Two professional parkour athletes have given their take on the realism of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ parkour mechanics. Dive into this article to discover how the game's parkour measures up to real-life standards and how Ubisoft has brought the era of Feudal Japan to life within the game.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gearing Up For Its Release
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Does A "Hate Crime Against Parkour"
In a PC Gamer’s Reality Check video released on March 15, Toby Segar and Benj Cave from the UK's STORROR team, both avid fans of the Assassin’s Creed series, provided their insights on the realism of Assassin’s Creed Shadows' parkour. These athletes are also working on their own video game, STORROR Parkour Pro, which is inspired by authentic parkour moves.
During the video, Segar highlighted a scene from AC Shadows where the protagonist Yasuke uses a move dubbed an "alpine knee" to ascend a ledge, which he and Cave considered a "hate crime against parkour." They explained that this technique, where the knee bears the full weight of the body, is not only impractical but could lead to injury in real-life parkour scenarios.
Cave also critiqued the game’s portrayal of endless stamina and the ability to perform continuous parkour moves without rest, noting that in real parkour, athletes must assess and prepare before executing moves, which is a slower and more calculated process than what's shown in the game.
While Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a fictional game and not bound to real-world physics in every aspect, Ubisoft has made efforts to enhance the realism of its parkour. In a January interview with IGN, AC Shadows Game Director Charles Benoit mentioned that the game's release was delayed to refine the parkour mechanics further.
Bringing Players Closer to Feudal Japan
Beyond the parkour, Ubisoft is also focusing on historical accuracy with the "Cultural Discovery" section in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. As detailed on their website on March 18, Ubisoft Editorial Comms Manager Chastity Vicencio explained that this feature will immerse players in the history, art, and culture of the Azuchi-Momoyama period through an in-game Codex. This cultural encyclopedia, crafted with the help of historians and featuring images from museums, will include over 125 entries at launch, with plans for further additions.
Bringing Feudal Japan to life was no small 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, a dream that finally came to fruition with AC Shadows. Coté emphasized the thorough research process, including trips to Kyoto and Osaka and consultations with in-house historians, to authentically capture the essence of the period.
Ubisoft Creative Director Johnathan Dumont highlighted the challenges they faced, such as accurately depicting the unique light conditions in Japan's mountains. Despite these hurdles, the team's dedication and meticulous attention to detail have enabled them to meet the high expectations set for the game.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is slated for release on March 20, 2025, on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Keep up with the latest news on Assassin’s Creed Shadows by checking out our related articles.
