New parkour mechanics in Assassin's Creed Shadows look promising

GAMING NEWS Rine Ikarus - Jan 10, 2025, 1:53 PM - 60 comments

As we step into 2025, Assassin's Creed Shadows is just few months away from its highly anticipated release. For Ubisoft, this is more than just another installment—it’s a pivotal title that could shape the future of the franchise, especially following the recent backlash the company has faced. Assassin's Creed Shadows might very well determine the series’ trajectory.

Ubisoft has promised a return to more traditional gameplay, reminiscent of the earlier Assassin's Creed titles, emphasizing stealth and a deeper “assassin” experience. In the latest gameplay reveal, Naoe, described as Ubisoft’s "fastest assassin ever", showcases a variety of changes, improvements, and additions that aim to elevate the series in this upcoming entry.

Parkour!

Read more about Assassin's Creed Shadows parkour in this new gameplay overview article: https://t.co/wLcwbVRpMz #AssassinsCreed pic.twitter.com/0iYEMEmsNZ
— Assassin's Creed (@assassinscreed) January 7, 2025

A recent blog post by director Simon Lemay-Comtois outlined several exciting updates and tweaks to the parkour system in Assassin's Creed Shadows.

You will like the new parkour system

Parkour has always been a core aspect of Assassin's Creed's identity. In earlier titles, parkour felt almost like a mini-game, where mastering the mechanics allowed skilled players to traverse the map with speed and finesse. Many fans still consider Assassin's Creed Unity to have some of the best parkour mechanics in gaming history.

In contrast, the newer generation of Assassin's Creed games has adopted a more straightforward traversal system, simplifying parkour and allowing players to scale vertical surfaces to their heart's content. However, Assassin's Creed Shadows seems poised to return to the more intricate parkour systems of earlier titles, recapturing the essence of what made exploration in the series so rewarding.

"It is important to note that Naoe and Yasuke will not be able to climb on surfaces that do not have physical handholds for them to grab onto.

This means we had to be more thoughtful about creating interesting parkour highways and afforded us more control over where Naoe can go, and where Yasuke can't, making our two playstyles even more contrasted."

Ubisoft has promised distinct gameplay experiences for the two protagonists in Assassin's Creed Shadows. Yasuke focuses on brute force and close combat, drawing parallels to the combat systems of "new generation" Assassin's Creed titles like Assasin's Creed Odyssey and Assasin's Creed Origins. Naoe, on the other hand, represents a more traditional Assassin's Creed approach, prioritizing stealth, parkour, and fast-paced combat.

The blog post elaborates on the unique features accessible to Naoe but unavailable to Yasuke. This suggests that Naoe will excel at traversal with her advanced parkour skills, complementing her stealth and agility-focused playstyle. Conversely, Yasuke’s raw strength makes him the ideal choice for players who enjoy direct and powerful combat.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is set to launch on March 20 for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC. Don’t forget to use our comparator tool to secure the best deal on Assassin's Creed Shadows and prepare for this exciting addition to the Assassin's Creed saga.

SlDiorite5

Jan 28, 2026, 4:02 PM

The parkour in Assassin's Creed Shadows is more refined, so to speak, than previous entries. It's the same formula, but everything is fluid and functional, there's barely any issues when you're trying to jump on a platform or climb a window frame. Some players might dislike that you can't simply climb on everything now, but it's still a big focus of the game and it's in a great place.

gennyshark

Jan 28, 2026, 11:34 AM

Assassin's Creed Shadows' parkour looks really well done: the game's female protagonist, Naoe, moves across rooftops performing spectacular somersaults.The character animations seem to have received a substantial boost compared to the latest episodes of the series and are somewhat reminiscent of the work done in the days of Assassin's Creed Unity, which recently came back into fashion thanks to the Paris Olympics.In particular, there is a certain attention to the way the Assassin lands after each leap, as well as to the use of the grappling hook, thanks to which she can swing from one handhold to another and possibly reach otherwise inaccessible areas.

