Naoe is a shinobi, or a ninja. Her entire family from the Iga Province is part of the shinobi and she's the fictional daughter of Fujibayashi Nagato. In the game, she carries the Hidden Ones logo with the hidden blade. Naoe sneaks around and makes sure she gets close to her enemies silently. She distracts guards with smoke bombs and effortlessly infiltrates enemy camps, for example. She also crawls through the grass and remains silent underwater, using bamboo as a snorkel. Naoe can't block attacks or counterattack, so you always have to be tactical.

After finishing his education, Yasuke is a true samurai. He's less stealthy and prefers to go straight for his target. With precision and strength, he uses his skills to defeat enemies. He uses various weapons for this, such as his katana. Yasuke is originally from Africa, and historically came to Japan with the Portuguese in 1579. This makes it the first time that Assassin's Creed adds a real person to the game. Yasuke has various weapons, including long-range weapons.

Assassin's Creed Shadows is set in Japan between 1579 and 1580. The map is divided into 3 parts: Iga, Arima, and Omi. Iga is seen as the shinobi's region, where Naoe is from. Arima is the location of a major battle, while Omi is more of an agricultural area. Yasuke is a member of warlord Oda's army, while Naoe and her family are born enemies of Oda. If we look at the other Assassin's Creed games, Shadows takes place 135 years before Assassin's Creed Black Flag.

Thanks to the Japanese setting, there were also new weapons added to this Assassin's Creed. The grappling hook from Assassin's Creed Syndicate returns in this game, for example. There are many historical weapons available as well, such as a katana, Tekko claws, and Kunai throwing knives. Each weapon has its own skill tree, which allows you to upgrade your favorite weapons. You can also make your own weapons with collectibles, such as Japanese scrolls. The collected weapons can be used by both characters.

Assassin's Creed Shadows has a dynamic map. There's a season system, which means you play the story throughout all seasons. The cherry blossom blooms in the spring and the leaves fall from the trees in the fall, for example. The map size will be similar to that of Assassin's Creed Origins. This affects the NPCs as well, who wear different types of clothes per season and enemies have a different search behavior. They stay around their fires in the winter, while they roam everywhere in spring.