Assassin\'s Creed Shadows Details Parkour Changes

Assassin's Creed Shadows: Revamped Parkour and Dual Protagonists

Assassin's Creed Shadows, Ubisoft's highly anticipated feudal Japan adventure, launches February 14th, bringing significant changes to the franchise's iconic parkour and introducing a unique dual-protagonist system.

The game features Naoe, a stealthy shinobi, and Yasuke, a powerful samurai, offering distinct gameplay styles. This caters to both fans of classic Assassin's Creed stealth and those who prefer the RPG-style combat of titles like Odyssey and Valhalla.

Ubisoft has detailed a major overhaul of the parkour system. Gone is the free-climbing of previous iterations; Shadows introduces designated "parkour highways." While this might initially seem restrictive, Ubisoft assures players that most surfaces remain climbable, requiring strategic approaches. The design focuses on creating fluid and engaging pathways.

A New Approach to Parkour

The new system introduces seamless ledge dismounts, allowing for stylish, fluid transitions instead of the traditional ledge-grabbing mechanics. A new prone position enables diving during sprints, adding another layer to movement options. As Associate Game Director Simon Lemay-Comtois explains, the change allows for more controlled level design, dictating where Naoe (the climber) can go and Yasuke (who can't climb) cannot.

"...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...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."

Assassin's Creed Shadows arrives on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC on February 14th. Its release coincides with other highly anticipated titles, making its success in a competitive February launch window a compelling question.