Assassin’s Creed Shadows has been given a day one patch by Ubisoft, which makes changes to destructible objects within the game’s shrines after the game attracted criticism from Japanese politician Hiroyuki Kada.
Kada-san was not impressed after seeing preview footage that depicted the player destroying various objects in the shrine. Following the patch however, key objects within shrines are no longer destructible.
I fear that allowing players to attack and destroy real-world locations in the game without permission could encourage similar behavior in real life. Shrine officials and local residents are also worried about this. Of course, freedom of expression must be respected, but acts that demean local cultures should be avoided.
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As reported by IGN Japan, Kada is concerned that players of Assassin’s Creed Shadows may true to act out its violent content in real-life, noting that since Japan’s post-lockdown reopening the country has witnessed a record rise in tourism. This in turn has ignited a rise in vandalism, and as such as become a concern of “over tourism.”
Shigeru Ishiba, the Prime Minister of Japan, responded to Kada’s comments with the following:
Defacing a shrine is out of the question – it is an insult to the nation itself. When the Self-Defense Forces were deployed to Samawah, Iraq, we ensured they studied Islamic customs beforehand. Respecting the culture and religion of a country is fundamental, and we must make it clear that we will not simply accept acts that disregard them.
Speaking with Eurogamer, Ubisoft said that it is not making the full patch notes viewable, but did confirm the following core changes:
- Players no longer getting stuck inside movable objects after dodging forward and interacting with them in kofuns
- Fix for procedural weapons being removed incorrectly when selling items
- Adjustments to prevent players from going out of bounds when proning against objects
- Improved horse navigation, reducing issues with turning and blocked paths
- Lighting adjustments for cave, kofun, and architectural entrances/exits
- Fixes for cloth clipping on Yasuke’s outfits (while riding) and Naoe’s outfits (while crouching)
- Citizens without weapons no longer bleed when attacked, reducing unintended blood spill in temples/shrines
- Tables and racks in temples/shrines are now indestructible (Some objects like drums or bowls can still be broken as they are generic ones present everywhere in the world) (Tables are still dynamic objects, so players can still move/push them).
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is now available for PS5, PC, and Xbox Series X/S, and fully supports PS5 Pro. A Digital Foundry report found that the game’s support for Sony’s high-end console ‘one of the most substantial upgrades‘ it has seen to date for a title, and highlighted the Performance Mode as being particularly impressive.
You can read our full review of Assassin’s Creed Shadows here.