Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed games have been a juggernaut in the gaming industry for years now, often placing with the Grand Theft Auto and Call of Duty series in the top ranks of gaming in terms of value, playability, and design.
Previously, Ubisoft has tackled the Viking era, ancient Rome, the Crusades, Ancient Egypt, and both the French and American Revolutions as their settings. But for a game that relies so much on stealth and quick thinking, there was one era that gamers were clamoring for from early on… the age of the Samurai.
Now, Ubisoft has released the latest installment in the series, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, set in Feudal Japan, with not one, but two protagonists, allowing you to use a variety of fighting and gaming skills in a myriad of beautiful and richly detailed environments.
And that’s one of the great strengths of these games. Not only are they great fun and a unique challenge, they are incredibly beautiful to look at; however, at times the action is so fast-paced and intense that much of that is missed.
That’s where books like this come in.
The Art of Assassins Creed: Shadows is a visual feast. Jam-packed with concept art and rendered graphics, it provides page after page after page of lush visual gold. Generated by an international team of artists hailing from Quebec and Montreal, Ukraine, Manila, Singapore, Manila, and Osaka, it highlights the creation of an entire world with its roots firmly in historical fact.
Drenched in blacks and reds, golds and greens, this team has built up the world of AC: Shadows from the smallest detail. Beginning with the protagonists, the agile ninja Naoe and the formidable samurai Yasuke, they present their design genesis in shape and form, as well as their outfits and weaponry. During gameplay, a lot of this might be missed, no matter how detailed your monitor may be, but the designs and art captured here provide a glimpse at the intricate detail and choices that go into these, creating fully-realized characters.
That same attention to detail and mood extends far beyond the characters. Environments based on actual locations across nine provinces of Feudal Japan during the violent Sengoku period are given the same careful attention. Ranging from small villages to massive thriving cities, from ruined temples to Imperial Palaces, Ubisoft’s visual architects have achieved brilliant levels of atmospheric excellence. Lush verdant fields and burning battlegrounds evoke the same resonant awe. History mixes with creativity and the result is breathtaking.
If you’re a fan of Shogun or the films of Kurasawa, this is right up your alley. Are there spoilers in this beautiful massive work of art? Most likely, but if you’ve completed the game and want a deeper dive into the incredible world these talented designers created (or if you’re just a fan of the Samurai era and Feudal Japan), you’d do well to pick up this volume.
HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Creative Team: Housemarque
Publisher: Dark Horse Comics
Click here to purchase.
