Assassin’s Creed Shadows is finally out today for consoles and PC, marking the next entry in Ubisoft’s long-running stealth-action series. Like many recent titles in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Shadows allows you to play as one of two protagonists. However, this time they’re two seperate characters with vastly different ways of approaching missions and gameplay. We’re going to take a look at the key gameplay differences between Naoe and Yasuke in the game.
Before you continue, we’re working on a handful of handy guides for Assassin’s Creed Shadows to get your journey into feudal Japan started. Check out our six important things to know before you play, as well as our full review in case you’re still on the fence about picking the game up.
Gameplay Differences Between Naoe and Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
The first and most immediate difference between Naoe and Yasuke is their combat and how they can approach encounters very differently. Breaking them down:
Stealth
- Naoe: Naoe approaches combat using stealth and assassinations as her main offence. She comes equipped with various shinobi tools to kill or cripple enemies from a distance, remaining in the shadows and out of sight. Killing targets involves scouting out their positions and following patterns to create openings for safe takedowns, especially near areas that allow Naoe to quickly re-enter stealth. She’s fast, agile and quiet – all the qualities of a good assassin.
- Yasuke: When it comes to Yasuke, stealth is certainly an option but not a very smart one. Yasuke is better geared for direct, open combat, meaning his stealth skills can take a hit. With the right tools like a bow, Yasuke can be built to have some stealthy benefits, though his set-in-stone gameplay and bulky movement doesn’t make him a very agile or flexible assassin. Yasuke is also much larger than Naoe, meaning he’s likely to be spotted by enemies faster.
Direct Combat
- Naoe: Naoe’s direct combat options aren’t great but they aren’t exactly weak either. Putting points into skill trees that increase her offence in open combat, paired with her agility, can turn her into a lethal, fast and precise killer. Thanks to her inclination for stealth, Naoe can slip in and out of direct combat very easily. This playstyle is geared towards players who prefer better mobility while also having the option to back away should things get hairy.
- Yasuke: Yasuke’s entire MO is about direct combat, making him the ideal choice for challenging enemies head-on while feeling incredibly tanky and powerful. Yasuke’s strikes are fast, deliberate and weighty, allowing him to easily dismember body parts and slice through enemies like butter. He’s much slower than Naoe and doesn’t have the advantage of disappearing into stealth, but he can hold his ground very well.
Exploration
- Naoe: Naoe has several tools at her disposal, like a handy grappling hook, that allow her to scale ledges and buildings quickly. In terms of parkour, Naoe is also nimble and can climb most surfaces, jump greater distances and carefully tip-toe across rooftops. While out exploring, her only minor disadvantage is running into a bandit ambush out in the open where she will have no choice but to engage in combat. However, in terms of climbing, movement and parkour, Naoe is the full package.
- Yasuke: On the other hand, exploration as Yasuke comes with more disadvantages than benefits. Yasuke is a walking killing machine so he doesn’t have to worry about getting surprised by sudden combat scenarios, but his movement is severely limited in all other aspects. Yasuke cannot climb most ledges and doesn’t have the means to scale tall buildings unless he literally bursts through the front door and makes his way up floor by floor. He’s generally slower while running and parkour is almost never an option.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows is now available on PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC.
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