Assassin's Creed Shadows — Naoe & Yasuke Guide

Feudal Japan, two protagonists, and a real return to the series' stealth roots — Assassin's Creed Shadows splits its playstyle between Naoe's shinobi infiltration and Yasuke's samurai brute force, and lets you pick which one tackles most of the game. This guide covers when to use who, how the stealth and combat systems actually work, and what's worth your time in the open world.

What you need to know

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  You control two protagonists with completely different playstyles — plan your session around who you're in the mood forNaoe is a shinobi built for stealth, verticality, and assassination — she plays like a return to the series' Assassin's Creed roots. Yasuke is a samurai built for direct, powerful open combat with limited stealth options. Most story missions let you pick who tackles them; use that freedom rather than forcing one playstyle on every objective.
• 2
  Feudal Japan during the Sengoku period is the setting — expect castles, not pyramidsThis is Ubisoft's first mainline entry set in Japan, spanning the late 1500s Sengoku period. If you're coming from Valhalla or Origins, expect a tonal shift toward smaller-scale, more intimate stealth and combat encounters rather than sprawling raids.

Choosing the right tool for each mission

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  Use Naoe for infiltration, assassination targets, and anything requiring a rooftop escapeNaoe retains the grappling hook and full climbing/parkour kit, plus a shinobi tool set (kunai, smoke bombs, a retractable claw) built for silent takedowns. She's the right pick whenever a mission gives you a stealth option — her detection radius and takedown speed are simply better suited to it.
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  Use Yasuke when a fight is unavoidable or you want to skip the stealth entirelyYasuke can break down doors, shrug off hits stealth characters can't, and clear guard camps head-on with heavy weapons. If you're tired of crouching in bushes, switch to him — some players run entire questlines almost exclusively as Yasuke and the game supports that.
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  Some story beats are locked to one character — check the mission briefing before committing time to the wrong approachNot every mission is dual-approach. A handful of key story missions are written specifically for Naoe's infiltration or Yasuke's direct confrontation. The mission briefing screen tells you which — read it before you spend fifteen minutes stealthing somewhere that wants you to walk in the front door.

Getting the most from each system

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  Weather and time of day meaningfully affect stealth — use them deliberatelyRain muffles footsteps and reduces guard visual range; night drops detection radius further. If a fortress is giving Naoe trouble in daylight, wait for a storm or nightfall before attempting it — the systemic weather isn't just cosmetic.
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  Yasuke's stance system rewards reading enemy types, not button mashingYasuke has multiple weapon stances suited to different enemy types — spear for groups, katana for duelists, kanabo for armored units. Swapping stance mid-fight based on who's in front of you outperforms sticking with one weapon the whole game.
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  Strongholds and castles can be fully cleared or partially raided — decide based on your goalNot every fortified location needs a full clear. If you just need a specific resource or intel point, a fast Naoe infiltration in and out is often better than committing to clearing an entire garrison.

Base building and the open world

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  Your hideout is a real base-building layer — invest in it earlyAs you progress you can construct and upgrade a hideout with training grounds, a garden, and other facilities that provide passive bonuses. Early investment compounds over a long playthrough — don't leave it until the endgame.
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  Use the in-world scout/bird companion to scan objectives before committingLike previous entries, you have an aerial scouting tool to tag enemies and points of interest before you move in. Use it every time you approach a new area — going in blind wastes far more time than the ten seconds a scan takes.

Quality of life

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  The game respects your time better than recent entries — don't feel obligated to 100% every regionShadows trims a good amount of the map-icon bloat that weighed down Valhalla and Odyssey. You can comfortably finish the main story and a healthy chunk of side content without feeling like you're leaving huge value on the table by skipping full completion.
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  Photo Mode is genuinely excellent here — the environmental art direction deserves itThe Sengoku-period environments, shrines, and castle towns are some of the best-looking environments Ubisoft has produced. If you enjoy screenshotting, this is one of the better games in years to do it in.

Our take on Assassin's Creed Shadows