Assassin’s Creed Shadows PC Review: Embracing Ray Tracing in Ubisoft Anvil

Revolutionary Developments in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

The gap between the releases of Assassin’s Creed Shadows and Valhalla spans almost five years. While Assassin’s Creed Mirage was launched in the interim, it was a comparatively smaller project that did not introduce significant technical innovations.

As we eagerly anticipate the release of the latest installment, it’s an opportune moment to assess the advancements achieved in Ubisoft’s proprietary Anvil engine during this period. Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed franchise has steadfastly maintained its commitment to Anvil, despite the emergence of other impressive engines like Massive’s Snowdrop. Prior to Shadows, it might have seemed unwise to stick with Anvil given the noticeable visual disparities, but recent developments have transformed this perception entirely. Since the unveiling at Gamescom 2024, Ubisoft Quebec, the studio behind this title and previous successes like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Immortals Fenyx Rising, has touted Shadows as the most visually stunning entry in the series to date. Their claims hold true.

Groundbreaking Visuals and Technologies

Assassin’s Creed Shadows marks a notable milestone as the first title in the franchise to support ray tracing. Its comprehensive application of ray traced global illumination stands out as one of the best implementations in non-path traced games to date. PC players can customize the extent of ray tracing, with options extending to fully diffuse and specular ray traced global illumination throughout the game. While this setting demands significant processing power, the visual enhancement it provides is undeniably transformative, driving the game’s graphics toward a remarkable level of photorealism.

Moreover, the advancements of the Anvil engine extend well beyond ray tracing capabilities. Ubisoft has introduced a proprietary technology known as Micropolygons, akin to Epic’s Nanite from Unreal Engine 5, which enables developers to render a higher polygon count and enhanced detail in a scalable manner. PC users have the flexibility to adjust this setting from Low to Ultra, enhancing customization options.

Enhanced Environmental Interactions

Further enhancing the immersive experience, Shadows features considerably improved environmental destructibility, along with stunningly animated vegetation, intricate particle effects, and dynamic wind systems that realistically influence fluids. Players will notice these advancements during snowy conditions, where characters leave visible trails in the terrain.

Exceptional Gameplay Experience

The game is equipped with full support for all major upscaling and frame generation technologies including those from NVIDIA, AMD, and Intel. Audio fidelity is likewise elevated with comprehensive support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X, along with optimized features for the DualSense controller such as Adaptive Triggers and integrated speaker functionality. The effective implementation of HDR technology further elevates the gaming visuals when played on compatible HDR displays.

Performance Analysis

This game stands among the most graphically impressive currently available, aside from a select few titles utilizing path tracing. In terms of performance, Shadows operates exceptionally well. On a setup equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D processor and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card, the performance was nearly flawless. With the aid of NVIDIA’s application override, players can update to the latest DLSS Super Resolution and Frame Generation models, enhancing the gaming experience further by adjusting from the standard 2x Frame Generation to advanced Multi Frame Generation options.

During testing with the maximum 4x Multi Frame Generation mode and with DLAA enabled in a built-in benchmark, average frame rates reached an impressive 173 frames per second at native 4K resolution. Although the game’s frame rate recording may indicate lower averages due to a lack of recognition for Multi Frame Generation, the minimal stuttering and a mere 30-frame difference between maximum and minimum frame rates signifies a well-optimized experience.

In contrast, the 3x Multi Frame Generation mode yielded an average frame rate of 135 frames per second, while the standard 2x Frame Generation mode averaged at 97 frames per second. Despite these variances, gameplay remains smooth, underscoring the developers’ commitment to performance excellence.

Conclusion

For an in-depth evaluation of the game’s content, please refer to Francesco’s review. From a technical perspective, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is undeniably a triumph. While titles such as Star Wars Outlaws may still lead in graphical prowess due to features like RTX Direct Illumination, Shadows presents a strong contender. The delay in its launch intended for polishing appears to have paid off. This success could serve as a blueprint for other developers, potentially steering away from the rocky launches that have plagued various PC releases in recent years.

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