Assassin's Creed Shadows' dual protagonists Naoe and Yasuke are each purpose-built for different functions, letting you switch between stealth and combat-oriented gameplay depending on the situation and your playstyle.
Following the big reveal of Ubisoft's new open-world game Assassin's Creed Shadows, which is based in feudal Japan, the studio released a dedicated video showcasing the game's dual protagonists and their unique talents. Yasuke is a samurai who uses his big frame and martial skills to his advantage. He can break down doors, shatter enemies' armor, and fight multiple foes at once. Meanwhile, Naoe is a nimble shinobi who uses a light-footed approach, not to mention hidden blades, to sneak past enemies and use deadly force only when necessary.
"It creates this distinction right away," said game director Charles Benoit. "Yasuke can fight with all of his advantage; his stature, he's a big guy. He can break doors, he can fight multiple enemies, he can break armor. Compare that to Naoe. Her character and her outfit, it's really about being stealthy and unseen. She's the only one with hidden blades. So they have clear advantages that put them into stealth and combat, even if they can do a bit of both."
Even personality wise, the two protagonists couldn't be more different. In the same video, associate narrative director Brooke Davies described Naoe as a "very intense and passionate and determined woman who's very set on her goals," adding, "She's kind of got her heart on her sleeve and she'll say what she feels in the heat of the moment, and [there's] this intensity that she brings as a shinobi but she also brings to her relationships."
This acts as a contrast to Yasuke, who Davies described as the "thoughtful, level head to Naoe's fiery passion." The two protagonists appear to be on opposing sides of a conflict, with the reveal trailer culminating in the former saying, "We must learn to trust" and the latter adding, "and follow the blade."
Assassin's Creed Shadows launches on PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC on November 15.
Since it can all be a little hard to keep track of, here are all of the upcoming Assassin's Creed games we know about.
