STACK #245 March 2025

GAMING FEATURE

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“It’s a delicate line to navigate balancing historical accuracy with making a game that players will enjoy,” muses Luc. “The setting and historical period, alongside the work that we have done with our external consultants, historians, and researchers, has inspired and driven our creative choices, in terms of world-building, player archetypes, enemy archetypes, weapons to use, progression style and more.” The Settlement from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla has inspired a new feature in Shadows – the Hideout. “The Hideout is a central point in the storyline, but also from a gameplay perspective, it's a fully customisable area where you can place different buildings, customise and decorate them,” Luc explains. “It's also where all your allies will gather – you can meet with them and see that each of these NPCs have a life of their own and that they continue to evolve throughout the whole story.” There’ll be plenty for eagle-eyed history buffs to enjoy on their travels beyond the core gameplay, too. “Easter eggs can be something as simple as a set dressing or the way that a sentence is phrased,” teases Luc. “We paid a lot of attention to detail to make sure that elements from the time period or events are referenced – sometimes it’s only hinted, sometimes it’s more obvious, but players should keep their eyes and ears open for all of the little details we put in there!” While many of us have grown up with the Assassin’s Creed games, there are always newcomers to the fold. Luc says that they shouldn’t be overwhelmed, and he offers up a couple of tips. “We have two protagonists, and we are very proud of them, so I encourage people to spend time learning about them. Not only about their personal stories, but also what they can bring from a gameplay perspective, and the same thing with the weapons. “Now we have a weapons-based approach for progression, be sure to try them out and find the character

This month sees the long-awaited release of Assassin's Creed Shadows , complete with dual protagonists.We caught up with Ubisoft’s Luc Plante, level designer on the game, to learn more of what we can look forward to. Words Amy Flower T he Assassin’s Creed games have taken us through many great periods and places in history. Now it’s 16th century Japan’s turn. It’s been a much-requested setting for the series. WHAT WE DO IN THE SHADOWS

“Japan has been a setting that has been requested by fans since day one,” says Luc, “and so getting the opportunity to share that with fans of the franchise is really exciting, and as developers it was a setting that we really wanted to explore. “As for the time period, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set during a pivotal moment in history of Japan – specifically The Azuchi Momoyama Era from 1579-1584 - and a fascinating period that we really wanted to dive into.” Japan has proven to be a very popular setting for video games, but Luc is confident that the Assassin’s Creed Shadows team have put their own unique spin on the location. “We’re building upon the history of previous Assassin’s Creeds, which players have known and loved for so long, and expanding on what they can expect from an historically grounded

protagonists. It's a new approach for us in terms of storytelling, as the player sees the story unfold through two unique sets of eyes, and it has allowed us to create two strong player fantasies - the Samurai and the Shinobi - that are unique, driving forces in the game.” These two new protagonists - Naoe and Yasuke – bring distinct differences in gameplay. “Naoe is the embodiment of the shinobi fantasy; she's all about stealth. We gave her parkour moves and a lot of tools to stay hidden and unseen, and she has the hidden blade, like a true assassin,” Luc explains. “Yasuke is the embodiment of the Samurai archetype, which is a little bit more about the code of honour, the strong brute force. He’s tall and strong, he can smash through some walls and doors, he can knock down enemies and is equipped with weapons like the katana or the kanabo.” With the game set in the real-world past, there’s a challenge to balance historical accuracy with gameplay that’s enjoyable.

• Assassin’s Creed Shadows is out Mar 20

and weapon that suits your playstyle, and you're in for a

really good time.”

TO INFINITY… You may have heard mention of Assassin’s Creed Infinity . It isn’t a new game though – Luc hints at what we might expect. “The Animus Hub is an immersive point of entry that ties the Assassin’s Creed universe together and will become the new home for Assassin’s Creed for years to come. We want to keep some surprises for now and players will be able experience more when Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches!”

open world action RPG,” Luc tells us. “What Shadows brings is our dual

Naoe

Yasuke

42 MARCH 2025

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