Assassin's Creed Shadows' dual-protagonist approach differs from past games because they are distinct characters and personalities (unlike AC Odyssey) with differently tailored playstyles (unlike AC Syndicate). Yasuke is a brutal samurai, capable of quickly putting down any opposition head-on, while Naoe is a stealthy Assassin preferring to operate from the shadows. However, they are in one game, which also means that open combat somehow has to work for both of them.

Assassin's Creed Shadows accommodates both characters by ensuring they shine in one scenario and struggle in another. For example, it is possible to attempt stealth as Yasuke, but it is much harder. It is possible to engage in open combat as Naoe, but it is much harder. Combat helps drive these tailored playstyles thanks to the way Yasuke and Naoe engage with armor. Game ZXC recently spoke with associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois regarding how open combat and enemy armor work for both characters.

assassin creed shadows yasuke and naeo in combat position
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In brief, Yasuke's overwhelming might is enough to punish and quickly break an enemy's armor, while Naoe struggles because she focuses on unarmored spots. Yasuke breaks through armor quicker, while Naoe's attacks only slowly chip away in open scenarios. This creates different opportunities for each character. Lemay-Comtois explains that Yasuke's combat balance is about breaking through armor and killing in a straightforward manner, but "when Naoe does stealth, she gets around the armor." Lemay-Comtois also further elaborated that,

"Naoe stabs in the heart, the throat, areas where there is no armor. When she's stuck in a fight, she has to deal with the fact that there's armor now. She cannot just go for easy kills, so it takes much more time and effort to fight this way. That creates a path of least resistance for her: stealth."

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Meanwhile, Yasuke can perform stealth, but he's tall, bulky, and loud. This means he's more easily spotted and thus the path of least resistance for Yasuke is directly into open combat. Both characters can do both, but one excels in an area the other struggles in.

While some fans may prefer to play as Yasuke or Naoe more in Assassin's Creed Shadows, design choices like this should do a lot to encourage more fairly distributed playtimes. Players need to find their path of least resistance too, after all.