Assassin's Creed Valhalla's extensive playtime and numerous side quests drew criticism, prompting Ubisoft to refine its approach for Assassin's Creed: Codename Red. The upcoming title will reportedly feature a more streamlined experience.

Game director Charles Benoit stated that completing the main storyline of Codename Red will take approximately 50 hours, with full completion (including all regions and side quests) estimated at 100 hours. This contrasts with Valhalla's 60+ hour main story and potential 150+ hour completion time.

Ubisoft has prioritized a reduction in optional content to avoid overwhelming players. Codename Red aims for a balanced blend of narrative and optional activities, striving for a less tedious, yet richly detailed and narratively deep experience. The goal is to cater to both players who prefer extensive gameplay and those focused solely on the story, without sacrificing quality for brevity.

Game director Jonathan Dumont highlighted the impact of the team's research trip to Japan on the game's development. The scale of Japanese castles, mountainous landscapes, and dense forests exceeded expectations, leading to a focus on increased realism and detail.

A key change involves a more realistic representation of world geography. Travel times between points of interest will be longer, reflecting the expansive open world, but each location will boast enhanced detail and nuance. This contrasts with the more densely populated points of interest found in Assassin's Creed Odyssey. The longer travel times and more natural open world will enhance the richness and detail of each location, creating a more immersive Japanese atmosphere, according to Dumont. Codename Red will exhibit a significantly higher level of detail.