Assassin's Creed: Shadows - How is Coop going to work?

Gameplay Preview

Image from Ubisoft

Various content creators and YouTubers were recently invited by Ubisoft Quebec to play a work-in-progress build of Assassin's Creed Shadows. Attendees were able to get hands-on with both playable protagonists; The nimble and stealthy Shinobi Naoe, and the powerful Samurai warrior Yasuke.

Both characters operate in vastly different ways; Naoe being geared towards rooftops and shadows while Yasuke battles his opponents head on.

The gameplay footage, motion capture, music and voice acting all seemed extremely well polished for a work-in-progress build that is, according to game director Charles Benoit, a month old at the time of writing.

With the release date now pushed back to March 20th, that gives the team at Ubisoft Quebec well over a month of refining and polishing the final game before it goes gold, usually a couple of weeks before launch.

Image from "Claws of Awaji", the first expansion - Free with all preorders

Prominent industry insider Tom Henderson over at Insider Gaming revealed back in October that a cooperative mode is also in development for Shadows. While details are sparse, he was able to confirm that it is currently being developed under the codename "League."

No further information is currently available, but Tom Henderson offered a guess that players will take control of both Naoe and Yasuke. After the recent gameplay we have seen, as well as subsequent reveals of other features such as the village customization and recruitment systems, I have my doubts that this is the case.

Naoe and Yasuke couldn't be more different in terms of gameplay

Two Heroes, Two Playstyles

While Noae excels at climbing, sneaking, and fights like a glass cannon, Yasuke is a true tank, able to shrug off hits that might put his co-protagonist out the fight instantly. His large frame gives him the strength to weild even heavy weapons such as the Kanabō with surprising grace and speed but works against him in the Parkour department.

His imposing physique combined with his heavy armor results in Yasuke only being able to climb ledges the same height as him, slowly and awkwardly clambering up with his elbows and knees.

Yasuke is a force to be reckoned with

Naoe has no such trouble. She is the fastest sprinter the series has ever seen and climbs easily as well as any of the other RPG protagonists before her. In the build shown, she lacked some of the finesse of Basim from Assassin's Creed Mirage, which had post-launch updates that specifically addressed fan-favourite features such as the 'height-gaining back eject.'

It should be again noted that it is a work-in-progress build and the developers have stated the recent delays were made with fan feedback in mind.

Naoe plays like a true Assassin, being a master of Parkour

Naoe's new physics-based grappling hook also grants her access to even harder to reach areas and scale sheer surfaces that Yasuke could only dream of climbing. Herein lies the issue with cooperative gameplay between these two distinct characters.

If two players are forced to play as Naoe and Yasuke the argument could be made that their strengths and weaknesses counter and compliment each other. Yasuke can take on the stronger enemies that might be a struggle for Naoe, while Naoe can reach the areas that Yasuke can't. Sounds great on paper and it's certainly an interesting and viable way to play. But should it be the only way?

What if both players want to use stealth and clear a camp or castle together? What if both want to fight side by side as Samurai? Both of these equally interesting scenarios are impossible if we are restricted to the two protagonists.

Assassin's Creed Unity was the last game to feature coop

Assassin's Creed Unity, for all of its flaws (especially at launch) had a fun coop experience when it worked properly. It got around the issue of a single protagonist by having all four players see themselves as Arno in their own game, while joining players appeared as characters with randomised faces and wearing their chosen gear and weapons.

It was a creative solution that kept the player immersed. You were Arno and your friends were your brotherhood. But Naoe and Yasuke? Who decides which player uses which character? Again, what if both players want to use stealth? This issue is not present in Unity. Everyone had the same abilities, skills and playstyle options.

This is where I believe the recruit and hideout systems play an important role.

The recruitment system returns, first seen in Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Assassin's Crossing

Shadows has the most intricate hideout system in the series so far, allowing you to enter a Sims-like mode and customize your very own Shinobi village. Along with that comes the opportunity to invite NPCs to populate your settlement.

Smiths improve gear and weapons, shopkeepers allow you to resupply, the usual stuff. But you can also recruit unique allies to your cause. These special characters can be called upon to gather vital information, smuggle resources or even help in stealth and combat encounters.

These are not the randomised novices of Brotherhood. They are fully fleshed out individuals, each with their own backstory, specialities and skills.

Image credit: Game File

Some of these characters might excel at combat like Yasuke, some may be stealth experts like Naoe. Some may even be able to blend both playstyles, as one screenshot shows a Shinobi-looking character with a teppo rifle on their back, a weapon usually reserved for Yasuke.

I believe these recruits will form a pool of characters that we can choose to play as in the coop mode, maybe alongside Yasuke and Naoe. This would allow the maximum amount of player freedom and expression, being able to play however you choose.

We saw something similar with Ghost of Tsushima's Legends mode. Rather than playing as Jin Sakai or any of his allies, we took control of mythical characters that represented various aspects of the main playstyles. With Shadows however, the recruits may feel more personal and connected to the player than random faceless Ghosts.

Image credit: TechRadar

With the hideout system having so much depth, I can only imagine players will want to share their creations. With the amount of options and level of creativity available, it makes sense that you would be able to invite friends into your world and show them around your own Shinobi village and vice versa. This lends even more credence to the idea of playing as the recruits, who already have a major presence at your hideout.

We won't know for sure until after Shadows launches on March 20th. Potentially a while after, as Tom Henderson claims the coop feature is further out in the post launch plan. When it is officially announced I'll be sure to cover it in detail here and across YouTube, Tiktok and Twitter. Be sure to follow on those socials linked below.

Have a great day!

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