AC Shadows and Hexe Might Share Parkour Weaknesses

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Summary

  • Assassin’s Creed Shadows intentionally limits parkour mechanics to encourage a grounded approach.
  • Assassin’s Creed Hexe’s rumored setting in Central Europe may result in weak parkour mechanics.
  • Ubisoft must ensure parkour mechanics in upcoming AC games fit within the context of the setting like Shadows.

Although Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been praised for its success within the series since its launch, it doesn’t excel in every area, and that includes some aspects of its parkour mechanics. Ubisoft designed many of these issues intentionally, but the parkour in Assassin’s Creed Shadows can be a bit clunky at times, not just from a technical perspective, but overall from a mechanical viewpoint. It is possible that the upcoming Assassin’s Creed game, codenamed Hexe, may face a similar challenge.

So far, not much has been disclosed about the upcoming game “Assassin’s Creed Hexe”. Most of what is being discussed is speculation and rumors. However, these rumors seem more plausible than not, and if they are true, there might be concerns about the parkour mechanics in “Assassin’s Creed Hexe”, as “Assassin’s Creed Shadows” may hint at potential issues in this area. If this is the case, Ubisoft might need to adapt these parkour mechanics to suit the game’s context, similar to how they were adjusted in “Assassin’s Creed Shadows”.

Assassin’s Creed Hexe’s Parkour May Be as Weak as AC Shadows’

Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ Parkour Is Grounded and Limited

The Assassin’s Creed series has gained recognition for its thrilling stealth gameplay, but the parkour features have consistently stood out as a close second favorite among players. From sprinting across rooftops to daring plunges off tall buildings and landmarks, the parkour in Assassin’s Creed offers an exhilarating opportunity to explore the intricate world of the series at high speeds and with plenty of action. Regrettably, the parkour options have been somewhat restricted in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, though this may be by design.

Throughout its long history, the Assassin’s Creed series has introduced numerous parkour systems. However, it’s Assassin’s Creed Unity that stands out for boasting the smoothest and most captivating parkour mechanics among them.

In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the game environment has been crafted to promote a more realistic style of play compared to previous installments, despite Japan’s feudal setting seemingly offering a more vertical landscape. This shift is primarily due to the enhanced challenge level and new stealth system in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, making it necessary for a more grounded parkour approach. Instead of allowing players to bypass or evade danger through rooftops and treetops, Assassin’s Creed Shadows encourages players to stay on the ground. This is even more pronounced by Yasuke’s inability to use parkour in the same way as Naoe can, which further underscores this grounded approach.

In “Assassin’s Creed: Shadow,” I found myself often struggling to identify what could be climbed and what couldn’t, as it adopts a more authentic style that presents fewer climbable objects compared to most other games in the series. Moreover, the required handholds need to be clearly visible, which isn’t always the case. To add to the challenge, not every structure with seemingly visible handholds is actually climbable. This added layer of difficulty makes it even more challenging. Additionally, it can be tricky to predict where my character, Naoe, might land after jumping off a building or tree. This unpredictability unfortunately increases the chances of falling-related deaths.

Assassin’s Creed Hexe’s Presumed Setting May Not Leave Much Room for Parkour

While specific details about the setting of Assassin’s Creed Hexe remain unconfirmed, it is rumored to be set in 16th or 17th-century Central Europe during the peak of the witch trials within the Holy Roman Empire. If this is accurate, the parkour in the game may resemble that of Assassin’s Creed Shadows due to the architecture of the time period, which features narrow lanes and smaller buildings, making it challenging to execute grand parkour sequences. This could lead to a more realistic and grounded parkour experience similar to Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

In the realm of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, a more realistic gameplay style is fostered compared to any previous installment in the series, although feudal Japan might seem like a vertically oriented environment at first glance.

If “Assassin’s Creed Hexe” indeed adopts a style similar to “AC Shadows”, it should carefully design its parkour mechanics to fit seamlessly within the game world. A more realistic approach isn’t necessarily a flaw, but it could become one if it restricts player freedom or diminishes what is a key feature of the “Assassin’s Creed” series. Throughout its history, “Assassin’s Creed” has managed to harmonize stealth and movement freedom. If “AC Hexe” veers too much in one direction, it may compromise one of the franchise’s fundamental principles.

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2025-04-20 02:04