Assassin's Creed: Shadows character swap limitations are reasonable

One of the most interesting features in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is the ability to play as two distinct characters. While it does take some time to unlock one of the characters, for the most part, this choice is not dictated by the story. Players have the freedom to swap between Naoe and Yasuke at almost any point. Notice the use of the word “almost.” There are a few limitations to how this works, but thankfully, they are more than reasonable.

Swapping between characters in Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has reasonable limitations

The two primary protagonists in Ubisoft’s newest Assassin’s Creed game are Naoe and Yasuke. Both characters play quite differently from each other. Naoe is a shinobi, using stealth, agility, and climbing to get the drop on her targets. On the other hand, Yasuke is a powerful samurai, perfectly capable of literally bursting through doors and taking on groups of enemies with his thick armor and immense strength. The ability to choose your approach to a mission based on each character’s strengths has been a major selling point in the lead up to Assassin’s Creed: Shadows’ launch.

Press a button to swap characters at the bottom of the screen.Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Developer: Ubisoft Quebec

At some points, typically after cut scenes where Naoe and Yasuke are talking back and forth, the player will have to choose one or the other to proceed. When utilizing fast travel, the player can choose to arrive as either character. Outside of these situations, simply open the character menu, and find the “Play as…” button at the bottom of the screen to swap. The only time this is unavailable is during combat and when you aren’t anonymous. This encourages the player to plan ahead. If you expect a big fight with a bunch of guards, it might be better to play as Yasuke. If you need to sneak into a heavily guarded complex, Naoe might be your best shot. But this way, players will also find themselves in unexpected situations and find a way to adapt.

Fast travel also lets you switch characters.Assassin's Creed: Shadows, Developer: Ubisoft Quebec

Within the game world, these limitations also make sense. It would be odd if the player could suddenly change from Naoe to Yasuke in the middle of a fight, for a game that otherwise presents itself as relatively grounded in reality. So, if you find yourself as Naoe in a fight that feels better suited for Yasuke, you’ll have to either run away and find a hidden location or reload a previous save. But don’t forget, you can also always fight it out as Naoe anyway.

Assassin's Creed: Shadows

March 20, 2025

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• Ubisoft
• Ubisoft Quebec
• Assassin's Creed (franchise)