Released originally in 2015, Assassin's Creed Syndicate is one of the games that represents what made the franchise so popular, and while it may be backward compatible for the PlayStation 5, its shadow flickering is disrupting - if that's actually what the problem is. Suggestions from s range from lighting problems, to texture loading, to shifting level-of-detail problems. Regardless of the exact cause, while indoor locations appear to have less issue, Syndicate's technical problems begin to appear when players venture outside. The PlayStation 5 may be one of the best systems on the market, but Assassin’s Creed Syndicate suffers from technical issues that will require a patch to be playable.
The PlayStation 5 offers backward compatibility, which means players can use their old PlayStation 4 disc on the new system typically without issue. When doing this on PlayStation 5 and loading up Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, a message appears stating to players that says, "You may experience unexpected gaming behavior when playing this PS4 title on your PS5", preparing them for problems. The same issue is not present on Xbox Series X or Xbox Series S consoles. The flickering feels as though it could even potentially be seizure-inducing at certain points and in certain lighting. Ubisoft has acknowledged the issue since August 2021 within the forums, but nothing has been done so far other than forum statements.
staff in this blaming Assassin's Creed Unity's low sales. This has led some players to believe that Ubisoft does not want to address the issue because of its past problems. There doesn't seem to be much hope on the horizon, and the thread has continued to be updated by players experiencing issues without any talk of a resolution.
The Shadow Flickering is Obvious to See
The intensity of the flickering problem in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate can be seen in the video above, and it is very clear to see why the game could be labeled as unplayable on PlayStation 5. Assassin's Creed Syndicate's old formula is proof that the series did not need to change to the way it is today. It is the most modern Assassin's Creed before the RPG trilogy and the last in the classic format. Despite it having some of the lowest sales at launch in Assassin's Creed history, Syndicate is considered one of the best. Players are begging Ubisoft to patch this flickering issue over, despite the fact that it doesn't seem likely to happen.
The backward compatibility of Assassin's Creed Syndicate is questionable, and even though most of the game may run fine, the flickering greatly hinders its gameplay and a player's sense of immersion. This issue was additionally occurring on the PlayStation 4 Pro for a time but was patched over quickly. For other games that have been integrated into PlayStation 5, many developers have properly updated them to ensure they run smoothly. PS5's List of Non-Backward Compatible Games makes Syndicate stand out as one of the only major releases being riddled with issues. Given that new Assassin's Creed games are on the way, Ubisoft likely has other irons in the fire, but fans would be grateful for some official for the game. Until such time, however, fans should avoid playing Assassin's Creed Syndicate on PlayStation 5.
Sources: Ubisoft Player , The Amalgam Show/YouTube
