Assassin’s Creed Shadows: Claws of Awaji Switch 2 review

I’m a longtime fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise; you name a game from it, and the chances are I’ve played it. Last year, AC Shadows hit the scene, doing a grand job of forcing its way into my top three Assassin’s Creed games, though not quite being able to topple Odyssey – that game is just god-tier in every sense of the word. As such, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to dive into its DLC.

Claws of Awaji is post-main game content only. It’s worth noting that straight away, while other games like The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 allow you to select the expansions to play specifically, you don’t get that option with Shadows, needing to finish the main story first. I have mixed feelings on this, as I’m a fan of people being able to enjoy DLC as and when they want, but considering that Claws of Awaji follows on from Shadows, I can understand why Ubisoft wants to ensure you know what’s going on first.

If there’s one thing that the base game gets right, as I explain in my Assassin’s Creed: Shadows review, it’s the luscious world of feudal Japan that you get to explore. It’s great to see that the island of Awaji is just as enjoyable to journey around, boasting truly beautiful scenery. I especially like taking a stroll through the dense forests and looking out over the water. Sometimes, an additional location to a game can feel too big or too small, but I think Awaji is the perfect size.

Much like the base game, you can play as either Yasuke or Naoe. I have no shame in admitting that I’m a Naoe player through and through when I have the choice. I do like Yasuke, and his upfront approach to combat can be a welcome reprieve from the stealthy style you typically take with Naoe – I just love her agility and flair in combat. Regardless of who you play as, the combat is as much fun as it is in the base game, with a certain sense of aggression that makes it all the more satisfying.

Spoilers aren’t something I’m ever comfortable with sharing in a review, even if it’s for a game or expansion that’s been out for a while, as you never know whether or not a reader is already an existing player or thinking of diving in for the first time. However, I will say that I’m a little disappointed in the emotional payoff in Claws of Awaji. The story centers on Naoe, who’s reunited with her mother, which, at first glance, you’d think is setting you up for quite the emotional upheaval, given how long Naoe dreamed of that moment.

The story isn’t boring, and I still enjoyed it, despite not getting the emotional payoff I was expecting – I’m always happy to dish out some justice and lay the smack down on a tyrannical group that has no business being in charge of anything. Kimura Yukari, the Japanese Templar and leader of the Sanzoku Ippa that’s ruling the island, is deeply unlikeable, making her the perfect villain. However, I have no strong feelings about her enforcer, Imagawa Tomeji, or her other allies.

Offering much of the same that you’d typically get from an AC game, you have plenty of enemies to take down (some of which pose quite the challenge), including a group of captains to reach Tomeji, much in the same vein as taking down the cult members in Odyssey. Doing so is what gets you closer to being able to defeat the biggest threat on Awaji. The main missions are what you’d expect: assassinate this person, track this down, follow that suspicious fellow, infiltrate that outpost, etc. You clearly like Assassin’s Creed if you’re playing this DLC, so just know that you’ll enjoy the quests and find yourself at least a bit invested in freeing the island of Awaji from Templar control.

The expansion lasts for roughly eight to ten hours, though you can certainly complete it in six to seven if you just want to tackle the story rather than fully explore the island of Awaji and see what it has to offer. At that length of time, you may wonder whether or not Claws of Awaji is worth the money, as it doesn’t offer quite as much playtime or content as other expansions. However, if you ask me, not every bit of DLC needs to be as large as The Witcher 3’s Blood and Wine, so I actually liked the run time of Claws of Awaji – though I can certainly understand if others feel like they should have something more for $25.

I like the new weapon choice with the bo. As a die-hard Donatello fan (no, you can’t sway me, he’s the best of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), I had a fondness for bo staffs before Claws of Awaji, so much so that I did wonder why it wasn’t initially an option in the main game. Still, I appreciate its addition nonetheless – it feels like a good excuse to embark on a journey in new game plus so that I can bonk more people over the head with my big stick.

Performance-wise, much like the base game, Claws of Awaji runs great on the Nintendo Switch 2 in both docked and handheld modes. Once in a blue moon, I encountered an odd rendering issue, but certainly not to the extent that it hinders the experience enough to recommend avoiding it.

Overall, though it’s not the best expansion I’ve played (it would take something mighty special to overthrow Blood of Wine, not even Shadow of the Erdtree managed to dethrone it), Claws of Awaji still offers an enjoyable experience that takes the story of Assassin’s Creed: Shadows further, even if it doesn’t have the emotional payoff you might expect from such an important reunion. With new weapons and a gorgeous island to explore, it’s a DLC that’s still worthy of your time.