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

Thanks to a renewed focus on the core concepts that originally defined the series, Assassin’s Creed Shadows delivers the most satisfying experience the franchise has offered in years. The game reintroduces fluid parkour, reminiscent of Unity, allowing players to seamlessly transition from the ground to castle rooftops. The addition of a grappling hook further enhances the thrill of reaching strategic vantage points quickly. Perched on a tightrope high above adversaries, a perfect kill is just a drop away—provided you're controlling Naoe, one of the game's protagonists. However, switching to Yasuke, the second protagonist, transforms the gameplay entirely.

Yasuke is deliberately designed to be slow and cumbersome, unable to execute silent takedowns or climb with agility. This makes him a stark contrast to the typical Assassin’s Creed protagonist and one of Ubisoft's most intriguing character choices. Playing as Yasuke shifts the experience away from the traditional stealth and parkour mechanics, challenging players to adapt to a new style of gameplay.

Initially, the significant difference between Yasuke’s capabilities and the core tenets of the series can be frustrating. Why include a protagonist who struggles with fundamental Assassin’s Creed activities like climbing and stealth? Yet, as you delve deeper into Yasuke’s gameplay, his unique design begins to reveal its value. He addresses long-standing issues within the series by forcing players to engage more directly with the environment and rethink their approach to combat and exploration.

For the first few hours of Shadows, you control Naoe, a swift shinobi who embodies the assassin archetype better than any protagonist in recent memory. Transitioning to Yasuke after this period can feel jarring. As a towering samurai, he's ill-suited for sneaking through enemy camps and struggles with even basic climbing tasks. This limitation encourages ground-level engagement, depriving him of the high vantage points crucial for strategic planning. Without tools like Eagle Vision, Yasuke's gameplay emphasizes raw strength over stealth and reconnaissance.

Assassin’s Creed has always thrived on stealthy kills and vertical exploration—elements that Yasuke directly opposes. His gameplay feels more akin to titles like Ghost of Tsushima, focusing on fierce combat rather than stealth. This shift challenges players to rethink traditional Assassin’s Creed strategies, as Yasuke's design forces a more prescribed path through the environment, revealing hidden routes and challenging players to navigate them thoughtfully.

Yasuke's combat mechanics are a highlight, offering the best swordplay the series has seen in over a decade. Each strike has purpose, and a variety of techniques from rush attacks to ripostes enrich the combat experience. His brutal assassination skill, while not stealthy, serves as a powerful opening move, setting the stage for intense battles. This separation of combat and stealth into two distinct protagonists ensures a balanced gameplay experience, preventing the series from leaning too heavily into action, as seen in titles like Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla.

Despite the intention behind Yasuke's design, his fit within the Assassin’s Creed framework remains questionable. While characters like Bayek and Eivor ventured into action territory, they still retained core Assassin’s Creed abilities. Yasuke's limitations in stealth and climbing mean that playing him doesn't feel like traditional Assassin’s Creed gameplay.

Naoe, on the other hand, is arguably the better choice for players seeking the quintessential Assassin’s Creed experience. Her stealth toolkit, combined with the verticality of Sengoku Period Japan, offers a gameplay experience that truly embodies the series' promise of being a highly mobile silent killer. Naoe's ability to climb nearly anywhere, coupled with enhanced swordplay, makes her a more versatile and engaging character to control.

Naoe benefits from design changes that also shape Yasuke's gameplay. While she can climb almost anywhere, the series has moved away from the "stick to every surface" approach, requiring players to find anchor points and assess climbing routes. This enhances the open-world experience, making it feel more like an Assassin’s Creed sandbox. Her combat, while not as enduring as Yasuke's, is equally impactful and violent.

Ubisoft's attempt to offer two distinct playstyles with Yasuke and Naoe creates a double-edged sword. Yasuke's gameplay, while contrasting and compelling, directly opposes the core ideas of Assassin’s Creed. While I'll enjoy Yasuke's combat, it's through Naoe that I'll truly explore and experience the world of Shadows—because playing as Naoe feels like playing Assassin’s Creed.