TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise has come a long way. Since its beginnings in 2007, the series has taken gamers to numerous historical locations from Ancient Egypt to Renaissance-era Italy and Victorian-era London.Assassin’s Creed Shadowstakes the series tofeudal Japan, an era that fans of the series have long requested.
Game Rant caught up with several members of theAssassin’s Creed Shadowsdevelopment team to talk about its combat and gameplay. Game director Charles Benoit, art director Thierry Dansereau, associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois, graphic architecture team lead Dominic Gladu-Despatis, and associate narrative director Brooke Davies all opened up on what to expect from the game in terms of its combat and the gameplay loop.This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Breaking down Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Combat Mechanics
Q: How do the combat mechanics inAssassin’s Creed Shadowsaccommodate different player approaches, such as favoring stealth over direct confrontation, especially given the contrasting playstyles of the two protagonists?
Benoit:With Naoe, the approach we’re pushing for is to vanish and go back to stealth, to be as efficient as possible. However, Naoe can be quite good at fighting too, and we have a couple of mechanics embedded in her fighting toolkit, that can help you. Using Naoe’s deflect to put enemies in a vulnerable state and chaining them with a light posture attack to inflict what we call a “weak point” attack, is probably the best way. As you build your character and unlock new gear and abilities, you’ll see good opportunities to mix and match “perks” that can give you an edge, to quickly finish up enemies with bleed affliction or the ability to perform an assassination while in combat, for example.
Q: In what ways might environmental factors, like dynamic lighting and seasonal changes, influence combat strategies and enemy behavior within the game?
Dansereau: Our goal withAC Shadowswas to make a world that looked beautiful, but also that would have an impact on the gameplay. A world that would change and offer replayability to our players. To do so, many new systems were made to support our ambition. For example, through multi-state entities, vegetation will be different depending on the season – it will bring different opportunities in gameplay for the player since the hiding areas will be modified. Weather states and the time of day will also have an impact on the gameplay in many ways. Fog, rain, night, and seasons to name a few, will affect the AI detection and behaviors, which will offer a more dynamic and changing gameplay experience. For example, if you go into a castle during heavy rain, high-ranked enemies will seek cover inside buildings, while the basic enemy will stay out to stand guard during the storm, forcing you to adapt your approach.
AC Shadow’s Tools Explained
Q: What can you tell us about the available tools and their roles in combat, assassinations, stealth, and so forth?
Benoit: The kunai is my favorite, to kill an enemy in one shot, at range; it’s like an assassination at range. We also have the classic smoke bomb to either vanish or stun enemies in order to assassinate them one by one. The bells are also useful when combined with assassinations. you’re able to isolate an enemy by attracting him away from others, or position the enemy in a good spot if he’s protecting himself from the rain under a rooftop. Finally, we have the iconic Shinobi tool, the shuriken. It’s a good tool to create distraction, break lights to cover you in darkness, and in combat, in combination with your quick shot, you can stagger enemies or make them fall over.
Q: How does the combat system differentiate between Naoe’s stealth-based takedowns and her open combat scenarios?
Benoit: While hidden,Naoe has access to stealth takedownswith her different ways to assassinate, as well as her Kunai. All of these remove a certain amount of health from the enemy, so the more you progress, the more you may one-shot your enemies. However, in open combat, Naoe must rely on her weapons - katana, kusarigama or the tanto & hidden blade dual-wielding option. Using the best fight moves and abilities is key and finishing enemies quickly since she doesn’t have that much armor and/or health to survive.
Q: Can you discuss how the enemy AI works in combat scenarios, particularly how enemies respond to the unique combat techniques of Yasuke and Naoe?
Benoit: Enemies have access to different defensive options. The base soldiers don’t defend as much, while samurai and castle guards are a lot more reactive. You’ll see enemies being more passive with a block, but others will parry and counterattack. We have enemies that will dodge and quickly thrust, we have others that will quickly hit you if you’re trying to charge a posture attack, and we have others still, that will simply be more offensive, using unstoppable attacks, that you cannot interrupt or parry. So, over time and gameplay, you’ll get better at remembering the different archetypes and how they act and react to your techniques. Practice makes perfect!
