Katarzyna Petru
Ubisoft Quebec is once again leading the charge. In a recent interview with GamesRadar, Simon Lemay-Comtois — one of the directors of Assassin’s Creed Shadows — proudly shared the studio's achievements. And it’s hard to blame him. According to the developer, it has been nine months since the launch, and the team is still genuinely surprised at how well the game performs visually against the competition.
Graphic design? “You can’t beat us”
Lemay-Comtois claims that Shadows presents such a level of graphics that the studio… surprised itself. Especially on PS5 Pro, where the game is set to look the best in the history of the series. The developer emphasised that this is the result of years of investment in technology and the experience of a team that can extract significantly more from proprietary tools than other major players in the market show.
Ubisoft Quebec believes it has set a visual benchmark that won’t be easy to surpass. And interestingly — this is just the foundation for future installments.
Two heroes? A perfect shot and the future direction of the series
The second important point of discussion was the concept of two protagonists — Naoe and Yasuke. Ubisoft has known from the start that the contrast between the characters must be clear, even extreme. Ninja versus samurai. Shadow versus steel. Subtlety versus brute strength.
And while the studio is aware that a dual hero system can be controversial, it sees it as one of the most important and valuable solutions in Shadows. There were already divided opinions in Syndicate — here it’s similar, only more intense. But according to Lemay-Comtois, it’s a price worth paying for freshness and artistic boldness. Moreover — Ubisoft has no intention of abandoning this idea. If the next installment justifies the existence of two protagonists again, the studio would be very keen to repeat it.
Movement system, animations and combat. ChooseTV sets a new standard
What’s particularly interesting is that working on two such diverse characters has forced serious improvements in the systems within the game. Lemay-Comtois revealed that it is indeed ChooseTV that has become the foundation of the technology that will be developed in upcoming instalments of the series. In particular:
animations — smoother, more flexible, better matched to the character's physicality,
movement dynamics — from light jumps and acrobatics of Naoe to heavy, mass-driven strikes of Yasuke,
stealth and combat system — built so that both characters provide radically different experiences.
Ubisoft is particularly proud of Naoe's moves, described as “ninja-inspired acrobatics,” which — according to the developer — could serve as inspiration for future protagonists of the brand.
Divided players, conscious decision
The creators openly admit that the contrast between Naoe and Yasuke has led to strong polarization among fan opinions. Some love the quiet, intricate gameplay. Others prefer the brutal, heavy style of the samurai. Ubisoft not only doesn’t care about this but actually views it as proof that the artistic decision was bold and spot on. The developers are convinced that this diversity gives Shadows a unique identity, and the Assassin's Creed series can therefore explore more varied narrative and gameplay territories.
