Summary
The newly-releasedAssassin’s Creed Shadowsis hiding aDark SoulsEaster egg in its thrilling gameplay, which was recently discovered by a well-versed gamer. It’s become a fairly common occurrence for players to spot soulslike nods in current projects, includingSTALKER 2: Heart of ChornobylandHogwarts Legacy, or stretching back as far asThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’sBlood and WineDLC, andAssassin’s Creed Shadows' effort has become a popular discovery to seek out.
Shadowsexists as the 14th main installment in Ubisoft’s greaterAssassin’s Creedseries, succeeding the more linearAssassin’s Creed Mirageentry released in 2023. Players control shinobi Naoe and samurai Yasuke caught in a battle between the Assassin Brotherhood and the Templar Order.Assassin’s Creed Shadowsheld its place at the top of the UK physical game sales chartfor two weeks in a row, adding to its list of accolades since launch, with the entry’s popularity stemming from top-tier immersion into Japan’s Sengoku period and Naoe’s stealth mechanics.
Posted on Reddit by alcridio, a screenshot fromShadowswas shared on theAssassin’s Creedsubreddit, presenting a bonfire with a katana sticking up through the flames, similar to anotherDark SoulsEaster egg found in the first-person shooterOverwatch(of all places). The Easter egg is located within the Wakasa region inShadows, nestled within a cave, and unlikeThe Witcher 3’s interactive bonfire, players can only rest by this one.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Player Discovers Dark Souls Bonfire Easter Egg
Assassin’s Creed Shadowsboasts several new weaponsfor Naoe and Yasuke to conquer Japan with. Still, Redditors were disappointed to learn the katana from theDark SoulsEaster egg could not be picked up as a collectible. OtherShadowsand soulslike fans alike were adamant the bonfire nod would never die in video game culture, and some even went as far as to say the homage was “undead.”
In theDark Soulsseries, bonfires are used as checkpoints for The Chosen Undead. The fire must be lit when encountered or rested around to create a new spawn point should the player die later on in the game.Dark Souls’ bonfires harbor many interesting factsin their lore, and players would be forgiven for thinking it’s a sword sticking out of the flames. However, it’s a fancy fire poker. Many games’Dark SoulsEaster eggs have gone with the sword instead, andShadows' tribute eerily echoes a scene from Akira Kurosawa’s 1954 cinematic masterpieceSeven Samurai, which, in turn, is thought to have inspiredDark Souls’ bonfire imagery.
