After Team Ninja’s Nioh let players enjoy a fictionalized version of William Adams, the first English samurai, Ubisoft’s long-awaited Japanese adventure Assassin’s Creed Shadows reportedly focuses on Yasuke, the first black samurai.
Previously known as Assassin’s Creed: Codename Red, Shadows marks the franchise’s first mainline entry set in Japan.
Following the leak of the Assassin’s Creed Shadows release date, multiple story details regarding the title have also emerged. Leaked promotional images show the option to play as a black male samurai or a Japanese female shinobi.
According to leaks, the black male character is Yasuke, based on the real-life black samurai who served under Japanese daimyō Oda Nobunaga in the 1500s. The female character is Naoe, potentially a gender-swapped version of Naoe Kanetsugu.
Set in the 1500s, Assassin’s Creed Shadows likely focuses on the Portuguese arrival in Japan, a suitable backdrop for the franchise’s villainous Templars. Judging by the time period, we can also expect to see other non-Japanese historical figures such as William Adams.
However, gamers have already expressed disappointment that the game will not focus entirely on Japanese protagonists. While Yasuke’s real-life story is incredibly fascinating, some gamers want the game to feature exclusively Japanese protagonists.
“We’ve had every kind of character based in their homeland in each game, but Ubisoft seems racist for not including an Asian male as samurai,” one gamer wrote.
In addition to the disappointment over not having a Japanese protagonist, some social media users have labeled the choice of featuring a black character as “woke.” Despite Yasuke's significant place in Japanese history, which is rarely explored in media, there will always be a particular crowd that objects to his inclusion.
For those who really want to play as a Japanese character in an open-world RPG, there are already numerous options. For example, the stunning Ghost of Tsushima and the recent Rise of the Ronin both star Japanese protagonists in unique time periods.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows releases on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series, and PC on November 15, 2024.
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