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

Thanks to a renewed focus on the core ideas that the Assassin’s Creed series was originally built upon, *Assassin’s Creed: Shadows* delivers the most satisfying experience the franchise has seen in years. The game reintroduces fluid parkour, reminiscent of the best since *Unity*, allowing players to seamlessly navigate from ground level to castle rooftops. The addition of a grappling hook further enhances this experience, making reaching vantage points quicker and more thrilling. When perched high above on a tightrope, you're just a well-timed drop away from executing the perfect assassination—as long as you’re playing as Naoe, that is. However, switching to Yasuke, the game's second protagonist, changes the gameplay entirely.

Yasuke is slow, clumsy, and unable to perform silent kills. His climbing abilities are so limited that he moves like a grandpa, starkly contrasting with the typical agility of an Assassin’s Creed protagonist. This design choice by Ubisoft is both baffling and fascinating. When playing as Yasuke, the game no longer feels like traditional Assassin’s Creed.

Initially, the stark difference between Yasuke’s capabilities and the fundamental philosophy of the series was frustrating. What is the point of an Assassin’s Creed protagonist who struggles with climbing and can't perform silent takedowns? However, as I spent more time with him, I began to appreciate Yasuke’s unique design. Despite his flaws, he addresses critical issues that the series has grappled with in recent years.

You don’t get to control Yasuke until several hours into the campaign, after spending time with Naoe, a swift shinobi who epitomizes the assassin archetype better than any protagonist in a decade. Transitioning to Yasuke is jarring. This towering samurai is too conspicuous to sneak through enemy camps effectively and can barely scale anything higher than his own head. He can’t find handholds on Japan’s rooftops, and when he does climb, it's painstakingly slow. On rooftops, he balances precariously, standing upright and inching forward, which introduces a sense of friction. Scaling environments becomes a chore, often requiring structures like scaffolding or ladders to make any meaningful progress.

While this doesn't force Yasuke to stay on the ground, it certainly encourages it, limiting his access to high vantage points and making it challenging to map out enemy threats. Unlike Naoe, who can use Eagle Vision to highlight enemies, Yasuke has no such tool, leaving him reliant on raw strength alone.

Assassin’s Creed has always been about stealthy kills and vertical exploration, elements that Yasuke directly opposes. Playing as him feels more akin to *Ghost of Tsushima* than Assassin’s Creed, emphasizing fierce combat over stealth. Yasuke’s lack of stealth training and reliance on samurai sword skills further highlights this shift. Playing as Yasuke requires rethinking how to approach Assassin’s Creed. The series traditionally allowed players to climb anywhere effortlessly, but Yasuke’s design introduces a challenge. Although he can't reach many places, careful observation reveals hidden paths designed specifically for him, such as leaning tree trunks or open windows on castle walls. These paths are more engaging to discover than the mindless climbs of past games.

However, these paths only lead Yasuke where he needs to go, limiting his freedom for general exploration. Without easy access to high ground, planning stealthy approaches becomes difficult. Yasuke's only stealth ability, the "Brutal Assassination," is far from inconspicuous, serving more as an opening move for combat than a takedown. Yet, when combat begins, *Shadows* offers 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—enhances the experience. Finishing moves are brutal and create a clear contrast with Naoe’s stealthy approach.

The separation of combat and stealth into two distinct characters prevents the blending of styles seen in *Origins*, *Odyssey*, and *Valhalla*, where direct conflict became the default. In *Shadows*, Naoe’s fragility forces players to engage in stealth and repositioning, while Yasuke’s strength allows for prolonged combat. His skill tree, full of powerful abilities, makes him an exciting choice in battle.

Yasuke’s design is intentional, yet it remains challenging to reconcile him with the core tenets of Assassin’s Creed—stealth and vertical exploration. While protagonists like Bayek and Eivor ventured into action territory, they still performed the essential actions of an Assassin’s Creed lead. Yasuke, as a samurai, is thematically appropriate in his lack of stealth and climbing skills, but this means you can’t play the game as traditional Assassin’s Creed while controlling him.

The real challenge Yasuke faces is Naoe, who is mechanically the best Assassin’s Creed protagonist in years. Her stealth toolkit, combined with the verticality of Sengoku Period Japan, perfectly fulfills the promise of becoming a highly mobile silent killer. Naoe also benefits from the same design changes that shape Yasuke, with a more realistic approach to climbing that still allows for leaping and faster ascents. Her combat is as violent and impactful as Yasuke’s, though she can’t endure battles as long. This raises the question: why play as Yasuke when Naoe offers a more complete Assassin’s Creed experience?

Ubisoft’s attempt to offer two distinct playstyles with Yasuke and Naoe creates a double-edged sword. Yasuke’s unique approach provides a contrasting and compelling experience, a first for the series. However, it opposes the core ideas that make Assassin’s Creed unique in the open-world genre. While I’ll always enjoy the thrill of Yasuke’s combat, it’s through Naoe that I truly experience the world of *Shadows*. When I play as Naoe, I feel like I’m playing Assassin’s Creed.