Summary:
- “Before the Fall” becomes available after finishing “An Unpayable Debt”.
- This quest takes players into the formative shinobi experiences of Naoe and her roots.
- The quest is designed around four memory missions that can be initiated once Kuji-kiri meditation is performed at particular locations across Izumi Settsu and Iga.
Working through the “Before The Fall” quest in AC Shadows is an enthralling one. This specific quest greatly contributes to the narrative where Noe’s early past and suffering affairs will be present. This guide is supposed to assist you through the gameplay with interesting challenges and gripping storylines. Just hold onto this guide as you step into the story.
Starting the Quest
To begin the Before the Fall quest in AC Shadows, you must first unlock Naoe’s journey during the early stages. This means you should have also completed the main quest “An Unpayable Debt.” All that’s left to do is check your objective board, which is loaded after your first visit to The Hideout. But you can also start prepping by scouting out the Kuji-kiri meditation spots scattered about Izumi Settsu and Iga regions.
Shinobi Warfare
Shinobi Warfare is the first flashback mission in the questline. Before you can access the Mission, you must complete a Kuji-kiri meditation at either Eboshigata Hachiman Shrine in Kawachi Heights or near the Hideout waterfall. It opens with Naoe going on to follow her Aunt Matsu, who gives her the katana. Not long after, the seasoned shinobi Momochi appears, prompting a brief exchange in which you get to choose a response. None of the choices matter since they won’t affect the mission outcome.
You now have to move through the mission to reach Nagano Pass. The road is misty and filled with enemy soldiers patrolling. Hide within bushes and tall grasses and don’t engage, for at this point, Naoe can’t fight against large mobs. A scripted cutscene shows Naoe making her first kill, signaling her entrance into the shinobi life. Sneaking past the enemy-infested fields, creep through using gaps in enemy patrols to the river, and regroup with Igan troops.
Beyond this, the mission primarily rests in the big boss fight against an Oda Clan Brute. The parry-and-block and dodge are crucial because you must break the brute’s armor before real damage can be given. Defeating the brute closes the memory: back to now, and onward to the next chapter of Naoe’s life.
Mind and Body
After the second Kuji-kiri meditation, anywhere, the Mind and Body quest is unlocked. This returns you to Iga, Naoe’s home village, where a cutscene shows her father teaching her the Kuji-kiri art. Once that ends, another brief cutscene plays, and you’re told to go to Matsu. Taking the snowy road to the village, you find Matsu near a small bridge. Talk to her, and learn that she wants your help in getting a secret heirloom scroll said to be hidden at a large shrine northwest of the village.
Getting near the shrine, you notice the place has been occupied by bandits. Here, you can choose either stealth or direct confrontation. Reach the last floor of the shrine and retrieve the ancestral scroll. Once you’ve secured the heirloom scroll, come back to the village and then speak to Nagato to finish the mission.
A True Igan
Once you have performed the necessary meditation, Kuji-Kiri, the mission will bring you back when Naoe must infiltrate Kunimiyama Fort. The appropriate starting location is the Rolling Glen east of Osaka or the Windy Shores within the Nakayama Peak. After completing the Kuji-kiri, players are sent back to November 1579, where Naoe must assist Sandayu within Iga Province.
The quest begins with Naoe reporting to Sandayu atop a hill, who, after the loss of contact with the Iga clan, orders her to investigate a watchtower nearby at Kunimiyama Fort. This is when Naoe receives her grappling hook.
Its primary goal is to sneak through the wall and listen in on Oda Clan ashigaru stationed at the fort. After overhearing the soldiers talking about their extended stay since the time of the first attack, Naoe has to climb the buildings of the fort to listen to another group. Then, she discovers that the chief of the Igan fort has been killed and is lying atop the tower. After the confirmation of the leader, Naoe must get out of the fort and report her findings to Sandayu.
Traditions
The last of the memory missions, Traditions, is triggered after completing any of the Kuji-kiri rituals in Izumi Settsu. The Kuji-kiri east of The Hideout on the hillside at Kawachi Heights is the most accessible place to start from. As the ritual proceeds, Naoe is thrown back into September 30, 1581, precisely the eve of the Oda invasion. Right from the get-go, Naoe follows Sandayu into an Iga leaders’ meeting where they’ll discuss her training and family legacy.
The meeting follows; in the meantime, Hanzo has arrived, and there will be a duel between Naoe and Fujita Juro. This fight is going to be somewhat easier, but you only have a wooden sword, so parrying is not going to work too well. Fast hits and dodging strikes are the best way to go since Juro takes the longest time to recover. After winning, they join their companions, and then Naoe, with Nagato, heads for Nobunaga’s outpost to cut down their forces.
To enter the castle undetected, Naoe will climb a tree from a hilltop and meet Nagato inside for further instructions. The secondary goal is to eavesdrop on two Kogan fighters by sneaking past them, climbing up some scaffolding, and onto a rooftop vantage point. Naoe then drops into a courtyard, finds the Oda clan’s strategic plans stored in a building, and triggers a cutscene.
Conclusion
Experiencing Before The Fall means stepping into the very heart of AC Shadows. Every inch, every heartbeat with each silent strike, defines the legacy of a true shinobi. This experience tests your skills and rewards you with an unforgettable chapter that lingers long after the last cutscene fades.
