Parkour Athletes Review Assassin’s Creed Shadows Movements

Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been put to the test by two authentic parkour athletes, providing insights into the game's parkour realism and its vivid portrayal of Feudal Japan. Dive in to discover how Ubisoft strives for authenticity in its latest installment.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gearing Up For Its Release

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Does A "Hate Crime Against Parkour"

In a detailed review by PC Gamer on March 15, Toby Segar and Benj Cave from the UK's STORROR team, both avid fans of the Assassin’s Creed series, critiqued the realism of Assassin’s Creed Shadows' parkour. They are also working on their own parkour-inspired game, STORROR Parkour Pro.

In the video, Segar highlighted a specific clip from AC Shadows where protagonist Yasuke performs what they termed a "hate crime against parkour." He criticized Yasuke's use of an "alpine knee" to ascend, a move considered impractical in real parkour due to the potential for knee injury from bearing full body weight.

Cave also pointed out the unrealistic aspects of the series, such as characters climbing structures without visible ledges and maintaining perfect balance on tightropes. He emphasized the fictional nature of the game's endless 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, Ubisoft has made significant efforts to enhance the realism of its parkour mechanics. In an IGN interview in January, AC Shadows Game Director Charles Benoit mentioned that the delay in the game's release was to refine these mechanics further.

Bringing Players Closer to Feudal Japan

Beyond the parkour, Ubisoft aims to immerse players in the historical setting of Feudal Japan through the "Cultural Discovery" section. As detailed by Ubisoft Editorial Comms Manager Chastity Vicencio on their website on March 18, this feature within the in-game Codex provides detailed entries on the Azuchi-Momoyama period, crafted with input from historians and illustrated with museum images. This feature surpasses the scope of AC Mirage’s History of Baghdad, offering over 125 entries at launch, with plans for more.

The development team faced significant challenges in authentically recreating Feudal Japan, as shared in an interview with The Guardian on March 17. Ubisoft Executive Producer Marc-Alexis Coté explained the long-standing interest in setting a game in Japan, stating, "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?" It was only with AC Shadows that they moved beyond the conceptual phase.

Ubisoft Creative Director Johnathan Dumont emphasized the team's commitment to accuracy, including trips to Kyoto and Osaka for research and collaboration with in-house historians. Despite technological challenges, such as accurately depicting the unique lighting in Japan's mountains, the team successfully captured the essence of the period. Coté remarked, "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 highly anticipated game.