Assassin’s Creed Shadows First Things To Do Guide

Things to Do First in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Assassin’s Creed Shadows throws you headfirst into feudal Japan, an expansive world that can feel completely overwhelming. Whether you’re a returning Assassin or new to the hidden blade, having a solid game plan for your first few hours is critical. It’s easy to get lost in the sheer number of distractions, side activities, and beautiful vistas, but without a clear focus, you’ll find your progression feeling slow and your gear lagging behind. This guide cuts through the noise to highlight the essential steps you should take immediately to set yourself up for success in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Naoe: Early Game Focus

A quick but important note before we dive in: Assassin’s Creed Shadows begins with an introductory mission as Yasuke, followed by another as Naoe. After that initial setup, you’ll spend a significant chunk of time, roughly 8 to 12 hours, largely confined to the first major region, Isumi Setsu, primarily playing as Naoe. This means your early game strategy should almost exclusively revolve around optimizing Naoe’s progression and gathering resources for her. Don’t worry too much about Yasuke until the story naturally opens up more.

Prioritize Map Unlocks and Fast Travel

This might sound like standard Ubisoft fare, but it’s absolutely crucial in Assassin’s Creed Shadows: synchronize every high vantage point you can find. Yes, it can be a bit of a climb sometimes, and the sheer number of them might test your patience, but the long-term benefit is immense. Being able to fast travel across the sprawling map saves an incredible amount of time, preventing endless horseback riding or frustrating detours.

As you trek towards each synchronization point, you’re practically guaranteed to stumble upon valuable distractions. These could be points of interest that reward you with precious knowledge points or random events that lead to new side quest opportunities. Every new area discovered, every vantage point synchronized – it all contributes to a substantial XP gain, which will help you level up Naoe faster and get those crucial early skills. Don’t underestimate how much this early exploration pays off; it lays the groundwork for everything else.

Clear Castles for Legendary Gear

Moving between synchronization points, you’ll inevitably encounter castles. These aren’t just scenic backdrops; they’re sprawling enemy encampments packed with tough samurai. Clearing these out isn’t a quick task, and it definitely requires some stealth and combat prowess, but the rewards are consistently worth the effort. Every castle holds a key that unlocks a legendary chest, and these chests are your primary source of high-value legendary loot in the early game. Honestly, some of this gear can carry you for quite a while, so it’s not just a minor upgrade.

Recommended Early Castles

Uncover Naoe’s Past with Koji Spots

While not directly impacting your combat stats, finding all the Koji meditation spots in the starting area is highly recommended for the story and lore. These aren’t just simple collectibles; they’re unique meditation points where you complete a quick button-press minigame before being transported into a flashback from Naoe’s past.

You’ll earn knowledge points and experience for each one, so it’s not entirely without practical benefit. The first Koji spot is usually right in your hideout, so keep an eye out. Additional Koji spots can be found in Kawachi Heights, Rolling Glenn, Natsu Matsu, and the Aboshi Hachiman Shrine. It’s a nice way to break up the combat and exploration, offering a deeper look into Naoe’s motivations.

Maximize Knowledge Points

Knowledge points are a crucial resource for Naoe’s progression, unlocking various skills and abilities. You need to keep an eye out for orange icons on your mini-map and question marks on your main map; these are almost always points of interest that grant knowledge. There are several types of these activities, each with its own mini-objective.

Types of Knowledge Point Activities

Establish Kakurega Rest Spots

As you ride around the world, pay attention to messages popping up on your screen saying “Kakurega discovered.” These are essentially safe houses or “homes away from home.” They serve as fast travel points and allow you to restock on supplies and upgrade your hideout. However, there’s a catch: “discovered” doesn’t mean “unlocked.” You still need to open your map, hover over the Kakurega marker, and pay 800 man to officially unlock it. Many players probably overlook this initial cost, then wonder why they can’t fast travel there.

Kakuregas are usually found in larger cities. Notable early ones include Osaka, Sakai, Amagasaki, and Takatsuki. Unlocking them early vastly improves your logistical capabilities, allowing you to re-gear and resupply without trekking all the way back to your main hideout. It’s a small quality-of-life feature that makes a huge difference in the long run.

Hideout Upgrades That Actually Matter

Once you’ve established your main hideout at Tamiko’s homestead, you’ll gain access to several essential upgrade paths. These aren’t just cosmetic; they offer tangible benefits to your progression and overall efficiency. Focusing on these early can streamline your entire Naoe experience.

