Summary
Despite the fact thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowshas been making waves since its release and continues to prove itself as a successful and notable entry in the series, it isn’t entirely strong on all fronts, and that includes its parkour mechanics. While much of this was done intentionally by Ubisoft,Assassin’s Creed Shadows' parkouris still a bit rough around the edges at times — not necessarily from a technical standpoint but from a mechanical standpoint in general. Now, given the nature of its presumed setting, the upcomingAssassin’s Creedentry currently titled “Codename Hexe” may share a similar shortcoming.
Very few details aboutAssassin’s Creed Hexehave been revealed so far, with most of what is currently “known” about it ultimately chalked up to speculation and rumors. Still, that speculation and those rumors seem more likely to be true than not, and if they are,Assassin’s Creed Hexecould be setting itself up to fall short in its parkour mechanics, withAssassin’s Creed Shadowspotentially being a sign of what’s to come there. If that’s the case, Ubisoft’s only option may be to ensure those parkour mechanics fit within the context of the game, much likeAssassin’s Creed Shadowsdid with its own parkour.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe’s Parkour May Be as Weak as AC Shadows'
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Parkour Is Grounded and Limited
While theAssassin’s Creedseries has long been known for its iconic stealth gameplay, its parkour mechanics have almost always come in at a close second. Whether players are leaping across rooftops or performing massive Leaps of Faith from skyscraping geographical and manmade structures,Assassin’s Creed’s parkourhas given them a chance to experience the highest heights and deepest depths of the series' universe in a fast-paced, action-packed way that appeals to player power fantasy. Unfortunately, things have been rather limited inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, albeit intentionally.
TheAssassin’s Creedseries has showcased various parkour systems throughout its history, but among these,Assassin’s Creed Unityis widely regarded as having the most refined and immersive parkour mechanics.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' world is designed to encourage a more grounded approach than the series ever has before, despite feudal Japan presenting what appears to be a more vertical world. This is largely due to the increased difficulty ofAssassin’s Creed Shadowsand its new stealth system, however, so a more grounded parkour approach makes sense. Rather than allowing players to avoid or escape danger via rooftops and treetops,Assassin’s Creed Shadowsdoes its best to encourage players to remain on the ground, which is even further emphasized by Yasuke’s inability to use parkour in the way that Naoe can.
Assassin’s Creed Shadowsmakes it fairly difficult for players to discern what is climbable and what isn’t, as it has opted for a more realistic approach that not only features fewer climbable structures than almost any other entry but also requires those structures to have visible handholds. Not every structure with what appears to have visible handholds is climbable though, making things even more difficult. On top of all of that, it’s sometimes challenging to discern whereAssassin’s Creed Shadows' Naoemight land after she leaps off a building or tree, making death by falling all the easier to achieve.
Assassin’s Creed Hexe’s Presumed Setting May Not Leave Much Room for Parkour
Again, next to nothing has been officially confirmed aboutAssassin’s Creed Hexe’s setting, but it will reportedly be set in 16th or 17th-century Central Europe, during the height of the witch trials in the Holy Roman Empire. If it truly does take place during that time period and in that geographical location, its parkour can be expected to be just as weak asAssassin’s Creed Shadows' has proven to be. The architecture of the period, characterized by narrow alleys and modestly scaled buildings, doesn’t naturally lend itself to expansive parkour sequences. This may produce a more grounded approach to parkour, just likeAssassin’s Creed Shadows.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' world is designed to encourage a more grounded approach than the series ever has before, despite feudal Japan presenting what appears to be a more vertical world.
IfAssassin’s Creed Hexereally does end up following inACShadows' footsteps, then it will need to be intentional about how its parkour functions within that world. A more grounded approach isn’t inherently a weakness, but it becomes one if it either limits player freedom or subtracts from what is one ofAssassin’s Creed’s most iconic elements.Assassin’s Creedhas always balanced stealth and freedom of movement, and ifACHexemoves too far in one direction, it risks one of the franchise’s core pillars falling short.
