How Assassin's Creed Emerald Changed AC Combat and Gameplay

Assassin's Creed Jade will attempt to translate the open-world series into a mobile experience, which will bring some dramatic gameplay changes.

Leaked footage of the mobile game Assassin's Creed: Emerald reveals how the series' iconic open-world gameplay will change to suit mobile devices. The historical fiction series currently has multiple entries in the works, including next year's Assassin's Creed Visions and the mysterious horror game Codename Hexe. The mobile version of Assassin's Creed Codename Jade takes fans into medieval China, a portable adventure game that will change the gameplay to suit its unique platform.

A series of leaked Assassin's Creed: Emerald videos, purportedly taken from the mobile game's beta testing, recently shed light on this elusive project. The game appears to have taken place in the village of Yongning in Beijing around 215 BC. Players will control a custom playable character named Juzi, who will join forces with the legendary Chinese assassin Wei Yu to fight back against the invasion of the nomadic Xiongnu tribe. The story of Assassin's Creed Jade appears to be a new full-scale entry in the ongoing historical saga, but the gameplay will likely be greatly simplified to accommodate mobile platforms.

Combat Is Simplified In Assassin's Creed Jade

Based on leaked gameplay from an upcoming project, Assassin's Creed Jade will overhaul combat for a smoother mobile experience. In most modern installments of the franchise, combat has involved blocking, dodging, and executing various forms of attacks, but Jade seems to have simplified this system to accommodate its touchscreen controls. The main character, Tangerine, seems to be hitting buttons repeatedly to attack, making a strong offense more important than a cunning and patient defense. The leaked Assassin's Creed Emerald video does show off a variety of special attacks that promise to keep combat engaging, but it's rare to see Tangerine blocking or dodging enemies in this game.

Assassin's Creed Jade Features Touchscreen Parkour

Touchscreen controls in Assassin's Creed Jade will also make freerunning more straightforward. The classic Assassin's Creed parkour system is so deep that players can manually adjust their speed and time button presses for acrobatic jumps. Recent entries in the series have downplayed the importance of free-running, and now Assassin's Creed Emerald appears to have simplified traversal even further to match its touchscreen controls. Players can control Juzi with just one finger, using the auto-run button to make Assassin climb, jump or sprint instantly. This means the main character will automatically go wherever the player wants, without having to make tricky jumps using sensitive touchscreen controls.

Assassin's Creed Jade aims to translate the franchise's signature open-world gameplay into a mobile experience while immersing players in its enchanting medieval Chinese setting. However, the project's touchscreen controls mean there will be some major gameplay changes. Early gameplay footage of the Assassin's Creed game set in China suggests that the mobile game's combat will be significantly simplified, as will the parkour traversal to accommodate the game's touchscreen controls. Assassin's Creed Jade has the potential to be one of the most unique upcoming entries in the series, but simplifying the gameplay may reduce its appeal.

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