Ubisoft launches Assassin’s Creed Shadows with Habs captain Nick Suzuki

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was impressed by Ubisoft's latest release set in feudal Japan: Assassin's Creed Shadows.

The multi-billion dollar generating video game franchise out of Quebec City, Assassin’s Creed, launched the latest instalment on Thursday: Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

One notable Montreal resident, known for being an assassin of sorts on the ice, got a sneak peek at the Ubisoft game.

“There’s a stealthy assassin, that’s kind of more my style and then my teammate Arber [Xhekaj], a bigger guy that’s more powerful and likes to get up close to people,” said Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki, who was brought on as a game ambassador.

Shadows is the first mainline release from the Montreal and Quebec City-based studio in four years.

“Fans have been anxiously awaiting both for this game and for us to have a game set in Japan forever,” Ubisoft executive producer and Assassin’s Creed executive vice president Marc-Alexis Côté said.

The Assassin’s Creed franchise is reportedly worth over $4 billion, with Forbes reporting that the previous release, Valhalla, garnered over $1 billion.

Since 2007, the historical fiction Assassin’s Creed action-adventure video games have taken gamers to Renaissance Italy, Greece, Egypt, Viking Britain and Revolutionary America.

Early reviews on Reddit have been mostly positive.

“Assassin’s Creed has been fighting to find its identity for over a decade, and thanks to Shadows it’s finally rediscovered it,” wrote user Jessica Filby. “Whether you’re looking to explore the stunning world of feudal Japan, storm the gates of an enemy castle, or fall in love with the many NPCs [non-player characters] that populate its world, Assassin’s Creed Shadows is an immersive treat that cements itself as the best Assassin’s Creed game since Black Flag.”

Part of the success, reviewers are noting, is the captivating settings and stunning game world.

Suzuki, whose grandfather is David Suzuki’s cousin, is a fifth-generation Japanese-Canadian on his father’s side. He said he was excited to play a game set in Japan, which he said was represented in incredible detail.

“I’ve always been a big fan of the Japanese culture and all the respect that goes into,” he said. “It’s really well done in the game, it looks amazing; all the details.”

The details, developers know, are key. Fans are hyper-critical of every major video game release, and Côté said there is always immense pressure to get it right.

“Assassin’s Creed, I would say, is kind of the crown jewel of the company, so it’s an immense responsibility with delivering a new entry in our most successful franchise,” he said. “So yes, the pressure is there, but I’ve always tried to encourage teams to find this as an exciting challenge.”

The game is played by more than 200 million people, Côté said, and gamers have been demanding an edition in feudal Japan since the first edition was launched.

Globally, Côté said the gaming industry, much like the film and TV industry, is transforming, making it essential that developers create experiences players crave.

“Players have more choice now than ever before so it pushes us to try and differentiate ourselves,” said Côté. “We need to become better and deliver experiences that are surprising, that are transformative and that players want to play on day one because the choice they have is so vast.”

The Montreal Canadiens’ points leader said he’s not the top gamer on the roster but gave himself a top-five gamer ranking. Video game skills, Suzuki said, are similar to those on the ice; you just need practice.

“You have to be kind of delicate and powerful at the same time which is kind of like hockey, and the characters have different abilities and everything which is true on the ice too,” he said. “Figuring out the style and getting where you want to go to is part of it and you just get better over time.”