by Kyle Knight
Assassin's Creed Shadows'associate game director, Simon Lemay-Comtois, has said the team "could" bring back the controversial dual-protagonist feature in future Assassin's Creed games, but only if there is a good narrative reason and a strong fit for the setting. While Shadows wasn't the first entry in the Assassin's Creed series to implement such a feature, it was the first to take the approach of the two main characters being different from a gameplay perspective. Unfortunately, many felt its implementation wasn't executed as well as it could have been.
Earlier this year, Ubisoft Quebec took fans from the streets of 9th-century Baghdad in Assassin's Creed Mirage and onto the rooftops of 16th-century Japan, a location fans of the series have long requested. However, unlike its predecessor, Assassin's Creed Shadows sees players take on the role of Yasuke, a mighty, armored warrior who excels in combat and facing enemies head-on, and Naoe, a Shinobi who specializes in stealth, parkour, agility, and assassinations. The stories of these characters intertwine throughout Assassin's Creed Shadows, allowing players to progress through the game with two different approaches: Yasuke's loud-and-proud combat-driven tactics, or Naoe's stealthier, more subtle approach.
New Assassin's Creed Games May Feature Dual Protagonists Again
During a new interview with Games Radar, associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois told the outlet that the studio "could" do more dual-protagonist games in the future, but only if there is a good reason to do so. "I think the learning for us is that, yes, we could do more dual-protagonist games in the future – if we have a good reason to do it narratively and for the setting," Lemay-Comtois said. While the developer doesn't outright confirm that any future Assassin's Creed games will definitely feature dual protagonists, it's clear that Ubisoft Quebec is open to implementing the feature again, as long as the circumstances are right. It's also worth noting that numerous different Ubisoft studios develop entries in the series, which means the next installment, whatever it may be, won't be from the Quebec branch.
However, the associate game director appears to be well aware that the feature is controversial. "Dual protagonists can be divisive along very strange lines, right?" Lemay-Comtois said. He goes on to explain how "some people just don't like one character over the other, and they don't like to spend time with one." The developer says Ubisoft knew Naoe and Yasuke were divisive going into it.
While fans will naturally gravitate towards one character more than the other, depending on their preferred playstyle, some are just inherently against the concept. One user, for example, says they are "not a fan" of the feature and would rather have a single "well-written and charismatic character." But not everyone feels this way; others said it's an excellent reason for a second playthrough, as the two protagonists have drastically different playstyles, which means there is the possibility of two very different experiences.
Yasuke and Naoe bringing two different playstyles to the table is one of the reasons for their controversy, but they weren't the first dual protagonists in Assassin's Creed history. In 2015, Jacob and Evie Frye, two twins with very different personalities, became the first dual protagonists for Assassin's Creed Syndicate, which Ubisoft Quebec also developed. However, unlike Shadows, the two offered no difference in playstyle, but they did have exclusive missions tied to each one. Odyssey also had a type of dual protagonist system, but players were instead forced to choose between one character per save.
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This article originally appeared on GameRant and is republished here with permission.
