes. Read more: Top Video Game Releases in March 2025: Must-Play Titles for Every Gamer Combat Fighting sequences feel more in control in Assassin’s Creed Shadows than in the previous titles of the franchise, as it requires players to become more aware of their enemies’ movements, take defensive stands against their deadly blows, and find opportunities to cut large damage. Enemies, all equipped with swords and bows, often become difficult to fight thanks to their solid defences enhanced with protective armour, adding almost a second life to them. Fighting as Yasuke, who possesses an armament made of naginata, kanabo, bows, and, queerly enough, a gun. Vehement in his structure and aggression, Yasuke can break through walls and quake the ground with his inexorable moves. His ability to endure hits while confronting multiple enemies at a time in hand-to-hand combat makes him a short-range nightmare to the enemies. Naoe, on the other hand, is fragile and sneakier but can deal substantial damage to vulnerable enemies. It gets difficult to fight with her against a gang of three or more enemies and bruisers wearing armour. She is equipped with evasive weapons that allow her to become invisible in the moment of heavy hostilities. Her ability to sneakily attack and sense enemy presence on the other side of the wall makes her one of the most complete assassins in the franchise.  Read more: Greatest Video Game Inspired Movies and TV Series You Shouldn’t Miss Where Can You Play Assassin's Creed Shadows? The gamers can buy Assassin’s Creed Shadows on the official Ubisoft Store for PC, PS5, Xbox, and Mac on the App Store. Conclusion Assassin’s Creed Shadows sets a new standard for its genre in visual depiction and gameplay. Its 40-hour gaming narrative may often feel intimidating; however, it quickly picks up in plot twists and character switches. Immersing players with visuals and adaptive gameplay of changing seasons, more attention-demanding combat styles, and a unique story, Assassin’s Creed Shadows redefines the franchise while staying true to the root elements. Read more: Best Squid Game-inspired mobile games for Android & iOS in 2025

The highly anticipated Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 has reignited fan excitement with the return of its iconic Zombies mode. First introduced in Call of Duty: World at War, the Zombies mode quickly became a fan favorite, delivering adrenaline-pumping thrills and unforgettable gameplay. Released on October 15, 2024, Black Ops 6 elevates the experience with innovative mechanics, immersive maps, enhanced gameplay depth, and expanded customization options, making it a must-play for franchise enthusiasts and newcomers alike. A Return to Survival Horror Zombies are the highest form of chaotic fantasy. They are the monstrous dead walkers who, blinded by their impulsive thirst for pure blood, relentlessly chase and gnaw at the living.  Meanwhile, the small pack of living, surrounded by those mindless hunters, fight and kill their way through to sustain life a little longer. Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 doesn’t tamper with the original terror of a Zombieland story. Moreover, the game heightens the tension and spreads it across a round-based survival session. Waves of ferocious enemies will emerge to annihilate the players, and their ferocity will increase with every advanced wave. Read more: Asus TUF Gaming F15 Laptop Review: What Makes It Stand Out? Players must work together and develop strategies to fend off the increasing aggression. Though the narrative is nothing novel, players will find plenty of new gameplay features, nerve-suppressing background tracks, and unprecedented actions to immerse themselves in. The modern twists and climaxes will feel real to both novices and veterans. All in all, the Black Ops 6 is the ultimate treat for action horror game lovers and a gateway to a modern Zombieland built upon classic elements. New Features in Black Ops 6 Zombies . The Map Design: Liberty Falls vs. Terminus At launch, Black Ops 6 Zombies offers two distinct maps: Liberty Falls and Terminus. The whole game uses these two maps as the primary settings. With killing frenzy players will run for their lives across these two towns. Both maps enrich the game with distinct difficulty levels. Players have to apply strategies differently to master each map. Read more: PlayStation 5 Pro Review: Key Upgrades and Is It Worth the Price? Liberty Falls Liberty Falls is more suitable for beginners. It embraces novices with little or no strategies and gives them time to perform well at their game. The scenario, however, changes soon enough, pushes harder challenges and makes players improvise. Liberty Falls’s appearance may look familiar to the old American town from the 1990s. Soon after the game starts, nooks and corners of the town get crowded with flesh-eating, horrific zombies. The map is a grappling experience for fast-paced players.  