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Naoe's secret playstyle in Assassin’s Creed Shadows is an absolute must-try
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ dual protagonists, Yasuke and Naoe, offer two very unique playstyles, but there’s a third option for Naoe that makes her more flexible than her samurai counterpart.
Back at Summer Game Fest 2023, Ubisoft showed off Naoe and Yasuke’s combat in the first-ever gameplay preview of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Naoe embodies the Ezio-style assassin, where Yasuke is more of a hardy brawler. It’s immediately clear that Ubisoft has tried to give you two very different routes to play its game, blending the likes of Valhalla with the traditional combat that makes the series so special.
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What are the differences between Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ playstyles?
Yasuke and Naoe are two very different characters
© Ubisoft
Naoe focuses entirely on stealth. She can leap from rooftop to rooftop, sink her hidden blades into enemies from above, and scale swinging ropes to reach lofty vantage points. She’s the perfect representation of the Altair and Ezio-style gameplay we see in the early Assassin’s Creed games.
Yasuke is a heavy brawler. He approaches a guard at the temple’s front gate, who immediately becomes hostile and attacks. A flurry of blows later, the enemy lies dead and Yasuke progresses unscathed.
But what Yasuke lacks in mobility he makes up for in brute force. He’s heavily armoured so can take more hits, can run straight through collapsible walls, and is capable of performing better in close combat. Think Eivor in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla or Jin Sakai in Ghost of Tsushima.
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Naoe’s ‘secret’ playstyle – not much of a secret anymore, huh?
The classic stealth gameplay is as integral as ever
© Ubisoft
One of the key components of Naoe’s kit is her Kusarigama. While we see her use it for long-range takedowns, it’s also the perfect AoE pushback attack. We see her abandon the shadows and take to the open, surrounded by several particularly angry-looking guards.
As they attack she dodges perfectly, then spins the Kusarigama over her head. This pushes the guards back, giving her space to pull out her katana or escape. The Kusarigama isn’t just an engage tool, it’s perfect for disengaging, too.
Naoe also uses a katana, similar to Yasuke. This gives her extra brawl potential, and is lethal when combined with her throwable smoke bombs. Distract your enemies, then cut them all down - there’s infinite flexibility in Naoe’s kit.
This playstyle gives you the best of both worlds. You can keep to the shadows when you’re looking to be stealthy, and take down guards with ease when the need arises.
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So, which character should you choose in Assassin’s Creed Shadows?
Naoe is the more versatile of the two characters
© Ubisoft
While each character has their own approach to combat, Naoe feels like the best of both worlds. Her ability to brawl while being able to disengage easily really feels like a throwback to the days of Altair and Ezio. It feels like the older games’ combat, but also exciting, dynamic, and fresh.
Of course, if you’re looking to charge into the fray head-first, Yasuke is the way to go. Naoe wears very light armour, so there’s no chance she’ll be able to stand up to hoards of oncoming guards. She also can’t break through walls, and that animation is pretty cool.
The plus, however, is that you’re not locked into one character. As shown in the preview, you choose your character before the mission begins, meaning you can save beforehand and rerun it as many times as you like.
To get the full Assassin’s Creed Shadows experience, it’s worth playing the entire campaign as both characters. When Assassin’s Creed Shadows releases in February try out this ‘third’ combat path - Ubisoft certainly made it look cool, so it’s worth a shot.