Stealth and Enemy Detection in AC Shadows
Q: Likewise, can you expand on how stealth works and how enemy AI goes about detecting players?
Benoit: Enemies will start detecting you when they have you in line of sight, which is feedbacked by a perception meter on your screen. You’ll have a bit of time to react if the meter stays white, but as soon as it turns yellow, they will move to investigate you/the area, and if it turns red, it’s too late, and you’ll be detected. The speed of this meter is influenced by a couple of things. Distance, of course, is a major factor, but your ‘stance’ will affect it quite a lot. For example, if you are crouched or even better, in a prone position, you’ll be detected a lot slower. Time of day is also taken into consideration, so the darker it is, you’ll be noticed less, and you can even completely vanish in the darkest zones.
Another thing to consider inAC Shadowsis your noise; proning is silent, crouching can make some noise, and sprinting is quite noisy. When an enemy hears something, they’ll turn and look, so it’s something you need to manage and take into account for your approaches and gameplay. If you want even more challenge, you can play with the expert mode, where the roofs are not safe anymore and enemies can spot you. In this mode, you need to use prone to cut line of sight or go on the ground to use the different hiding spots, stalking zones, and light and shadows at night to stay unnoticed.
Q: Can you discuss the situational benefits and drawbacks related to each of Yasuke and Naoe’s weapons?
Benoit:Naoe’s weapons come with a special way to assassinate, so usually my first question is: how do I want to assassinate? For example, the katana can stab enemies through shoji doors and the tanto gives you access to double assassination. In terms of combat, katana is a strong 1 vs 1 weapon, kusarigama is good for crowd control, and the tanto is quite fast but doesn’t stagger enemies.
For Yasuke, it’s all about fighting. His long katana is the fastest weapon, but more dedicated to a duel. Naginata is versatile and can be good for 1 on 1, but also crowd control when things get dicey. The kanabo is the strongest, but the slowest weapon. The bow is an excellent ranged weapon for Yasuke, especially for stealth, but less powerful than the teppo (gun) which is noisy, lethal, and takes time to reload. You can be overtaken quickly if you try and use it against multiple enemies at close range.
Parkour Has Been Overhauled in AC Shadows
Q: Can you detail your approach to the parkour system inAC Shadows? Can you speak to the complexity, as well as how the two protagonists operate differently within this system?
Lemay-Comtois: Japan’s architecture during the Sengoku period is unique. Our goal was to capture a sense of time and place first and foremost, and so ourparkour approach forAC Shadowshad to follow the architecture and landscape of Japan. Naoe’s parkour has been stylized to fit her acrobatic style, of course – but it has also been extended in a few key areas inherent to Japanese architecture in order for Naoe to cover more distance in less time – including her grappling hook, which allows her to reach large overhangs that can’t accommodate regular parkour, and a revamped “beam sprint” variation inspired by a popular Anime series the team particularly appreciates, just to name a few.
Yasuke’s parkour is much more basic– he doesn’t have the leaping ability nor the speed that Naoe has, so our approach for him is literally more grounded: the way to move efficiently with Yasuke is to look for the path most (non-assassin) human beings would take: staircases, ladders, piles of crates, well-worn trails, etc. – and move along the path taken by NPCs – which also allows you to take in the incredible ornaments and decorations of the period, which were meant to be appreciated from the ground rather than the rooftops.
Q: A setting’s environment always plays a major role in how the parkour works. Could you discuss how Japanese architecture andAC Shadows’ specific locations played a factor in parkour? Was Japanese architecture inherently conducive to the parkour improvements of AC Shadows or did it present a lot of challenges?
Dominic Gladu-Despatis: Thearchitecture research forAC Shadowscontributed to the way a player parkours on several levels.
Regarding the player’s orientation towards his objectives - as you come across huge temples and castles, looking up at it all gives direction and a captivating objective for the player each time they play or enter a new area. The same goes for the uniqueness of the architecture seen as you perform rooftop stealth gameplay – it gives players unique ways to reach their objectives more discreetly. This type of architecture was a challenging one to incorporate, compared to previousACgames. Its complexity and the need for it to be credible and accurate, was difficult, in terms of making it comfortable for parkour routes, but we worked diligently with our talented programmers and designers, to achieve great visual representation and quality that you see in the final product.
