Get ready for an incredible gaming experience because Assassin’s Creed Shadows is dropping on February 14, 2025. Today, I’m diving into parkour mechanics with insights from Simon, Shadows’ Associate Game Director. Let’s explore what makes this mechanic in Shadows a true game-changer.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Parkour in Feudal Japan
Assassin’s Creed Shadows reconnects us with the essence of being an Assassin. Picture this: leaping across Kyoto rooftops, navigating crowded streets, and scaling the majestic Tenshu of Osaka Castle. Shadows introduces Naoe, a parkour master whose speed and agility adapt perfectly to the landscapes of Feudal Japan. From cityscapes to rural nature paths, the parkour system offers unparalleled freedom and excitement.
Castles in Japan are more than just landmarks. They are intricate fortresses filled with opportunities for parkour. The towering Tenshu, concentric stone walls, and well-guarded buildings like barracks and watchtowers challenge even the most skilled players. In contrast, nature-based parkour paths offer tree climbing, rock scaling, and grappling hook swings that showcase the game’s variety.
Enhanced Parkour Mechanics
The team enhanced parkour with new animations, prone movement, and a physics-based grappling hook during development. Refined mechanics, updated input mappings, and a revamped parkour down system make this mechanic in Shadows smoother than ever. Let’s break down these improvements:
Control Basics: New Input Mapping
Returning players will notice significant changes in the control scheme. The crouch and dodge buttons have switched places, a simple tweak with massive impact. This change adds the prone stance and merges dodge mechanics with parkour down, unlocking new moves.

Simon explains, “Dodge and parkour down are now merged, allowing for fluid transitions and new mechanic moves like acrobatic dodges, out-of-window jumps, and silent drop-downs. This setup separates stance-switching from parkour, giving players more precise control.”
Parkour Essentials
Parkour Up
Pressing the parkour-up button allows Naoe or Yasuke to reach the highest or farthest points. Whether it’s running up walls, jumping between rooftops, or leaping across large gaps, parkour up is essential. Naoe’s speed and reach outshine Yasuke’s, making her the ultimate rooftop navigator.
Pro Tip: Use parkour up strategically in guarded areas. It’s noisy and can alert enemies.
Recovery Roll
The Igan Recovery Roll helps reduce impact and noise from high-profile jumps. Trigger it by pressing the dodge button during landing to soften the fall and maintain stealth.
Parkour Down
Dodge mechanics integrated into parkour down allow for smoother descents. Holding the dodge button ensures safe, low-profile landings, perfect for stealthy infiltration. You can also use directional input for acrobatic transitions, making descents stylish and quiet.
“Directional dodges near ledges create amazing acrobatics and stealth landings,” Simon shares.
Drop vs. Climb Down
There are two ways to descend:
- Climb Down: Press the dodge button near a ledge without directional input to climb down safely.
- Drop Down: Use directional dodge for faster, flashier descents. This method is great for advanced players.
Sprint Mechanics
Naoe’s speed sets her apart as the fastest Assassin. Sprinting opens up unique moves:
Sprint Dodge
While sprinting, Naoe can perform a sprint dodge by pressing the dodge button. This extended dive-roll clears obstacles and avoids damage. It’s perfect for escaping projectiles or executing daring escapes. Use it for risky jumps too, but don’t forget to land with a recovery roll.
Automated Passovers
Naoe can automatically pass over small objects like fences and crates while sprinting. It’s stylish but doesn’t offer the same damage protection as a sprint dodge.
Shoulder Tackle (Yasuke Exclusive)
Yasuke’s sprinting ability lets him shoulder bash through destructible objects, making his approach more brute-force compared to Naoe’s finesse.
Grappling Hook: A Shinobi’s Best Friend
No shinobi game is complete without a grappling hook. Naoe’s grappling hook integrates seamlessly into her parkour flow, offering new ways to climb and swing.
Vertical Ascent
Hook onto any horizontal ledge to climb up, descend, or pivot along the rope. This feature extends vertical mobility significantly.
Hook Swing
Swing across gaps using grapple points scattered throughout Japan. Adjust momentum and direction for precision jumps. Advanced setups even allow chaining multiple swings.
Wall Run Grappling Hook
Run up unclimbable walls and launch the grappling hook at the apex to reach otherwise inaccessible ledges. This move is a must for castle infiltrations and secret countryside paths.
Advanced Moves
Stance Dodges
Directional dodges in a crouch or prone stance let players cover ground faster and avoid attacks. Naoe’s prone directional dodges add extra flexibility for evasive maneuvers.
Wall Run Eject
Press the parkour up button at the apex of a wall run to perform an eject. This is great for flashy transitions.
Backward Dodge
Stand near an edge and press parkour down without directional input to perform a backward dodge. It’s a smooth way to descend while keeping stealth intact.
High Structure Safety
When descending from high structures, characters automatically hold onto ledges, preventing fall damage. Additional input is needed to drop or climb back up.
Unclimbable Surfaces
Not every surface is climbable. This limitation encourages thoughtful exploration and highlights differences between Naoe and Yasuke’s playstyles.
“This design creates more interesting parkour paths and adds depth to the gameplay,” Simon explains.
Explore the Parkour Revolution
Assassin’s Creed Shadows redefines parkour with refined controls, enhanced mechanics, and unique features like the grappling hook. Whether you’re navigating the bustling streets of Kyoto or the serene countryside, Shadows offers a thrilling traversal experience. Mark your calendars for February 14 and get ready to master the art of the shinobi! You can wishlist this on Steam.
Don’t forget to check out Assassin’s Creed Black Flag Remake Closer to Release Than Expected for more fun gaming.