AC Shadows' map, where they'll face threats from a new faction as they gather new gear and learn new skills. It's expected to be a ten-hour DLC, so, while it's not nearly as expansive as the base game, it has the potential to add a lot.

There's a lot we still don't know about Shadows' DLC. But the new skills and gear introduced in Claws of Awaji are unfavorably balanced in Naoe's favor, largely leaving Yasuke behind. And although you can swap between them pretty freely, there's already a significant imbalance when it comes to Shadows' dual protagonists. With the release of the DLC, it looks like that's only due to get worse.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Gives Naoe A DLC Weapon

Naoe's Bō Is A Major Advantage

One thing we do know about Claws of Awaji is that it'll include a new weapon type for Naoe, the bō. The bō is a kind of hardwood staff particularly associated with martial arts that originate in the Okinawa region, although it's been used throughout much of Asia. You may have gotten a chance to wield one in games like Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty or as Donatello in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time.

Claws of Awaji does not appear to be set in Okinawa; it takes place in Awaji, which is much closer to the part of the mainland featured in Shadows' base game.

Excluding tools like shuriken and kunai, the bō will be the fourth weapon type available to Naoe in AC Shadows, ing her arsenal alongside the katana, tanto, and kusarigama. As for how it'll affect Naoe's fighting style, or what kinds of skills she'll be able to use while wielding it, we don't yet know. More details will likely be released closer to Claws of Awaji's launch.

Claws Of Awaji Doesn’t Promise As Much For Yasuke

Yasuke May Not Get A New Weapon

However, while Naoe gets a shiny new toy to play with in Claws of Awaji, it doesn't seem like Yasuke will get anything of the sort. Some of the new skills and gear will almost certainly apply to him, but he's not expected to have an entirely new weapon type to wield, unless Ubisoft is keeping secrets.

In fact, it seems like the DLC will be better suited to Naoe's skill set as a whole. Its official website uses the tagline "From hunter to hunted," describing a new mechanic in which Naoe and Yasuke are actively pursued by of the Sanzoku Ippa faction. It sounds like the Sanzoku Ippa will play a stealthy game, stalking our protagonists from the shadows, and striking with ambushes and traps when we least expect it.

For Yasuke, that's not too different from ordinary gameplay; it just means more frequent combat. If the enemies in the DLC are as easy as those in the base game, there won't even be much of a challenge. But for Naoe, that could create a whole different kind of playstyle, in which your positioning is doubly important, and you must consider your enemies' positioning from the perspective of a shinobi. There's a lot of potential here to expand on Naoe's gameplay, but for Yasuke, not so much.

Weapon Variety Is One Of Yasuke’s Greatest Strengths

Naoe Now Rivals Yasuke

With the addition of the bō in DLC, Naoe's total main hand weapon options go up to four - Yasuke has five. That takes away one of the few major advantages of playing as Yasuke: his weapon variety.

Don't get me wrong - I've always been down for Yasuke as an Assassin's Creed protagonist. His is a fascinating chapter of history, and he's every bit as fitting and well-developed narratively as Naoe. But he's just not fun to play the grand majority of the time. I like Assassin's Creed 50% for the historical settings, and 50% for the stealth gameplay. Yasuke feels like he comes out of a different kind of game.

Samurai RPGs can be done very well - I enjoyed Sekiro and Nioh in particular - but AC Shadows' approach isn't it. Every time I do end up playing as Yasuke, I just end up whacking at every enemy until they're dead. There's simply not enough depth or difficulty there to keep things interesting. I usually just bring him in when I can't be bothered with stealth in a particular section of the game, as a sort of heavy hitter who can handle any challenge. His weapon variety is a major part of that - without that, what does he have going for him?

I'll definitely be curious to see how Naoe's new weapon works, but if Yasuke's only getting a few new skills, I'll probably use him a lot less. It's a shame, too: Yasuke had so much potential as a protagonist, but it feels like so much of that is squandered in his lackluster gameplay. Hopefully, Assassin's Creed Shadows' DLC does him right by giving him some truly new mechanics to make his gameplay feel just as worthwhile as Naoe's.

Source: Ubisoft