Assassin's Creed Shadows has a formidable warrior in Yasuke, but I'm obsessed with how Naoe's stealthy gameplay proves her the ultimate shinobi fantasy

GamesRPGAssassin’s Creed Shadows has a formidable warrior in Yasuke, but I’m obsessed with how Naoe’s stealthy gameplay proves her the ultimate shinobi fantasyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. GamesRPGAssassin’s Creed Shadows has a formidable warrior in Yasuke, but I’m obsessed with how Naoe’s stealthy gameplay proves her the ultimate shinobi fantasyWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Ubisoft) I am going to loveAssassin’s Creed Shadows. My fate was sealed the moment I saw Naoe sling her grappling hook over a tree branch, spin around in mid-air, and land nimbly as a sleek black panther to deliver death from above unto an unsuspecting enemy. I was spellbound. Last night’s extended gameplay reveal proved to me thatUbisoftQuebec has truly outdone itself, taking strides to incorporate a sense of dynamic, fluid movement and physics-grounded verticality in its upcoming RPG that the long-running stealth series has been lacking up until this point. But that’s just it: Assassin’s Creed is at its best when it remembers that it’s astealthseries. So why on Earth would I favor Yasuke’s tanklike, all-guns-blazing approach? It’s just as well thatAC Shadows will let you play the whole game as one protagonist, because I’m already turned off from his playstyle. Sorry, big guy, I’m sure you have a great personality. Yin and yang (Image credit: Ubisoft) Hands-off preview(Image credit: Ubisoft)I watched the same mission play out in Assassin’s Creed Shadows in two very different ways and now I can’t stop thinking about the possibilities Hands-off preview (Image credit: Ubisoft)I watched the same mission play out in Assassin’s Creed Shadows in two very different ways and now I can’t stop thinking about the possibilities (Image credit: Ubisoft) I watched the same mission play out in Assassin’s Creed Shadows in two very different ways and now I can’t stop thinking about the possibilities As happy as I am that AC Shadows heralds the return of dual-protagonists, I can’t get behind how utterly strange it is that one of them seems to somehow possess even less stealth potential than the muscled likes ofAssassin’s Creed Valhalla’s male Eivor. Look, I get it: it’s fair to assume on a general level that a typical man has the capacity to be bigger, bulkier, and altogether easier to spot than your average woman. But that doesn’t mean they can’t at leasttryto be quiet about it. Even Jacob Frye, one half of Ubi Quebec’s last male-female protagonist duo in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, knew how to pull his hood up and keep that lip zipped. Almost every other Assassin’s Creed lead, bar a scant three, has managed to pull off being both maleanda master of the shadows. There’s probably potential for Yasuke to hide menacingly around a blind corner and pounce on a target, but right now, I have my concerns. (Image credit: Ubisoft) Storming down the streets of Japan, Yasuke is anything but a stealthy assassin. Nor is he trying to be one; the towering samurai confronts his foes head-on, either with a skull-bashing kanabo in hand or the glinting blade of his katana. While this does fit the physicality of a samurai more closely, and while it’s excellent to see the first Black protagonist in an AC game being such a powerhouse, it does mean that players eager to step into Yasuke’s historical shoes as Japan’s legendary African warrior will be locked into a playstyle that deviates so markedly from the core tenets of Assassin’s Creed. Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more Girl power (Image credit: Ubisoft) I can’t help but feel that Ubisoft is shying away from letting Naoe take the spotlight. I can’t help but feel that Ubisoft is shying away from letting Naoe take the spotlight. On the other side of the coin, we have Naoe. Quick and lethal, I’m already seeing her as the unofficially-official main character of Assassin’s Creed Shadows; she’s the one who seems to be an actual assassin, after all, hidden blades and everything. Gameplay wise, it looks like Naoe could deliver a wholly satisfying Assassin’s Creed experience perfectly well all on her own, even without Yasuke providing a different approach and perspective. I know there is a lot more to him from a narrative standpoint, but given the publisher’s track record, I can’t help but feel that Ubisoft is shying away from letting Naoe take the spotlight, flirting with the idea of presenting the first solo female hero in an Assassin’s Creed game before ultimately chickening out. With both characters offering their respective pros and cons, I am thankful that it’s not a case of reskinning the same archetype. It should definitely be celebrated that a Black man is playing such a pivotal part in an AC game, but I am so ready to see women take a similarly unapologetic role in my favorite stealth game series next – and if the rumors hold water, perhapsAssassin’s Creed: Codename Hexewill do the honors There are plenty ofupcoming Ubisoft gamesto get hyped for, from Anno 117: Pax Romana to a Prince of Persia remake. 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Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 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