Composers Joe Henson and Alexis Smith return for back to the core elements of the game, focusing on stealth and parkour over other mechanics. Unlike most stealth games, where players hide out of fear of being caught, Naoe's approach is entirely different.
Speaking to Screen Rant, Henson and Smith, known as The Flight, discussed how the protagonist of Assassin's Creed Shadows differs from other stealthy characters in the franchise. As Henson explains, "[she] is in a place of strength when she is hiding... This is what she does, this is her job."
Because of this, Naoe's inner dialogue while in stealth is unlike that of other characters. "When you're playing in stealth, there's whisper dialogue, and that's what [Naoe] is thinking while she's hiding." Henson and Smith shared a translation of this dialogue, and the result is truly unsettling, as the translation states,
"I'm hiding in the shadows, and I'm going to get you, and I'm going to kill you."
Although Henson and Smith it it is a bit more poetic than that in-game, this gives a great look into how Naoe enjoys her life of hiding, slicing, and dicing.
Naoe Is All About Stealth
The Girl Can Hide
In Assassin's Creed Shadows, players will experience two very different approaches through the protagonists. While Naoe excels in stealth (and eerie whispers), her counterpart, Yasuke, embraces brute strength. This creates vastly contrasting gameplay experiences as players navigate Feudal Japan. For Naoe, her focus on hiding in the shadows and striking enemies from behind leads to a more tense and suspenseful experience. The constant nerve-racking challenge of staying undetected, even if you enjoy the mechanic, adds an extra layer of thrill to the gameplay.
Meanwhile, Yaskue's more direct approach feels like an all-or-nothing strategy. Unlike Naoe, enemies aren't caught off guard by Yasuke, as they can see him coming, blade in hand. His gameplay focuses on raw strength, carving through enemies in intense combat rather than taking them down quietly and swiftly. It is a more aggressive and up-front style that contrasts sharply with Naoe's stealthy tactics.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Pre-Load Date, Times, & Global Launch Details
When can you start playing Assassin's Creed Shadows? Find out everything you need about pre-load date, time, and global launch details here.
In a hands-on event earlier this year, Screen Rant's own Ben Brosofsky remarked on the differences in gameplay between the two characters. He noted that Shadows takes "Yasuke's lack of agility to real destinations, from teetering attempts at free running to brutal assassinations." Meanwhile, Naoe's traditional stealth approach allows the character to feel "liberated by the dynamic." It's almost a play-smarter vs. play-harder dynamic between the two.
Assassin's Creed Shadows Is Proving To Be Very Dark In Tone
Who Knew Assassinating Could Be Such A Downer
If it wasn't clear from the stealthy assassinations and brutal blade takedowns, Assassin's Creed Shadows is shaping up to be one of the darker entries in the franchise. Set during Japan's Sengoku, or "Warring States" era, the game takes place amid constant civil wars fueled by local warring overlords.
This turbulent period provides a perfect backdrop for Shadows, allowing the game to explore themes of assassins eliminating rival lords, families torn apart by unending conflict, and a nation on the brink of division. Everything we know about the game points to a fun journey through a darker part of Japan's history.
Naoe's enjoyment of her stealthy killings underscores how deeply her character is affected by the violent world around her. Finding pride in ending lives certainly doesn't set a "light" tone for the game. However, even in the darkest times, there is always room for hope to emerge. Perhaps Assassin's Creed Shadows will offer players a glimpse of redemption in the end, despite its bleak setting.
Assassin's Creed Shadows
- Released
- March 20, 2025
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Quebec
- Publisher(s)
- Ubisoft
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