Summary
- Walking assassinations are present in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
- Naoe is likely the only one who can perform these subtle kills.
- These assassinations were present in Mirage after being excluded from Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla.
There are thirteen games in the Assassin’s Creed series – far more entries than most video game franchises get. The nature of a long series means that mechanics come, go, are refined and then return. This is the case for walking assassinations, which were added in Assassin’s Creed 3, removed in Assassin’s Creed Origins and finally brought back for last year’s Assassin’s Creed Mirage. They’ve also returned for Assassin’s Creed Shadows, which has gone down a treat with fans.
In a recent gameplay video designed to show the differences between playing as Naoe and playing as Yasuke, we can see Naoe approach a guard at the front entrance of a castle in Kyoto and assassinate him in one quick movement without breaking momentum. As AO12AO12 points out in the comments of a Reddit thread about the return of walking assassinations, “They’re smooth and badass.”
Nothing is Amiss
Assassin’s Creed entries tend to be constructed around their protagonists. It makes sense that a shieldmaiden like Eivor may not be the subtlest assassin, but Naoe? Her years of shinobi training will have given her a completely different skill set. Walking assassinations are also present in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, after not appearing in three successive entries in Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla.
It’s likely this mechanic is unique to Naoe, given her shinobi training and smaller frame. From what we’ve seen of Yasuke’s gameplay, a public duel to the death is about as subtle as it gets for him. That’s the selling point of Shadows – the contrast between the two characters. It almost feels like Naoe represents the older Assassin’s Creed titles while Yasuke is for those who prefer the more combat-heavy style of Valhalla and other newer entries.
Although the “Dual Paths” video showed off some of Naoe’s combat capabilities, creative director Charles Benoit has said that regardless of how much you specialise Naoe towards open combat, she’ll never be more effective than Yasuke in this area. There’s a clear contrast between the two characters that’s supposed to influence your respective playstyle with each.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Released
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March 20, 2025
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language