The hype for Assassin’s Creed Shadows has just reached unprecedented heights. With the release of the cinematic trailer, fans’ expectations have been blown out of the water, and the majority of the community seemingly wants to know more about this new exciting entry in Ubisoft’s epic series.
Well, look no further, as slowly but surely, more details regarding the title have started surfacing. Specifically, some interesting tidbits about the game have been revealed, including the removal of a major series staple that has defined the franchise ever since the original Assassin’s Creed was released on PlayStation 3.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is Ditching Synchronization Points
Remember climbing up to a seemingly unreachable point and then prompting the game to synchronize, not only to be met with a gorgeous cinematic but also uncovering a bunch of activities in that area? Well, with Assassin’s Creed Shadows, that is all set to change.
According to IGN, rather than having synchronization points as in the older titles, Shadows will feature high-vantage points, from which you’ll have to discover points of interest yourself. Ubisoft is seemingly the gorgeous cinematics that accompany the experience, and it seems as though one will have to constantly go back and forth to the vantage point to figure out the next POI.
No longer will all available quests and activities be available with a simple button press. It seems as though we will now have to pick and choose where to go, one at a time. What could make this even more tedious is the fact that it has also been confirmed that the eagle mechanic from recent titles won’t be coming back in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Exploration seemingly has a big role to play in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, as Ubisoft seemingly doesn’t want the UI to be cluttered with objectives. But it does make one wonder whether or not there could have been a better way to implement this feature without removing the iconic synchronization points.
At the very least, these tall vantage points will still act as fast travel points, so you won’t have to worry about making a harrowing trip every time you want to scout out a different part of the area.
Fans Seemingly Divided on the Whole ‘Synchronization Point’ Debate
Naturally, the removal of such an iconic mechanic that has put Assassin’s Creed on a higher pedestal will cause some eyebrows to be raised. Some fans are really not seeing what Ubisoft is trying to do with this title.
So now when I climb to the top, instead of everything being revealed, I've gotta find it? They've made them worse?
— Daniel McCracken (@damcrac5) May 15, 2024
Others are seemingly distraught over just the thought of not being able to ‘synchronize‘, which became a series staple.
No synchronisation points is such a bummer
— Zee (@MhaskarChief) May 15, 2024
But it should also be noted that some fans are, in fact, favoring this approach, as it means that the annoying checklist type of gameplay that Assassin’s Creed became known for over the years may finally perish.
But right now, only time will tell if the removal of synchronization points is to the game’s benefit or to its deficit. Excited to jump into feudal Japan as a dangerous assassin? Let us know in the comments below!
