The Assassin’s Creed series is usually praised to manipulate it with paralysis and iconic hero, but it will be fair to say that its greatest achievements lies in the re -creation of the extensive historical environments to explore the open world. Nearly 20 years ago since its first appearance, Ubisoft is now the series to historical Japan with The shades of the killer of belief. It is prepared for many fans in the series, and they are currently enjoying a popular increase due to the last TV series of FX Shogun.
While the historical preparation of Japan was the subject of many games, especially the likes Ghost Tsuhima and Sicero: The shades die twiceSee it through the Assassin’s Creed lens is interesting. After all, this is a series that mixes historical political conflicts with fictional and dangerous fluctuations, and the approach gives an opportunity to highlight some elements often the history and policy of the times, while also discovering the style of ghost chain and open global work.
Although the transformation into historical Japan seemed to be a clear turning point for this series (the ninja seems appropriate to arrange the killers), the developers at Ubisoft Quec expressed this – such as previous entries – that ask the series to Japan to teach and need to highlight different views of the era.
Speaking to the creative director Jonathan Domont during a visit to Augusvit Quebec in early 2025, he explained what prompted the team to prepare, given that it was the historical period of great change.
Why did Assassin’s Creed finally go to Japan
The series was distinguished by multiple heroes guildand OdysseyAnd Halabut The shades of the killer of belief It wanders differently by focusing on it Two Faridan people With different patterns of play and different views about the changing Japan era. The main narration focuses on the historic African Yasuki Samurai (played by Tonghai Cherisa) and his new life in Japan, and Nui (Massomi Tsunoda), a female Ninja seeking to upgrade with her family’s legacy to seek revenge, all against the background of the increasing background in the isolation period. IEYASU, Western effects pave the way for the root change in Japan.
“You are always trying to search for something that holds you as a origin. Assassin’s Creed OdysseyThe creative director said: “We have chosen Greece because we found that the clouds were the philosophy of that time, and that it was an era as it left the land of myths to the era of thinking with people like Socrates who became more famous. It was a gray period of moral time and the beginning of a global conflict in Japan where Western countries came to the country during the era of monotheism.”
According to Domont, some of the reasons why Ubisoft did not make the Assassin’s Creed game that was appointed in Japan sooner I fully realize the feudal and land surrounding Japan engineering This changes with the game seasons. with ShadesNot only did the deceased see the series to highlight this era of Japan, but also showcase the atmosphere and culture of the country in the post -Western country the Western world – all of this sharpening through the Assassin’s Creed lens and its focus on the secret killers of history.
“This setting was a pivotal time in the history of Japan, the country became a melting bowl, and life has changed dramatically during these thirty years,” the creative director said. “Cities were built around the castles, and the samurai moved from the protection of the guardians [rural property] Until now it was focused throughout the city, as this led to urbanization – just as the trade changed to some extent because there was such a request in the war, and thus merchants at that time became very rich, and climbed the social ladder. All that made it this interesting era to explore Assassin. “
This aspect of change and cultural exchange is reflected in the story of Yasuke, one of the central figures of the shadows and the first protagonist in the series on the basis of a real person. During the introduction to the game, the players see as a slave person who was brought to Japan by the Jesuit missionaries, and on the opening walk to the Oda Nobunaga complex, citizens view him as curiosity and comment on his black skin. After meeting with the feudal Lord, Yasuki at the end begins a new life in Japan and trains as Samurai during the era of Nobunaga, who puts it on his way to a partnership with Nui while moving in Japan in the fifteenth century.
Unfortunately, Yasuki’s appearance took attention to Some Internet angles Those who cannot include him as a game in the game or his place in a real history – despite the fact that it has already appeared in other games such as New and Samurai warriors. What this racist criticism in nature from these societies failed to consider is that the place of Yasuki during this time period makes a convincing issue for him as a hero and put him largely with Assassin Creed’s focus on the strange and secret history of humanity.
Image via ubisoft.
Image via ubisoft.
Moreover, the developers felt that Yasuki’s experience as a foreigner in Japan would allow a global audience of players to see themselves on his journey as he floods himself in the country’s culture.
This approach has a precedent in the world of popular imagination. James Claville book of 1975 Shogon and the 2024 TV series of the same name presents the fictional British seas John Blackmoren (Himself on the basis of a historical figure William Adams) As a public point of view.
To become history students
One of the special details highlighted by Domont during production was that the representative of Yasuki Tonghai Cherisa embodies the type of mentality they wanted for the character, and has an open mind and “student mentality”. This was the type of side in which they wanted for the character, but also a perspective that the developers also have to have when trying to develop Japan for AC.
“I always think about making games like this as returning to school, you have to return to the learning process – look at what you know, then look at what you learn, then compare it to what is in the pop culture,” Domont said. “Therefore, it is really related to being students, trying to learn as much as possible and humility about it. It may be difficult to photograph the culture of another person, so you try to have a lot of people who can inform you or help you make the right options. Traveling to Japan was great, and work with specialists was great, and all that changed the way we saw the preparation and how we developed it well.”
Besides Yasuke is Naee, the second -to -game -focused novel, the traditional “Assassin” experience. In some way, Nae is a strange person like Yasuke, and its experience represents the spiritual and emotional element of the game that highlights the harmony between nature and humanity.
One of the side activities of Nae side hidden all over the open world is meditation rituals, which open the side tasks to see her growth as a ninja from her father’s training. One of the main activities that players can engage in is The Town Builder, which is an animal transit style that focuses on building a society of allies and creating your own city. In this way, the players will be able to see the details of architecture and culture at that time, as well as how people find loneliness during difficult times.
Image via ubisoft.
Image via ubisoft.
“Working in this game completely changes how we imagine architecture, and how much nature and humanity are linked together in harmony in Japan,” Domont said. “When you go to temples, shrines and lands, it is very clear that there is a strong relationship with everything. We did not understand at the beginning of this project, but as we conducted our research in Japan, we realized that we needed to focus more on that. Therefore, we look at everything, we were like,“ yes, well! We need to spend more time in it, “We have made our experience better.”
In a clear shift away from the year 2020 Halaand Shades It focuses on a more designed world, which aims to highlight a period of Japan that opens itself to the greatest world and how heroes build a society. According to Domont, all this clicks in the topics of unity and the basic society of the game, which he says is “the importance of taking care of each other.”
while The shades of the killer of belief It focuses on the traditional AC style for the experience where the players participate in brutal fighting, withdrawing assassinations for the main goals, and parkour through an open world during a chaotic period, creates deep historical research an attractive and amazing tone, one that breaks a new ground in the world of inspiring games from the exciting history of the feudal japan.