There exists a significant contrast between the two primary characters of Assassin’s Creed Shadows. Yasuke—the samurai—is built like a fortress, equipped to the teeth, and formidable. In contrast, Naoe—the shinobi—is designed for stealth and agility. According to the game’s creators, Naoe is so fast that she can even perform a Naruto-style sprint—the running technique made famous by the manga and anime of the same name.
Creative director Jonathan Dumont revealed to EW that Naoe can replicate Naruto’s running posture where he leans forward with his arms bent back while moving at incredible speeds. However, Dumont refrained from labeling it explicitly as a Naruto run.
“We do have a rooftop run that carries a slight nod to it,” Dumont mentioned. He proceeded to disclose some elements of Naoe’s background, explaining how she connects to the Assassin Brotherhood through her father, even though she is unaware of this truth at the game’s outset.
“[Naoe] was sheltered by her father from the harsh realities of the world, and it all comes crashing down,” Dumont expressed. “She is thrust into conflict. She is not well-versed in her origins. Her father has been training her, but she knows little about her mother, who has been absent. As an old Japanese saying goes, ‘A frog in a well knows nothing of the ocean.’ She is thrown into the real world, and through this journey, she will discover that she is not merely a shinobi; there is a lineage or at least some enigma surrounding a different type of shinobi. They are Assassins, so she has some connection to that.”
Dumont recently introduced Shadows’ Canon Mode, which will make key narrative choices for you, including which characters to pursue romantically. Players will still have the option to make their own decisions as well. Ubisoft has also hinted that Shadows will take an innovative direction with its contemporary storyline. The developers also provided an extensive overview of combat mechanics in Shadows.