Ubisoft Quebec provided a better look at how the dual protagonists of Assassin’s Creed Shadows will function during its extended gameplay reveal. While you can control Yasuke and take a forceful approach through the front, Naoe provides opportunities for stealth and getting in and out. How will the game encourage you to swap, though?
Associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois told VG247, “We were really interested in this idea of committing to whatever build you have. So early on, we were trying to say, ‘We know we want stealth, we know we want combat, but we don’t want the players to be able to switch willy-nilly between those things’.
“The weapon you have, the armor you have, is what you’ve got to deal with your current situation. You have to remove yourself from that situation before you can change those things. Quite rapidly, it became obvious that Shinobi and Samurai would be two interesting fits for this, leading to this two-protagonist approach with their own feel.”
What if players want to commit to a singular character throughout? Comtois confirmed that much of the story content can be played by either, and there’s no “hard gating.” However, you will pick up loot for the other character, which may encourage you to give them a shot.
“It’s a balanced approach. Most of the content can be played by either character, and there’s no hard gating that says this is a Naoe thing. Story moments are character-focused, but the rest of the game is open, and progression incentivizes you to switch because when you play just one character for a while, they will pick up stuff for the other character to use. So both characters kind of progress together.” It essentially eliminates any worries of grinding gear if you progress too much with one character.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows launches on November 15th for Xbox Series X/S, PS5 and PC. Gold and Ultimate Edition owners can start playing three days early. Head here for all the latest details, from Naoe’s various stealth mechanics to Yasuke’s combat.
