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Torii Gatesare extremely important religious symbols in Japanese culture, so it isn’t surprising that players receive a message early inAssassin’s Creed Shadowswarning themnot to climb upon these important structures, as it is seen by many to be an act of vandalism. Important locations and religious sites are nothing new for theAssassin’s Creedfranchise, which is always set in real-world locations. However, as the franchise continues to evolve and mature, it seems that the developers are constantly examining how to handle the real-world implications of in-game actions. With this in mind, we’ll look atwhat happens when you climb Torii Gates inAssassin’s Creed Shadows.
Don’t Climb on Torii Gates Explained in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Very early into yourAssassin’s Creed Shadowsplaythrough, you’ll likely receive a tutorial message politely asking you not to climb on the redTorii Gates. The exact wording of the warning is as follows:
Preserve the Sanctity of Torii Gates by Not Climbing On Them
As the game points out, not only through the implication of the message, but through an extensive codex entry, Torii gates are extremely sacred in Japanese culture. During the run-up toShadows’release, the development team was outspoken about ensuring that the game respected Japanese culture, and that seems to be the impetus behind this message.
Currently,Shadowsis facing a fair bit of controversy in Japan, with thePrime Minster even commenting on the game. While that does not appear to relate to this issue in any way, it is an interesting development for a game that clearly goes out of its way to respect Japanese culture – at least as far as a video game likeAssassin’s Creedcan.
In-Game Consequences?:
After reading the message, many players will likely wonder whether climbing on Torii gates will have any kind of in-game consequences. They may even wonder if ‘Sanctity’ is an in-game status that will be negatively affected. This is a game, after all, and it’s easy to assume that any message you receive, especially early in the game, will relate to in-game mechanics and systems.
The reality of the situation, however, is that there does not seem to be any in-game consequences for climbing or damaging Torii gates inAssassin’s Creed Shadows. It seems that the message is purely out of respect for Japanese culture.
Many players may not even see the message, as it seems to appear only once very early in the game. Currently, we have not seen it at all in our second playthrough. Though, because there are no consequences for disregarding the message, perhaps they didn’t feel the need to continuously remind players. For now at least, it seems that the message will remain a simple reminder to respect the sanctity of important religious sites, even in a game. However, should any negative repercussions be discovered as players continue to exploreAC Shadows,we will ensure to inform you here as quickly as possible.
