When Can You Explore the Open World in Assassin’s Creed Shadows? Answered

Assassin's Creed: Shadow of the Shogun boasts a sprawling open world set in feudal Japan, a breathtaking landscape ripe for exploration. However, your journey to unrestricted freedom begins after a captivating prologue. Let's dive into when you can truly unleash your inner shinobi and explore this beautiful world.

How Long is the Assassin's Creed: Shadow of the Shogun Prologue?

Ubisoft, renowned for its expansive open worlds, also has a reputation for lengthy introductions. Fortunately, Assassin's Creed: Shadow of the Shogun's prologue is more concise than some previous entries.

The prologue introduces you to Yasuke and Naoe, our dual protagonists, immersing you in the world of samurai and shinobi. You'll experience Iga, Naoe's homeland, and witness the events that set her on a path across Japan. This action-packed segment, filled with cinematic sequences and crucial story exposition, will likely take around an hour and a half to complete.

Once you finish the "From Spark to Flame" quest and establish your Kakurega (hideout) at Tomiko's Homestead, the open world will finally be yours to explore.

Can You Explore All of Assassin's Creed: Shadow of the Shogun Immediately?

Upon gaining access to the open world, you'll find yourself in Izumi Settsu, one of nine distinct regions available at launch. Initially, quests and activities will primarily focus on this region before expanding north to the Yamashiro province.

While story events and quests may temporarily confine Naoe and Yasuke to specific locations, you often have the freedom to venture into other provinces—theoretically. However, two factors might discourage early exploration:

First, the scarcity of quests and activities in other regions. These unlock progressively through the main story.

Second, the game's RPG elements introduce level requirements. The map indicates recommended levels for each region using red diamonds. Attempting regions far above your level can lead to extremely challenging, even fatal, encounters.

In short, while technically possible to explore higher-level regions early, it's strongly discouraged due to the significant difficulty increase. It's best to follow the natural progression of the story for a more balanced and enjoyable experience.