Assassin's Creed Shadows' lead developer assures players that choosing a single protagonist won't significantly impact their experience. The game features two playable characters: Naoe, a female shinobi, and Yasuke, a historical African samurai—a choice that's generated pre-release discussion.
Concerns arose that focusing on one character might lead to missing crucial plot points or gameplay. Creative director Jonathan Dumont addressed these concerns, describing his own balanced approach: He switches between Naoe and Yasuke, dedicating roughly 3-5 hours to one before switching to the other for 2-3 hours.
However, Dumont stresses that players won't be penalized for favoring one character. While each protagonist has unique opening sequences and personal storylines, the game's narrative adapts to the player's choice. He encourages players to play as their preferred character:
"The core gameplay remains consistent regardless of your choice. You won't miss out on major plot elements. It's really about personal preference. Experiment and see how the game adjusts to your character selection. Each has their own introduction and quests, but the main story adapts to your favored hero."
