Veteran Street Fighter and Resident Evil developer says backlash to Assassin's Creed Shadows is overblown because "it's a game, it's fantasy, not reality"

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Its dual protagonists also reminded him of 2005's Genji

Naoe and Yasuke walk in the sunset in a screenshot from Assassin's Creed Shadows
(Image credit: Ubisoft)

Veteran game developer Yoshiki Okamoto, who has credits on everything from Street Fighter 2 and Resident Evil 3 to the Oracle of Seasons/Ages, has said that Assassin's Creed Shadows is the kind of game he actually wanted to make way back in 2005, and the controversy around it is overblown.

While Assassin's Creed Shadows' two protagonists are one of the most exciting parts of the game, Yasuke's presence has also courted online backlash from some people who argue there's not enough historical evidence to brand him as Japan's first black samurai. The game has faced criticism from some corners due to its choice of protagonists, but Okamoto doesn't think Yasuke's starring role is a problem at all.

Heard any of that before? Okamoto notes that Assassin's Creed Shadow's dual protagonists, split between the stealthier Naoe and the wall-busting Yasuke, reminded him of what the now-defunct developer Game Republic tried to accomplish with the Genji duo. "We weren't able to pull it off at the time, but I think Ubisoft will, which is why I have high hopes," he says.

Ubisoft’s CEO also denounced “hateful acts” targeted toward developers after Assassin’s Creed Shadow’s backlash.

Kaan Serin
Freelance contributor

Kaan freelances for various websites including Rock Paper Shotgun, Eurogamer, and this one, Gamesradar. He particularly enjoys writing about spooky indies, throwback RPGs, and anything that's vaguely silly. Also has an English Literature and Film Studies degree that he'll soon forget.