Which Difficulty Mode in Assassin's Creed: Shadows Is Right for You?

Hey, fellow Assassin’s Creed fans! If you’ve recently jumped into Assassin’s Creed: Shadows and found yourself a little confused by the wide range of difficulty options, you’re not alone. The game offers a ton of customization, and while that’s awesome, it can also be a little overwhelming. Don’t worry, though – I’ve got your back!

In this guide, I’ll break down each of the difficulty settings and related features like Immersive Mode, Guided Exploration, and Canon Mode. We’ll explore how these settings affect your gameplay experience, and hopefully, you’ll have a clearer idea of how to customize your game to fit your style. Plus, I'll share some handy community support links for extra help!

Let’s dive in!


1. Difficulty Settings: Find the Right Challenge for You

When you start your journey in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, one of the first things you’ll notice is the difficulty settings. The game offers four main difficulty options, each designed to adjust the gameplay experience to your preferred level of challenge. Here’s a quick breakdown of each:

Story Mode: For a Chill Narrative Experience

If you're in it for the story and want to experience the plot without worrying too much about challenging combat, Story mode is for you. This option lowers the difficulty of combat and stealth, allowing you to focus on the narrative without breaking a sweat. It’s perfect if you just want to enjoy the world and story of AC: Shadows without worrying about enemies giving you a hard time.

Forgiving Mode: Easy Does It

Next up is Forgiving mode. This is a great option if you want a more relaxed experience with a little more challenge than Story mode but still don’t want to be overwhelmed. Enemies won’t hit as hard, and the stealth mechanics are a bit more lenient, making it perfect for newcomers or those who want to experience the world without the stress of tough encounters.

Normal Mode: A Balanced Experience

For most players, Normal mode will hit the sweet spot. This is the default difficulty setting, offering a well-rounded balance between combat, stealth, and exploration. If you’re looking for a standard Assassin’s Creed experience, where you can test your skills without anything feeling too easy or too difficult, Normal mode is the way to go.

Expert Mode: The Ultimate Challenge

And then there’s Expert mode, which is all about pushing your skills to the limit. Enemies will spot you faster, have more complex attack patterns, and the combat will be way more challenging. Plus, you’ll lose some of the visual cues, like the white attack telegraphs, making it up to you to stay alert and rely on your instincts. This mode is for seasoned Assassin’s Creed players who want a real test of their stealth and combat abilities.


Difficulty Modes Guide, Assassin's Creed Shadows
2. Immersive Mode: For the True Assassin Experience

If you want to feel fully immersed in the world of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, you might want to try Immersive Mode. This option brings a whole new level of authenticity to the game by changing how dialogues are presented.

What is Immersive Mode?

In Immersive Mode, characters speak in their native languages (think Japanese or Portuguese), and the subtitles are provided in your selected language. This option helps make the world feel more authentic and historically accurate, especially if you're into languages and culture. It’s an awesome way to experience the game in a more realistic setting, but keep in mind that once you turn it on, you can’t switch it off during that playthrough.

Should You Try It?

If you're all about immersion and want to experience the game as authentically as possible, Immersive Mode is definitely worth a try. But, if you’d rather hear the characters speaking in English, you might want to skip it. The choice is all yours!


3. Canon Mode: A Linear Experience

Some players like a more straightforward, guided experience without the hassle of making choices at every turn. That’s where Canon Mode comes in.

What is Canon Mode?

When you activate Canon Mode, you remove the dialogue choices that are typically available in the game. This means that the story plays out exactly as the developers intended, without you being able to branch off in different directions. It’s a more linear experience, which can be great for players who want to enjoy the story without worrying about making decisions.

Once You Choose, You Can’t Go Back

Just a heads up: once you activate Canon Mode, you can’t turn it off during that playthrough. So if you want to experience the full range of dialogue choices and interactions, you’ll need to keep that in mind.


4. Guided Exploration: Navigating the World with Ease

For players who love exploring but don’t want to get lost or miss out on key quests, Guided Exploration is a game-changer.

What Does Guided Exploration Do?

Enabling Guided Exploration shows you quest markers on the map and even places markers in the world to direct you toward your objectives. This makes it a lot easier to find your way around and ensures you don’t miss out on important activities.

Is It For You?

If you like to dive into the open world without needing a GPS to find your way, Guided Exploration will definitely help you stay on track. However, if you prefer to explore the world on your own and discover things at your own pace, you might want to turn this off for a more organic experience.


5. Community Support: Let’s Help Each Other Out!

We all know that sometimes you just need a little extra help or want to chat with other players who are experiencing the same challenges. Thankfully, the Assassin’s Creed community is alive and thriving, and there are plenty of places you can turn for support.

Here are a few great community resources for AC: Shadows:

  • Reddit: The Assassin’s Creed subreddit is a great place to find discussions, guides, tips, and share your own experiences. Whether you’re looking for advice or just want to chat about the game, you can find tons of fans there. Check it out here: r/assassinscreed

  • Steam Community: If you're playing on PC, the Steam Community discussions for AC: Shadows are a fantastic place to ask questions, share strategies, and get help from fellow players. Visit the Steam page for more info: Assassin's Creed: Shadows on Steam

  • Official Ubisoft Support: For official support and more detailed conversations with the devs and community managers, head over to the Ubisoft Support. It’s also the best place to report any bugs or technical issues.


Conclusion: Tailor Your Game to Your Style!

At the end of the day, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is all about creating the best experience for you. Whether you're a hardcore player looking for a tough challenge or someone who just wants to relax and enjoy the story, these difficulty settings give you the power to customize your journey.

To recap:

  • Story mode for a narrative-focused playthrough
  • Forgiving mode for an easy experience
  • Normal mode for a balanced adventure
  • Expert mode for hardcore fans
  • Immersive Mode for added authenticity
  • Canon Mode for a fixed story
  • Guided Exploration to help you find your way

I hope this guide helps you make an informed choice about how you want to play Assassin’s Creed: Shadows. And if you ever need more help or just want to chat, don’t forget to visit the awesome communities out there! 

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