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We had the chance to spend a couple of hours discussing Assassin's Creed Shadows with three of its rendering engineers and in this video, Alex shares some of the info he learned along with debug visualisations that show several of the new Anvil Engine features. It's a fantastic opportunity to take a look at the game from the inside out as opposed to 'visually reverse-engineering' the final game - and we hope you enjoy the coverage.
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:12 New Ray Traced Lighting
00:11:21 Dynamic Weather, Fluid Simulations
00:13:30 New Physics Simulations
00:15:06 Micropolygon Geometry (MPH)
00:18:57 Conclusion
Key-points (thanks to
IbizaPocholo
<3):Introduction to Assassin's Creed Shadows:
- Assassin's Creed Shadows represents the most significant technological advancement in the series since Assassin's Creed Unity, released in 2014.
- The game is noted for its impressive visuals, being touted as one of the best-looking games of 2025.
- The developer, Ubisoft, has made substantial improvements in visual technology, which were discussed in detail during an interview with key technology developers.
- The video aims to present findings from this interview, focusing on the evolution of the game's technology and demonstrating its capabilities on high-end PCs.
Advancements in Lighting Technology:
- A major change in Assassin's Creed Shadows is the transition from offline baked indirect lighting to real-time lighting achieved through ray tracing.
- Ray tracing global illumination significantly enhances the lighting quality throughout the game, impacting visuals in a noticeable manner.
- Historically, the series utilized a rasterized solution for global illumination, which was effective in previous titles but became untenable for larger, more dynamic environments.
- The previous technique required extensive data storage, making it impractical for a game with multiple time-of-day scenarios and expansive worlds.
- Ubisoft optimized their baked GI technique to accommodate the performance needs of various consoles, while still implementing ray tracing for enhanced visual fidelity.
- The new ray tracing solution allows for more dynamic lighting effects, such as accurate ambient light transmission through thin materials, which was not possible with the previous technology.
Dynamic Environmental Effects:
- The game's developers have integrated a dynamic weather and atmospheric system named Atmos, which simulates various environmental conditions like humidity and temperature.
- This system allows for realistic weather patterns, including cloud formation and wind effects, enhancing the overall immersion of the game world.
- Wind dynamics influence the movement of trees, NPCs, and environmental particles, creating a more interactive experience for players.
- The developers aimed to leverage the advanced computational power of modern platforms to create a more dynamic and reactive game world, moving away from static, predictable events.
- The integration of ray tracing allows for real-time adjustments to lighting based on weather changes, further enhancing the game's realism.
Improvements in Game Interactivity:
- Assassin's Creed Shadows emphasizes interactivity, allowing players to interact with the environment in ways that were previously limited in the series.
- The game's destruction physics enable players to break apart objects realistically, with cutting lines matching points of collision, enhancing the tactile feel of gameplay.
- Innovative cloth cutting mechanics have been introduced, allowing for realistic interactions with fabric and other materials, showcasing advancements in GPU and CPU capabilities.
- The developers expressed a commitment to enhancing player interaction, marking a shift towards more immersive gameplay experiences.
Micropolygon Technology and Rendering Improvements:
- The Anvil engine in Assassin's Creed Shadows implements micropolygon technology, allowing for more detailed geometry without sacrificing performance.
- This technology enables real-time switching between high and low-quality triangle clusters based on camera distance, minimizing overdraw and enhancing rendering efficiency.
- Mesh shaders are utilized to optimize the rendering of triangles, ensuring a smooth visual experience without noticeable level of detail switching.
- While not all geometry types utilize this system, the developers plan to expand its application in future titles to improve visual consistency.
- The aim is to create a seamless visual experience where players do not notice abrupt changes in geometry detail as they navigate the game world.
Conclusion and Reflection on the Game's Development:
- The insights gained from the interview with Ubisoft developers provided a deeper understanding of the technical advancements in Assassin's Creed Shadows.
- The discussion highlighted the challenges of evaluating a game's technical merits prior to its release, especially in the context of visual fidelity.
- The video aims to showcase the intricate details and technological innovations that have been integrated into the game, which may not be evident in pre-release media.
- The advancements in lighting, environmental interaction, and rendering technology mark a significant evolution for the Assassin's Creed franchise.
- The overall experience of witnessing the game's development has been enlightening, emphasizing the hard work and creativity involved in modern game design.
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