After the 50-hour voyage across 16th-century Japan, it was satisfying to see that Naoe, the protagonist of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, had almost mended her face. Only a small, scarcely perceptible scar remained from the cut that had formerly blemished her face. A visual metaphor for the game’s thematic journey through the ugliness of revenge, the healing process of forgiveness, and moving over sorrow with adequate time and support, Naoe’s face gradually heals during Shadows’ plot and the changing of the in-game seasons.
Although there are some amazing scenes with Naoe and Yasuke, the story’s confused second act makes it feel entirely uninteresting. Furthermore, Yasuke’s samurai gameplay feels inferior to Naoe’s shinobi fantasy, which is the greatest Assassin’s Creed in a long time and is still enjoyable throughout.
Game Overview
It seems as though Naoe is Shadows’ intended protagonist. The first twelve or so hours are devoted to playing as the shinobi, with the exception of a short hour spent as Yasuke. Even when Yasuke reappears in the narrative, it is to further Naoe’s objective of eliminating a dozen masked people and reclaiming an enigmatic box that she must retrieve.
However, despite his narrative flaws as a supporting character, Yasuke is not enjoyable to play. Individual gameplay elements in the Assassin’s Creed series have never been superior to those in other video games. Other action games have better parkour features, its combat has never been as fantastic, and the series consistently feels lagging behind in terms of stealth. The nicest thing about Assassin’s Creed has always been how it combines all three gameplay modes into a one, seamless packageâsomething that is rarely seen at the caliber of work that Ubisoft has produced.
Games new addition
In addition to having new mechanics that make the stealth portion of Assassin’s Creed far superior to more recent releases, Naoe flawlessly epitomizes that trifecta. For his part, Yasuke doesn’t. Yasuke is capable of fighting, but he is unable to use parkour or truly rely on stealth. Only a third of Assassin’s Creed is him. Making an Assassin’s Creed protagonist that only engages in open combat may seem like a nice idea, but in reality, it feels terrible because that part of the series is still lacking in action-focused video games.
Thankfully, you are only required to play as Yasuke in a minor portion of Shadows. It’s simple to choose the obviously better gameplay choice because the majority of the game allows you to choose between the two characters for both main missions and optional side quests. In terms of how she plays, Naoe is the best protagonist that Assassin’s Creed has had in a while. She is equipped with the standard tools of the trade, such as throwing knives, smoke bombs, and a hidden blade, but she also has new skills, including movement mechanics like going prone, breathing underwater with a reed, killing targets through screen doors, and latching onto the ceiling, as well as tools the franchise hasn’t seen in ten years (a less sophisticated version of Syndicate’s rope launcher, for instance, appears in Shadows as Naoe’s grappling hook).
The use of light is also more important for stealth; Naoe can stay hidden in shadows by blowing out candles or by knocking out lanterns with a shuriken or kunai. Additionally, adversaries are much more astute this time around; if they discover a dead or incapacitated comrade, they will notify their surviving allies and pursue Naoe. Skulking on rooftops isn’t the simple, safe haven it has been throughout the game; they will even look up if she leaves behind specific evidence that she is a shinobi, such as kunai left in dead bodies.
Even after hours of playing the game, Naoe remains dreadfully unable to handle big numbers of guards, despite her ability to hold her own against a few. This is because hostile guards would strategically try to encircle Naoe and launch a coordinated attack to overcome her weak defenses.
This turns every assignment with Naoe into a puzzle, with different answers depending on the weather and where you’ve chosen to spend your Mastery points on Naoe’s ability tree. Shadows alternates between spring, summer, fall, and winter as you play, changing the scenery in practically every place.
Games storyline
In the spring, a garden pond makes an excellent hiding spot; however, in the winter, it can freeze over, leaving level ground that you can use to approach a wall and grapple up. Fall’s roaring storms drown out Naoe’s sounds, while winter’s ferocious snowstorms make it harder for her and her adversaries to see. Summertime is a less dangerous time to run across a rooftop than wintertime, when doing so could cause icicles on the roof’s edges to fall and break on the ground, warning adversaries. Seasons also affect how guards and the general public act; for example, during the winter, they tend to cuddle closer together or stay inside for warmth.
The cycle of breaking into castles and strongholds is kept from becoming unduly monotonous by the ongoing need to adjust and plan according to the time of year as well as the equipment at your disposal. If you play as Yasuke, it is an exception. Despite his ability to hide in shrubs, Yasuke is more noticeable due to his stature. Additionally, he can climb on low roofs, but he is unable to jump high enough to get to most areas, and if he tries to use ropes to span gaps from above, they will break under his weight. Even his assassination isn’t silent; when he does it, Yasuke yells and makes his presence known.
The solution to the puzzle you face is always obvious when you play as Yasuke: storm the enemy line and murder everyone. Yasuke has a large health pool and even starts with equipment that allows him to parry unblockable blows, so there’s rarely any need to fear about dying. Heck, going into a condition where he automatically blocks all assaults for over 30 seconds is one of his initial Mastery abilities. Playing as him has no sense of difficulty or reward.
Because the developers are aware that you will be playing as the samurai during these missions, they have obviously planned the level with that in mind. The rare exceptions are a few stages and situations where you must play as Yasuke. Although they aren’t particularly difficult, these missions have well-timed musical swells, adversaries with unique moves, and captivating back-and-forth with Yasuke. All of these elements combine to provide amazing cinematic moments that give you the impression that you are a fierce juggernaut. I enjoyed spending time with Yasuke during these moments, but they also brought to light the limitations of playing as him in parts that should have allowed for gameplay for both characters.
Conclusion
Yasuke’s inclusion is mostly to blame for Shadows’ problems. His samurai dream works because a lot of what makes an Assassin’s Creed game unique is removed, not because he is a poorly written character or because he doesn’t feel like he belongs. The gaming loop of tracking for enigmatic targets, figuring out the best method to get to them, cutting them down, and then vanishing without a trace is far more fluid in Naoe’s Shinobi fantasy. The story of Naoe and Yasuke could have benefited from greater coherence, particularly in providing the two with a common goal to advance the plot and their character growth. Assassin’s Creed Shadows is a fantastic game to play, but at the very least, Naoe’s gameplay is the best the franchise has felt since switching to a more action-RPG genre.
