In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, you don’t have to switch between the two main characters, Naoe and Yasuke, if you don’t want to. You can choose to play most of the game as either one.
During the Summer Game Fest 2024, the associate director of the new RPG. He explained that players can decide who to play as and when, whether it’s the stronger Yasuke or the more stealthy Naoe.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gameplay Revealed
The new trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows shows more about how the game will play. The trailer is about 12 minutes long and reveals a large, detailed version of Japan, along with the skills and styles of the two main characters. The game is quite violent.
Explore Japan through the eyes of a shinobi and a samurai 👀
Pre-order #AssassinsCreedShadows now: https://t.co/WTBCzW0jTU pic.twitter.com/B7wN1FLb3q
— Ubisoft (@Ubisoft) June 10, 2024
This is the second gameplay trailer released in two days. Ubisoft also showed a shorter clip at the Xbox Games Showcase on Sunday.
In Shadows, players can choose between two main characters: the samurai Yasuke and the shinobi assassin Naoe, similar to Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, which also had dual protagonists.
This game follows last year’s Mirage, which focused on classic assassination gameplay. Shadows will be available on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S on November 15th. Ubisoft also announced at WWDC 2024 that the game will come to Mac.
A Long-Awaited Ninja Protagonist
When your game series is all about sneaky assassins hiding in shadows and climbing buildings, it’s no surprise fans have wanted a ninja-themed character for years. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is the answer to that request, but it offers more than just one new character.
It introduces a second main character, Yasuke the samurai, who is the first real historical figure you can play in the series. His style is very different from Naoe, the ninja. We got to see this in a special demo in Los Angeles.
The demo starts with Yasuke entering a town, drawing everyone’s attention. His fancy armor and large size make him stand out, and people stare as he walks by. The developers explain that Yasuke can’t use social stealth and can’t climb buildings like Naoe or other assassins. But he is very powerful.
A woman asks Yasuke to help get rid of a group that heavily taxes the community, and he agrees. Instead of showing a marker for where to go, the game gives clues to the target’s location, and Yasuke walks to the right district. When he finds the corrupt samurai, a guard tells him to leave.
Yasuke doesn’t hide his intentions; he draws his big spiked club and fights. His attacks are strong and brutal, killing enemies in just a few swings. Yasuke is so powerful that the player accidentally hits a civilian with a powerful attack. This made me realize I should be careful when playing this mission.
After switching to his katana and defeating the samurai boss in a duel, the developers give us a choice. The corrupt samurai’s boss, the daimyo, also needs to be killed. The audience votes on which character we want to see for this part. Happy with Yasuke’s display, we vote for Naoe.
Naoe enters the castle grounds at night, hidden by darkness and rain. Her playstyle is what we expect from the series, with parkour and stealth. She uses a grappling hook to swing from a tree and drops down to kill a guard, then crawls through the grass.
Even though it’s nighttime, the area is lit by paper lanterns. Naoe uses her kunai to put out the flames, distracting her target and making it easier to move. She puts out many lanterns along the way, making “Shadows” a fitting title for the game.
When Naoe reaches the daimyo, she sneaks up to a shallow pool he is near. She submerges herself in the water, using it as cover. After waiting a moment, she uses a reed as a snorkel and moves closer. The daimyo never sees her coming, and she kills him with one thrust of her blade.
The demo ends with another run through the castle with both characters, showing Yasuke’s direct approach and Naoe’s daytime route.
There are new weapons (Yasuke has a rifle, and Naoe has a chain weapon called a kusarigama), special abilities, and many assassinations, highlighting how different the two characters are. I’m excited to try them both when the game launches later this year.