Baris4hin

Jan 24, 2026, 9:36 PM

The new parkour mechanics in Assassin’s Creed Shadows look really promising! It’s great to see Ubisoft putting more thought into traversal again and making movement feel intentional rather than just a convenience. The contrast between the two protagonists’ playstyles—especially Naoe’s agility—adds even more depth. Can’t wait to try it out!

djockoko

Jan 24, 2026, 7:30 PM

For me, the parkour of Shadows is an interesting compromise between old and new Assassin’s Creed. It is more technical than in previous games, without being as rigid as the very first ones. Level design plays a key role: when it’s good, parkour is fluid and rewarding, when it’s less so, the experience deteriorates quickly. Despite its flaws, this system finally gives the impression of embodying an assassin and not just an automatic climber. I hope that Ubisoft will continue on this path and not go back in time with an automatic escalation

groozie

Jan 24, 2026, 3:15 PM

This new parkour won’t please everyone, and I understand why. He is less permissive than in Odyssey or Valhalla, but that’s exactly what I appreciate. Shadows asks to read the environment and plan one’s movements. In cities, it works very well, with clear and logical routes. On the other hand, in some more natural settings, the system shows its limits. The difference in mobility between the characters is interesting in substance, even if it can frustrate over time

Adna

Jan 23, 2026, 9:22 PM

Assassin's Creed: Shadows refines parkour with fluid, responsive climbing that lets you scale towering pagodas and rugged mountains effortlessly. Naoe's lightweight shinobi moves emphasize momentum, with seamless wall-runs and chainable grapples for exhilarating vertical exploration. The system feels intuitive, blending old-school free-running with smart auto-assists that prevent frustrating falls during high-speed chases. Dynamic ledges and environmental puzzles reward skillful navigation, making rooftops and forests a playground of motion.

Athemith

Jan 23, 2026, 3:26 PM

J'ai toujours trouvé que découvrir des pans de l'histoire et des mythologies était trop intéressant sous forme de jeux vidéo, depuis le premier assassin's creed. Par contre, au vu des améliorations de gameplay de ces dernières années, j'avoue que je trouvais la license assez molle. Le fait de remanier le parkour comme ça doit être vraiment rafraichissant. J'ai hâte de m'y remettre quand j'aurais les finances xD merci pour cet avis.

sevoke

Jan 23, 2026, 2:24 PM

Assassin’s Creed Shadows appears to be rethinking parkour not as a convenience feature, but as a deliberate skill once again. By limiting climbing to surfaces with real handholds, movement becomes more intentional, encouraging players to read the environment instead of scaling everything freely. The contrast between Naoe and Yasuke is especially noticeable here, with parkour serving as a clear line between agility-focused stealth and strength-driven combat. Rather than simply moving faster across the map, traversal now seems designed to shape how each character is played. In that sense, Shadows gives the impression of treating parkour as a core gameplay pillar again—one that rewards planning and mastery rather than repetition.

gif123

Jan 23, 2026, 2:23 PM

Assassin’s Creed Shadows, parkur sistemine yapılan bu dokunuşlarla serinin özüne daha bilinçli bir şekilde yaklaşmaya çalıştığını gösteriyor. Duvarlara rastgele tırmanmak yerine fiziksel tutunma noktalarına bağlı bir hareket sistemi, hem harita tasarımını daha anlamlı kılıyor hem de oyuncunun çevreyi okuma ihtiyacını artırıyor. Naoe ve Yasuke arasındaki oynanış farkının parkur üzerinden net biçimde ayrılması, iki karakterin sadece hikâye değil mekanik olarak da farklı hissettirmesini sağlıyor. Bu yaklaşım, özellikle eski Assassin’s Creed oyunlarındaki “akıcı ama ustalık isteyen” parkur hissini özleyenler için umut verici duruyor. Shadows, parkuru tekrar bir ulaşım aracı değil, başlı başına bir oynanış unsuru hâline getirmeye çalışan daha kontrollü ve düşünülmüş bir adım gibi görünüyor.

Nachos

Jan 29, 2026, 6:57 PM on dlcompare.fr

Having thoroughly explored the world of AC Shadows, parkour - and Naoe's parkour in particular - is clearly one of the biggest highlights. At last, we've rediscovered the feeling of fluidity we had in the old games. There's a wide range of movement options: jumps, wall runs, slides and grappling hooks to gain verticality, with particularly well executed animations. In combat, his movements remain consistent with his style: fast, precise and elegant. You can feel that parkour and combat have been thought out together, and the result is a highly satisfying, dynamic and, above all, fun game to play over time. For me, this opus offers the best compromise of the license: Naoe embodies a gameplay very close to the old ACs, centered on parkour and infiltration, while Yasuke offers a heavier approach clearly inspired by the latest episodes. Two opposing but perfectly complementary styles, making for a richer, more balanced experience.

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