AC Shadows is Taking One Successful Page Out of AC Unity’s Book

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The forthcoming “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” is edging ever nearer to its release, despite the fact that it has faced multiple setbacks that have ultimately moved its launch date to March 20th. Many enthusiasts are eagerly awaiting Ubisoft’s application of the modern RPG structure of the series to the long-awaited backdrop of Feudal Japan. Every narrative and gameplay aspect is being closely scrutinized from each snippet of in-game video that has been unveiled.

In the case of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, an unusual yet familiar approach has been adopted by having two protagonists at once, similar to AC Syndicate in 2015. This dual protagonist system is already showing a significant effect on gameplay. The larger frame of Yasuke suggests more intense and powerful combat mechanics, while Naoe’s Shinobi background hints at influencing the key parkour mechanics within Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Recent gameplay footage emphasizes smooth transitions and fluid animations for parkour in AC Shadows, drawing inspiration from one of the standout features of Assassin’s Creed Unity from 2014.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Parkour is Leaning Into the Strengths of the Franchise’s Past

In contrast to the smaller, more personal scale of the early Assassin’s Creed games, the upcoming title “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” is opting for a larger, role-playing game (RPG) style approach in its mainline releases, focusing on expansive environments. This shift will likely offer a broad exploration of Japanese settlements and landscapes, significantly expanding the parkour aspects of the game rather than primarily enhancing its combat mechanics.

In the world of Assassin’s Creed, freerunning and parkour have always played a crucial role, serving as the Assassin Brotherhood’s secret method for swiftly navigating bustling cityscapes, taking out targets, and communicating with fellow assassins. However, over the years, the parkour mechanics in the series have not consistently received positive feedback across its numerous titles. In an attempt to improve this aspect, a significant effort has been made in AC Shadows to advance the parkour mechanics seen in recent open-world games like Valhalla, as the mainline franchise has primarily emphasized combat at the expense of parkour in its recent releases.

Ubisoft recently shared additional gameplay clips of the upcoming “Assassin’s Creed Shadows,” emphasizing Naoe’s parkour skills, which has left fans excited as it appears to be a revisit to the series’ original style in this regard. The team working on the game has mentioned that they have put significant effort into expanding the number of “parkour routes” in “AC Shadows.” A new button for diving is also being introduced to make it effortless and visually appealing to dismount from ledges and clear obstacles, allowing for smooth transitions between various movement options.

A Smooth Parkour System Like Unity’s Could Provide a Huge Boost to Assassin’s Creed Shadows

The focus on smooth parkour transitions and routes in this game appears strikingly similar to that of 2014’s “Assassin’s Creed Unity,” which, despite its troublesome launch state, was praised for having one of the best parkour systems among all “AC” games. Even though “Assassin’s Creed Unity” had a notoriously buggy and glitch-ridden debut, its parkour mechanics were eventually perfected to become a significant asset for the series. It seems that “Shadows” is building upon this past success in a way that could prove very advantageous.

As a devoted fan, I can’t help but feel a tinge of disappointment over the delays that “AC Shadows” has encountered. However, these postponements might just give Ubisoft the time needed to steer clear of the technical glitches that marred the launch of “Unity” in 2014. It appears that there’s a need for enhanced focus on refining the parkour mechanics in contemporary mainline “Assassin’s Creed” games, and I believe recapturing the effortless charm of “Unity’s” free-running is an excellent strategy for “Shadows” to regain the affection of long-standing fans within the Ubisoft franchise.

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2025-01-12 00:08