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Assassin's Creed Shadows will let you play most of the RPG as one protagonist, as Ubisoft says 'we're not really strong-arming anyone to switch back'

In Assassin's Creed Shadows, players have the flexibility to choose and play as either protagonist, Naoe or Yasuke, throughout most of the game, with some setups favoring specific characters based on their abilities and stealth levels.

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Assassin's Creed Shadows won't "strong-arm" you into switching back and forth between protagonists Naoe and Yasuke - you can play most of the RPG as whoever you want.

As part of our big Assassin's Creed Shadows preview at Summer Game Fest 2024, GamesRadar+ has spoken to associate director Simon Lemay-Comtois about the new RPG. The director stressed that it's really up to the player to choose who they want to play as and when - be it the stronger Yasuke or the stealthier Naoe.

"If you want to be only one character, you can for most of the game," Lemay-Comtois tells GamesRadar+. "So we're not really strong-arming anyone to switch back and forth. There are setups that are definitely better with Naoe, such as, if there's a bunch of bandits in a cavern that is very, very dark. 

"Sure you can go with Yasuke, but if you go with Naoe, it'll be quicker because it's in the dark," the director continued. "So there are some hints like this, but other than story missions that are particularly tailored made for one or the other, we don't specify who needs to be played at this moment, it's up to the players." 

The comment from Lemay-Comtois comes right off the back of an extensive gameplay showing for Assassin's Creed Shadows at yesterday's Ubisoft Forward. The gameplay demo showed the player needing to infiltrate a fort and assassinate a target, but they were free to choose which protagonist attempted the mission.

The demo showed Naoe's sneakier approach, using a grappling hook to swing over walls and assassinate enemies from above, as well as putting out lights to quietly fell soldiers in the dark. It's easy to imagine Yasuke having a more confrontational approach - earlier in the demo saw the Samurai take out close to a dozen soldiers in brutal armed combat.

Assassin's Creed Shadows launches on November 15 this year on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S platforms. 

Take a look at our deeper Assassin's Creed Shadows interview for a break down of how the RPG's weather system effects the gameplay.