Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Parkour is Exactly What it Needs to Be

The very first Assassin’s Creed in 2007 had three core gameplay pillars: stealth, action, and parkour, all of which were bundled together and packaged in a history-inspired open-world. These three pillars remained the backbone of the Assassin’s Creed franchise for almost an entire decade. No matter where the series went next or what new mechanics were added, stealth, action, and parkour always remained a core focus. But priorities have changed in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

Assassin’s Creed Origins ushered in a new age for the franchise back in 2017, delivering a dramatic formula change. Though stealth and parkour were still present in Assassin’s Creed Origins, they took a backseat to the game’s action and newfound RPG elements. These RPG features have become a new core pillar for the franchise, and as that pillar has grown taller, it’s left the others far below it. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the fourth and latest entry in the series’ RPG arc, and while stealth gets far more attention than usual, it follows suit once again when it comes to parkour.

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How Assassin’s Creed Shadows Explores the Tenets of the Creed

Assassin’s Creed Shadows does an excellent job of exploring and emphasizing the three tenets of the Creed in its story, characters, and gameplay.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Parkour Gets The Job Done

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Adds Some Fun Features to Parkour

Generally speaking, Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ parkour mechanics fit the game’s Feudal Japan setting well. As Naoe, players are able to climb walls, hop from rooftop to rooftop, and both ascend and descend tall castle structures with ease. Naoe’s parkour animations feel fast and fluid, and they’re given plenty of unique flairs that signify her training as a shinobi, such as elaborate and graceful midair flips and leaps.

For the first time in the franchise since 2015’s Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Naoe also has access to a grappling hook. This grappling hook can be used to quickly ascend buildings as well as to swing from certain structures and foliage to cross gaps in the environment. The grappling hook usually feels great to use, offering both practicality and style.

When it’s all combined, Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ parkour feels generally pretty good to use. Though there can be some awkward moments of object collision issues, Shadows‘ movement gets the job done, and frequently gets it done well.

Parkour Is Far From The Focus in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

But while Assassin’s Creed Shadows makes some worthwhile additions to parkour, it’s still evident that it isn’t the series’ primary focus anymore. Though the animations are fluid and stylish, Shadows‘ parkour feels more streamlined than ever, with players needing to just hold down one of two buttons to either ascend or descend the structure they’re on.

This streamlining helps to make Assassin’s Creed Shadows‘ parkour feel accessible, but it continues to distance itself further and further away from the franchise’s first few entries. Long gone are the days of being able to reliably pull off a wall-eject, with players now having very little control over how they actually scale buildings or traverse the environment around them. Environmental interactions like Assassin’s Creed Mirage‘s poles are also very rare to find in Shadows, furthering the feeling that its parkour feels lacking despite its new additions.

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Released

March 20, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language