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

With a renewed focus on the core elements that made the series legendary, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows delivers the most satisfying experience the franchise has offered in years. The game introduces the best parkour mechanics since Unity, allowing players to seamlessly navigate from the ground to castle rooftops. The addition of a grappling hook enhances this experience, making it even quicker to reach strategic vantage points. When you're perched on a tightrope, high above your enemies, you're just a drop away from executing the perfect kill—as long as you're playing as Naoe, the game's swift shinobi protagonist. However, switching to Yasuke, the second protagonist, transforms the gameplay entirely.

Yasuke, a towering samurai, brings a stark contrast to the traditional Assassin’s Creed experience. He is slow, clumsy, and incapable of silent kills, and his climbing abilities are laughably poor, reminiscent of a grandfather struggling up a ladder. This design choice by Ubisoft is both baffling and intriguing. Playing as Yasuke feels like stepping into a different game, one that challenges the very essence of what Assassin’s Creed has always been about.

Initially, the disparity between Yasuke’s capabilities and the series' core philosophy was frustrating. What purpose does an Assassin’s Creed protagonist serve if they can barely climb and can’t execute silent takedowns? Yet, the more I played as him, the more I appreciated his unique design. Yasuke addresses critical issues the series has grappled with in recent years, pushing players to rethink their approach.

You don’t unlock Yasuke until several hours into the campaign, after spending ample time mastering Naoe's agile, stealth-focused gameplay. Transitioning to Yasuke is jarring; his size and noise make sneaking through enemy camps nearly impossible, and climbing anything more than a few feet high is a laborious task. This forces Yasuke to stay grounded, limiting his access to high vantage points and complicating strategic planning. Unlike Naoe, who can use Eagle Vision to highlight enemies, Yasuke lacks such tools, relying solely on his brute strength.

Assassin’s Creed has always 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 fierce combat over stealth. Yasuke’s inability to climb freely and his reliance on prescribed routes highlight this shift. However, this limitation encourages players to discover hidden pathways tailored specifically for him, such as leaning tree trunks or strategically placed windows, which add an interesting layer of puzzle-solving to the game.

While Yasuke’s movement is restricted, his combat prowess is unparalleled. Shadows features the best swordplay the series has seen in over a decade, with each strike carrying purpose and a variety of techniques at your disposal. Yasuke’s "Brutal Assassination" skill, though not stealthy, serves as a powerful opening move in combat, setting the stage for intense battles. This contrast between Yasuke’s combat and Naoe’s stealth not only diversifies the gameplay but also prevents the blending of combat and stealth styles that plagued previous entries like Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.

Yasuke's design is intentional, yet it challenges his place within the Assassin’s Creed universe. While characters like Bayek and Eivor ventured too far into action territory, they still embodied the core mechanics of an Assassin’s Creed protagonist. Yasuke, thematically fitting as a samurai rather than an assassin, simply doesn’t align with the series’ traditional gameplay.

The real challenge for Yasuke is Naoe, who emerges as the superior choice. Mechanically, Naoe is the best Assassin’s Creed protagonist in years, perfectly complementing the towering verticality of Sengoku Period Japan. Her stealth toolkit and ability to climb almost anywhere fulfill the promise of Assassin’s Creed: becoming a highly mobile silent killer. Even Naoe’s combat, while not as enduring as Yasuke’s, is just as impactful and violent, benefiting from the same swordplay enhancements.

Naoe benefits from the same design changes that shape Yasuke's gameplay, but in a way that enhances her Assassin’s Creed experience. The "stick to every surface" mechanic has been replaced with a more realistic approach, requiring players to assess climbing routes and use the grappling hook strategically. This transforms the open world into an engaging Assassin’s Creed sandbox.

Ubisoft’s attempt to offer two distinct playstyles with Yasuke and Naoe is commendable but creates a double-edged sword. While Yasuke introduces a fresh, contrasting experience, he directly opposes the foundational elements of Assassin’s Creed. Thus, while I’ll occasionally enjoy the thrill of Yasuke’s combat, it’s through Naoe’s eyes that I’ll truly immerse myself in the world of Shadows. Playing as Naoe feels like playing Assassin’s Creed in its purest form.