The parkour mechanics in Assassin’s Creed Shadows were put to the test by two professional parkour athletes. Discover how realistic the game's movement system is and how the development team brought Feudal Japan to life.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Prepares for Launch
Parkour Experts Call Out Moves in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
In a PC Gamer “Reality Check” video released on March 15, UK parkour specialists Toby Segar and Benj Cave from team STORROR shared their perspectives on the realism of parkour in Assassin’s Creed Shadows and earlier titles in the franchise. Both are longtime fans of the series and are currently developing their own parkour-focused video game, STORROR Parkour Pro.
During the video, Segar identified a particular moment in AC Shadows where the protagonist Yasuke performs what he described as a “hate crime against parkour.” He was referring to a maneuver where Yasuke hoists himself up from a ledge using his knee to support his full body weight. This technique, known as an “alpine knee,” is generally avoided in real-world parkour because it places excessive strain on the knee and poses a serious injury risk.
In addition to scaling smooth surfaces and walking tightropes with perfect balance, Cave noted that one of the most unrealistic aspects of the series is the characters’ seemingly endless stamina. He explained, “In real parkour, nobody just sprints and jumps without assessing the situation first. Authentic parkour is a much slower process—you check your route, measure distances, and prepare carefully.”
While AC Shadows is clearly a work of fiction and doesn’t mirror reality in every respect, Ubisoft has made clear efforts to inject a degree of realism into the parkour system. In a January interview with IGN, Game Director Charles Benoit shared that part of the reason for the game’s delayed launch was the extra time dedicated to refining its parkour mechanics.
Immersing Players in Feudal Japan
Even though the game is set in a fictional conflict between Templars and Assassins, Ubisoft is committed to offering historical insight through its new “Cultural Discovery” mode. In a March 18 post on the company's website, Editorial Comms Manager Chastity Vicencio detailed how the development team is integrating the history of Feudal Japan into the experience.
She stated, “As part of the in-game Codex, this feature provides players with carefully researched entries covering the history, art, and culture of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. These cultural entries were authored by historians and include images sourced from museums and cultural institutions.” Unlike the History of Baghdad feature in AC Mirage, Cultural Discovery will launch with over 125 entries, with more planned for future updates.
This ambitious approach did not come without challenges. In a March 17 interview with The Guardian, the AC Shadows development team opened up about the difficulties they faced in recreating Feudal Japan. Fans have long requested a Japanese setting for an Assassin’s Creed title, and AC Shadows aims to fulfill that demand.
Executive Producer Marc-Alexis Coté reflected on the decision to finally set the game in Japan, saying, “I’ve been working on this franchise for 16 years, and every time we start a new project, the question of Japan comes up. We’ve never moved beyond the initial concept phase for a Japan setting—until now.”
Creative Director Johnathan Dumont added that the team spared no effort in building an authentic world, collaborating with in-house historians and visiting Kyoto and Osaka to gather reference material and deepen their understanding of the period.
Despite the technological resources available, the team encountered unexpected obstacles, such as accurately capturing the unique quality of light in Japan’s mountainous regions. Through dedicated effort and extensive research, they eventually succeeded in recreating the atmosphere of the setting. Coté acknowledged, “Expectations were high from the start. It’s been a real challenge.”
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is scheduled to launch on March 20, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For the latest updates on the game, be sure to read our related article below.
