- Assassin’s Creed Shadows is set to improve upon Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s dual protagonist system and explore different playstyles.
- Yasuke and Naoe will both approach scenarios differently, one using the strength of a samurai, with the other adapting to the environment stealthily as a shinobi.
- Dual protagonist systems in games have always succeeded, with Alan Wake 2 and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 being some of the best examples.
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has evolved with each entry. Assassin’s Creed Unity introduced co-op gameplay, and its successor, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, featured dual protagonists for the first time.
Later, RPGs like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey allowed players to choose between a male or female character for the entirety of the playthrough. However, Assassin’s Creed Shadows will feature a dual protagonist system again, with players freely switching between the two characters.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ protagonist system expands further on Syndicate’s and provides a seamless transition between different playstyles that suit both characters. The first gameplay reveal gave me insight into this and excited me for this system’s future.
The biggest reason I love Syndicate is the Frye twins and the opportunity to shift between the two throughout the game. Seeing the latest entry utilize this feature again excites me for the release despite all its controversy.
Why it matters: Assassin’s Creed Syndicate’s dual protagonist system offered different perspectives and playstyles throughout the game but didn’t fully explore their potential. Assassin’s Creed Shadows aims to rectify that problem.
Players Won’t Be Forced To Play A Character
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate forced players to choose between Evie or Jacob for most missions, with only a few being interchangeable. However, Ubisoft won’t be doing the same this time, aside from rare occurrences.
This will also give players freedom over what playstyle they want to adapt, whether it’s brute combat for RPG lovers or vastly improved stealth gameplay, which should feel more familiar for classic fans.
The progression system has also vastly improved from that of Syndicate. Even if you consistently play a single character over a longer period, the other character will progress simultaneously rather than staying under-levelled.
Moreover, Syndicate’s questlines weren’t structured well, and it often felt out of place to play both characters in a single questline. It was almost like one character was a last-minute addition to the game.
The ability to choose between two characters throughout the story also sounds like a major improvement compared to Assassin’s Creed Odyssey and Valhalla. The only difference in choosing between the male and female characters at the start of those games was the gender, with zero impact on the gameplay.
Furthermore, focusing on different combat styles fixes another issue since the franchise has strayed quite far from its roots. The RPG games prioritized combat over stealth, deviating from the IP’s origins.
However, stealth is completely revamped and scaled up, as seen from the gameplay, promising a truly old-fashioned experience for those who play as Naoe.
Dual Protagonist Systems Are Great
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate wasn’t the first game to popularize dual protagonists in a game, but it had a huge impact. In recent years, many titles have offered multiple protagonists, resulting in a different and much better form of storytelling.
Take Alan Wake 2, for instance; Alan Wake and Saga Anderson were on opposite ends of the same spectrum. The game seamlessly described both of their stories, which intertwined with each other despite existing in different realities.
Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 also brought another friendly neighborhood Spider-Man to assist Peter in fighting crime in NYC. This made for one of the best stories related to Peter Parker and Miles Morales while catering to fans of both playstyles simultaneously.
Therefore, I’m really excited about Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Because of how much I loved Syndicate, Shadows is shaping up to be an exciting release and might even become my favorite entry from the series.
I’ll probably find myself playing as Naoe more than Yasuke for that newly revamped stealth action gameplay. Therefore, I can’t wait for when Assassin’s Creed Shadows arrives on November 15th.
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