Compare Assassin’s Creed Shadows vs The Last of Us Part II Remastered

Accessibility is broad and often praised, but one PC-focused reviewer reported serious control-remapping and virtual-keyboard friction.

Accessibility options were strongly praised, with reviewers calling the expanded descriptive audio, speech-to-vibration, and broader tools meaningful additions.

Age appropriateness was limited by the game’s mature themes, violence, and emotional weight, with one reviewer saying younger players may not appreciate it.

AI behavior gets qualified praise for reacting to sound and light, though one reviewer noted stealth AI can still be cheesed.

AI behavior was praised in combat-focused reviews for swarming, faction pressure, and strong arena behavior.

Aiming precision received specific praise on PC, where mouse input gave reviewers strong control for headshots.

Art direction was praised as visually striking, though one review also noted the remaster could look too dark in places.

Atmosphere receives strong praise, with one reviewer saying the setting and mood alone carry the experience.

Atmosphere was praised as masterful, especially for its oppressive tension and survival-horror mood.

Boss design ranges from satisfying Yasuke duels to cramped or irritating fights, producing a mixed but generally functional picture.

Boss design stood out in one PC review, which highlighted major fights as some of Naughty Dog’s best.

Bug frequency is mixed: many reviewers saw few or minor bugs, but some reported frequent issues or late-game technical problems.

Bug frequency was mixed: some PC reviewers reported minor UI or texture glitches, while others found the port clean.

Camera behavior is a repeated combat complaint, especially in crowded fights and tight interiors.

Character development is uneven: some praise strong character work, while others argue Yasuke or the central bond lacks growth and earned depth.

Character development was praised for its heavy character work and risky perspective structure.

The character roster/dual protagonist setup is praised for contrasting playstyles, but critics found Yasuke and Naoe unevenly supported.

The character roster in No Return was praised for bringing secondary characters forward with different loadouts, traits, and playstyles.

Combat is widely seen as stronger and more deliberate than recent entries, especially with Yasuke, though a few critics still found it clumsy or underdeveloped.

Combat was one of the strongest areas overall, with reviewers praising its brutal feel, polish, resource pressure, and ability to shine in No Return despite a few dissenting takes.

Content variety is positive overall, with many activities and systems, though some reviewers found the map cluttered or overfilled with side material.

Content variety was broadly praised, especially No Return, Lost Levels, commentary, guitar free play, skins, speedrun tools, and modifiers, though some extras were called short or uneven.

Controls are split: some reviewers praised smooth handling, while others reported unreliable parry detection or remapped inputs that failed to register.

Controls were usually described as smooth, responsive, and solid, with PC mouse-and-keyboard support adding precision for some players.

The core loop is praised when stealth, combat, and open-ended play feel fresh, but one reviewer felt the novelty gives way to repetitive objectives.

The No Return loop was praised as a high-stakes, rewarding way to experience the game’s encounters repeatedly.

The hideout/resource system is treated as useful and customizable, with one review crediting it for turning resources into gear and scout benefits.

Crafting was praised as part of the game’s excellent survival-combat foundation.

Crash stability varies from never crashing on Steam Deck to multiple or severe crashes in more critical reviews.

Cross-save support is positively noted as a convenient way to move between PlayStation and PC.

Dialogue quality was criticized in one review for sounding flat and leaving performers with little to work with.

Difficulty tuning is mixed: some reviewers recommend higher settings for better engagement, while others found lower stealth settings too easy.

Difficulty was usually viewed positively as tense and intentional, with challenge options and survival pressure fitting the game’s design.

Resource balance was praised for keeping ammo and materials scarce enough to make survival tense.

Emotional impact was extremely strong, with reviewers repeatedly describing the story as gutting, heartbreaking, or emotionally shattering.

Enemy variety drew a clear negative judgment from one reviewer who called the lack of variety disappointing.

Enemy variety was mixed: No Return adds faction variety and AI pressure, but one reviewer criticized the limited number of new enemies.

Environmental detail is consistently praised through foliage, weather, seasons, and richly rendered landscapes.

Environmental detail drew strong praise for scenery, foliage, world texture, and dense visual craftsmanship.

Exploration earns strong praise for discovery, scenery, and organic clue-following, though several reviewers found traversal or repeated activities less satisfying over time.

