Assassin’s Creed Shadows Movements Reviewed by Two Parkour Athletes

Dive into the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows as two renowned parkour athletes from STORROR, Toby Segar and Benj Cave, give their expert insights on the game's parkour realism. This article explores how Ubisoft strives to bring Feudal Japan to life, blending historical accuracy with thrilling gameplay.

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, Toby Segar and Benj Cave from the UK's STORROR team offered their take on the parkour realism in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. As avid fans of the series, they're also developing their own parkour-based game, STORROR Parkour Pro, which adds a unique perspective to their critique.

Segar pinpointed a specific scene in AC Shadows featuring protagonist Yasuke using an "alpine knee" to ascend a ledge. He dubbed this move a "hate crime against parkour" due to its impracticality in real-life scenarios, where such a technique could lead to knee injuries.

Cave highlighted other unrealistic elements, such as characters effortlessly scaling structures without ledges and balancing on tightropes. He stressed the unrealistic portrayal of unlimited endurance, stating, "In parkour, no one ever just runs and commits to stuff without looking. In parkour in real life, you check, you measure, you prep, and it’s such a slower process."

While Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a fictional game, Ubisoft has made significant efforts to enhance parkour realism. In a January interview with IGN, AC Shadows Game Director Charles Benoit explained that the game’s delayed release was to refine these mechanics.

Bringing Players Closer to Feudal Japan

Ubisoft is also committed to immersing players in the historical context of Feudal Japan through the "Cultural Discovery" section. As detailed on their website by Ubisoft Editorial Comms Manager Chastity Vicencio, this feature offers an in-game Codex with over 125 entries at launch, detailing the history, art, and culture of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. These entries, crafted by historians and featuring museum images, promise a deep dive into Japan's past.

The development team faced numerous challenges in authentically recreating Feudal Japan, as revealed in an interview with The Guardian. Ubisoft Executive Producer Marc-Alexis Coté explained the long-standing interest in setting an Assassin’s Creed game in Japan, stating, "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?" This time, the team finally pushed beyond the conception phase.

Ubisoft Creative Director Johnathan Dumont emphasized the extensive efforts to capture the essence of Japan, including collaborating with historians and visiting Kyoto and Osaka. Despite challenges such as accurately depicting the unique light in Japan's mountains, the team's dedication has paid off.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows is poised for release on March 20, 2025, across PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Keep an eye on our updates for the latest on Assassin’s Creed Shadows!