Discover the realism behind Assassin’s Creed Shadows' parkour as reviewed by professional athletes and how the game brings the world of Feudal Japan to life.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gearing Up For Its Release
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Does A "Hate Crime Against Parkour"
In a detailed analysis featured in PC Gamer's Reality Check video released on March 15, Toby Segar and Benj Cave, parkour athletes from the renowned UK team STORROR, shared their expert insights on the parkour mechanics of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. As fans of the series, they are also working on their own parkour-based game, STORROR Parkour Pro.
Segar critiqued a scene from AC Shadows where protagonist Yasuke uses an "alpine knee" to ascend from a ledge, a move that the athletes consider detrimental to real-life parkour due to its potential to cause injury by concentrating body weight on the knee.
Cave highlighted other unrealistic aspects such as the protagonist's ability to climb structures without ledges and maintain perfect balance on tightropes. He also noted the series’ portrayal of unlimited endurance, stating, "In parkour, no one ever just runs and commits to stuff without looking. In parkour in real life, you check, you measure, you prep, and it’s such a slower process."
While Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a fictional game that bends real-life parkour conventions, Ubisoft has made significant efforts to enhance realism in its mechanics. AC Shadows Game Director Charles Benoit told IGN in January that the game's release was delayed to refine its parkour system.
Bringing Players Closer to Feudal Japan
In addition to its parkour, Ubisoft is immersing players in the historical context of Feudal Japan through the "Cultural Discovery" feature. As detailed on Ubisoft's website on March 18, Editorial Comms Manager Chastity Vicencio explained how this in-game Codex will educate players about the Azuchi-Momoyama period with over 125 entries at launch, crafted by historians and enriched with images from museums.
Bringing Feudal Japan to life was no easy feat for the developers, as shared in an interview with The Guardian on March 17. Ubisoft Executive Producer Marc-Alexis Coté discussed the long-standing desire to set an Assassin’s Creed game in Japan, saying, "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?" This time, they committed fully.
Creative Director Johnathan Dumont added that the team invested heavily in authenticity, consulting with historians and visiting Kyoto and Osaka. Despite challenges, such as accurately depicting how light falls in Japanese mountains, Ubisoft's dedication to capturing Japan's essence shines through. Coté concluded, "The expectations have been this high throughout. It’s been a challenge."
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is slated for release on March 20, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates on this anticipated title!
