LogInFrom story elements and 3D materials to protagonists' outfits, Hattori Hanzo, and Obama.
With March 20 and the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows steadily approaching, the hype around the upcoming game is growing stronger by the day, with both Ubisoft fans and those skeptical about the studio and its projects eagerly awaiting its launch – albeit for different reasons. Fueling the growing excitement is a recent leak that took place over the weekend, revealing the contents of what is most likely The Art of Assassin's Creed Shadows art book, nearly two months ahead of its scheduled release.
Ubisoft
Shared by one CollectorMan on a – let's just say – certain anime and manga-themed website strictly for adults, the image gallery appears to contain the entirety of the leaked art book, revealing key details about Assassin's Creed Shadows' story, setting, characters, UI, and more.
The book opens with a foreword from Ubisoft's Art Director Thierry Dansereau, who described the game as "accurate and true to the historical timeline and culture," stating that Ubisoft "doubled, if not tripled, the effort to make sure that we had a thorough understanding of the Japanese culture of this time period." He also revealed that Ubisoft took a field trip to Japan to recreate the country's mesmerizing landscapes, architecture, landmarks, and atmosphere in the game.
The first full chapter is dedicated entirely to the game's dual protagonists – "Naoe, an adept shinobi Assassin from Iga, and Yasuke, the powerful African samurai of historical legend," as described by Dansereau. "Naoe is an agile, stealth-focused shinobi, who will use noise, light, and shadows to evade detection as enemies respond to their changing surroundings. Yasuke is a charismatic combat-oriented samurai, striking his foes with brutal precision. He was the first African ever seen by the great daimyo Oda Nobunaga, who made him a samurai and brought him into his service. As a newcomer, Yasuke brings an interesting and complementary angle to Naoe's take on feudal Japan."
The chapter offers an in-depth look at the characters, their backstories, and concept designs for their weapons and outfits – most, if not all, of which are likely to appear in the final game. According to the book, different outfits will grant the protagonists unique perks based on their playstyles, enhancing Naoe's stealth skills and bolstering Yasuke's combat abilities. Interestingly, the first chapter also sheds some light on the game's main story, detailing the protagonists' ultimate goal after they join forces following their initial rivalry showcased in the recently released official story trailer:
"Yasuke plays a key role in the fall of Iga Province to Nobunaga's forces; meanwhile, Naoe assists deadly conspirators who plot Nobunaga's downfall. Eventually, however, their journeys intertwine, and the two find themselves allied and dedicated to a greater cause: the liberation of those oppressed by injustice and tyranny. In the end, ninja and samurai unite behind the timeless creed of the Assassins to protect their homeland from the ruthless Western colonialists of the Templar Order and their corrupt agents in Japan."
By far, the biggest chapter is dedicated to the game's open world, featuring a wealth of concept illustrations showcasing Shadows' regions, biomes, and depictions of real-life Japanese cities, towns, and villages, including Kyoto, Osaka, Sakamoto, Otsu, Harima, and Obama (yes, a real Japanese city – look it up). From architecture, environment concepts, and wildlife to boats, props, and 3D materials, the second chapter covers it all, offering a detailed look at how Ubisoft has recreated medieval Japan for its upcoming game.
The art book also reveals some of Shadows' most important characters – both historically accurate and those created by Ubisoft – including potential companions for the protagonists, and features storyboards for some of the game's most significant cutscenes, concept pieces for crucial story moments, archetypes and different types of crowd NPCs, mounts, the user interface, and much more.
The link to the leaked art book itself won't be included here, but you can look it up yourself if you so desire. Officially, the art book is set to hit the shelves on March 25, five days after the game's planned launch, and is available for pre-order on Amazon.
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