Ubisoft open world games, and Assassin’s Creed titles specifically, have often used animals as part of their activities. With AI-controlled wild animals to find and hunt down for resources, fishes and birds rendering the worlds more full of life – even sometimes giving the players the chance to pet cats and dogs around. In the hyperrealistic historic environments the Assassin’s Creed games aim for, the use of animals out in the wild makes a lot of sense. Origins’ ancient Egypt was loaded with cats, the British forests in Valhalla had all sorts of dangerous animals. It always made for a more compelling and believeable experience. The latest episode, Shadows, goes above and beyond, and it shows a marvelous respect and care for the animals that populate its virtual Feudal Japan.
Looking at recent installments in the franchise, from 2017’s Origins all the way to 2023’s Mirage, animals have always played an important role in the open world. Riding on horses, or occasionally other animals like camels or bulls, was always one of the best ways of transportation. Wild bears, crocodiles, wolves and more would roam the area, whose skins could be used to craft and upgrade various gear. A lot of towns would feature cats and dogs, which by Valhalla, could be petted and hugged even. There’s also been multiple sidequests and activities related to mythical animals, strays that are causing havoc and so forth. While most NPCs and enemies in these games tend to be human, the animals play a large role anyway.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set in the 1500’s in Japan, and you may be well aware how important the role of animals is for the locals there. Yes, you can pet cats and dogs in it, including iconic breeds from the area like shiba dogs. For the first time ever, however, even puppies for the various breeds can be found, and they also feature their own unique animations and soundbites when interacting with them. There’s no XP bonuses tied to petting animals, but it remains such a cute and satisfying thing to do anyway. Who cares if you’ve seen that exact petting animation on an identical cat or dog model before? It’s soothing and fills the heart with warmth and joy to pet these creatures, even if they’re virtual!
Of course, hunting and fishing has always existed in Japan, just like elsewhere in the world, but there’s also a huge respect and cultural relevance to animals. Riding on horses is still in, of course. A lot of the wildlife keeps popping up in the country’s folklore and imagery, with a lot of symbolic meanings and metaphors surrounding their very existence. The crane as a bird of peace, the foxes as divine messengers, the sacred cows. In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players no longer get to hunt or kill animals. There no longer is a need to skin them or eliminate them. But they exist in droves, perhaps in higher numbers than ever.
Deer roam the cities, undisturbed. Players can pet dogs, cats, but even foxes this time. Various, region-specific animals and breeds can be found in this virtual Japanese playground – shiba dogs, or even the iconic tanuki. Cranes, exotic fishes, you name it. Various quests and petting activities even unlock the possibility of “spawning” such animals in the player’s very own customizeable hideout, allowing them to roam free in the lush environment that Naoe and her friends created for themselves.
Last but not least, one of the side activities has Naoe and Yasuke encounter unique animal “events” to observe. These can range from foxes playing, a tanuki stealing eggs, a peculiar crane hunting fishes and so forth. Players have to slowly crawl towards these events, until about 15-20 meters of distance, without getting detected. Doing so, allows them to watch this unique animation play out with a zoomed in camera angle, as our playable character creates a painting of this very scene. This painting can then be used as a mural in our very own hideout, immortalizing these cute and fascinating animal encounters.
And that really is just the tip of the iceberg, as there’s still so much more, with new things to discover, even several dozens of hours into the game. The respect and care that went into crafting the animal life in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is truly quite stunning, with a lot of well-created 3D models, believeable animations and behaviours that make these already incredibly lush and beautiful locations feel even more real. There’s all sorts of lore you can consult, anecdotes and small details that shine through, and if you’re an animal lover like I am, I can wholeheartedly recommend checking out Assassin’s Creed Shadows pretty much for that reason alone. And, well, as our Jesse’s review points out, it’s also a pretty damn great game.
