Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis introducing a wide variety of new features to the series, but its customizable hideout and allies system are arguably two of the most intriguing. Until now, it has remained a mystery just how farAssassin’s Creed Shadowswill allow players to go when customizing a hideout, and whether its allies system will differ from what the series has done in the past. Fortunately, both these features appear to go above and beyond anything the franchise has ever experimented with, offering a more immersive and personalAssassin’s Creedgameplayexperience than ever before.
Game Rant recently had the chance to chat withAssassin’s Creed Shadows' game director Charles Benoit about the game’s customizable hideout and allies system, which have been two of the game’s most undisclosed features. During the interview, Benoit gave a thorough breakdown of the range of customization options available in the hideout, what allAssassin’s Creed Shadows' allies system entails, and what inspired the inclusion of a customizable hideout in the game in the first place.
The Low-Down on Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Customizable Hideout and Allies System
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Hideout Offers an Unprecedented Amount of Customization
Assassin’s Creed Shadowswon’t be the first game in the series to feature a customizable hideout, as that honor belongs toAssassin’s Creed 2. That said, judging by what has been revealed and what Benoit disclosed during our time speaking with him,Assassin’s Creed Shadows' customizable hideout will be on an entirely different level regarding personalization and purpose. When asked about what inspired the inclusion of a fully customizable hideout in the game and how it integrates withAssassin’s Creed Shadows' narrativeand character development, Benoit replied,
“We wanted a place to be your new home, where you can feel you’re progressing in your journey by seeing it grow and being able to see again the important characters you met. So having a home, what’s better than being able to customize it the way you want so it feels even more personal?”
The best thing aboutAssassin’s Creed Shadows' customizable hideout is its ability to offer players what player housing has been known to provide in many other games, but with anAssassin’s Creedtwiston it. In the same way that players got to witness their home base growing and developing alongside their story progress inAssassin’s Creed Valhalla, players can feel a sense of progression tied to their hideout inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, along with it feeling like a haven away from the game’s more demanding tasks.
It seems as thoughAssassin’s Creed Shadows' hideout customizationwill go far beyond anything the series has ever done with the concept, offering players an unprecedented amount of opportunities to personalize it and truly make it theirs. When Benoit was asked about the range of customization options available for the hideout, like structural and decorative elements, and how they can impact gameplay and immersion, he unveiled a surprising amount of information about the feature.
“There are two main functions in the Hideout. We have the main buildings that will unlock various gameplay elements, as well as new ones if you upgrade them. We also have more cosmetic buildings and props that will unlock some behaviors for the characters living there, but they are mostly for you to create the look you want for your Hideout. Each building can be placed where you want; you can rotate them, move them and even connect them to other buildings, which will fuse the roof and walls together. You can change the roof or the wall appearance of those buildings, as well as some interior layouts and stations.”
Already, this putsAssassin’s Creed Shadows' hideout customization at a level that no entry before it has been able to accomplish. In some ways, it sounds likeAssassin’s Creed Shadows' hideout feature will be a game within a game, and it may even appeal to fans of thecozy life sim genre. Picking up on “stations” in the hideout, Benoit continued,
“In those stations, you put the things you collected in your adventures, even your armor and weapons can be exposed. As for the exterior, you have multiple things that you can place, like rocks, trees, lights, paths, gardens, statues, and even animals. In the mood to pet your cats or dogs, they’ll be there waiting for you! With all those options, we wanted to provide players with as much granularity as possible, so that they really create a place to call home.”
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Allies System Isn’t a Passive Experience
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' allies system is another feature that will be directly linked to the game’s hideout. While it initially might have appeared similar to the series' past recruitment systems, it goes much deeper than that. For example, bothAssassin’s Creed: BrotherhoodandAssassin’s Creed Valhallahad recruitment systems where players could form groups to help them throughout each game. However,Assassin’s Creed Shadows' allies are almost as personal as the hideout feature itself.
Players will see inspiration from our past games, where you find characters, and they then help you in your missions. For AC Shadows, some characters can be encountered in quests or in the open world. Those characters will join your “league,” and you can continue to build relationships with them afterward, and some will even have romance. You’ll see them at your hideout and even experience interactions between some of them. In terms of gameplay, you can bring one ally with you and call them to unleash his or her special ability, as you need.
TheAssassin’s Creedseries is no stranger to romance, but to include a feature like that inAssassin’s Creed Shadows' allies system, let alone the ability to build relationships with them, goes beyond anything the franchise has ever done before, showing the next installment’s ambition all the more. Whereas previous iterations of this system treated allies like nothing more than robotic tools who awaited the player’s command,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsseems to treat allies more like real people who players can make worthwhile investments.
WithAssassin’s Creed Shadowsintroducing a deeper level of player involvement through its customizable hideout and allies system, it’s clear that Ubisoft is aiming to make this entry one of the most immersive in the series yet. The ability to shape the hideout’s structure and role in gameplay and character interactions ensures that players feel a true sense of ownership over their base. Meanwhile, the allies system takes a more personal approach than ever, making companions feel like meaningful partners rather than just tools for convenience. Together, these features represent abold step forward forAssassin’s Creed, offering players a world that feels not just reactive to their choices, but truly shaped by them.
