Summary
Ubisoft has revealed some freshAssassin’s Creed Shadowsfootage depicting Naoe doing parkour in feudal Japan. The newly shared video offers the longest uninterrupted look atAssassin’s Creed Shadowsparkour to date.
While parkour has always been synonymous with Ubisoft’s long-running franchise, the RPG trilogy simplified it quite substantially, which didn’t sit well with all fans.Rumors ofAssassin’s Creed Shadowsrevamping the series' parkoursystem have been circulating the industry since before the game was fully unveiled, back when it was still only known asAC Codename Red. Although Ubisoft has yet to outright confirm that, the gameplay footage that the company showed to date has been consistent with those reports, not least because it offered glimpses of some brand-new parkour animations.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Shows Silky-Smooth Naoe Parkour
Even more evidence pointing to such an overhaul emerged online on August 12, when Ubisoft shared a newAC Shadowsgameplay clip entirely focused on silky-smooth parkour. The video shows Naoe running, jumping, and grappling over rooftops for 35 seconds straight. Compared to theparkour abilities of the pastAssassin’s Creedprotagonists, Naoe’s movement looks notably more flashy, largely because she is all too happy to perform various flips and turns at every opportunity.
The video reveals that she has different flips for descending from a hanging position and jumping down, as well as launching forward while swinging with theAssassin’s Creed Shadowsgrappling hook. She can also perform a flashy flip while vaulting over objects or descending from small heights. As for the grappling hook itself, its animations seamlessly blend into Naoe’s movement and don’t look too gamey. The video also indicates thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowsmight offer some improvement in terms of cloth physics, as there’s very little clipping seen in it. Granted, this is a highly curated sequence that may not be representative of moment-to-moment gameplay in the finished product.
One thing that Ubisoft has yet to showcase is how parkour will work for Yasuke, the game’s other protagonist. The company previously confirmed thatYasuke and Naoe will play differently inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, both in terms of combat and movement. As far as the latter is concerned, the samurai won’t be nearly as agile as the shinobi, with Ubisoft stating that he’s not meant to run across rooftops so much as cut through enemies. Even still, Yasuke will have some opportunities to be stealthy and will be able to climb things like (suitably angled) trees.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
WHERE TO PLAY
Experience an epic historical action-adventure story set in feudal Japan! Become a lethal shinobi Assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open world in a time of chaos. Switch seamlessly between two unlikely allies as you discover their common destiny. Master complementary playstyles, create your shinobi league, customize your hideout, and usher in a new era for Japan.
