Discover the realism behind Assassin’s Creed Shadows' parkour, as evaluated by two professional parkour athletes. Dive into their insights and learn how the game brings the era 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 review featured in PC Gamer's Reality Check video 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 expert analysis on the parkour realism in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. These athletes are also working on their own game, STORROR Parkour Pro, which focuses on authentic parkour movements.

During the video, Segar highlighted a scene where the protagonist Yasuke performs a move dubbed a "hate crime against parkour." This move, known as an "alpine knee," involves using the knee as a crutch to support body weight while climbing, a technique considered impractical and potentially harmful in real parkour.

Cave also critiqued the game's portrayal of parkour, pointing out unrealistic elements such as climbing without ledges and balancing on tightropes. He emphasized the fictional nature of the protagonist'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 a January interview with IGN, Game Director Charles Benoit explained that the game's release delay was to refine these mechanics further.

Bringing Players Closer to Feudal Japan

Beyond the parkour, Ubisoft aims to immerse players in the historical context of Feudal Japan through the "Cultural Discovery" feature. As detailed on their website on March 18, Ubisoft Editorial Comms Manager Chastity Vicencio described how this in-game Codex will offer over 125 encyclopedic entries on the Azuchi-Momoyama period at launch, crafted with input from historians and enriched with museum images.

Creating an authentic representation of Feudal Japan posed significant challenges for the development team. In an interview with The Guardian on March 17, Ubisoft Executive Producer Marc-Alexis Coté discussed the long-standing interest in setting an Assassin’s Creed 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?"

Ubisoft Creative Director Johnathan Dumont added that the team went to great lengths to capture the essence of Japan, including trips to Kyoto and Osaka and collaborating with in-house historians. Despite challenges like accurately depicting the unique light in Japan's mountains, the team's dedication has paid off in creating a vivid portrayal of the era.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is scheduled 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!