Once the Assassin's Creed Shadows story is over, most may think there's not much to do, but the story is just one part of it. Like the games before it, Shadows doesn't make you do every little thing before completing the game. So there's a lot more to do that could end up being left behind by those who just want to get through the story.

The next Assassin's Creed has a lot to learn from Shadows because there's so much that the game gives you to do. It's a lot to take in, but Shadows does it pretty well, and because it's all optional, there are plenty of things that completionists can focus on once the story officially ends. Some of these could be done as the game goes on, but there's plenty that likely got left behind for later.

10 Hunt For Legendary Loot You Missed

There's Plenty of Loot For You To Find

Hunting for legendary loot in Assassin's Creed Shadows is a fun post-game activity for players who enjoyed the combat and loot systems. The hunt itself is pretty rewarding, but there are fewer things more fun than taking down a powerful samurai or enemy and opening the chest to get a well-deserved reward. For those wondering how to get legendary weapons and gear, each has different ways, so it's best to wait until the game is over to go searching.

Sure, some weapons and gear cost Helix Credits to get, but there are plenty of legendaries that are available and only require time and effort. The items that come with the base game are also very useful, and you won't even notice if you don't get the stuff. So make sure to find legendary items to make your assassins even stronger.

9 Explore The Remaining Map

There's So Much To Look Through And See

There are plenty of things to find on the map just by running around in Assassin's Creed Shadows. A lot of players would rather just fast travel everywhere once they unlock the points needed, but they're missing the ambiance of the game world. If you take the time to find collectibles by running on foot, you'll see a lot of stuff you missed. Even just wandering with no purpose is fun after completing the storyline.

It's common for many Assassin's Creed players to ignore fast travel points if they only want to do a single mission. I like to go to every fast travel point on foot or ride a horse, and look around as I do. This will unlock all the fast travel points but also provide the opportunity to see the world.

8 Complete All Side Activities

There's A Bunch of Activities Sprinkled On The Map

Ubisoft is well known for sprinkling a bunch of random stuff to do in Assassin's Creed games and Shadows is no exception. However, it is rewarding to go and complete every side activity on the map, mostly because it's like checking off a to-do list where the assassins benefit. There's a lot of lore, background information, and even special rewards that can be seen and found through completing side quests.

Once you know how Kuji Kiri works and can unlock Naoe's memories, it's like a whole new portion of the game just opened up.

The first activity everyone should focus on is completing the meditation (Kuji Kiri) spots. Once you know how Kuji Kiri works and can unlock Naoe's memories, it's like a whole new portion of the game just opened up. It's an easy way to get experience and knowledge points, but also a great way to learn more about Naoe and how she became the woman that leads Shadows.

7 Max Out Mastery Trees For Naoe & Yasuke

There are Plenty of Upgrades For Both Characters

Assassin's Creed Shadows continues the tradition of giving you a skill tree to progress through. I know that it's pretty easy to just focus on the skills that relate just to a playstyle and ignore everything else. That's fine for playing through the game, but trying out new abilities after beating the game is part of the fun. This is best done ively while doing other things, but no one regrets having a stronger and more able character.

Yasuke is not good at traveling, but he's a real tank and dominant force when it comes to taking out opponents. If you can get a good Yasuke build in Shadows, it makes it so much easier to get things like legendary weapons and other collectibles that require fighting. A great build is also something you can only do with a lot of options for skills.

6 Find All Remaining Collectibles

There are A Lot of Collectibles Just Scattered Across The Map

Collectibles in this series are nowhere near as fun as side activities, because they tend not to give much besides a pat on the back and minor points or money. Unfortunately, the same can be said for Assassin's Creed Shadows, but it's worth finding everything when there's nothing else to do. The small boosts collectibles give really add up over time, and tend to be worth all the hassle.

I recommend starting by finding all Izumi Settsu Jizo Statue locations first, because there's only eight, and they're located in the easiest area of the game. These give you some experience, but it's really about checking them off your to-do list rather than any real reward. I've never liked collectibles for collectibles' sake, but some people do.

5 Recruit & Play With Other Allies

You May Like Some More Than Others

There are six allies in Assassin's Creed Shadows, and you will likely stick to the one you like the most. There was a similar issue with assassins in Assassin's Creed 3, but it seems like Ubisoft did this again. Even though there are only six of them, take the time to recruit all the allies and try them out.

Some allies are actually a lot more helpful in certain situations than others, and this is a good chance to understand where their strengths and weaknesses lie. This way, allies can be switched out when changing activities after the game ends, because sticking to the same ally tends to make the game feel a bit repetitive.

4 Fully Customize Your Hideout

The Hideout Is The Best Part of Shadows

The Hideout is one of the best parts of Assassin's Creed Shadows, and it's a huge step for the series as a whole. A lot of people would rather just upgrade the best buildings first and then ignore the rest of the hideout. However, it's a lot of fun to upgrade every available part of the hideout and then organize it so it is unique. This is the first time Ubisoft has given players full control of a base, and it'd be wasteful not to enjoy it.

Try different layouts, decorations, and pets to make it feel more like a home. It's honestly one of the best parts of the series, and it tends to be overlooked by those who just want to get into the action. Even after setting up the base, it's fun to just walk around and see how everything looks up close, and pet a few animals on the way. This is one of the best features in Shadows, and is worth the time it takes to make the hideout your second home.

3 Eliminate Remaining Targets

There's Always More To Take Out

There are plenty of optional targets to find and seek out after the game ends. Some assassination targets are taken out over the course of the story, but there are so many that would be missed if not hunted down. These targets are causing trouble for Japan as a whole. They aren't as fun as Ezio's old assassination missions in the older Assassin's Creed games, but are still enjoyable to complete.

2 Taking Pictures Around The World

The Photo Mode Tends To Be Overlooked

There is a photo mode in Assassin's Creed Shadows that plenty of people ignore. This is the kind of thing that was really cool when it first got added to games, but has begun to be expected. Not many people take pictures and post them online, but it's a really fun thing to do. Any really good-looking pictures could be posted on reddit or X for karma and likes, where they may be found by the developers.

Even those who aren't professional photographers can have fun in this mode because it does a lot of hard work for you. I trying this out in Shadow of Mordor, and it required going into photo mode at the perfect time to get a perfect image. Now, photo modes come with features, like poses, that get updated over time to make it easier to take desirable pictures.

1 Read Through The Cultural Discoveries Codex

There's A Lot You Can Learn

Assassin's Creed Shadows has a codex for anyone who is interested in history. While you shouldn't go into a video game expecting it to be historically accurate, Ubisoft has started to add in historical tours and remained faithful to Codex entries. This has been a staple of the series since the second game, and has gotten much more organized over time.

This is great for anyone who has finished Assassin's Creed Shadows and doesn't want to go through any more gameplay, but wants more of the setting. This is an important time for Japan and there's a lot of history behind it. I recommend starting here in the Codex entries for the true stories and expanding your knowledge elsewhere.