"Yasuke in Shadows: A Fresh Take on Assassin's Creed"

Thanks to a renewed focus on the ideas the series was originally built on, Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers the most satisfying experience the franchise has delivered in years. The game's parkour system, reminiscent of the fluidity seen in Unity, allows you to seamlessly transition from the ground to castle rooftops. The addition of a grappling hook makes reaching those perfect vantage points even quicker. Perched on a high tightrope, you're just a drop away from executing the perfect kill—as long as you're playing as Naoe, that is. Switch to Yasuke, the game's second protagonist, and you'll find yourself in a completely different gameplay experience.

Yasuke is slow, clumsy, and unable to kill silently. His climbing abilities are reminiscent of a grandpa's pace, making him a stark contrast to the typical Assassin’s Creed protagonist. This design choice by Ubisoft is both baffling and fascinating, as playing as Yasuke feels less like Assassin’s Creed and more like a different game altogether.

Yasuke changes the rules of Assassin's Creed, promoting grounded combat over parkour stealth. | Image credit: Ubisoft

Initially, the vast difference between Yasuke’s capabilities and the core philosophy of Assassin’s Creed was frustrating. What's the purpose of an Assassin’s Creed protagonist who can barely climb and can’t perform silent takedowns? Yet, as I delved deeper into his gameplay, I began to appreciate Yasuke's design. Despite his flaws, he addresses important issues the series has faced in recent years.

You won't encounter Yasuke until several hours into the campaign, after spending your initial time with Naoe, a swift shinobi who embodies the assassin archetype better than any protagonist in a decade. Transitioning to Yasuke after mastering Naoe's swift movements can be quite jarring.

Yasuke, a towering samurai, is too large and noisy to sneak through enemy camps effectively, and his climbing skills are limited to barely reaching above his head. He struggles to find handholds on the jutting roofs of Japan’s streets, and when he does climb, it's painfully slow. On rooftops, he precariously balances on the apex, standing upright and inching forward cautiously. These limitations introduce friction, making scaling environments feel like a chore and necessitating the use of scaffolding and ladders for progress.

While not forcing Yasuke to stay at ground level, these restrictions certainly encourage it. This limits his ability to gain the high ground and plan strategically. Unlike Naoe, who can use Eagle Vision to highlight enemies, Yasuke has no such advantage. Playing as him means sacrificing almost everything except raw strength.

Assassin's Creed has traditionally been about stealthy kills and vertical exploration, elements that Yasuke directly opposes. His gameplay feels more akin to Ghost of Tsushima than Assassin’s Creed, emphasizing combat over stealth. Yasuke's lack of stealth training and reliance on samurai sword skills highlight this shift, offering an experience centered on fierce combat—a feature Tsushima is celebrated for and Assassin’s Creed often critiqued on.

Playing as Yasuke challenges you to rethink the traditional Assassin’s Creed gameplay. Historically, the series has allowed free climbing everywhere, but Yasuke changes this. Though many areas are beyond his reach, careful observation reveals specially designed pathways that help him reach his objectives. For example, a leaning tree trunk might lead to a sync point otherwise inaccessible without a grappling hook, or an open castle window can be reached via a staircase-like arrangement on the exterior wall. These paths add a layer of strategic thinking, contrasting with the effortless, thoughtless climbs of past games.

However, these pathways only lead Yasuke to necessary locations, limiting his general exploration and making it hard to gain the high ground for observing enemy patrols. Yasuke’s stealth capabilities are minimal, with his "Brutal Assassination" skill being more of a combat initiation than a stealth move. Yet, when combat begins, it's exhilarating. Shadows offers the best swordplay the series has seen in over a decade, with purposeful strikes and a variety of techniques, from brutal rushes to satisfying ripostes. Finishing moves are particularly impactful, creating a stark contrast to Naoe’s stealth-focused approach.

Yasuke enjoys the best combat mechanics Assassin's Creed has ever had. | Image credit: Ubisoft

The separation of combat and stealth into two distinct protagonists helps maintain a balance that was lost in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, where direct conflict often became the default. Naoe’s relative fragility means she can’t engage in prolonged combat, forcing players to reset the stealth loop, while Yasuke's strength allows him to endure the game's toughest challenges. His evolving skill tree adds to the combat's allure.

Despite the strong intent behind Yasuke’s design, his place within Assassin’s Creed remains ambiguous. The series has always been about stealth and vertical exploration—concepts Yasuke directly opposes. While characters like Bayek and Eivor leaned too heavily into action, they still adhered to the fundamental mechanics of an Assassin’s Creed protagonist. Yasuke, being a samurai and not an assassin, struggles to fit into the traditional mold.

The real challenge for Yasuke is his counterpart, Naoe. Mechanically, she is the best Assassin’s Creed protagonist in years. Her stealth toolkit, combined with the verticality of Sengoku Period Japan, perfectly embodies the essence of the series—becoming a highly mobile silent killer.

Naoe also benefits from the design changes introduced with Yasuke. While she can climb almost anywhere, the game has moved away from the "stick to every surface" approach to something more realistic. This means players must still assess climbing routes and use anchor points for the grappling hook, but with enhanced speed and agility—key elements that transform the open world into an Assassin’s Creed sandbox. On the ground, Naoe's combat is just as impactful as Yasuke's, albeit with less endurance. This raises the question: why play as Yasuke when you can experience the full Assassin’s Creed experience with Naoe?

Ubisoft’s attempt to offer two distinct playstyles with Yasuke and Naoe is admirable, yet it creates a double-edged sword. Yasuke introduces a unique and compelling gameplay style, but it directly opposes the core tenets of Assassin’s Creed. While I enjoy the thrill of Yasuke's combat, it's through Naoe that I truly explore the world of Shadows. When playing as Naoe, I feel like I'm playing Assassin’s Creed.