Assassin’s Creed shadows: A Deep Dive into Feudal Japan

After two delays, players can finally immerse themselves in feudal Japan with assassin’s Creed Shadows, the first title in the series in six years for Ubisoft Quebec.

According to thierry dansereau, artistic director at Ubisoft Quebec, this installment is “probably the most large-scale of the open-world Assassin’s Creed.”

“For one kilometer in the game,we cover about 16 km in real life.[[Shadows]is a real postcard [of central Japan].”

Thierry Dansereau, artistic director at Ubisoft Québec

To enhance realism, relics from the era, such as temples, were 3D-scanned using photogrammetry technology for integration into the game.

Dansereau notes, “Cultures keep good track of their history. This is especially true of the Japanese. There are many temples that still exist today” or have been faithfully reconstructed.

Building a world: Challenges and Cultural Nuances

Despite the numerous standing monuments, Ubisoft Quebec faced significant challenges, primarily due to the vast differences between Japanese and Western cultures. Consequently, part of the team traveled to Japan during production.

the Dual Protagonists: Yasuke and Naoe

Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers a unique gameplay experience with two playable characters: Yasuke, the samurai, and Naoe, the shinobi.

the choice of Yasuke as a protagonist has sparked debate, with some viewing it as a diversity and inclusion misstep. Though, Thierry Dansereau offers a different perspective: “We wanted to avoid having a jack of all trade character. We saw in him the prospect to have the point of view of someone who comes from outside Japan,and who has an external view of the culture.“

Yasuke’s height, approximately 1.83 m (6 ft), also sets him apart, “potentially [25 centimeters more] than the average Japanese person of the time,” according to Dansereau. His height impacts gameplay, making it harder for him to conceal himself.

In contrast to Yasuke, Naoe offers a stealth-focused experience, providing “a completely different way to play,” he adds.

High Expectations for assassin’s Creed Shadows

The pressure is on for Ubisoft quebec. In September, the studio decided to delay the game’s release by three months and refund all pre-orders. In January, the launch was postponed again, this time by a month, to ensure the title meets expectations.

Ubisoft has faced challenges in recent months, including lower-than-expected sales for Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontier of Pandora.

In 2024, Ubisoft’s stock has fallen by 40%. Last october, Bloomberg reported that Tencent and the Guillemot family, Ubisoft’s owners, were exploring a buyout and delisting from the stock exchange.

Dansereau states, “From a personal point of view, I am extremely proud of what the team has managed to produce, especially in the particular context with everything that is happening on social networks.“

“We, what we control, is the quality of the game we make. A lot of people wanted to work on this game at Ubisoft. We put everything into it.”

Thierry Dansereau, artistic director at Ubisoft Québec

Ultimately, he concludes, the players will have the final say.