Parkour Pros Assess Assassin's Creed Shadows Moves

Two professional parkour athletes recently evaluated the movement physics in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Discover how the game's parkour system holds up to real-world standards and how developers authentically recreated Feudal Japan's environment.

Assassin's Creed Shadows Prepares for Launch

Parkour Analysis Reveals Realism Challenges

In a PC Gamer feature published March 15, parkour specialists Toby Segar and Benj Cave from UK team STORROR examined the physical accuracy of Assassin's Creed Shadows' movement system, comparing it to previous franchise installments. The athletes, who are developing their own parkour simulation game called STORROR Parkour Pro, are longtime fans of the series.

During the analysis, Segar highlighted a concerning technique where protagonist Yasuke uses his knee to pull himself up from ledges - a move parkour professionals call the "alpine knee." This maneuver, while visually dramatic, would realistically cause severe knee injuries due to improper weight distribution.

Beyond physical impossibilities like scaling perfectly smooth surfaces, Cave noted the most unrealistic element remains the protagonists' endless stamina. He explained: "Actual parkour requires constant evaluation - practitioners measure distances, test surfaces, and prepare each movement carefully. The continuous, unbroken sequences in the game simply don't reflect real-world parkour."

While acknowledging the game's fictional nature, developers at Ubisoft have worked to incorporate realistic movement mechanics. Game Director Charles Benoit confirmed in a January IGN interview that refining the parkour system contributed to the title's development timeline.

Historical Authenticity in Feudal Japan

Alongside its fictional narrative, Assassin's Creed Shadows includes a "Cultural Discovery" mode providing historical context for Feudal Japan. According to Ubisoft's Chastity Vicencio, this expanded encyclopedia features over 125 entries written by professional historians, supplementing the experience with authentic period artwork and documentation.

Creating this historical setting presented significant challenges. Executive Producer Marc-Alexis Coté explained in a Guardian interview how the team conducted extensive research trips to Kyoto and Osaka, consulting historians to accurately capture the Azuchi-Momoyama period. "We've considered a Japanese setting for sixteen years," Coté revealed, "but only now felt technically prepared to do it justice."

The development team faced unique environmental challenges, particularly in replicating Japan's distinctive mountain lighting. "The expectations were extremely high throughout development," Coté admitted. "It's been our most ambitious historical recreation yet."

Assassin's Creed Shadows launches March 20, 2025 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. For ongoing updates about the game's development, stay tuned to our coverage.