Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis taking a very different direction overall than whatAssassin’s Creed Miragedid, but there’s at least one area where the newest title received direct inspiration during development. The two games were handled by separate studios at Ubisoft, so while the development cycles had a lot of overlap, most of the work for each game was done independently. When it comes to the quest log structure, however,Mirage’sinfluence onShadowsis evident.
In aninterview withScreen Rant, game director Charles Benoit explained that the teams forShadowsandMiragearrived at some of the same ideas regarding the structure of the quest log independently, but ultimately ended up converging on the subject.
Charles Benoit: It’s funny becauseMirageandShadowswere in production in quite the same time frame in a way. And we didn’t know whatMiragewas doing, and at some point when we started talking between each other,we realized that we were aiming at the same type of pillarwith the menu that looked quite similar in the aspect of more visualization of a quest log.
So we kind of learned from them, and also from playingMirage, to adjust some of our concept. Yeah, it’s just funny how the two games converged without knowing that.
Unlike traditional quest logs, which tend to list various objectives in descending menus,MirageandShadowsboth opt to represent the tasks that lead up to major objectives in a more web-like structure. Identifying and assassinating a target, for example, might hinge on tasks like talking to various NPCs and scouting out areas, and those are represented as linked objectives in the quest log.
How Assassin’s Creed’s Objective Board Works
Positive Influence From Mirage
The most obvious upside to the quest log approach inAssassin’s Creed ShadowsandMirageis how intuitive it is.Jumping between objectives is a lot easier when it isn’t as focused on scrolling, especially in open-world games with a surplus of content.
Perhaps more important, however, is the way that it synchronizes with the game design.Mirageused the quest log to put more impetus on the player’s sense of discovery, highlighting multiple ways to scrounge up information.Shadowsmight not end up leaning as much into a complex tapestry of quests and a focus on investigation asMiragedid, but any step in that direction could be to its benefit.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Making Smart Changes
Iteration That Makes Sense
The quest log was one of myfavorite aspects ofAssassin’s Creed Mirage, so I’m happy to see something similar return inAssassin’s Creed Shadows.I’m also reassured by the way the game seems to be highlighting player intuition, an area where other recent Ubisoft games likeAvatar: Frontiers of PandoraandStar Wars Outlawshave made similar strides compared to the company’s previous titles.
Forward progress hasn’t always been fast inAssassin’s Creed, and even with sweeping changes like the ultimately controversial move tolarger open worlds, some design elements from the earliest games have been expanded over the years rather than truly re-thought. Going back to the drawing board on the quest log is a great example of what the series can gain from taking those leaps, and I’m hoping that new ideas end up playing a central role inAssassin’s Creed Shadowsas a whole.
