Assassin’s Creed Shadowsis soon to get its first-ever DLC, and when it comes out, I’m less likely to play as Yasuke than ever before.AC Shadows' first and to-dateonly planned DLC,Claws of Awaji, is due out before the end of this year. It’ll take players to a new area ofAC Shadows' map, where they’ll face threats from a new faction as they gather new gear and learn new skills. It’s expected to be a ten-hour DLC, so, while it’s not nearly as expansive as the base game, it has the potential to add a lot.
There’s a lot we still don’t know aboutShadows' DLC. Butthe new skills and gear introduced inClaws of Awajiare unfavorably balanced in Naoe’s favor, largely leaving Yasuke behind. And although you may swap between them pretty freely, there’s already a significant imbalance when it comes toShadows' dual protagonists. With the release of the DLC, it looks like that’s only due to get worse.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gives Naoe A DLC Weapon
Naoe’s Bō Is A Major Advantage
One thing we do know aboutClaws of Awajiis thatit’ll include a new weapon type for Naoe, the bō. The bō is a kind of hardwood staff particularly associated with martial arts that originate in the Okinawa region, although it’s been used throughout much of Asia. You may have gotten a chance to wield one in games likeWo Long: Fallen Dynastyor as Donatello inTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time.
Claws of Awajidoes not appear to be set in Okinawa; it takes place in Awaji, which is much closer to the part of the mainland featured inShadows' base game.
Excluding tools like shuriken and kunai,the bō will be the fourth weapon type available to NaoeinAC Shadows, joining her arsenal alongside the katana, tanto, and kusarigama. As for how it’llaffect Naoe’s fighting style, or what kinds of skills she’ll be able to use while wielding it, we don’t yet know. More details will likely be released closer toClaws of Awaji’s launch.
Claws Of Awaji Doesn’t Promise As Much For Yasuke
Yasuke May Not Get A New Weapon
However, while Naoe gets a shiny new toy to play with inClaws of Awaji,it doesn’t seem like Yasuke will get anything of the sort. Some of the new skills and gear will almost certainly apply to him, but he’s not expected to have an entirely new weapon type to wield, unless Ubisoft is keeping secrets.
After Playing Assassin’s Creed Shadows, I Think We May Have Been Unfair To Another Ubisoft Game
Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ many strengths and few failures have made me realize that one of Ubisoft’s maligned games isn’t as bad as people say.
In fact,it seems like the DLC will be better suited to Naoe’s skill set as a whole.Itsofficial websiteuses the tagline “From hunter to hunted,” describing a new mechanic in which Naoe and Yasuke are actively pursued by members of the Sanzoku Ippa faction. It sounds like the Sanzoku Ippa will play a stealthy game, stalking our protagonists from the shadows, and striking with ambushes and traps when we least expect it.
For Yasuke,that’s not too different from ordinary gameplay; it just means more frequent combat. If the enemies in the DLC are as easy as those in the base game, there won’t even be much of a challenge. But for Naoe, that could create a whole different kind of playstyle, in which your positioning is doubly important, and you must consider your enemies' positioning from the perspective of a shinobi. There’s a lot of potential here to expand on Naoe’s gameplay, but for Yasuke, not so much.
Weapon Variety Is One Of Yasuke’s Greatest Strengths
Naoe Now Rivals Yasuke
With the addition of the bō in DLC, Naoe’s total main hand weapon options go up to four - Yasuke has five. That takes awayone of the few major advantages of playing as Yasuke: his weapon variety.
Don’t get me wrong - I’ve always been down for Yasuke as anAssassin’s Creedprotagonist. His is a fascinating chapter of history, and he’s every bit as fitting and well-developed narratively as Naoe. Buthe’s just not fun to playthe grand majority of the time. I likeAssassin’s Creed50% for the historical settings, and 50% for the stealth gameplay. Yasuke feels like he comes out of a different kind of game.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Is Getting A PS5 Pro Upgrade And More In An Update
Assassin’s Creed Shadows received a major update that brings a PS5 Pro upgrade to the game’s visuals, as well as several player-requested features.
Samurai RPGs can be done very well - I enjoyedSekiroandNiohin particular - butAC Shadows' approach isn’t it. Every time I do end up playing as Yasuke, I just end up whacking at every enemy until they’re dead. There’s simply not enough depth or difficulty there to keep things interesting. I usually just bring him in when I can’t be bothered with stealth in a particular section of the game, as a sort of heavy hitter who can handle any challenge. His weapon variety is a major part of that - without that, what does he have going for him?
I’ll definitely be curious to see how Naoe’s new weapon works, but if Yasuke’s only getting a few new skills, I’ll probably use him a lot less. It’s a shame, too: Yasuke had so much potential as a protagonist, but it feels like so much of that is squandered in his lackluster gameplay. Hopefully,Assassin’s Creed Shadows' DLC does him right by giving him some truly new mechanics to make his gameplay feel just as worthwhile as Naoe’s.