Q: How would you compareAC Shadows’ parkour system to past games?
Lemay-Comtois:Like many things inACShadows, it’s a blend of “old-school” implementations– mandatory handgrips, hard jump metrics, important distinctions between parkour up and parkour down – while incorporating a few “new-school” features such as stance-switching (which now includes a prone stance), automated passovers, and deep levels of destruction on most elements you can bump into, which has some relevance as to what Yasuke can climb onto or explode under his weight. While not all of these additions might not register as being part of the “Parkour” per se, these new ingredients all figure into the locomotion options - and, by extension, our stealth experience in deeper ways than in previous titles.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Will Feature Plenty of Side Activities
Q: Can you detail all the available side activities inAC Shadows? Is there anything similar in theme or role compared toAC Valhalla’s Flyting or Orlog?
Benoit:All activities inAC Shadowsare important for the growth of our two heroes. Each of them builds “Knowledge”, which unlocks new skills. Some are specific to Naoe: the kuji-kiri, which is a timing and memory challenge that puts you in a meditating environment. As well as the hidden trails present some parkour and grappling hooks in a natural environment. Some are specific to Yasuke: The kata, where you need to follow a series of fight moves in a certain amount of time, or the horse archery, where you need to aim and shoot at targets on a path with your bow.
Some can be done by either. The shrines are a peaceful place where you can pray at different places. The temples are ancient places where some lost pages of scrolls are scattered around and you need to collect them. When the lost pages are on a rooftop, for example, sometimes only Naoe (with her grappling hook) will be able to get them. There is also the Sumi-e, where you need to approach some animals silently (in the wild) to paint them and their behavior. You will even be able to hang those paintings in your hideout. We have the castles, where you need to find the Samurai Daisho, kill them, and loot the castle’s legendary chest. Finally, we have the Kofun, which are either for Naoe or Yasuke; some are caves where you need the grappling hook, and some are old passages that you need to move heavy things around.
Q: Do you have any particular favorite side activity inAC Shadows?
Benoit: I really like the castles when I want action. They are fun in stealth and combat and very different depending on whether you do it with Naoe or Yasuke. But when I’m just wandering around, I also enjoy the Sumi-e, which is a quick activity to complete and surprising each time.
How Romance Factors into AC Shadows
Q: Can you discuss how romance will work inAC Shadowsand perhaps provide an example or two of these romances? How does Canon Mode affect romance?
Davies: When designing and dreaming about romance in Shadows, we knew that we wanted to explore a range of connections and relationships ranging from platonic bonds to brief sparks and deep, lasting love that allow Naoe and Yasuke to explore different parts of themselves. Because Naoe and Yasuke are different people, they each have unique romance possibilities and connections. None of our love stories are canon, so players can choose for themselves who—or who not—to pursue. For this reason, in the canon mode, which is removing choices to provide a more linear experience to players, there is no romance possible.
Q: What inspired the inclusion of a fully customizable hideout, and how does it integrate with the game’s narrative and character development?
Benoit: We wanted a place to be your new home, where you may feel you’re progressing in yourjourney throughAC Shadowsby seeing it grow and being able to see again the important characters you met. So having a home, what’s better than being able to customize it the way you want so it feels even more personal?
Q: Can you elaborate on the range of customization options available for the hideout, such as structural and decorative elements, and how they can impact gameplay and immersion? How much do these aim for historical authenticity?
Benoit: There are 2 main functions in the hideout. We have the main buildings that will unlock various gameplay elements, as well as new ones if you upgrade them. We also have more cosmetic buildings and props that will unlock some behaviors for the characters living there, but they are mostly for you to create the look you want for your hideout. Each building can be placed where you want; you can rotate them, move them, and even connect them to other buildings, which will fuse the roof and walls together. You can change the roof or the wall appearance of those buildings, as well as some interior layouts and stations.
In those stations, you put the things you collected in your adventures, even yourarmor and weaponscan be exposed. As for the exterior, you have multiple things that you may place, like rocks, trees, lights, paths, gardens, statues, and even animals to cross in cities or the ones you paint in the Sumi-e activity. In the mood to pet your cats or dogs, they’ll be there waiting for you! With all those options, we wanted to provide players with as much granularity as possible, so that they really create a place to call home.
