What we would like to see in Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s Photo Mode

Written by Aaron Young and Renzo.

The newest Assassin’s Creed game is set to be released towards the end of the year, and a Photo Mode is already confirmed. In this article we will discuss how this tool could improve compared to its predecessors.

On May 15th 2024, AC Codename Red was finally revealed as Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Developed by Ubisoft Québec, the game will release on November 15th on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and other platforms. According to rumours, this will be the last RPG-style entry in the franchise.

Set in the Sengoku period, AC Shadows will allow players to explore feudal Japan through the eyes of two playable protagonists: the Shinobi Naoe Fujibayashi, and the legendary African Samurai Yasuke. As it was shown in different trailers, these characters will provide different playstyles and ways to approach exploration and quests.

Among other features, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will certainly include a Photo Mode (PM). The official Ubisoft website states that the game’s Ultimate Edition, as well as the AC Shadows Ultimate Pack, will include the Red Dragon Photo Mode Filter. This is great news for the Virtual Photography (VP) enthusiasts around the world and, as members of the VP Team at The Ones Who Came Before (TOWCB), we could not be more excited about it.

AC Shadows’ Ultimate Edition features a “Red Dragon Photo Mode Filter” (image credit: Ubisoft website)

Virtual Photography has increased in popularity in recent years due to the implementation of a PM in most modern games. It is a way for people to showcase their creativity, but also acts as a way of promoting the game through various social media platforms. Accessibility and a sense of community through this medium have contributed to the rise of VP. The sheer volume of competitions ran throughout the year, from both studios and fans, furthers the coverage of this relatively new phenomenon.

VP isn't just a great tool for players, it is also a fantastic way for developers to achieve free advertising of their games. Virtual photographers are now starting to gain a reputation as being content creators, with some of these artists working with studios and publishers on promotional material.

Ubisoft held a Photo Mode Contest during the first half of 2024 (image credit: Ubisoft website)

Since the release of AC Origins back in 2017, Ubisoft’s Montréal (Origins, Valhalla), Québec (Odyssey) and Bordeaux (Mirage) studios have consistently delivered solid Photo Modes across the latest entries in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. These include a Composition Mode (free camera and camera tilt) and an Edit mode (frames, filters, depth of field, exposure, contrast, and many other features). Although the Assassin’s Creed PM hasn’t changed much since 2017 it is still a solid foundation, especially for people new to virtual photography.

We believe that AC Shadows’ Photo Mode will be no exception compared to its predecessors. However, there are some features that we think would enhance Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed PM. It’s time to discuss them.

Edit Mode - Assassin’s Creed Mirage Photo Mode (photo credit: Renzo C.)

Time of day / Weather / Switch seasons

When it comes to Photo Modes, Time of Day is one of the most requested features by virtual photographers. This allows for many possibilities in terms of lighting and colour palettes, and we think it would make for an excellent addition to the Assassin’s Creed Photo Mode. Ubisoft has successfully implemented this feature in games like Far Cry 5, Far Cry 6, The Crew Motorfest and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.

On the other hand, changing Weather can completely affect the mood of a shot. This could be an interesting feature to have in Shadows, since other Ubisoft games like Far Cry 6 and The Crew Motorfest already have it included in their PMs.

To wrap up this section, we’d like to talk about Seasons. Ubisoft has released a few trailers that showcase in-game footage, confirming that players will be able to experience the beauty of Japan during different times of the year. Having the ability to switch seasons in the AC Shadows Photo Mode would be a game changer in terms of virtual photography.

AC Shadows’ features dynamic seasons (image credit: Ubisoft Creator Program)

Camera range and camera collision

One of the aspects that Ubisoft could improve in their AC Photo Mode is the camera. Having a free camera instead of one that orbits the character is always appreciated, but this should be accompanied by a better camera range than the one we currently have available in games like AC Valhalla and Mirage. With the confirmation that we will no longer have a bird companion in Shadows, this option becomes even more paramount if we want to showcase the beauty of Japan in all its splendour.

In addition to this, fixing the camera collision is very much needed. As virtual photographers, we’ve seen characters like Eivor and Basim disappear when we try to get too close to them for a portrait shot. Getting rid of this issue would allow players to take magnificent close-up captures of Naoe and Yasuke.

Unlike previous titles, Assassin’s Creed Shadows won’t feature a bird companion (photo credit: Renzo C.)

