This year's Assassin's Creed: Shadows is an important step in the ongoing evolution of the blockbuster Ubisoft series. Now almost 20 years old, Assassin's Creed thrives on consistently delivering smooth, sleek gameplay for those wish to step into the Animus, and its protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke, define the next era of movement for the Brotherhood.
Simon Lemay-Comtois, associate game on director on Assassin's Creed: Shadows, explained as much to us himself. "[Yasuke and Naoe] have very different physicalities in how they move," he tells GamesRadar+. "I think any future assassin that we embody, if they are male, if they're slightly bigger, all these things can and should affect a little bit of how their physicality translates in the world."
Shadows takes place in the Kansai region of Japan during the 1500s, offering a rich, dynamic blend of castles, townships, strongholds and other architectural locales to explore and sneak around. The sheer amount of detail is staggering, as has become a hallmark of the franchise, and there are aspects of the heroes that widened the possibilities for skulking around here.
In particular, you have Naoe's grappling hook, making upward and downward climbs easier and faster than before. It's a kind of agility we haven't seen in Assassin’s Creed prior, taken further by Yasuke's spry nature.
As Lemay-Comtois suggests, there's a lot to consider in how the devs can take this further. Different body shapes can open up certain ways of maneuvering and unlocking the world, requiring a tandem effort to get everywhere and develop a satisfying rapport with the game.
Of course, we don't yet know what Assassin's Creed will follow Shadows, but wherever it is, we can now expect even more dynamics from our heroes. Another weapon in the battle against the Templars.
