Assassin's Creed: Shadows Canon Mode takes pressure off story choices

Many games these days include RPG elements. This can vary from upgrading character skills and abilities to making choices within the story that end up branching the narrative. You may not think of Assassin’s Creed as a series with the latter elements included, but in some of the recent titles like Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla, players were able to change the trajectory of the story. This feature will return in the latest entry, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, although it does bring one other new option to the table as well.

Canon Mode in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows frees you from having to make story choices

Not everyone wants to make choices in the story. Some people might just want to have an experience and not want to stress over whether to spare or kill a target. Other players prefer to have a canon narrative they can refer to, rather than one that can change and shift depending on the playthrough. Canon Mode in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows will be that definitive version of the story. For those who might be unfamiliar with the term, “canon” does not have anything to do with the massive artillery found on pirate ships. Canon, in this context, refers to the generally accepted “correct” or “true” version of a given story. This usually only comes into play with complex narratives with multiple stories from multiple perspectives like the Assassin’s Creed series. This is why news that the protagonist from Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey is still “lurking in the shadows” is important information for fans. These games are all connected in one wider story.

Canon Mode in New Game SetupAssassin's Creed: Shadows, Developer: Ubisoft Quebec

Activating Canon Mode is simple. At the beginning of a new game, you will be given the choice of turning the mode on or off. This cannot be changed at any point in the rest of the game. So, if you decide you’d rather start making some decisions, you’ll have to start the game fresh. No pressure. I’m sorry for those trying to avoid having to make major decisions, but if that’s something that worries you, this should be an easy one.

If Canon Mode is on, you won’t have to make any story-related decisions during your Assassin’s Creed: Shadows playthrough. Instead, you will experience the “canon” version of the story. This won’t turn the more open-ended gameplay into something more linear though. You’ll still have to make gameplay decisions about where to go, what missions to follow, which character to play as, and how to approach various challenges.

Assassin's Creed: Shadows

March 20, 2025

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• Ubisoft
• Ubisoft Quebec
• Assassin's Creed (franchise)