Locations in Assassin's Creed Shadows are areas the player can explore that are set in the vast land of 16th-century Japan. Assassin's Creed Shadows is an open-world game and all of its Locations can be accessed on foot or on horseback without loading screens; players can go wherever they want, although certain regions will have Regional Levels that aim to guide the player as they start out. Japan is comprised of many interesting locations, including towns, cities, temples, shrines, and more that house vendors and quest givers for the player to interact with.
This page contains a list of all the locations in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Japan is broken down into nine main Regions (or Provinces), which are then broken down even further into Sub-Regions and individual Locations.
Region Levels
Each of the nine main regions in Assassin's Creed Shadows will have a Region Level that determines the level of the enemies you will encounter inside of that region. These Regional Levels will scale with your player level, with all regions updating each time a new season dawns.
At the start of the game, several regions will have a significantly higher level than your player character. Enemies in these zones will have a skull icon by their name, and they will always kill you with a single hit. Once you reach the required level, they will begin scaling normally.
Location Activities
Locations in Assassin's Creed Shadows will often have Viewpoints for players to scout out. Reaching a Viewpoint will allow the player to get a better lay of the surrounding landscape, revealing new points of interest in the region. Players can fast travel to Viewpoints they have previously Synchronized with.
In addition to Viewpoints, there are several activities that Naoe and Yasuke can partake in as they explore Japan.
- Castles: Large enemy bases that contain several Samurai Daisho that you must kill to unlock a Legendary Chest.
- Shrines: Iconic areas of Japanese culture. Find Lost Pages within these Shrines to receive a Knowledge Point.
- Temples: Sites of religious worship where you must pray to a certain number of Shrines to receive a Knowledge Point.
- Kofuns: Rare underground tombs that test your knowledge and puzzle-solving abilities. Kofuns always have a unique piece of Legendary gear waiting at the end.
- Kuji-Kiri (Naoe Only): Tranquil meditation spots where Naoe can take a moment to break, receiving a Knowledge Point if she is able to successfully meditate.
- Hidden Trails (Naoe Only): High-octane platforming sections where Naoe must use all of her shinobi tricks to reach a chest at the end containing special Assassin-themed loot, as well as a Knowledge Point.
- Kata (Yasuke Only): Spots where Yasuke can train with masters of samurai armaments, bettering his skills and gaining a Knowledge Point.
- Horse Archery (Yasuke Only): Specialised arenas where Yasuke must hit certain targets with his Yumi Bow while on horseback. Achieving Legend status on each will award a new Mount.
