When Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on November 15th, the feudal Japan-set adventure will provide players with an ambitious option – controlling two vastly different protagonists whose gameplay styles represent opposing tones of the long-running franchise. Stoic players can inhabit the brutal yet honorable samurai Yasuke, while those favoring subterfuge can control the agile shinobi Naoe.
As showcased in recent extended gameplay footage, the burly Yasuke cuts an imposing figure as he wades through battles with overwhelming force. Wielding a massive kanabo war club capable of cleaving enemies in two, Yasuke also has access to katana swordplay for more precise duels. His moveset is rooted in the more recent RPG-flavored Assassin’s Creed entries like Odyssey and Valhalla, providing an array of skills mapped to face buttons and triggers.
“Yasuke is all impressive force and intense brutalities,” observed blogger Ryan Stefanelli during a hands-on preview. “He can break down doors or thin walls simply by running through them. He’s an absolute tank.”
In contrast, the diminutive Naoe represents a return to the series’ stealthier roots. Equipped with tools like a grappling hook, kunai throwing knives and even a reed for underwater breathing, Naoe can deftly infiltrate enemy strongholds completely undetected before silently assassinating her targets. She has the ability to blend into shadows, perch for ranged strikes, and escape untraced under clouded weather using sound camouflage.
“Whereas the hulking Yasuke might storm the front entrance slaughtering everyone, Naoe slips in and out like a deadly viper,” Stefanelli described. “It’s really like playing two completely different genres of Assassin’s Creed with these protagonists.”
Both characters will have full narrative arcs and choice of playstyles as players can freely swap between them for most missions (though not during certain key sequences). The gameplay reveal also showcased Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ dynamic seasonal cycle, with the sprawling open world undergoing transformations between spring, summer, fall and winter that reveal new gameplay opportunities.
“Sometimes seasons may impede the player, like frozen ponds in winter,” revealed producer Karl Thibodeau. “But other times they’ll provide new advantages, like stormy conditions masking Naoe’s movement.”
For fans worried about the tonal shifts between protagonists feeling disjointed, Ubisoft has promised cohesive storytelling that weaves both characters and their opposing approaches into a focused narrative vision inspired by iconic samurai cinema like the films of Akira Kurosawa.
While the studio has historically struggled to unify disparate gameplay systems under a singular creative throughline, the early footage of Assassin’s Creed Shadows is promising an ambitious new approach. If successful, controlling Yasuke and Naoe could provide fresh perspectives on the long-running franchise’s core tenets of combat, stealth and open-world exploration.
“Ubisoft is essentially giving players two very different Assassin’s Creed experiences in one package with these protagonists,” Stefanelli summarized. “It’s an incredibly ambitious undertaking that could revitalize the series if executed properly.”
