Kyoto in Assassin's Creed Shadows: A Parkour Paradise?

A new gameplay video from Assassin's Creed Shadows has surfaced, offering players a first look at Kyoto from the perspective of a synchronization viewpoint. The footage, shared by the Japanese media outlet Impress Watch, showcases protagonist Naoe scaling a rooftop to reveal an expansive view of the city. However, fans have noted that Kyoto appears to be smaller than expected, sparking discussions about its design and functionality.

Reddit users who commented on the post praised the aesthetics of the location but raised concerns about aspects central to the Assassin's Creed series—namely, climbing and parkour mechanics. Based on the footage, it seems that the city may not offer extensive opportunities for free-running, leading to mixed reactions from the community.

Some comments reflect 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 set to release on March 20, 2025, for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. As the game draws closer, fans eagerly await more details about how the series' signature mechanics will integrate into this unique historical setting. While Kyoto may prioritize authenticity over action-packed traversal, only time will tell if the developers have struck a balance between beauty and gameplay.