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

Thanks to a renewed focus on the ideas that the series was originally built upon, *Assassin’s Creed: Shadows* delivers the most satisfying experience the franchise has offered in years. The game boasts the best parkour system since *Unity*, allowing you to seamlessly transition from the ground to castle rooftops. A grappling hook enhances this fluidity, making your ascent to strategic vantage points even quicker. Perched on a tightrope high above your enemies, you're just a drop away from executing the perfect kill—but only if you're playing as Naoe. Switch to Yasuke, the game's second protagonist, and you'll find yourself in a completely different gameplay experience.

Yasuke is slow, clumsy, and unable to perform silent kills. His climbing abilities are so limited that they feel more like those of a cautious elder than an agile assassin. He represents a stark contrast to the typical Assassin’s Creed protagonist, making him one of Ubisoft's most puzzling yet intriguing design choices. Playing as Yasuke feels like stepping away from the Assassin’s Creed experience altogether.

Initially, the vast difference between Yasuke’s abilities and the core philosophy of the series was frustrating. What's the purpose of an Assassin’s Creed protagonist who struggles to climb and can't execute silent takedowns? However, as I spent more time with him, I began to appreciate the merits of Yasuke’s unique design. He highlights critical issues that the franchise has grappled with in recent years, despite his evident limitations.

You don’t get to play as Yasuke until several hours into the campaign, after spending your initial time with Naoe, a swift shinobi who embodies the assassin archetype better than any protagonist in a decade. Transitioning to Yasuke after mastering Naoe is jarring. This towering samurai struggles to sneak through enemy camps and can barely climb anything higher than his own head. His inability to find handholds on Japan's jutting roofs and his slow, precarious balancing on rooftops introduce significant friction. Climbing becomes a chore, requiring scaffolding and ladders to make any meaningful progress.

While Yasuke isn't forced to stay on the ground, the game strongly encourages it. This limitation hinders his ability to gain the high ground and map out threats, something Naoe can mitigate with her Eagle Vision. With Yasuke, you're essentially trading stealth and mobility for brute strength.

Assassin's Creed has traditionally 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*, especially given his reliance on samurai sword skills over stealth. This shift emphasizes fierce combat, an aspect *Tsushima* is celebrated for and *Assassin’s Creed* often criticized for.

Playing as Yasuke challenges you to rethink how you approach *Assassin’s Creed*. The series has historically allowed players to climb anywhere effortlessly, but Yasuke’s design introduces a new challenge. While many areas are beyond his reach, careful observation reveals specially designed paths that help him reach his objectives. These paths, like a leaning tree trunk leading to a sync point or an open castle window accessible via exterior wall stairs, are more engaging than the mindless climbing of previous games.

However, these paths only take Yasuke where he needs to go, limiting his general exploration and ability to gain the high ground for reconnaissance. His stealth capabilities are limited to the "Brutal Assassination" skill, which is more of an opening move for combat than a silent takedown. When combat ensues, it becomes exhilarating. *Shadows* features the best swordplay the series has seen in over a decade, with purposeful strikes and a variety of techniques, from rush attacks to satisfying ripostes. The finishing moves are brutal, contrasting sharply with Naoe’s stealthy approach.

The separation of combat and stealth into two distinct characters prevents the blending of styles that plagued *Origins*, *Odyssey*, and *Valhalla*. Naoe’s fragility ensures she can’t rely on brute force, forcing you to retreat and reset the stealth loop when combat breaks out. Yasuke’s strength, on the other hand, allows you to endure the game’s toughest challenges, making him a thrilling combat option, especially once his skill tree unlocks.

Despite the clear intention behind Yasuke’s design, it's challenging to reconcile him with the core tenets of *Assassin’s Creed*—stealth and vertical exploration. While previous protagonists like Bayek and Eivor leaned too heavily into action, they still maintained essential assassin skills. Yasuke’s limitations as a samurai mean you can’t play *Assassin’s Creed* traditionally while controlling him.

The real challenge for Yasuke is Naoe's presence. Mechanically, Naoe is the best Assassin’s Creed protagonist in years. Her stealth toolkit, combined with the verticality of Sengoku Period Japan, fulfills the promise of being a highly mobile silent killer. Naoe also benefits from the design changes that shape Yasuke, such as more realistic climbing that requires route planning and anchor points for her grappling hook. Her combat is just as impactful as Yasuke’s, though she can’t withstand prolonged fights. This raises the question: why choose Yasuke when Naoe offers a more comprehensive *Assassin’s Creed* experience?

Ubisoft's ambition to offer two distinct playstyles with Yasuke and Naoe is commendable, yet it creates a double-edged sword. Yasuke’s gameplay diverges significantly from the traditional *Assassin’s Creed* experience, offering a fresh and compelling alternative. However, his design directly opposes the series' foundational principles, which remain unique in the open-world genre. While I'll enjoy returning to Yasuke for his combat prowess, it's through Naoe that I'll truly explore *Shadows'* world. Playing as Naoe feels like playing *Assassin’s Creed* in its purest form.