Summary
After seeing new gameplay where Yasuke dismantles a shrine inAssassin’sCreed Shadows, some are outraged, butAssassin’sCreedfans have pushed back saying that this is not new for the series. Over the years, many games have become more sensitive about the way they cover potentially touchy subjects, but with some franchises, gamers believe that controversial material comes with the territory and that it’s up to the audience’s discretion what they do or see inAssassin’s Creed Shadows.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows' portrayal of Yasukehas been criticized before. Many believe his presence alone is anomalous since the game depicts him as a Black person living in Japan during the Sengoku era, which would have been generally unlikely. However, Yasuke has been cited as a special case by the developers and various historians, since records prove that this specific person existed and was allowed special privileges as a samurai retainer, most notably, access to a sword.
After witnessing the character Yasuke destroy a shrine inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, the game has received a new wave of negative feedback. Some such as Japanese YouTuber Shohei Kondo have reacted with outrage, stating that watching Yasuke raze a religious site lends itself to the consumption of Japanese culture while lacking respect for it. Kondo believes thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowsrepresents the way hate towards Asian people gets dismissed. Some have suggested that while Kondo and others may have a point about the way Asian people and the media that come from their culture are treated,theAssassin’s Creedfranchise’s charactersmay not be the best pick for this specific critique.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Spawns Another Controversy
Fans of the series have pointed out that theAssassin’s Creedseries doesn’t deliberately target demographics of people as the focus of its violence. The mobs that players fight against tend to make up the assumed demographic of the land during that period, along with any artistic liberties that come into play when creating these works of fiction inspired by history. In the firstAssassin’s Creedgame, players typically fought European crusaders. InBlack Flag, players clash with Black and Indigenous pirates and European soldiers in the Caribbean. InShadows, players tend to fight various Japanese samurai and foot soldiers. Beloved series protagonistEzio notoriously takes outAssassin’s Creed 2villain Pope Alexander VIin a fistfight.
Fans have generally pushed back against the nitpicking thatAssassin’s Creed Shadowsappears to be receiving for its attention to detail or lack thereof when it comes to historical accuracy. Some, such asAssassin’s Creedsource The Hidden Onedescribe only seeingAssassin’s CreedShadowsreceive this much vitrioldespite the series' tendency to rewrite history. Although many gamers have been excited about the prospect of anAssassin’s Creedgame set in Japan for a long time, it hasn’t come without its own set of obstacles.
