It's been a crazy journey with Shadows since launch. I'm completely miffed by how this game pretends to be an Assassin's Creed game (up to my standards), but I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised by it considering Shadows was developed by the Quebec studio team. That being said, I just thought with Shadows ushering in a new era of Assassin's Creed, that it would be a great Assassin game, let alone a good game. But here we are. I am "Revisiting" Shadows one more time before I close the book on my least favorite A.C. game.

-The Hooded Shadow

As is tradition, the end of the year brings discussions on many gamers' Game of the Year. For this podcast, I put my own spin on it and give my FGOTY, otherwise known as Favorite Game of the Year. This is a game that I have completed a playthrough of, in the current year, but doesn't have to be released in said year. So, I want to nominate 2016's Watch_Dogs 2. Developed and published by Ubisoft, the Watch_Dogs franchise brought a unique spin to the open world genre where the player can hack digital items (such as phones and cameras) and manipulate the world to their benefit using this technology. I've played all three games and eagerly await the return of Watch_Dogs someday. Thank you for another successful year for the podcast and I hope you stick around for Season 3. Please enjoy!

-The Hooded Shadow

Who's better than the legend himself? Ezio Auditore da Firenze is my number one favorite character in the franchise and narrowly edges past Bayek for that distinction. I don't have to explain anything about Ezio, so enjoy!!

-The Hooded Shadow

Recently, Assassin's Creed Mirage got an update that stated a total of 10 million+ players have played this game. As an attempt to return to form, or a "back to the roots" if you will, it has been a well recieved entry from many core Assassin's Creed fans and the numbers (along with the help of massive updates) proves this. So, as I revisit Mirage once more, I look fondly upon a game that does truly serve as a love letter to the franchise and one that personally, holds a special place in my heart. Thanks for listening!

-The Hooded Shadow

For almost 30 years, Lara Croft has been a mainstay in the video games zeitgeist. She is one of the few recognizable female characters, and a badass one at that, that has had so many unforgettable globe-trotting adventures. My introduction to the Tomb Raider series started with 2018's Shadow of the Tomb Raider and a few years later I played 2015's Rise of the Tomb Raider. Each game ended up having a profound impact on me emotionally and as a history and archaeological nerd and I couldn't wait to see what was next for Lara Croft. So in this episode, I recount my history with the franchise and look forward to what's next. Please enjoy!

-The Hooded Shadow

As a passionate history nerd, the Viking Age fascinates me greatly. So when it was announced in 2020 that the newest game would be set in this era, my hype was comparable to only one other game in the franchise, Unity. I was so hyped, that it was borderline unhealthy. Jokes aside (kind of...), I couldn't wait to see how a Viking would navigate the conflcit of the Assassins (Hidden Ones) and Templars (Order of Ancients) and join the brotherhood to further their cause. Needless to say, that didn't quite happen nor did I think Valhalla was a fantastic "Viking" game (in the vein of a Red Dead being a great "Cowboy" game). So let's revisit Valhalla once again and re-rank it for my Tier List. Thanks for listening!

-The Hooded Shadow

This episode is a companion piece to my 3-part review of Assassin's Creed Shadows released earlier this season. I just had a desire to make this and express my true feelings about the game after the smoke cleared, many months later. "Shadows Broke Me" is inspired by an infamous video titled "Odyssey Broke Me" by YouTuber LaZzerZ. I explain everything I currently feel about the franchise and come to terms with my status as a die hard fan moving forward. It makes me sad :( that it's come to this...

-The Hooded Shadow

In this episode, I'm revisiting 2018's game expansion "Legacy of the First Blade, Episode 1." This expansion's first episode introduces us to legendary sanctuary Assassin, Darius, who is the first weilder of the iconic weapon of the Assassins, the hidden blade. The first episode of this expansion shows a bit of backstory for Darius and is, honestly, really great to experience as an Assassin's Creed lore aficionado. I don't acknowledge the base game as a legit part of the franchise but I really wanted to share my thoughts on this episode so I hope you enjoy!

-The Hooded Shadow

One of my biggest critiques of Assassin's Creed has been the lack of memorable protagonists with most of the games released, especially the more recent ones. The early days featured most of these  memorable characters such as Edward and Altair, but it is Ezio that still remains the most iconic of the bunch. So when Bayek came along in Origins, he instatntly won over the hearts of many Assassin's Creed fans, especially myself. Bayek's warmth and empathy contrasts with his passion and fervor which makes him THE character with the widest range of emotions in the franchise. As such, Bayek of Siwa earns his spot on my favorite characters list. Please enjoy!

-The Hooded Shadow

Altair Ib'n La Ahad was the first Assassin that we came to know and who set the standard for the prototypical Assassin. We get to see many phases of Altair's life not only in his respective game, but in "flashback" sequences during the story of Assassin's Creed Revelations; as well as other books and comics. So the "grandfather" of the Assassins ranks very highly on my list just by principal alone, that being the quintessential Assassin while showing traits of a nuanced character. Please enjoy my ranking episode of Altair!

-The Hooded Shadow