Parkour Athletes Review Assassin's Creed Shadows Movements

Dive into the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows as two professional parkour athletes provide a reality check on the game's parkour mechanics. Discover the authenticity of the game's movements and how Ubisoft has brought 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 recent PC Gamer Reality Check video released on March 15, Toby Segar and Benj Cave from the UK's STORROR team, both avid fans of the Assassin’s Creed series, offered their insights on the realism of Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ parkour. The duo, who are also developing their own parkour-based video game, STORROR Parkour Pro, dissected various gameplay elements.

Segar highlighted a clip from AC Shadows where the protagonist Yasuke performs what they humorously dubbed a "hate crime against parkour." He pointed out Yasuke's use of an "alpine knee" to ascend a ledge, a move considered impractical in the parkour community due to the risk of injury from bearing all body weight on the knee.

Cave also critiqued the game's portrayal of parkour, noting the unrealistic feats such as climbing structures without ledges and balancing on tightropes. He emphasized the series' fictional take on parkour, particularly the protagonist's endless endurance, saying, "In parkour, no one ever just runs and commits to stuff without looking. In real-life parkour, you check, you measure, you prep, and it’s such a slower process."

While Assassin’s Creed Shadows, like most video games, doesn't adhere strictly to real-life mechanics, Ubisoft has made strides to enhance the realism of its parkour. In an IGN interview from January, AC Shadows Game Director Charles Benoit explained that the game's release delay was to refine these parkour mechanics.

Bringing Players Closer to Feudal Japan

Beyond parkour, Ubisoft is enriching the Assassin’s Creed Shadows experience with a deep dive into the history of Feudal Japan. Ubisoft Editorial Comms Manager Chastity Vicencio detailed on March 18 how the "Cultural Discovery" section in the game will serve as an in-game Codex. This feature will provide over 125 encyclopedic entries on the history, art, and culture of the Azuchi-Momoyama period, crafted with input from historians and supported by images from various museums and institutions.

Creating this immersive world was not without challenges. In an interview with The Guardian on March 17, the developers discussed the hurdles faced in authentically recreating Feudal Japan. Ubisoft Executive Producer Marc-Alexis Coté shared the long-standing desire to set an Assassin’s Creed game in Japan, saying, "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, collaborating with historians and traveling to Kyoto and Osaka to capture the essence of the period. Despite technological challenges, such as accurately depicting light in Japan's mountains, the team's dedication has paid off. Coté noted, "The expectations have been this high throughout. It’s been a challenge."

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is slated for release on March 20, 2025, and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Stay tuned for more updates by checking out our related articles.