Assassin's Creed Shadows Kyoto Revealed: Is the City Built for Parkour?

A recently released gameplay video from Assassin's Creed Shadows has given players their first glimpse of Kyoto from a synchronization viewpoint. Shared by the Japanese media outlet Impress Watch, the footage features protagonist Naoe climbing a rooftop to unveil a sweeping view of the city. However, fans have noted that Kyoto seems smaller than anticipated, igniting discussions about its design and functionality within the game.

Reddit users who viewed the video were quick to commend the visual appeal of Kyoto but expressed concerns about key elements central to the Assassin's Creed experience—specifically, the climbing and parkour mechanics. From the footage, it appears that the city might not provide ample opportunities for free-running, leading to a mix of reactions within the community.

Here are some of the comments reflecting these sentiments:

Isn't Kyoto supposed to be about half the size of Paris from Unity? Don't get me wrong, it looks beautiful, and exploring it will definitely be enjoyable, but I was hoping for at least one densely populated city designed for parkour.

It looks great, but it's disappointing that we might be limited to restricted parkour instead of full-on freerunning. Hopefully, the grappling hook will make up for it.

Looks nice, but there aren't enough structures for proper parkour.

While it's visually appealing, it doesn't quite feel like a city. I'm sure it's historically accurate, but it seems lacking when it comes to parkour potential.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is slated to launch on March 20, 2025, and will be available on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. As the release date approaches, fans are eagerly anticipating further details on how the series' hallmark mechanics will be woven into this distinctive historical backdrop. While Kyoto may focus more on authenticity than on action-packed traversal, only time will reveal whether the developers have successfully balanced aesthetics with engaging gameplay.