As we step into 2025, Assassin's Creed Shadows is just few months away from its highly anticipated release. For Ubisoft, this is more than just another installment—it’s a pivotal title that could shape the future of the franchise, especially following the recent backlash the company has faced. Assassin's Creed Shadows might very well determine the series’ trajectory.
Ubisoft has promised a return to more traditional gameplay, reminiscent of the earlier Assassin's Creed titles, emphasizing stealth and a deeper “assassin” experience. In the latest gameplay reveal, Naoe, described as Ubisoft’s "fastest assassin ever", showcases a variety of changes, improvements, and additions that aim to elevate the series in this upcoming entry.
Parkour!
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) January 7, 2025
Read more about Assassin's Creed Shadows parkour in this new gameplay overview article: https://t.co/wLcwbVRpMz#AssassinsCreed pic.twitter.com/0iYEMEmsNZ
A recent blog post by director Simon Lemay-Comtois outlined several exciting updates and tweaks to the parkour system in Assassin's Creed Shadows.
Parkour has always been a core aspect of Assassin's Creed's identity. In earlier titles, parkour felt almost like a mini-game, where mastering the mechanics allowed skilled players to traverse the map with speed and finesse. Many fans still consider Assassin's Creed Unity to have some of the best parkour mechanics in gaming history.
In contrast, the newer generation of Assassin's Creed games has adopted a more straightforward traversal system, simplifying parkour and allowing players to scale vertical surfaces to their heart's content. However, Assassin's Creed Shadows seems poised to return to the more intricate parkour systems of earlier titles, recapturing the essence of what made exploration in the series so rewarding.
"It is important to note that Naoe and Yasuke will not be able to climb on surfaces that do not have physical handholds for them to grab onto.
This means we had to be more thoughtful about creating interesting parkour highways and afforded us more control over where Naoe can go, and where Yasuke can't, making our two playstyles even more contrasted."
Ubisoft has promised distinct gameplay experiences for the two protagonists in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Yasuke focuses on brute force and close combat, drawing parallels to the combat systems of "new generation" Assassin's Creed titles like Assasin's Creed Odyssey and Assasin's Creed Origins. Naoe, on the other hand, represents a more traditional Assassin's Creed approach, prioritizing stealth, parkour, and fast-paced combat.
The blog post elaborates on the unique features accessible to Naoe but unavailable to Yasuke. This suggests that Naoe will excel at traversal with her advanced parkour skills, complementing her stealth and agility-focused playstyle. Conversely, Yasuke’s raw strength makes him the ideal choice for players who enjoy direct and powerful combat.
Assassin's Creed Shadows is set to launch on March 20 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Don’t forget to use our comparator tool to secure the best deal on Assassin's Creed Shadows and prepare for this exciting addition to the Assassin's Creed saga.
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