Knowing how to save your progress in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is crucial for avoiding unnecessary setbacks and ensuring your journey through 16th-century Japan is as smooth as possible. This guide will explain everything you need to know about saving in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, including manual saves, auto-saves, and troubleshooting common save issues.
Understanding the Save System in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Assassin’s Creed Shadows utilizes a dual save system composed of auto-saves and manual saves. The game automatically saves your progress at certain checkpoints, but it also allows players to manually save at specific points for added control over their journey.
Understanding how these save systems work and how to access them can make a significant difference in your overall experience, especially when navigating difficult quests or managing multiple playthroughs.
How to Manually Save in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Manual saving is a feature designed to give players complete control over when and where their progress is saved. However, there are specific rules and restrictions you need to follow:
- Accessing the Save Menu
To manually save, pause the game by pressing the menu button and selecting the “Save Game” option. - Where You Can Save
Manual saves are only allowed at certain locations, such as:
- Hideouts: The main hideouts you establish throughout the game are always available for manual saving.
- Campfires: Scattered across the open world, campfires act as quick-save points. Simply rest at a campfire to manually save.
- Safe Zones: Specific safe zones within cities or villages where you have completed missions or established alliances.
- Limitations
Manual saving is disabled during combat, cutscenes, or high-stress situations such as pursuit sequences. Make sure you are in a safe area before attempting to save.
How Auto-Saving Works in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
The auto-save system in Assassin’s Creed Shadows ensures that your progress is preserved without requiring constant manual saves. Here’s how it works:
- Checkpoints
The game automatically saves during key moments such as:
- Completing quests or objectives.
- Discovering new locations or viewpoints.
- Collecting important items or gear.
- Starting or ending dialogue sequences.
- Auto-Save Icon
An auto-save icon will briefly appear in the corner of the screen when the game is saving. Make sure not to quit or power off your console during this process to avoid data corruption.
Troubleshooting Save Issues
While the save system in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is generally reliable, some players may encounter issues. Here’s how to address common problems:
- Game Not Saving Properly
If your progress isn’t saving, ensure you have sufficient storage space on your console or PC. Additionally, confirm that the game is up to date with the latest patches. - Manual Save Option Greyed Out
This typically occurs during combat or high-stress scenarios. Move to a safe area, such as a hideout or campfire, to enable manual saving. - Lost Progress After Auto-Save
In rare cases, the auto-save feature may not function correctly. To avoid this, make frequent manual saves at campfires or hideouts.
Tips for Effective Saving
- Save Frequently: Utilize manual saves whenever possible, especially before difficult missions or quests.
- Rotate Save Files: Avoid overwriting the same save file repeatedly. Instead, use multiple slots to ensure you have backup saves if something goes wrong.
- Save Before Major Decisions: If you’re experimenting with different story paths or making critical choices, save beforehand to explore alternate outcomes.
- Double-Check Auto-Saves: Before exiting the game, confirm that an auto-save has occurred by checking the timestamp on your save files.