The reveal trailer for Assassin’s Creed Shadows gave us a look at the story of the next flagship entry in the series. Not only did we get an understanding of the world we will be diving into, but also through whose eyes we shall be seeing this world.
Dual protagonists is not a new formula for Assassin’s Creed, but the trailer does hint at certain differences between the two, which would make it a first for the series. Not only would they feel like different characters to play, but they may also take diverging paths later in the story.
Naoe and Yasuke May Not Be Consistent Partners in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Games that allow players to take on the role of two characters during the same campaign usually have them as partners working towards a similar goal. We may not see the same in Shadows, and this might be inspired by another Ubisoft classic.
Splinter Cell: Conviction, considered one of the best in the series, had a similar setup. This was specific to the co-op mode featuring Archer and Kestrel. At the end of this campaign, both have to face off against each other. While Shadows does not offer a co-op mode (that we know of currently), the story angle could create some interesting moments.
In the trailer, we see Naoe first meeting Yasuke during a raid in which the latter is an active participant. The rest of the trailer shows them coming together as comrades, but with such a violent first meeting, that partnership might not be 100% amicable.
Given that the title follows the RPG structure, player decision will be an active component. These decisions could either bring the two closer or drive a wedge between them. We saw in Ghost of Tsushima how stealth and subterfuge were rejected by the samurai code. We could see a similar divide occurring in Shadows.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Mechanics Hint at Enhanced Stealth Gameplay
In the later games in the series, stealth seemed to take a back seat while brawls and fights took the spotlight. This changed in Mirage, and the same might be happening in Shadows. The game will borrow another iconic mechanic from the Splinter Cell series: snuffing light sources. This should give players the ability to create shadows and greater stealth opportunities during missions.
Those who enjoyed the brawls from previous games need not be worried. Naoe is the stealthy one, but Yasuke appears to be a brawler. Seen wielding both a katana and a spiked club in the trailer, he appears to use his strength to gain an advantage in battle and knock his enemies down. This should allow for some variation in the gameplay while also allowing people to choose their preferred style of attack.
The hype is growing for the game, and if the title can replicate the feeling of the trailer, we might have one of the best entries in the franchise for a long while. The game is set to launch on November 15, 2024, and pre-orders have started.
Do you think the two characters will go against each other in the story? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