Recruitable Allies Make a Return in AC Shadows
Q: Can you talk about the unique allies you can recruit in your hideout? How does the system build on/compare toAC Brotherhood’s similar system orAC Valhalla’s Settlement?
Benoit: Players will see inspiration from our past games, where you find characters and they then help you in your missions.ForAC Shadows, some characters can be encountered in questsor in the open world. Those characters will join your “league”, and you can continue to build relationships with them afterward, and some will even have some romance. You’ll see them at your hideout and even experience interactions between some of them. In terms of gameplay, you can bring one (ally) with you and call them to unleash his or her special ability, as you need.
Q: How does training your crew work, and will this system be used for any fun, special guests? (Could we recruit Kassandra or otherACCharacters?)
Benoit: When you build the Dojo and upgrade it, you’ll have access to a second ally that you can bring with you. You can even train them to develop their abilities and unlock new ones. Each of them has a base active ability, but with training, they can acquire some new passive abilities on top of it. Those allies are tied to Naoe and Yasuke’s story and grounded in the Japanese world and fantasy.
Q: What led to the choice to remove the bird companion and focus entirely on Eagle Vision?
Benoit: We create giant and beautiful worlds, with a lot of subtleties and uniqueness. InAC Shadows, the goal was to bring/use the eyes of the player on/into the world and have them discover it more naturally,with Naoe and Yasuke. We want you to observe the world and be surprised by it, creating tension in how you’ll navigate in places like the new castles, in terms of what will be next in sections of it as you play. Taking out the bird companion, for example, limits spoiling too much of what’s to come, find and play through.
AC Shadows' Map Size Explained
Q: It has been previously stated thatShadows’ map size is in line with the recent open-world RPGs but more to scale withAC Origins. Could you explain what “to scale” means here?
Dansereau: The Japanese landscape is very mountainous and to create a credible world where mountains feel and look like mountains, we’ve decided to go with the most realistic scale ratio since the open-world formula. So, yes, thegameplay areas are roughly the size ofOrigins, but the scale ratio is truly unique and tailored to fit the needs of the game. InShadows,the scale ratio is 1:16, which means that 1 km in game equals 16 km in real world distance. In comparison,Odysseyhad around a 1:40 scale ratio.
Q: Could you walk us through the development of some ofAC Shadows’ new gameplay systems, like the underwater bamboo, the ability to go prone and crawl, or the breakable enemy armor?
Benoit: A lot of new gameplay and mechanics are inspired byShinobi and Samurai fantasy. For example, Samurai can be relaxed or be heavily armored, which is a good lever for difficulty and progression, so we built a mechanic around the armor that added extra challenge to the fights. The light and shadows were a no-brainer for stealth gameplay, but even more for a Shinobi experience. For things like prone, it’s a good stealth addition, but even more so for our Japanese setting, where a lot of props are low and roofs angled, which is perfect for proning.
Q: There’s been a lot said about the weather/seasonal system so far, but if you had to highlight one aspect of it that really stands out to you, what would it be?
Dansereau: One of the aspects that I love the most aboutthe world ofAC Shadowsis actually living it. There is something special about how the world constantly changes through the different weather states, times of day, and seasons. Since all our systems interact with each other, there is something that I found to be very immersive, which makes me play in a different way than I used to when playing video games. InShadows,I’m taking more of my time to look at my surroundings and follow where paths will lead me.
How AC Shadows Juggles Dual Protagonists
Q: How did the inclusion of dual protagonists (with diverging playstyles) impact mission design? Are set pieces designed specifically around both playstyles or have they been left open-ended?
Benoit: We always had a more 360 approach to supporting the open world, with the stealth and combat in our past RPGs, so there’s a continuity of that. But we also took advantage of thedual protagonists, for specific moments and specific quests, to craft something with a higher challenge in combat or stealth, and we know it’s specific for one character or the other.
Q: Can you talk a bit about the gameplay length/story relevancy between Yasuke and Naoe? Would you say that each character gets a 50/50 representation in the game?
Benoit: Both characters can be played how you want. You can choose to play most of the game with one or the other character, or you can split 50/50. In terms of personal quests or screen time in cinematics, they are pretty much 50/50 as well.
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