I was starting to grow tired of assuming control of heavy-set, powerful warriors in the Assassin’s Creed series. From the launch of Assassin’s Creed Origins in 2017, we’d been treated almost exclusively to a line-up of mythical demigod characters, from the fearsome Eivor to the immortal Kassandra.
Assassin’s Creed Origins featured the last ‘normal’ character in Bayek of Siwa, and even he was a rippling, imposing figure that could deal immense damage with ease.
In Assassin’s Creed Shadows, players get to grips with Naoe, a lithe and agile shinobi with a fluid skillset and some of the best mechanics in franchise history. It’s so refreshing to finally be playing as a character that feels like an assassin.
We’ve Been Waiting For Naoe
Assassin’s Creed Shadows offers a split between Naoe and Yasuke, with the latter being one of those hulking one-man-army-type characters I’m referring to. You can choose who you play as when the game unravels, but some missions must be played as one or the other at times.
As I explored Assassin’s Creed Shadows in the weeks before the game hit the market, I found myself heavily gravitating to and sticking with Naoe, the game’s shinobi character. Very early in the game, you learn that Naoe is destined for assassin greatness, receiving a hidden blade from her father and bearing traits of an assassin, such as eagle vision.
The game unfolds perfectly, and Naoe blossoms. Before long, you’re sprinting around the game world like a vivacious, volatile shadow, slicing down enemies from the darkness and using a set of tools that are inherently linked to the concept of an assassin.
Naoe feels fast; she’s smooth, she’s eternally fluid, and she’s incredibly impressive as a character. As a person, she embodies the literal assassin’s creed without knowing it, and everything she does, she does for her family, for honour, and the good of her people. She’s a graceful juxtaposition, boasting an innocent, almost childlike facade that veils a capable killer streak and set of abilities.
If I had the choice, I wouldn’t play as Yasuke at all, and I’d put all my hours in Assassin’s Creed Shadows into Naoe. That’s not to take anything away from Tongayi Chirisa’s performance – he’s a fantastic actor – but I just don’t have ‘any need’ for Yasuke in my game. He’s just too cumbersome and enormous for me to enjoy playing as him.
Don’t get me wrong – I’d happily dip into his character whenever I wanted to quickly tear through an enemy fortress with reckless abandon, but it left me feeling like I wasn’t playing an Assassin’s Creed game.
Related: Learn How to Use Scouts in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Brought to Life
It also helps that Naoe is masterfully portrayed by Masumi Tsunoda, a relatively unheard-of name in the acting world. Until Assassin’s Creed Shadows came around, Masumi had played much smaller parts and focused more on music than physical performances. Her biggest role until now had been in Yakuza Princess, which set her up perfectly to land the role of Naoe years later.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows has a very emotional opening, and Masumi delivers perfectly, snatching the player’s attention and firmly grasping it. I became fully invested in Naoe’s story within the opening hours of the game, and that can be attributed to Masumi’s abilities behind the Naoe character.
On a cosmetic level, I also love how Naoe looks. Her outfits, weapons, and general aesthetic are superb, and I massively prefer the ‘shinobi look’ to the heavily-armoured appearance of Yasuke, the samurai. It just fits more with what we’ve come to expect (and desire) from an Assassin’s Creed game.
Mark my words as an Assassin’s Creed fan since day one – Naoe can go down in history as one of the best Assassin’s Creed leads we’ve ever had.
For more Assassin’s Creed Shadows content, check out my full review of the game
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