One of the main attractions during the June 10 was a proper look at gameplay. After a couple of earlier this year, we got a deep dive into how the game, set in feudal Japan, will play (we also got a chance to this gameplay in-person at Summer Game Fest). It was an interesting look at the dual protagonists players will control: shinobi Naoe and samurai .
Throughout the game, players will be able to switch between Yasuke and Naoe at-will. Ubisoft notes that while in the midst of missions, you won’t be able to switch between the two, though I’m still hoping a late-game set piece will require playing through an assassination as both. The gameplay trailer shows how killing the same assassination target can be approached from entirely different ways by the two, as each offer a unique style of play: Yasuke is a hulking, strong warrior and Naoe is a stealthy ninja.
The gameplay trailer begins with Yasuke wandering the countryside and happening upon a village. Immediately inhabitants of the village take notice of him due to his samurai status and his hulking figure—and the fact that he’s Black. Yasuke is a historical figure, the first Ubisoft has made a main protagonist in the series’ 17-year history, and he’s basically a celebrity in this land.
NPCs bow as Yasuke walks by and it serves as an interesting twist on how past games have typically forced protagonists into the seedier corners of society. Yasuke’s combat style feels like the RPG-heavy entries in the series—th.