Weapon Upgrades: The Way of the Blacksmith

Your first priority should be completing the “Way of the Blacksmith” quest, given to you by Tamiko herself. Finishing this quest will allow you to recruit Hiji to your hideout, giving you access to a forge. This forge is invaluable because it lets you upgrade your weapons to your current level. This means those legendary weapons you’ve been picking up from castles, Kofoons, and quests won’t become obsolete. You can keep your favorite tanto or kusarigama relevant throughout the entire game, regardless of how early you obtained it. It’s a critical system to master for maintaining your damage output.

Study for Scouting Efficiency

While you’re at it, building a study at your hideout is a smart move. You can gather the necessary resources by exploring castles and, yes, by assassinating samurai. A study adds another scout to your roster, which might seem minor, but it also reduces the search zone for quests by 25%. This means less aimless wandering when you’re trying to find quest objectives, which can be a real time-saver in a game with such a large map.

Stables for Resource Collection

The stables come with your hideout, but upgrading them to level two is a relatively cheap investment: just 70 crops, 50 wood, and 20 minerals. This upgrade is fantastic for resource management. At level two, your stables allow you to use only one scout to claim resources from stockpiles, instead of the usual two. This effectively doubles your potential resource yield from expeditions while you’re out raiding a castle or exploring, significantly cutting down on the grind for crafting materials.

Tackle Contracts for Easy Resources

In your Kakurega building at the hideout, look for a table in the middle of the room. This is where you’ll find a list of contracts you can undertake. These are simple side missions that, individually, offer fairly meager XP rewards. However, their true value lies in how quickly and easily they allow you to build up the resources needed for further hideout upgrades and crafting.

You can only take on three contracts at a time, so make it a habit to check back regularly. Track them and knock them out whenever you find yourself near one of their quest markers or have a free moment between main story beats. It’s an efficient way to keep your material coffers stocked without feeling like an endless chore.

The Kabukimono Side Quest: Don’t Miss It

Side quests in Assassin’s Creed Shadows typically require you to find a “tip” to kick them off. These tips can come from aiding random passersby who will then tell you rumors or interesting local happenings, adding a marker to your map. Alternatively, if you’ve upgraded your Kakurega at your base, you can also get rumors added to your map every time the season changes.

The one side quest you absolutely want to prioritize early on is the Kabukimono quest line. You can typically initiate this in the Amagasaki area; many players find it by saving an NPC to the southwest of Senry Hills. This NPC will tell you about a notorious band of samurai wearing bright colors, causing chaos. Once you get the quest on your objective board, you can hunt down five of the eight Kabukimono samurai individually. Upgraded assassination damage or enabling guaranteed assassinations in settings will greatly assist here. Remember, you only need to kill your target; once they’re down, you can usually escape without facing much consequence. Each kill rewards a hefty 5,000 experience and several mastery points, which adds up to significant power upgrades for Naoe in the starting area. After killing five, the quest will progress, but unfortunately, the next leg requires you to venture into a much higher-level zone that will be far beyond Naoe’s capabilities early in the game. So, mark it for later, but definitely clear those first five.

Main Quest Path: Your First Big Decision

Once the open world truly opens up, Assassin’s Creed Shadows gives you a significant choice regarding the main quest: you’ll typically have two leads to pursue – either the Golden Tempo quest or the Wada Koratake quest. Your decision here should largely come down to which reward better suits Naoe’s current playstyle or the one you intend to build her towards.

Completing the Wada Koratake quest will net you a legendary Kusarigama, a powerful weapon for dealing with multiple enemies at once. If you find Naoe constantly getting into brawls with groups of foes, or if you prefer a more aggressive, combat-focused approach, the Kusarigama is her best weapon for that job.

However, many veterans recommend the Golden Tempo quest, which rewards a legendary Tanto. One of its early upgrades grants the ability to perform double assassinations, which significantly enhances Naoe’s preferred playstyle of stealth and relying on combat as a last resort. If you enjoy the classic Assassin’s Creed stealth fantasy, the Tanto is the way to go; it makes clearing out groups of enemies silently far more efficient. Choose wisely based on how you envision Naoe tackling the challenges ahead.

Final Takeaways

Getting started in Assassin’s Creed Shadows can be a bit overwhelming, but focusing your early efforts on a few key areas will drastically improve your experience. Prioritize unlocking the map for invaluable fast travel, and don’t shy away from clearing those castles for powerful legendary gear. Pay attention to knowledge point activities, especially the Kofoons, as they offer excellent rewards. Setting up your Kakurega spots and investing in crucial hideout upgrades like the Blacksmith and Stables will make resource management and weapon progression much smoother. Finally, always jump on the Kabukimono side quest when it appears, and make an informed decision on your first main quest path based on Naoe’s preferred weapon and playstyle. Stick to these priorities, and your journey through feudal Japan will be far more rewarding and less frustrating.