When you experience the world of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the swirling winds truly breathe life into the game. Leaves are swept up effortlessly, grass sways naturally, and Naoe’s hair dances in the breeze. This remarkable effect elevates the game’s evolving seasons and weather changes. According to an insightful discussion with the game’s rendering engineers at Digital Foundry, this isn’t just your average wind—it’s actually an invisible fluid simulation creating this atmospheric magic.
You heard that right: the convincing wind physics come from a fluid simulation seamlessly integrated into the game environment. This clever technique isn’t new to gaming, having been employed to striking effect in titles as diverse as God of War and Dwarf Fortress. So, it’s no surprise it works wonders here too.
The ingenious Ubisoft developers have branded this dynamic weather system as “Atmos,” and it beautifully supports the game’s seasonal narrative. As Naoe seeks vengeance and her story unfolds, the seasons shift around her as well. One minute you’re trudging through deep winter snows blanketing the Japanese countryside, and the next, you’re racing through lush, green fields as the ice melts away. Impressively, players will eventually gain the power to switch seasons at will.
Combining these elements with the game’s advanced ray-traced lighting effects, Assassin’s Creed Shadows stands out as one of the most visually stunning games available. For the first time, ray tracing feels not only crucial but transformative, enhancing mood and atmosphere in a way that deeply enriches the story. Digital Foundry digs into the technical specifics, but in essence, the game embeds ray tracing into older tech to light scenes more authentically. Imagine shoji screens glowing softly as sunlight spills into rooms, or shadows deepening on objects where sunlight doesn’t reach. Without ray tracing, the contrast fades away, leaving a world that feels far less vibrant. Experts at Digital Foundry describe this change as a “generational divide in lighting fidelity.”
Assassin’s Creed Shadows makes a compelling case for those considering a PlayStation 5 Pro or a high-end gaming PC powered by a 50-series Nvidia graphics card. The game achieves a flawless 60 frames per second with ray tracing on the PS5 Pro, and a future update will enable full support for Sony’s PSSR upscaling technology. On PC, NVIDIA’s DLSS and Frame Generation technologies make hitting 60 fps a breeze with an RTX 4070 or newer.
Investing in this hardware pays off, as it’s not only about the lighting. The game’s dynamic elements, like the interactive wind or slicing through bamboo, amplify the sense of immersion and tactile engagement, much like in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Assassin’s Creed Shadows raises the bar by fully leveraging modern technology, not just for hyper-realism, but to build a world that feels truly alive and vibrant.
