There’s been much debate over how well Assassin’s Creed Shadows would be received in Japan. After all, the game’s set in the country’s feudal 16th century, and its open world map attempts to recreate a vast swath of the island nation.

In the months prior to release, there were reports that various Japanese institutions were displeased with Shadows’ depiction of certain things. You may remember now infamous ‘flag’ saga, for example, in which Ubisoft had used a historical reenactment group’s banner design without permission.

The company promptly apologised, but it was these kinds of missteps that would paint a negative perception up until Shadows’ launch last week. Indeed, many western onlookers had taken these snapshot moments to mean that Japan really wasn’t keen on the open world RPG.

But in truth, the game’s been met with rather positive reviews from Japanese publications like 4Gamer, Dengeki, Gamer, and Game Watch. As reported by Polygon’s Kazuma Hashimoto, critics have been praising the title’s setting, with more specific praise being pointed towards the season and weather systems — elements that western reviewers were quick to highlight as well.

Despite some minor grievances with regards to inaccurate environmental details, everyone seems fairly impressed. What’s more, the reviewers really enjoyed Naoe as a character — a shinobi on a quest for revenge. They apparently mention her qualities as a young protagonist who gets to mature over the course of the adventure; a trope that Japan’s always been big on in manga and anime.

Yasuke, however, hasn’t quite struck the same chords with critics. It should be noted that none of the reviews have any problem with Yasuke — a samurai of African origin — actually being in the game, but a couple of them do point out that, as a character, he’s less relatable than Naoe due to a general lack of obvious flaws. For the record, we’re not sure we agree — but it’s opinions, innit.

That said, Game Watch did seem to like how players get to see Japan — and key figures in its history — through the eyes of an outsider. And overall, both Naoe and Yasuke have been praised as dual protagonists, both in terms of their interactions with one another and their writing. Not bad.

So, in summary, Japanese reviewers haven’t quite put Assassin’s Creed Shadows on the same pedestal as Ghost of Tsushima — Sony’s gorgeous open worlder really did seem to hit home over there — but it’s still managed to garner a lot of praise.