Assassin's Creed Shadows offers the best of two signature playstyles

Ubisoft's latest entry in the series should appeal to parkour stealth artists and brute force fighters alike.

After a lengthy delay, Ubisoft is ready to tell the story of two very different heroes set during the Sengoku period of Japan. Assassin's Creed Shadows brings together the tales of shinobi warrior Naoe and African samurai champion Yasuke. Separately, they encapsulate the different playstyles that have come to define the long-running Assassin's Creed series. Together, they take players through a refined adventure that will take them into the franchise's future. With weeks left before its launch, Shacknews got to experience a small portion of this journey across Feudal Japan.

Assassin's Creed Shadows' story is a tale of two distinct protagonists. Players are first introduced to Yasuke, the African samurai of legend. Originally named Diogo, he was found stranded in the sea by Portuguese Jesuits en route to Japan and is, somewhat reluctantly, brought along to meet with Lord Oda Nobunaga. The Jesuits ask Nobunaga to allow their priests to conduct business in his land. Nobunaga notes that the Jesuits have nothing of interest to him but quickly changes his mind upon seeing Diogo. Fascinated by this stranger from afar with an imposing stature, Nobunaga grants the Jesuits their request, only asking for Diogo in return, sensing a great potential in him. Fast-forward six months, Diogo has been given the name Yasuke and is rapidly developing as a powerful samurai fighter.

This is where players learn how to play as the newly-dubbed Yasuke. He specializes in Assassin's Creed-style combat, able to wield massive two-handed weapons and hit as hard as an ox. He can make short work of smaller foes and go toe-to-toe with larger ones. While fighting smaller enemies can be fun, the prologue sequence where Yasuke helps quell a rebellion from the small village of Iga also teaches players that methodical combat is key. In addition to learning different weapons, would-be samurais are also taught to parry, block, switch targets, and perform multi-hit combos. Being as big as he is, Yasuke can't exactly scale rooftops gracefully or dazzle people with parkour skills, as is clearly evidenced in a later sequence where he has to chase down a fleeing NPC. With that in mind, Yasuke usually takes a more direct approach and walks into objective areas through the front entrance. If there isn't an entrance available, he'll often make one by bursting through fortified doors.

Shadows' other protagonist is Naoe Fujibayashi. She's introduced as one of the faces on the other side of Iga's rebellion. Her father helps rally the villagers against Oba Nobunaga's invading forces. However, the samurai warriors quickly overwhelm the local populace and Naoe soon watches helplessly as her father is killed before her eyes. While Naoe is an adept shinobi, watching her father's death further sets her down the warrior's path as she seeks to protect her people and avenge his murder.

Naoe focuses on the other major signature of Assassin's Creed gameplay. She specializes in parkour and stealth. She can hide in the shadows, in tall grass, and underwater, just to name some examples. If an enemy passes by, she can quickly assassinate them from different angles. This can include directly from above with her grappling hook able to help her quickly launch herself to the nearest rooftop. She doesn't have Yasuke's stature, so she must use her swift movement to parry incoming blows and gradually wear down her foes.

After experiencing the early moments of both characters' stories, our preview fast-forwards to a later point in the story. The part of the narrative where Yasuke and Naoe go from opposing sides in Iga's rebellion to strong allies united toward a common goal is noticeably omitted. It looks like we'll have to watch that aspect of the story unfold along with the rest of the gaming public.

During this later portion of the story, players meet various other characters as they tend to a rapidly dissolving alliance between the Ukita clan and Lord Hideyoshi's forces. The alliance threatens to fracture when a young boy and a lord's son, Hideie Naoie, is kidnapped by ne'er-do-wells. It doesn't take long for Yasuke and Naoe to discover that there's something sinister at work. While the main objective is to recover the young boy, players must also uncover information as to what's behind such a bold action.

Gathering intel is vital in Shadows. Players are encouraged to talk to important characters, listen in on conversations between NPCs, and recruit spies from the neighboring villages, who will assist in moving the story along. Finding objectives isn't always a straightforward affair. Sometimes, the next objective's location will be offered as a series of clues that must first be deciphered by analyzing the overworld map. Further intuition is encouraged throughout the game, as Naoe and Yasuke can use the left shoulder trigger to observe their surroundings and uncover new information, people of interest, or hidden loot.

While this preview session lasted several hours, it's only a sliver of what can be expected from Assassin's Creed Shadows. There were several aspects of the game that weren't on display during this session, including customizable player hideouts where players could build full networks of scouts to gather intel and discover objectives and side quests. It should also be noted that I approached this preview almost fully from Yasuke's perspective, but cutscenes and user experiences will obviously change if played as Naoe. There are multiple opportunities to switch characters, either during specific cinematics or through the pause menu. Finally, it's worth noting that Shadows will be the first game to feature seasonal changes and weather, which will cause changes in field conditions and NPC behavior.

An exciting journey awaits in Assassin's Creed Shadows, one that will vary depending on how players opt to experience it. The wait is almost over with the game set to release on PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X|S on March 20.

This preview is based on an early PC version played remotely. The final product is subject to change.