Summary
In the face of yet another delay now,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis continuing to press on toward new innovations in spite of what, at times, seems to be overwhelming odds. In its efforts to provide players with a one-of-a-kindAssassin’s Creedexperience,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis making some big changesto the series' parkour mechanics, which makes for a bit of a sharp turn after the last game,Assassin’s Creed Mirage, effectively brought its parkour system back in time, to the days ofAssassin’s Creed Unity.
In light of the fact thatAssassin’s Creed Shadows' parkour system is moving forward whereas its predecessor moved backward, it’s worth looking at how these mechanics differ between the two games — based on what has been revealed about the upcoming installment’s new parkour system, at least. When all is said and done, the two approaches should look starkly different from one another, ifAssassin’s Creed Shadows' new mechanics are as distinct as they claim to be.
How Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Parkour Compares to AC Mirage
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Dual Protagonists Have Distinct Parkour Mechanics
The most obvious difference betweenAssassin’s Creed Shadows' parkour and that ofMirageis thatACShadows' dual protagonistswill each have unique parkour mechanics, whereasMiragefeatures one protagonist and therefore only one set of mechanics. Firstly, Naoe can jump further and reach higher than Yasuke, as her character’s emphasis on agility allows her to move much more rapidly than Yasuke. Secondly, when players parkour down with Naoe, they should notice her descent to be more acrobatic in its execution than Yasuke’s, whose descent is characterized as “heavy.”
Thirdly, when it comes to sprinting, Naoe is able to gain great distance in a short amount of time, while Yasuke needs to gain momentum first. However, thanks to Yasuke’s larger, bulkier size, he can shoulder bash through destructible objects, while Naoe is required to dodge them. For the most part, Basim’s parkour mechanics inAssassin’s Creed Mirageare more likeNaoe’s inAC Shadowsthan they are like Yasuke’s, although Naoe’s parkour seems to emphasize acrobatics more than Basim’s.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Parkour Relies on Realism More Than Mirage’s
Another major difference betweenAssassin’s Creed Shadows' parkourandMirage’s isShadows' reliance on realism. Specifically, Ubisoft noted in theShadows' parkour overview that “Naoe and Yasuke will not be able to climb on surfaces that do not have physical handholds for them to grab onto.” This was all a part of the team’s efforts to create contrasting systems for Naoe and Yasuke, who each have a different approach to parkour. Basim, on the other hand, can climb almost any vertical surface, regardless of whether there are apparent handholds. This alone makesShadows' parkour by far the most distinctive system in the series yet.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' New Button-Mapping System Expands Parkour Abilities
Finally,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsfeatures a new button-mapping system that ultimately expands the parkour abilities ofNaoe and Yasukebeyond those of Basim and other protagonists throughout the series. It’s a simple change, swapping the Dodge and Crouch buttons, but it’s all for the purpose of implementingShadows' new prone stance, as well as the Dodge roll mechanics that lead seamlessly into the game’s parkour. Something else this accomplishes, however, is that it allows players to switch their stance without accidentally climbing down a wall, which has long been an issue inAssassin’s Creed.
So, not only isAssassin’s Creed Shadows' parkour quite a bit different fromMirage’s, it seems to be the very first parkour system like it in the series. This just goes to show Ubisoft’s efforts to ensure players don’t just get anotherAssassin’s Creedgame, but they get one that has the foundation of anAssassin’s Creedgame with plenty of unique elements built on top of that foundation.
