The last seven years of Assassin's Creed games have turned me into the kind of fan I never wanted to be: things have turned out that no one likes that guy they used to be — especially the millions of people who have become Assassin's Creed fans through the immaculate worlds of Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla. Do not like.

I've gotten used to the idea that modern Assassin's Creed is about stepping into the shoes of historical warrior archetypes, like a playable episode of Deadly Warriors, and, well, not assassins. But Assassin's Creed Shadows, the next main-line game set in feudal Japan, seemingly wants to do both.

Ubisoft divides the two areas of Assassin's Creed into two main characters: Naoe, an agile shinobi armed with a hidden blade, and the historic black Samurai IGN, who face the enemy head-on, Ubisoft said that most missions can be tackled as characters (some are character-specific).

I called "bull" to Ubi's suggestion that stealth and open combat would have an equal focus after how untrue it was to prove to be in Odyssey and Valhalla, and Ubi, in order to disappoint the follow-through, used new games like the old one. We've made a habit of guaranteeing AC's oldest fans that they can play the game on their own. But there is reason to believe that Ubi is turning new leaves. Assassin's Creed Mirage initially made a promise as a stabby game, but this was personally encouraging, and Ubi also shared specific details about the shadow stealth I'm leaning on. A few highlights from the same IGN interview:

Judging only by the shadowy aspect that Ubisoft chose to focus on for its epic exposure, stealth said the show's studios talked about how the passage of the season affects the guards' patrol and sneaking options.

"As the moon passes, the approaching winter kills these natural hiding places. Hanging icicles can snap and fall, revealing the location of the rooftop," IGN wrote. "But at the same time, deteriorating weather limits the visibility of the enemy. The howling wind obscures your footsteps. The guard patrol can stick to places with warmth and go on a new cold path."

There wasn't much to say about Yosuke's combat-forward play style. He can cut through almost everything in an unnished (neat) world, and he can parry/counterattack enemies to kill quickly. Enemy armor can be worn and destroyed by repeated strikes. If you feel like Valhalla or Odyssey's button-mashy brawls, there's no great expectation for Shadows' swordsmanship.

But it's the friction of guessing about the game without the benefits of gameplay. This all sounds promising, but everything could change with a 10-minute demo. Our classic AC Enjoyer is a persnickety bunch that knows how little blunders can ruin an assassin's fantasy — weak stealth skills, messy parkour, dumb Azulenga Npc. The shadow of the assassin's creed in my head is very promising. Fingers crossed the real game is similar.