Assassin's Creed Shadows Checks 2 Big RPG Boxes With Its Protagonists

Summary

It’s no secret that theAssassin’s Creedfranchise has been through a myriad of changes over the last decade, withAssassin’s Creed Originsserving as the first sign of the series turning a major corner in its approach to gameplay. AlthoughAssassin’s Creedbegan as a stealth-focused action-adventure game,Assassin’s Creed Originschanged everythingas it introduced a massive open world with a heavier emphasis on role-playing elements than the series had ever done before. Since then,Assassin’s Creedhas gradually become more of an RPG series than anything else, withAssassin’s Creed Valhallastretching the franchise’s RPG elements to their limits. Now, the recently revealedAssassin’s Creed Shadowsappears to honorAssassin’s Creed’s roots while simultaneously givingAssassin’s Creed’s RPG era some proper attention.

Formerly known asAssassin’s Creed Codename Red,Assassin’s Creed Shadowstakes players to 16th-Century Japan, where they will be allowed to control two seemingly very different protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke. While Naoe is a stealthy shinobi who prefers to deliver justice from the shadows, Yasuke is a battle-hardened samurai who has no qualms with getting into the thick of things. These two starkly different approaches to gameplay should be a delight to fans of the RPG genre, as it allows for more varied gameplay than theAssassin’s Creedseries has ever seen. Specifically,Assassin’s Creed Shadowswill allow players to enjoy its combat from opposite ends of the spectrum — action and stealth.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Tag Page Cover Art

How Assassin’s Creed Shadows Checks Two Big RPG Boxes

Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Protagonists Provide Two Distinct Approaches to Combat

The primary way in whichAssassin’s Creed Shadowschecks two big RPG boxes is in its two protagonists' unique approaches to combat and gameplay. Players looking for a more action-oriented, “tanky” combat experience should look no further than thesamurai Yasuke, who has been specifically designed to complementAssassin’s Creed’s modern RPG era. In fact, Ubisoft has explicitly stated that its intentions with Yasuke were to ensure that he provides RPG fans with a “robust combat experience.” Yasuke’s heavy samurai armor depicted in theAssassin’s Creed Shadowspremiere trailer also suggests he will be able to withstand more damage than his counterpart.

On the other side of combat is Naoe, a stealth-based, agile shinobi who remains hidden until the moment of opportunity presents itself. Naoe was specifically designed by Ubisoft to give longtimeAssassin’s Creedfans a chance to go back to the series' roots without completely doing away with the action-focused gameplay it has adopted in recent years. OfAssassin’s Creed Shadows' two protagonists, Naoe will undoubtedly be the ideal choice for fans of slower-paced, intentional stealth combat, which has long been a class included in many role-playing games.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows' Protagonists Will Likely Have Their Own Skill Trees

AssumingAssassin’s Creed ShadowscontinuesAssassin’s Creed’s latest traditionof providing its protagonists with a skill tree, Naoe and Yasuke will likely both be receiving their own. This is largely possible due to their two very distinct approaches to gameplay, and instead of combining both stealth-oriented and action-oriented skills into one skill tree asAssassin’s Creed Valhalladoes, the presence of two protagonists with separate approaches would sensibly result in separate skill trees as well. This makes for yet another way in whichAssassin’s Creed Shadowshonors the series' RPG era and likely fulfills the desires of fans looking for a more RPG-focused experience.

Afterwhat has been revealed aboutAssassin’s Creed Shadows, it’s safe to say that the RPG era ofAssassin’s Creedis far from over. Ubisoft has ensured that veteran fans of the series will still be able to enjoy the stealth-based gameplay that drew them toAssassin’s Creedin the first place, but this simultaneously lends to a diverse RPG experience quite unlike anything the franchise has seen before.