With respect to storytelling, it’s fair to say that more than a few video game franchises have lost the plot in recent years. For example, anyone claiming to fully understand the Kingdom Hearts Saga is probably lying to you. Heck, as a self-professed Metal Gear Solid fanatic, even I fail to expound upon some of the franchise’s more nuanced or confusing plot points. The same could certainly be said for Assassin’s Creed, too, but after having watched a behind-closed-doors play session at Summer Games Fest yesterday, I think the team at Ubisoft might finally be cooking up a tale worth telling.
Before I explain why, let’s rewind. While the first few AC games in the franchise were straightforward enough, it’s since gone off the rails. That’s largely because Ubisoft’s numerous studios have often struggled to tie together the myriad of historical locations and events, not to mention the present-day segments involving the modern Assassins and Abstergo Industries, into one tidy package. In recent years, Ubisoft’s solution to that problem has been simple: ignore it and kick that can down the road.
Admittedly, despite watching yesterday’s presentation, I still have no idea if or how the ongoing feud between the Templars and the Assassins will be woven into the series’ latest entry. I know that Ubisoft’s first focus should be on its two protagonists. After all, it’s fair to say that the franchises’ recent characters have been equally as dicey as the plotlines. This time around, however, there’s a glimmer of promise on the horizon.
I won’t pretend to be an expert on the late-Sengoku period of Japanese history, but what I do know is that Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ wildly different protagonists could make for some interesting storytelling. In one corner, you have Naoe, a female shinobi whose father leads the Igan resistance against the great unifier of Japan, Oda Nobunaga. On the other, you have Yusuke, a former slave (and real-life historical figure, mind you) who finds himself in a peculiar position as a black samurai in Nobunaga’s army.
While these two outsiders do have some common ground, they also bring to the table vastly different perspectives, and it’s tough to say whether Ubisoft Quebecill fully explores Naoe’s journey as a female ninja or Yusuke’s struggle as a black man in Feudal Japan. There’s certainly a lot of potential with Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ dual protagonists. If Ubisoft is willing to explore these character arcs with the respect they deserve (and if we can all stop bickering over what a samurai should look like), we might be in for a real treat come November.
