Eagle Vision returns in AC: Shadows, but with some caveats

Eagle vision has been a classic mechanic of the Assassin’s Creed games for years, varying from viewing the surrounding environment from a high place to using an actual eagle. Fans will be happy to know that Eagle Vision makes a return in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, but there are some caveats. For one, you won’t get to control a real eagle in this one, just the human characters. But more importantly, only one of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows dual protagonists is able to use this ability.

Eagle Vision returns in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, but no eagle this time

As Noae, you will unlock Eagle Vision very quickly: it’s part of the game’s tutorial. But Yasuke will never unlock this ability. Maybe that has something to do with his inability to climb, but somehow it also fits with his character. Yasuke is a formidable, intimidating melee combatant, while his co-protagonist is geared more towards stealthy exploration. This is yet another restriction for Yasuke, who while powerful, can’t climb, and only becomes playable much later in the game than Naoe.

Eagle Vision indicating a dangerous NPC.Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Developer: Ubisoft Quebec

But how does Eagle Vision work in this game? Fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise will know it well, but if this is your first time playing, there are multiple colors to know. When activating Eagle Vision, certain objects and NPCs will be highlighted. White indicates neutral objects, useful places to hide, and places for quick observation. Blue is the main objective of the mission. This can vary between key objects or important opponents that must be defeated to complete a quest. Yellow indicates materials that will be useful for expanding your hideout, as well as boxes that contain other useful items and some keys. Red is perhaps the most obvious. An NPC highlighted in red signifies danger. If this NPC notices you, they will start a fight.

Identifying an important target.Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Developer: Ubisoft Quebec

This kind of vision can be activated at any time during gameplay, on PS5 hold R3. But Observation is a little different. Locations that can activate Observation are marked with a bird symbol and are usually high vantage points in the world such as the tops of buildings. When you climb up and reach that spot, you’ll be able to see important points in the distance, such as mission objectives, other observation points, and undiscovered locations.

Observation from a high point.Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Developer: Ubisoft Quebec

Assassin’s Creed: Shadows wouldn’t feel right if it didn’t have Eagle Vision, so it’s great that it returns in the newest entry into the series. Yasuke not having it does make sense, given his preferred playstyle, but it does add to this creeping feeling that Naoe is the primary protagonist of the game, and Yasuke was more of a second option when stealth gets tiring.

Assassin's Creed: Shadows

March 20, 2025

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