It took me over 20 hours to unlock Yasuke in Assassin's Creed Shadows, and a Kofun turned out to be the perfect training ground

Assassin's Creed Shadows is home to a world that's begging to be explored, and that's exactly what I've been spending most of my time doing in the RPG. When I'm not searching for stylish looks and decorative trinkets, I'm soaking in the views and capturing scenic shots in photo mode. In fact, I got so swept up in doing anything but the main story to begin with, that I was well over 20 hours in when I finally found my way to unlocking Yasuke. I'm sure I'm not alone in that. There are so many view points to reach, castles to clear, and side quests to uncover – not to mention seedy organizations to root out – that it's all too easy to get sidetracked as Naoe in the opening hours.

Once I finally got to try out the ways of the samurai, I stumbled upon a Kofun that was tailor-made for Yasuke. Figuring out how to reach treasure within it was not only satisfying on its own, but since clearing one early on as Naoe, the ancient tomb actually turned out to be perfect training ground to get used to playing as Yasuke.

A different approach

Kofuns in Assassin's Creed Shadows aren't too dissimilar to the ancient tombs peppered throughout the desert in Assassin's Creed Origins, or the Tombs of the Fallen that were added as part of an update in Assassin's Creed Valhalla. They're essentially underground environmental puzzles that get you to figure out how to get past blocked paths or obstacles to make your way further down. With the observe feature bringing up a blue icon to guide you, reaching a legendary chest contained within the Kofun's depths is usually the end goal.

I first came across one very early on in the RPG thanks to my constant urge to reach more view points and question marks on my map. It allowed me to put Naoe's nimble movements to good use, crouching down low, swinging across gaps with my trusty grappling hook, and occasionally diving underwater when I spied some smaller chests below. Little did I know this location was actually tied to a quest I wouldn't get to for many hours to come, but stumbling upon it early had its advantages; while a part of it was partially closed off to me, I still got to reach the big shiny chest within it, which contained one of the first pieces of Legendary loot I ever swiped.

When I eventually came across the Makino Kurumazuka Kofun shortly after unlocking Yasuke, I was actually once again exploring as Naoe. She's the one you often have to turn to if you want to reach viewpoints at the top of towers or castle structures, since Yasuke's climbing ability is limited. But it was immediately apparent to me that the shinboi protagonist wouldn't be able to tackle this Kofun. The entrance was walled up with stone, and while explosive vases were sitting nearby, they were too far away from the obstruction to make any kind of impact. Since Naoe can't lift or move the heavy explosives, I quickly cottoned on that her samurai counterpart was the answer.

It was the first instance that I found myself at a location specifically geared towards Yasuke, and I pounced on the opportunity to get really behind the heavy armor of the other protagonist – who at this point I hadn't really had the chance to get accustomed to yet. As I soon discovered, Yasuke's strength and stature entirely changes up the puzzle challenge, which means doing a Kofun in his sandals is a whole different ball game compared to Naoe's fleet-footed stint underground.

But it's equally satisfying to put Yasuke's own distinct talents to use in different ways to work out how to reach the chest, and the more I progressed, the more I came to appreciate how the tomb was providing just the kind of introductory training I needed to get to grips with the way he can move and interact with the environment. I could immediately, for example, hoist explosive vases up and place or throw them with ease, unlike Noae who can't move them. This made clearing out the rubble a cinch, since I could set an explosive down and make use of my bow and arrow to set it off with a well placed shot.

Tomb raider

The heavy lifting required to actually get into the tomb set a precedent for the rest of the Kofun, with several blocked pathways and obstacles requiring Yasuke's brawny aptitude. That doesn't necessarily mean that the puzzles are more straightforward for Yasuke, either. At one point, I had to think outside of the box and had a true eureka moment when I figured out that I could use the physics of the game to actually roll and push along an explosive vase from a prone position through a low gap to get to my prize.

There were lots of smaller ways that the tomb allowed me to get a feel for Yasuke and take note of the marked differences between the two protagonists. One that comes to mind is when I came across a tightrope that I optimistically tried to cross. Of course, it wouldn't be a problem for Naoe, but thanks to the samurai's size and weight, it promptly snapped and pushed me to find another way through to the other side of the Kofun.

I've actually really been enjoying the differences between the two protagonists, and how they both encourage me to adapt to their strengths and weaknesses and change up my approach. And this Kofun was really my very first taste of that. After delving into the depths as Naoe, Yasuke's tomb-raiding adventures made me think differently and find solutions that worked to his particular capabilities. It may have taken me 20 hours to even get to Yasuke, but it felt somehow fated that I would find my way to that Kofun shortly after. Who knows what puzzles I'll face next, but I look forward to seeing how I can tackle them as the shinobi or samurai.

Assassin's Creed Shadows "has a little bit of Tarantino flavor", but its real secret ingredient is intrigue: "It's almost like you're watching an episode of Shogun".