The Assassin’s Creed franchise isn’t new to using dual protagonists. Jacob and Evie, the Frye twins who led Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, were the first real crack at dual protagonists in Ubisoft’s ever-growing historical stealth series. While they had some slight differences, like Jacob being tankier and Evie stealthier, they weren’t entirely distinct. That’s not the case for Assassin’s Creed Shadows and its two protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe. Foremost, the former is a Samurai and the latter is a Shinobi. You should keep these four key differences in mind while exploring Feudal Japan.
Equipment/Weapons
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As a samurai and shinobi respectively, Yasuke, and Naoe carry and use very different equipment. Naoe can only use a shorter katana, kusarigama, or a tanto, in addition to using kunai and shuriken as ranged tools. These much quieter weapons focus on faster attacks to poison and stun enemies. Yasuke, on the other hand, uses much larger weapons like the long katana, nagitana, and kanabo, as well as a long bow or a teppo for range. Every one of Yasuke’s weapons is meant to be in-your-face and deal heavy damage. Plus, the long katana and nagitana lead to more bleed-focused damage and quickly removing enemy armor.
Even their armor emphasizes how differently they play. Naoe wears stealthier cloth items and Yasuke equips bulkier armor. In other words, there is no sharing equipment between the two. Clearing out bases will award armor for a specific character. So, when you switch between the two, ensure you have updated equipment before diving into what you do next.
Maneuverability
Don’t expect to be able to perform the same maneuvers as Yasuke and Naoe, either. Naoe was trained since birth to climb structures, balance precariously on narrow fences and trees, hide easily, and use a throwing hook to ascend structures quickly. Yasuke wasn’t. Yasuke is bulky and cannot climb nearly as well as Naoe. Even running along atop a fence, Yasuke is slow to make sure he doesn’t fall.
Even with the iconic leap of faith, Yasuke will do them, but he isn’t nearly as graceful. Upon impact, he’ll flop out of it and stretch his back because that’s not what he has trained to do. When climbing buildings or finding objects hidden in tight areas, go Naoe to make your life easier.
Questing
Some quests are locked behind which character you can use even to start them. But that’s not where the key difference lies. It’s with finding objectives. Naoe can use the classic eagle vision, where enemies and objectives can be highlighted in a more opaque worldview. Naoe’s eagle vision is great for scouting out bases and planning an attack more easily. Yasuke simply can’t use eagle vision. His sense of awareness is good, though. He can still track particular objectives but can’t target enemies through walls.
Or, target items from as great of a distance as Naoe. It all goes back to how they were trained. Some collectibles are also locked behind character capabilities, from climbing buildings to getting an item or moving a heavy crate, which only Yasuke can move. Assassin’s Creed Shadows makes it clear if whoever you’re playing cannot complete the current objective. So switch characters, and you’ll be all set.
Assassinations
Both Naoe and Yasuke can perform assassinations but in very different ways. Naoe’s assassination techniques are more classic: She stealthily and quietly takes down targets and can hide bodies in thick brush or haybales. Yasuke’s assassinations are reminiscent of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. They’re called “brutal assassinations.” He makes his presence known, stabbing the enemy in the gut to take them out.
Be ready for a fight when you engage in brutal assassinations because enemies will run to your location to see what’s happening. Think ahead of time how you’ll be clearing camps or bases based on these different assassination styles.
Naoe and Yasuke are fully distinct characters, each with their own playstyles for combat, exploration, and questing. You’ll need to play as both to get the most out of Assassin’s Creed Shadows, so be sure to become familiar with each’s strengths and weaknesses. You don’t want to find yourself in a major brawl with Naoe when Yasuke could be much better suited to take everyone out. Or a stealthy parkour section as Yasuke, barely able to climb a ledge.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PlayStation 5, and PC.
