Assassin's Creed Shadows lead says dual protagonists are "a cool thing" the new action RPG "does better than what we've done in the past"

Ubisoft's long-awaited action RPG Assassin's Creed Shadows is finally here, giving fans the opportunity to explore the beloved series' new dual protagonist system – one that, according to creative director Jonathan Dumont, came as part of a "natural progression."

Speaking in a recent interview with GamesRadar+ on the new game, Dumont explains that Ubisoft wanted to try some things differently "from the outset" with Shadows – including its introduction of the unique dual protagonist system with Naoe and Yasuke. "Those are things we started doing four years ago, and we didn't change our focus," describes the creative director. "These [come from] looking at how Assassin's Creed is played."

Dumont continues: "Usually we want to make some changes, or try different things so our players get something new – and they feel it's not just the setting, but we're improving the formula or gameplay aspects." According to the lead, this all boils down to the "natural progression" of Assassin's Creed. Featuring both Naoe and Yasuke rather than just one or the other is "really cool for renewing the experience" for longtime fans.

"If you have a clear favorite, that's awesome," says Dumont. "But offering [two protagonists] even just as a pacebreaker, or you want to try something else, or for replay value? I think that's a cool thing Shadows does better than what we've done in the past in Assassin's Creed." This checks out – after all, our own Assassin's Creed Shadows review praises the action RPG for how its "two protagonists provide the best of both worlds for Assassin's Creed fans."

The dual protagonist system isn't the only new feature to make its way into the Assassin's Creed series, either. Dumont also references the clue-driven exploration changes, along with Shadows' larger focus on stealth, as examples. As a longtime fan of the games myself, I'm personally most excited about its inclusion of things like the so-called "Canon Mode" that aims to offer a more linear story-driven experience for fans to play through.

Hungry for more? Here are some of the best Assassin's Creed games you can give a go after Shadows.