Summary
- The parkour system in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is different than that of recent series entries.
- Naoe and Yasuke have contrasting playstyles, reflecting their different strengths.
- Players will now have to find physical handholds to scale vertically in certain situations.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is just a month from release, meaning Ubisoft is beginning to drip-feed us more information about the various changes, improvements and additions in the series’ upcoming entry.
A recent blog post from associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois detailed some of the upcoming tweaks to Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ parkour system. While parkour in Assassin’s Creed was originally a sort of mini-puzzle where you had to shimmy around buildings looking for ways to advance – recent games have simplified the formula, allowing you to vertically scale surfaces to your heart’s content.
Parkour is Changing
It would appear from the wording of the blog post that Shadows is scaling parkour back towards how it was in older Assassin’s Creed entries. It reads, “It is important to note that Naoe and Yasuke will not be able to climb on surfaces that do not have physical handholds for them to grab onto.”
“This is a pretty big deal for us,” says Lemay-Comtois. “This means we had to be more thoughtful about creating interesting parkour highways and afforded us more control about where Naoe can go, and where Yasuke can’t, making our two playstyles even more contrasted.”
This contrast is expanded upon in other parts of the post where Ubisoft describes some of the differences between the two playable characters. Naoe is a shinobi, meaning she excels at stealth, climbing and generally moving around faster. Yasuke isn’t able to climb as fast as Naoe, but he can break through obstacles that impede the shinobi. Additionally, Naoe has a grappling hook, wall-runs higher than Yasuke and can dodge while prone.
While much of the post details the features Naoe can access and Yasuke can’t, one would assume that Yasuke is better suited to combat and situations that require his martial prowess. Naoe, meanwhile, is geared towards parkour and stealth.
“Rest assured that most of what you’ll see in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is still very much climbable – especially with the grappling hook – but players will have to look for valid entry points from time to time,” the post concludes.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows releases February 14 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.
• Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
• Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles. As Naoe, use stealth to avoid detection and agility to confound your enemies. As Yasuke, strike your foes with lethal precision and power. Unlock new skills, gear, and progression independently for each character.
• Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
• Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.