The reviews train rolls on at Engadget. We've had another busy couple of weeks, and more new devices are arriving for testing every day. For now, catch up on our in-depth analysis of the new base-model iPad, Nothing Phone 3a duo, some incredible sounding headphones and more. It's not a particularly exciting update, and it lacks Apple Intelligence entirely, but Apple's latest entry-level tablet still meets most iPad users where they live with little drama. Apple has been busy updating several devices over the past few weeks, including the "regular" iPad.

Assassin's Creed Shadows may be shaping up to be the hit Ubisoft needed. On social media, the Assassin's Creed team announced that the game, which was released on Thursday, has so far drawn in two million players. Assassin's Creed Shadows was originally slated to come out last fall, but was delayed twice as developers worked to further polish the game and try to ensure everything would be running smoothly on day one. So far, (mostly) so good, it seems. Engadget's Kris Holt noted in his review this week that the game is for the most part running well on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and PC.

I have played many Assassin's Creed games over the years, but I've rarely loved them. Ubisoft's historical fiction is perennially almost-great. A lot of players would say it reached its peak in the late 2000s, with the trio of renaissance Italy games beginning with Assassin's Creed 2, and their charismatic hero, Ezio Auditore. Since then, the series has become bloated, offering hundreds of hours of repetitive open-world exploration and assassination in ancient Greece, Egypt and even Viking Britain. Odyssey (the Greek one) was the last I played seriously; I found the setting exquisite, the gameplay somewhat irritating and the scale completely overwhelming.

It's unlikely that the fate of a company as large as Ubisoft will hinge on the success of one tentpole single-player game. But the company cannot afford another major error anytime soon after the likes of Star Wars: Outlaws and XDefiant failed to set the world alight. Ubisoft desperately needs a big hit (and for the Rainbow Six Siege X overhaul to go well). The good news for the company is that Assassin's Creed Shadows is poised to deliver on that. On the surface, it's exactly what you'd expect: a massive Assassin's Creed game that takes dozens of hours to beat. There's so much to do beyond the core story, given all the missions and sidequests that the game constantly points you towards.

More than four years after its announcement and after two last-minute delays, the latest title in Ubisoft's historical fiction series Assassin's Creed will finally be released on Thursday. Set in Japan in 1579, a time of intense civil war dominated by the feudal lord Oda Nobunaga, it follows two characters navigating their way through the bloody chaos: a female shinobi named Fujibayashi Naoe, and Yasuke, an African slave turned samurai. Japan has been the series' most-requested setting for years, Ubisoft says. "I've been on [this] franchise for 16 years and I think every time we start a new game, Japan comes up and we ask, is this the time?" says executive producer Marc-Alexis Coté. "We've never pushed beyond the conception phase with Japan until this one." The game comes at a crucial time for Ubisoft after the disappointing performance of last year's titles Star Wars Outlaws, Skull and Bones and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, and the expensive closure of live service shooter XDefiant.

Assassin's Creed maker confirms leaked game footage is real 38 minutes agoTom RichardsonBBC NewsbeatUbisoftAssassin's Creed Shadows is seen as a pivotal release for Ubisoft The makers of Assassin's Creed Shadows - the forthcoming entry in one of video gaming's biggest franchises - have confirmed footage leaked online is real. Some players managed to get their hands on the game - due to be released on 20 March - ahead of its official release. Developer Ubisoft said gameplay videos shared online "did not represent the final quality of the game". In a statement posted online, the company said it was "still working on patches" and urged fans not to share spoilers. Shadows will be the first Assassin's Creed instalment set in Japan - something fans have long been asking for.

The publisher had a rough 2024, with Star Wars Outlaws failing to meet sales expectations and word of XDefiant's demise coming around six months after the tactical shooter debuted. Skull and Bones finally arrived too, but it was a bit of a damp squib. Amid rumors of the company being sold or spinning out some of its assets into a joint venture with Tencent, Ubisoft really needs a win. It's not going to have a better chance to do that anytime soon than with Assassin's Creed Shadows. After a couple of delays, the latest entry in the company's flagship series is set to arrive on March 20.

The long-awaited Assassin's Creed Shadows has been delayed yet again, according to a press release. It was supposed to come out on February 14 but Ubisoft has moved the release date to March 20. This is actually the second time it was delayed. It was originally supposed to come out in time for the 2024 holiday season. The stated reason is the same as the last delay.

Assassin's Creed Shadows delayed again UbisoftFemale ninja Naoe is one of Assassin's Creed Shadows' two playable protagonists Video game giant Ubisoft has announced a further delay to its upcoming Assassin's Creed Shadows. The long-running series is one of the French publisher's flagship franchises, with recent instalment, Valhalla, reportedly making more than 1bn. Assassin's Creed Shadows, set in 16th Century Japan, was due to be released on PC, PlayStation and Xbox last November before an initial delay to February 2025. Announcing the new release date of 20 March, executive producer Marc-Alexis Coté said a "few additional weeks are needed" to ensure the game's launch goes smoothly. Players complained that Ubisoft's major 2024 release, Star Wars Outlaws, was launched with bugs and glitches.

You can strike one game off of the busy fall 2024 calender. Ubisoft has delayed Assassin's Creed Shadows until February 14. It was originally supposed to hit PS5, Xbox Series X/S, PC, Mac and iPad on November 15. You can probably guess the main reason why Ubisoft is pushing the latest entry in the saga back by a few months. While all of the features are largely set, the company needs more time to iterate on them and to polish the game as a whole.