Not counting (nor discounting) Ubisoft Quebec’s work onAssassin’s Creed Freedom Cry,which was conceived as a DLC toBlack Flag, every mainline Ubisoft QuebecAssassin’s Creedgame has featured two protagonists. InAssassin’s Creed Syndicate, this was the Frye Twins: Jacob and Evie.Assassin’s Creed Odysseypresents players with a choice between Alexios and Kassandra, and the upcoming release ofAssassin’s Creed Shadowssees players step into the shoes of samurai Yasuke and shinobi Naoe. Each game has treated these two characters differently, but they’ve all played vital roles in their respective game’s narrative. Fans can expect the same ofAssassin’s Creed Shadows.
During my trip to Ubisoft Quebec, whereI played six hours ofAssassin’s Creed Shadows, I also spoke with creative director Jonathan Dumont. I asked this exactly: why did every Ubisoft QuebecACgame take this similar approach to protagonists? Dumont ultimately concluded that it wasn’t a must-have for Ubisoft Quebec, but as each game evolved, it became clear that two main characters were needed.
Dumont explained thatAC Syndicateneeded the Frye Twins' ability to bounce off each other in tone and dialogue. It was entirely for carryingAC Syndicate’s story. ForAC Odyssey, he explained that it was about the RPG mechanics, and in an RPG, it only makes sense to pick a character at the start. ForAC Shadows, it came down to the two playable archetypes. As Dumont explained,
This time, we were much more driven by the two archetypes. Initially, we were looking at having a character that could do both, but that didn’t fulfill the shinobi or samurai fantasy as much as we wanted. We also wanted to come from a relatable point of view of somebody who comes from the farmlands and everything, so you get a little bit of their day-to-day world, but we also wanted the noble side. It was perfect for two characters, which evolved into the two characters we have now, for sure.
As a samurai,Yasuke is able to see the noble, military side of Japanand represent that in the game. It’s a bonus that, even as a historical samurai, he is a foreigner to this land and can see this world as a stand-in for the unknowing player as well.Naoe represents someone who comes from the farmlands, a commoner in this turbulent era of Japan. Narratively, this is more easily accomplished by two protagonists. It also lets players also enjoy samurai and shinobi-oriented gameplay, instead of some Frankenstein of the two.
Indeed, it’s easy to see how having one character represent the honor of the samurai but also the necessary stealth of the shinobi gameplay-wise would be complex. The result is two protagonists who can fulfill their respective fantasies, instead of oneACprotagonistwho halfway hits the mark on both.
