I didn’t want to like this version as much as I do now. My first hours with Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Nintendo Switch 2 were… rough. Crashes that came out of nowhere. Long sessions cut short just when the world started to open up. That constant, annoying voice in the back of your head whispering “don’t get too invested, this might break again.” It made the game feel smaller than it deserved to be, until it was patched.
So when the patch landed, I went back in with lowered expectations, and I just wanted to see if this actually works now.” And slowly, almost sneakily, Shadows won me back, because it finally stopped from sabotaging itself with some of the worst performance issues I’ve encountered on Switch 2.
The open world in your hands
Assassin’s Creed Shadows lives or dies by immersion. This version proves that more clearly than any technical breakdown ever could.
Once the crashes disappeared, something clicked. I stopped quick-saving out of fear. I stopped rushing objectives. I started moving through the world the way Assassin’s Creed is meant to be played: deliberate, observant, curious. Japan here isn’t a checklist; it’s a mysterious place wanted to be discovered. Forest paths that invite you to slow down. Villages that feel lived in rather than designed to be looted. Cities that don’t scream for attention but reward it when you give it. On Switch 2, the game finally sustains that rhythm and finally manages to recreate the feeling I had on my Xbox Series X. Sure it’s not as impressive as on my Xbox, but this Switch version is able to stand its ground now.
Performance is stable enough that I stopped noticing it altogether, which is honestly the biggest compliment I can give. Frame pacing feels consistent, loading is reasonable, and most importantly, nothing pulls you out of the moment anymore. No hard stutters when entering denser areas. No sudden freezes mid-fight. No random exits to the home screen.
It’s not pristine. You’ll notice softer textures at a distance, some environmental detail trimmed back compared to higher-end platforms. But the trade-off feels intentional rather than compromised. The world holds together. And that’s what matters.
Visuals that know their limits
Let’s be clear: this is not the best-looking version of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. And it doesn’t need to be.
What impressed me is how coherent the presentation feels on Switch 2. Lighting carries a lot of the weight here. Sunlight filtering through trees. Lanterns cutting through the night. Interiors bathed in soft shadow rather than flat illumination. These moments survive the downgrade because they’re built on atmosphere, not raw detail.
Character models hold up well in motion, especially during quieter moments. Conversations. Idle animations. The way characters exist in space rather than pose for the camera. Facial detail isn’t cutting-edge, but expression and body language do the heavy lifting.
Handheld mode deserves a special mention. This is one of those games that benefits from being closer to your face. The smaller screen smooths over some rough edges while amplifying mood. I played more than a few sessions longer than planned simply because it felt comfortable, both visually and mechanically.
There are still moments where you’re reminded this isn’t the definitive version. Crowds are lighter. Environmental density fluctuates. Occasionally, the illusion thins just enough for you to notice the seams. But those moments are rare, and more importantly, they don’t define the experience anymore.
What defines it now is consistency. And consistency is everything for a game like this.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
This review focuses on the Nintendo Switch 2 version since we already have a complete review of the game itself. You can read all about the game here:
It’s good to know that the Switch 2 version offers the exact same content on the smaller screen, which is truly impressive. I also started my adventure on the Xbox, but thanks to my Ubisoft account, I could continue on Switch 2 where I left off on Xbox. Pretty impressive!
Conclusion
Assassin’s Creed Shadows on Nintendo Switch 2 went from frustrating to genuinely enjoyable because it finally does the one thing it absolutely needed to do, work without crashes. After the patch, this version holds together long enough for the world, the pacing, and the systems to speak for themselves. It’s not the most visually impressive way to experience Shadows, but it is a surprisingly comfortable, immersive, and stable one. I didn’t expect to say this, but I’m glad I came back.