Terminus Terminus is a prison in the setting of an isolated island. The prison has a grim, haunted vibe all over it. Its mazelike structure branches have subterranean tunnels and narrow hallways where players will engage in closer counters with the undead. The map is more claustrophobic and disastrous: more suitable for the veterans. It will require strategic thinking, precise movement, fast decision-making ability, and tremendous patience to survive the calamity. Read more: Video Games for December 2024: Exciting Virtual Games Scheduled for Launch Movement and Combat Black Ops 6 Zombies has introduced a new system called Omni-movement. The gameplay now draws more adrenaline, allowing players to move in any direction without losing momentum. As a result, the game has become more dynamic. Players will feel the extra boost in their ability while dodging a horde of zombies, diving over obstacles, sprinting through narrow spaces, and changing directions. Omni-movement vitalizes players with a level of agility required to fight enemies that strong. The Omni-movement system has single-handedly improved the overall experience. Every movement and action renders with unprecedented fluidity. Jamming with the musical score in the background, the survival instinct of the players, the thrill of uncertainty felt in every movement, the heightened action movement blows the mind, plunging it into a hard-to-forget experience. Villains Superheroes need supervillains as their enemy. Otherwise, a killing spree over meek and feeble antagonists won’t feel more than just killing a few mosquitos. Call of Duty developers seem to realize this point. Read more: October 2024 Video Games: Exciting Virtual Games Scheduled for Launch Aside from boosting the players’ agility, Black Ops 6 offers a few new powerful villains as perfect challengers. Players will endure hard times while fighting three new variants of supernatural beings– the Vermin, the Manglers, and the Abominations. The vermin pops out of regular zombies and instantly transforms into flying parasites. The Manglers and the Abominations are hulky monsters able to make even the seasoned players doubt their abilities. There are times in the game when panic and tension rise sky-high. Often the horde and the added monsters become so invincible that only outrunning and outsmarting them can survive you. Customized Strategy Black Ops 6 has an overwhelming number of new features and customization options. From weapons, maps, perks, and upgrades to nearly every aspect of a character, everything is customizable. Another new feature allows players to research and equip specific upgrades to fine-tune their abilities. For example, players can equip augments to enhance their Juggernog perk, increasing damage dealt when their health is low. This level of customization gives players the power to craft a playstyle that fits their preferred approach to Zombies, whether they’re focused on mobility, firepower, or defensive strategies. The slow grind of augment research is a bit of a hurdle, but the payoff is immense, offering an unparalleled sense of control over the game. Read more: November 2024 Video Game Releases: Must-Play Titles You Don’t Want to Miss Audience Like all the feature-rich fun games, Black Ops 6 throws the players into a learning curve. Casual players will struggle through the gameplay, knowing little or nothing about all the new features and buffs like augment, Gobble Gums, and other upgrades. The game motivates the newcomers to play the Directed Mode first. It is a structured mode that introduces players to all the new and old mechanics. It maintains a rather streamlined story that helps players focus more on learning, narrowing down the overwhelming complexities of the main game. Conclusion Call of Duty: Black Ops 6 Zombies successfully brings the franchise back to its roots while offering enough new features to make the experience feel fresh. The combination of fast-paced combat, strategic customization, and intricate map design makes the game as thrilling as ever. While it may be a challenge for those unfamiliar with the series or who are looking for a more casual experience, the deeper layers of strategy and gameplay will keep dedicated fans coming back for more.  Whether you're a veteran of the undead killing games or a newcomer just stepping into the chaos of video games, Black Ops 6 Zombies offers something for everyone—delivering moments of sheer panic, strategy, and survival. Read more: Top 10 Test Cricket Games for Android & iOS in 2024