Earlier this week Ubisoft finally shone a light on Assassin’s Creed Shadows, the new Feudal Japan-set RPG-style adventure from the team at Ubisoft Quebec, that was originally known by the codename Assassin’s Creed Red. Since then, a few other tidbits have leaked, including a release date and some details about the game’s DLC and pricing plans. That said, fans were understandably still hungry for more.
Well, today Ubisoft dropped the first trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It’s only cinematic, so we can’t glean too much about how the game might look during actual gameplay, but it provides a pretty in-depth look at our new protagonists. As previously rumored, Shadows will focus on a male samurai, based on real-life historical figure Yasuke, and a female ninja/shinobi named Naoe. Unlike past dual-protagonist Assassin’s Creed games, the two will play quite differently, with Naoe being about stealth and gadgets, while Yasuke is more of a brawler, wielding heavy weapons. Check out the Assassin’s Creed Shadows cinematic trailer, below.
Meanwhile, here’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ developers discussing our new protagonists.
Here’s a bit more detail about both Yasuke and Naoe, and how they relate to one another…
“While Naoe and Yasuke play very differently – Naoe is a shinobi who uses stealth, parkour, and gadgets, whereas Yasuke is combat-oriented and armored – the pair’s personalities ultimately complement each other to form a unique dynamic throughout Shadows.”
Yasuke: A Real-Life Samurai
“The decision to include a playable, real-life historical figure of this era in Assassins’ Creed Shadows was two-fold: Ubisoft Quebec wanted to include a Samurai, and Yasuke’s story was open-ended enough to allow for creativity; there are still plenty of questions and speculation surrounding him. The fascinating facts, though, were undisputable: of African origin, he arrived in Japan enslaved by the Portuguese; he impressed with size, strength, and wits; he served under the Japanese daimyo Oda Nobunaga.”
Naoe: The Blade of the People
“At Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ start, Naoe is a 17-year-old from Iga, and the daughter of one of the era’s most iconic shinobi, Fujibayashi Nagato, who – despite a promise to keep her safe – is forced to train her to be his equal in battle. The team describes Naoe as ‘determined but compassionate,’ capable of taking down any enemy while showing compassion to victims of war and corruption. With her home province of Iga squarely in the path of Nobunaga’s conquest, she sees first-hand the destruction that war can bring, and vows to use her skills to help her people.”
Two Sides of the Same Coin
“Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ dual protagonists are ultimately brought together by Nobunaga, whose goal of unifying Japan takes his army – and Yasuke – to the province of Iga for the Second Tenshō Iga War. The Igan resistance, though greatly overpowered by Nobunaga’s army, is courageously led by Naoe’s father. The two protagonists find each other through Nobunaga, although, for obvious reasons, they don’t exactly get off to a great start. The pair provide the player with opposing perspectives on Nobunaga and the means he used to achieve his goal of unification, and their overlapping perspectives throughout Shadows ultimately allow for a more nuanced look at the late Sengoku period.
The difference in their social stature is reflected in the world itself, which will respond differently to the player depending on who they are playing as. Naoe, for example, can present herself as a peasant and garner appropriate reactions; that is, if she wants to be seen at all. Yasuke, on the other hand, comes from a different land, but his status as a samurai garners respect from others, so people will bow to him on the streets. Characters can have different expectations of the pair, and in some cases, will prefer to deal with only one or the other.
Naoe and Yasuke’s disparate personalities also lead them to have different relationships and rapports with other characters, and they don’t always feel the same way about people, nor do people always feel the same way about them. Romantically, they will also attract and be attracted to different types of people. Through the pair, players will get to experience a multitude of relationships.”
In addition to the unique dual-protagonist structure, Ubisoft promises Assassin’s Creed Shadows will include new features, like changing seasons, and a focus on light and shadow during gameplay enabled by a new global illumination system. An IGN article provides a few more details, including that you’ll be able to choose which character you can play as for most missions, although there will be a few story missions specifically tied to Yasuke or Naoe. As previously rumored, destructible environments are also part of the game, which will be particularly evident when wrecking shop as Yasuke. Parkour is getting some tweaks too, including a grappling hook when playing as Naoe. Overall, Ubisoft is promising more open, non-linear mission design, and yes, knocking out enemies returns so you can do a true pacifist run.
Of course, this being an Ubisoft game, there will be multiple purchasing options, including a $70 standard edition, $110 Gold Edition, and $130 Premium Edition. Pre-orders are open now, and all who put their money down get access to the “Thrown to the Dogs” bonus mission. Meanwhile, here’s what’s included in the special editions…
Gold
- Base Game and pre-order bonus
- Season Pass including two story expansions
- 3-day early access
Premium Edition
- Everything included in the Gold Edition, plus…
- The Sekiryu Character Pack including gear and weapon sets for both Naoe and Yasuke, featuring the Sekiryu Beast, and Dragon Tooth trinket.
- The Sekiryu Hideout Pack including four unique ornaments to customize the hideout for your shinobi league.
- Five skill points.
- The Red Dragon filter in Photo mode.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows sneaks onto PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 on November 15 of this year. Actual gameplay will be shared at the Ubisoft Forward show in June. What do you think? Are you sharpening your katanas in anticipation?