Exploration was generally valued for scavenging, optional environmental stories, and player choice, though one reviewer found it sometimes too guided.

Facial animation was praised as industry-leading and central to the emotional performances.

Faithfulness to franchise is mixed: reviewers praised a stronger classic-AC feel, but one longtime fan missed the modern-day and Assassin/Templar focus.

Family friendliness scored low because one reviewer explicitly described the game as gritty, intense, and extremely violent.

Frame rate stability is mostly acceptable or strong, but several reviews mention hideout issues, minor turbulence, or handheld drops below 30 FPS.

Frame rate stability was mostly praised, especially in performance mode, with some caveats around 30fps fidelity mode and certain PC scenes.

Fun factor is generally positive, including strong stealth enjoyment and continued fun despite repetition.

Fun factor was strongest in No Return and combat-focused extras, though the main story’s grim tone made it less relaxing for some reviewers.

Gameplay mechanics drew mixed responses: several reviewers liked the remastered combat tools, but one felt the core stealth-loot-shoot loop had aged poorly.

Graphics are the clearest consensus strength, with reviewers repeatedly calling Japan stunning, gorgeous, next-generation, or among the best-looking open worlds.

Graphics were widely praised as excellent or stunning, but reviewers often stressed that the jump over the PS4/PS5-patched version is modest.

Grind level is mixed to negative, especially where side activities, resource demands, or knowledge grinding slow progress.

Handheld suitability is positive overall, with Steam Deck play described as enjoyable on the go despite performance limits.

Handheld suitability was praised in one PC review because the Steam Deck version ran well enough to deserve verification.

Haptic feedback integration was strongly praised for bows, weapons, bandaging, traversal, and added immersion, though one reviewer found extended use tiring.

Horror tension was praised for causing anxiety, dread, and memorable scare sequences.

Immersion suffers in one review where protagonist imbalance breaks the connection between gameplay and story.

Innovation is mixed: fundamental changes impressed one reviewer, while another felt seasonal gameplay promises did not fully materialize.

Innovation was limited in one review, which found No Return fun but not especially unique as a mode.

Level and city design drew criticism where locations blurred together or felt artificial rather than fully reactive playgrounds.

Level design received strong praise from one reviewer for making linear spaces feel flexible and meaningful.

Load times drew criticism where character switching inserted a 10–15 second screen that broke the moment.

Load times were consistently praised as much faster and a clear quality-of-life upgrade.

Loot reactions are mixed: several reviewers enjoyed meaningful perks and gear loops, while others disliked excessive randomized drops or low gameplay impact.

Map and navigation design earns praise for objectives, clues, scouting, and reduced handholding, but one reviewer found the vague search approach unreliable.

Map and navigation design drew one notable complaint about unclear progression paths in naturalistic environments.

Menu usability is generally positive for clean systems, though character switching through menus was a noted friction point.

Microtransaction impact is mixed: some found the store non-intrusive, while others disliked map packs, supplies, or the volume of paid extras.

Mission design is mixed: the moment-to-moment action entertains, but several reviewers called setups bland, thin, or repetitive.

Mission variety is a recurring concern, with repeated targets, activities, and quest structures wearing thin even in otherwise positive reviews.

Mission variety in No Return was praised for randomized objectives and encounter types, with some caveats about uneven encounters.

Movement and parkour are often praised as stylish and satisfying, especially for Naoe, but some dodging and rolling criticism keeps the score from being unanimous.

Narrative quality is the most divided major attribute: some reviewers found it compelling or even the best feature, while many criticized dull, thin, or unfocused storytelling.

Narrative quality remained divisive but mostly positive, with many reviewers calling it profound or masterful while others criticized its structure, bleakness, and execution.

Open-world design divides reviewers: some admire the quality-over-quantity direction and road flow, while others find the checklist structure damaging to pacing.

The limited semi-open Seattle section stood out positively to one reviewer, who wished more of the game pursued that feeling.

Originality is limited in one review, which felt the game remains familiar and does not push the formula far enough.

Originality was mixed, with one review finding No Return strange and unusual but artistically awkward.

Pacing ranges from brisk or even immaculate in favorable reviews to slow, padded, or flow-breaking in more critical ones.

