Fans of Ubisoft’s series have expressed their displeasure at a black samurai included in Assassin’s Creed Shadows since the game’s reveal. That sentiment seems to have lost its initial fervor, but some fans are sharing why they believe it might have still been a bad choice.
With the game featuring two different characters, the team no doubt would have had to put in work for both to develop their unique playstyles. One fan believes this choice may have split resources when they could have created and empowered a single character.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Fan Believes Yasuke’s Inclusion Steals the Spotlight
Since the game became a franchise, fans have wondered when the title would explore Japan. It’s the perfect setting for a title that, at least at the start, prioritized stealthy gameplay. So, when Assassin’s Creed Shadows was announced, people were excited to see what ninja adventures they could indulge in.
However, when they realized the spotlight was split between a shinobi and a samurai, it did not sit well with everyone. Yasuke has been arguably the most debated character in the franchise’s history. It’s even led fans to create a petition against Assassin’s Creed Shadows on the grounds of misrepresenting culture.
I don’t care if Yasuke was a samurai or not. I still dislike the Dual Protagonists direction.
byu/TheBlightDoc inassassinscreed
However, there is another, more gameplay-focused issue many fans have with this decision, as expressed by TheBlightDoc on the game’s subreddit. They state that including the samurai, who will play the heavy warrior class, is a repetition of the same playstyle seen in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.
Instead, they would have preferred more studio resources to be directed to Naoe, whose recent leaked gameplay has impressed many in the community, to build her as a solid sole protagonist.
The poster also states that this criticism is purely for the decision to have two protagonists, stating that they didn’t appreciate the decision in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate either. Playing as Yasuke is entirely optional, something the OP admits, but they claim that resources would have been used to develop his story, which could have been put into enhancing Naoe.
Studio Pushes Back Against Criticism with a Statement on Cultural Representation
The OP’s criticism deals more with their expectations of the experience, but others have been dragging the studio for not giving Japanese culture enough respect. Ubisoft has since addressed this controversy in a statement it released on X.
The studio says that while the games are based on and around true historical events, they are not intended to be accurate representations of history. Rather, they are meant to be fictionalized stories that use historical events as plot points.
Each game also begins with a disclaimer stating that it is a work of fiction and has been created by a diverse team. Many fans have been using this very talking point as a defense for the game’s usage of Yasuke, but it hasn’t convinced those against the decision.
However, as we get closer to the game’s release, it seems the sentiments are shifting in favor of the studio. Many are calling out the cultural argument as being unfounded and without reason, while others say that the game does look interesting but hope that the story holds up.
What are your thoughts on the dual-protagonist approach? Let us know in the comments below!
