I’m a sucker for little details in games. Sure, Metal Gear Solid 2 may be a genre-defining piece of art that set new standards for storytelling and gameplay, but did you know that the ice cubes melt realistically if you knock them out of the bucket in the Tanker chapter’s bar? Things like these don’t really make a difference to the overall quality of the game, but it’s always cool to see attention to detail in games. And Assassin’s Creed Shadows seems to be packed full of them.
YouTuber NikTek has taken to Twitter with a thread showing off some of these small details present in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. One of the things Ubisoft was keen to show off about Shadows before launch was its weather tech, and from a look at this thread, it’s safe to say that that has paid off in the full game. The first clip shown has a timelapse of snow melting in real-time, while another clip shows that the wind in-game has trees and leaves move realistically based on how strong the wind is.
Other cool effects in the thread include sand turning muddy in the rain and blood seeping into the water when a dead body is thrown into it. Even with a game as impressive-looking as Shadows, this realistic weather is undoubtedly the most striking aspect of it.
There are also a few fun gameplay details that Niktek shows off, like how Naoe slides about and loses her balance when she starts sprinting onto a frozen lake. Meanwhile, when doing the series’ signature leaps of faith, the far less nimble Yasuke has a comedic and clumsy fall instead of a nimble swan dive.
Truthfully, I haven’t vibed with Assassin’s Creed since Black Flag, so Shadows hasn’t really been on my radar. However, seeing all of these small details has done more to get me interested in the game than any fancy trailer (although that Tokusastu-inspired one did get a pop from me).
If I do end up playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows later down the line, maybe I’ll play it on the Nintendo 3DS, because that’s actually possible thanks to fans.
