Assassin’s Creed Shadows could not come out at a better time, as the recent wild success of Shōgun has proven fans are ready to dive into feudal Japan.
This will be the setting for the newest game in Ubisoft’s highly successful gaming series. For decades, Assassin’s Creed has brought players to all corners of the world at different historical points. Japan has long been a coveted time to set the series, and now gamers have the opportunity. But Shadows is special, not just because of the locale, but the innovations made for the game.
The new venture will feature not just one protagonist but two. These dueling perspectives allow fans to play the classic assassin role in the shinobi character and a samurai. Both characters team up in a tale of fiction inspired by historical events. The samurai character is none other than Yasuke, known throughout history as the first Black samurai. Brooke Davies, the narrative director for the game, informed IGN of the joy of implementing the historical figure into the game.
“Yasuke is somebody who is going to tie together many of the most powerful figures in our era. He really is a great point of entry to this as well, with Oda Nobunaga on one side, and on the other side the Portuguese that he arrives with. He really does a lovely job of connecting the dots historically, what we know factually. And then narratively, we had so much fun imagining the kind of person who would have this trajectory.”
Yasuke aids the shinobi assassin, Naoe, the invented daughter of the real-life figure, Fujibayashi Nagato. This melding of history and fiction primes the new Assassin’s Creed game to be one for the ages.
Release date for Assassin’s Creed: Shadows
The trailer kicks off with our titular assassin and their terrified victim — a taste of what is to come. After a quick romp in the woods at night, the visuals show a landscape in the daylight — the natural beauty of historic Japan. This beauty is short-lived when a band of samurai attack Naoe and her father. As her home burns, Naoe gets the first glimpse of Yasuke, whose fate will become entwined with hers.
Players can switch between these two perspectives depending on which skill set is required. Yasuke is a powerful fighter, which will come in handy when force is needed. Conversely, Naoe will be your pick when stealth is required.
Producer Karl Onnée explained to IGN how they’re focusing on player choices which will affect the gameplay, which will include a focus on the changing seasons of the year:
“We’ve really been pushing about making sure that gameplay and art are not separate, but they’re intertwining.”
Onnée gave the example of how, in winter, waterways would be frozen, as opposed to in the springtime.
Assassins Creed Shadows is slated to drop on Nov. 15 2205 on PC, PS5, and Xbox, so many elements are under wraps.