Pacing was the most consistent structural complaint, with multiple reviewers saying the campaign felt long, bloated, or uneven despite strong moments.

Performance is often positive across PC and console contexts, though one review notes drops during heavy effects or large battles.

Performance optimization was generally strong on PS5 and many PC setups, though one PC review reported stutter and texture issues.

Platform-specific feature support is praised where the PS5/PS5 Pro display modes balance performance and image quality.

Platform-specific support was praised for PS5-native upgrades such as load times, DualSense features, and 3D audio.

Parkour/platforming is praised for fluid acrobatics in some reviews, while another reviewer still found directional accuracy imperfect.

Polish is a major positive in several reviews, with Shadows described as one of Ubisoft's cleanest and most refined launches.

Polish was a consistent strength, with reviewers describing the package, presentation, and bonus modes as well-crafted.

Progression usually feels rewarding through knowledge, skills, and character growth, but some reviewers found it only decent or half-hearted.

Progression in No Return was praised for unlocks, challenges, and longer-term rewards that kept runs moving.

Protagonist appeal is generally strong, especially for Naoe and the dual-lead concept, though some reviews prefer one lead over the other.

Protagonist appeal was mixed: Ellie was praised as carrying the sequel by some, while one reviewer found her harder to relate to.

Puzzle design was a weak point in one review, which complained that environmental puzzles were too few and underdeveloped.

Quest design is divisive, with praise for investigative discovery but criticism that the broader structure can become a bounty-board routine.

Remaster quality was generally praised as a definitive or worthwhile edition, though the visual upgrade was often called modest and content-focused.

Replay value is supported mainly by the volume of content and the possibility of returning to the world for months or years.

Replay value was one of the strongest remaster arguments, driven mainly by No Return, daily/custom runs, unlocks, and added extras.

Sandbox freedom is limited by level gating, which one reviewer felt pre-determines routes despite the apparent openness.

No Return’s sandbox-like setup was praised as a fun way to experiment outside the campaign’s narrative constraints.

Skill trees are more impactful for some reviewers, but others disliked percentage-based, incremental unlocks.

Skill systems were split: one reviewer liked the upgrade satisfaction, while another felt No Return upgrades did not meaningfully change play enough.

Sound design receives direct praise in one review for fantastic effects alongside strong voice work.

Sound design was praised for 3D audio, directionality, anxiety, and stealth-tension cues.

Soundtrack quality is split between praise for an emotive score and criticism of modern or mismatched battle music.

The soundtrack was praised as atmospheric and emotionally effective.

Stealth is one of the strongest points across reviews, with darkness, prone movement, assassinations, and Naoe's toolkit repeatedly praised despite occasional execution complaints.

Stealth mechanics were widely praised as tense, flexible, and improved, especially when No Return encouraged new approaches.

Tutorial/training presentation received limited criticism, with playable flashbacks described as an odd choice after players had already learned the skills.

Upgrades are generally praised, especially the Forge, weapon improvement, and approachable base-linked progression.

User interface design had one PC-specific criticism, where mouse-related UI elements could hurt frame rate.

Value for money is polarized, with some citing huge content value and another rejecting the price because of technical and monetization concerns.

Value for money was strongly positive for the $10 upgrade, with more mixed views for first-time or double-dip buyers at full price.

Visual effects are praised for stylized kill screens, black-and-white flourishes, and potent lighting/weather effects.

Visual effects were mostly strong, but one PC review noted distracting upscaling artifacts around transparencies.

Voice acting ranges from excellent in immersive/Japanese modes to wooden, grating, or hit-and-miss in English performances.

Voice acting earned unanimous praise from scored reviews, especially for the main cast’s performances.

World-building is mixed, with praise for bringing townsfolk reactions and Japan to life but criticism of weak characters and dull storylines.

World-building was praised for Seattle’s detail, environmental storytelling, and the way the sequel frames grief and factions.

World interactivity is mixed, with small physics touches praised but city interaction and consequence systems criticized as shallow.

Writing quality received a sharply negative judgment from one reviewer, who described it as terrible.

Writing quality was polarized: several reviewers praised the ambitious, intentional storytelling, while one criticized the script as unsubtle.