Spotlights

There is no photography without light, and the Assassin’s Creed games are known for their beautiful environmental lighting. However, when it comes to virtual photography, there might be a struggle over not having full control of light in certain situations. The addition of Spotlights could come in very handy, especially for portrait pictures.

Being in control of the light is something that helps to achieve a great photo. Regarding indoor environments, AC games make it tricky to accomplish the desired lighting. It is also noted that Mirage has incredible lighting when a cinematic sequence plays but this does not translate to the scene once the player retakes control of Basim.

Some games feature a three-point lighting system in their official Photo Modes, like Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2, STAR WARS Jedi: Survivor and Marvel’s Spider Man 2; and Alan Wake 2 recently got a PM that includes a single spotlight, as well as a camera flash and a flashlight. Custom lighting can boost an artist’s creativity, and we’d love to see some of these features in the upcoming AC Shadows Photo Mode.

Hellblade 2 allows players to place spotlights within the PM (photo credit: Aaron Young)

Depth of Field

This feature is something we don’t feel requires an upgrade. Of all the depth of field functions we have used over various games, the Assassin’s Creed one is the most intuitive. That being said, there are people who don’t quite like it. It is important to find a balance, as it is easy to over complicate a DoF and that could be detrimental to new photographers, especially with the ease of how this feature works in the Assassin’s Creed titles.

Depth of Field in action - Assassin’s Creed Mirage Photo Mode (photo credit: Renzo C.)

Frames

One of the few downgrades in AC Mirage’s Photo Mode, compared to previous entries, was the removal of the Frames tab. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Valhalla included thematic frames in their respective Photo Modes, with the former also featuring a black letterbox frame that allowed for a cinematic feeling when capturing horizontal shots.

We think that the Frames tab should make a return in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The inclusion of letterbox frames with different aspect ratios (1:1, 2.39:1, 4:5, 5:7, etc.) would be a step up from previous Photo Modes, giving virtual photographers many possibilities to showcase their style and skills. Thematic frames would also be an interesting addition to the AC Shadows Photo Mode.

Frames - Assassin’s Creed Valhalla Photo Mode (photo credit: Renzo C.)

Character poses and position / Facial expressions

These could be useful tools to have in AC Shadows’ Photo Mode, especially for portrait photographers. Changing a character’s pose and/or position can do wonders for a shot in terms of composition and, why not, when it comes to working with lighting. On the other hand, switching the character’s facial expressions can come in handy for close-up shots and other kinds of portrait pictures.

Character poses and facial expressions definitely add variety and individualism to a capture. It broadens the horizons, allowing players that extra option to put their own stamp on a moment. Games such as Marvel’s Spider-Man and Horizon Forbidden West have used this to great effect in recent years.

Spider-Man 2 allows players to change facial expressions and poses (photo credit: Aaron Young)

The Competition

Photo Modes have definitely seen some advancements since Assassin’s Creed Mirage released. Ubisoft themselves have shown this with Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, while Senua’s Saga: Hellblade 2 has really pushed the boundaries of what is possible from a PM.

Full cutscene control and high camera range revolutionise the way we can capture a game. It is interesting that games like A Plague Tale: Requiem and Hellblade 2 have invested so much into their PMs, given these were developed by smaller studios. Are they seeing the promotional benefits of virtual photography or is it just an understanding they have of what the players would like? It’s probably a combination of the two. So now, we hope that bigger studios will start to take note of this trend. However, it would be unfair of us not to mention Insomniac and Guerrilla, who have provided an awful lot to their respective PMs.

Features such as photo mode are instrumental in order to achieve longevity, keeping a game in the public eye way past its release date. Horizon Forbidden West being a great example, yet it’s interesting to see that another popular Sony game like God of War: Ragnarök doesn’t have the same exposure despite its huge fan base. In part, maybe this happened because Sony Santa Monica didn’t invest a lot in their photo mode. It’s important to clarify that we speak from a place of love here, since one of the authors of this article regularly posts shots from that game, but there are many artists in the virtual photography community who didn’t pick it due to its PM.

GoW Ragnarök suffered from lack of advancements to the PM (photo credit: Aaron Young)

We believe that if Assassin’s Creed Shadows added a few features from the ones we mentioned above, it would go a long way to improving the PM and showing a commitment to the fans that they value this part of the game. As we have stated, the AC Photo Mode is a great entry level that covers the basics well, but now it’s time to raise the standard and bring the Assassin’s Creed PM to the same level as the competition.

AC Shadows’ releases November 15th 2024 (image credit: Ubisoft website)