The opening of Assassin’s Creed Shadows briefly puts you in control of Yasuke, then shifts to Naoe for a longer stretch of the early story. Follow the objective shown on screen rather than relying on a platform-specific button guide: the opening route includes a castle assault, and the prologue quest “The Onryo Samurai” includes an escape from Katano Castle. If you want to reach free switching between the protagonists sooner, Ubisoft advises prioritizing the main path and Shinbakufu objectives.
Start the opening as Yasuke
Let the introductory scene play out, then follow the displayed objective as Yasuke. This is a short introductory section, not a permanent choice of protagonist. Your game’s current objective and on-screen prompts are the safest route guide; button labels and available inputs can differ by platform and control setup.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
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Assassin’s Creed Shadows - Limited Edition (Amazon Exclusive), PlayStation 5 | $61.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Assassin's Creed Shadows [PlayStation 5] | $34.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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Follow the castle assault objectives
A player-authored walkthrough reports objectives to follow Akechi Mitsuhide, join the assault, destroy a reinforced door, and fight resistance. Treat those details as a practical guide rather than a guaranteed script: if your objective text differs, follow what the game currently asks you to do.
When an objective or encounter feels unclear
- Check the active objective and marker before leaving the area or trying another route.
- Use the traversal prompts the game presents instead of assuming a specific button or route.
- If a fight is giving you trouble, you can adjust combat difficulty and related controls in the game’s settings.
Continue as Naoe and progress toward character switching
After the brief Yasuke opening, the story hands control to Naoe for a substantial early portion. Ubisoft’s early-game advice, published March 18, 2025, is to stick to the main path and prioritize the Shinbakufu circle on the objective board if your goal is to unlock free switching between the two characters sooner.
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- Only at Amazon Limited Edition Content includes the base game and Sekiryu Character Pack
- Explore the captivating open world of feudal Japan, from spectacular castle towns and bustling ports to peaceful shrines and war-ravaged landscapes. Adventure through unpredictable weather, changing seasons, and reactive environments.
- Become Naoe, a shinobi Assassin, and Yasuke, a legendary samurai, as you experience their riveting stories and master their complementary playstyles.
- Make information your weapon as you explore the world, and build your own network of spies to be your eyes and ears across locations to hunt down your next target. Along the way, recruit new allies with unique abilities to help accomplish your missions.
- Create a fully customizable hideout for your growing shinobi league as you train your crew, craft new gear, interact with key characters, and choose your base’s layout, decorations, and accessories.
Escape Katano Castle in “The Onryo Samurai”
Game8 identifies “The Onryo Samurai” as the prologue quest and includes an “Escape Katano Castle” section in its walkthrough. That guide points to a grappling-hook route near an opening by the gate, but the exact route should not be treated as universal. Follow the active quest marker and the traversal prompts available in your game.
Use tutorials and settings if you get stuck
You can revisit tutorials in the Codex. Ubisoft also lists options to remap controls for multiple input devices, set stealth and combat difficulty separately, use Guided Mode to streamline exploration, and use Canon Mode to automate narrative decisions. A simplified melee input option and quick-time-event assistance—including an option to skip those events—are available for players who want them. See Ubisoft’s accessibility options for the listed features.
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- Experience an epic, historical action adventure in feudal Japan and become a deadly Shinobi assassin and a powerful legendary samurai as you explore a beautiful open game world in chaotic times
- Sneak as a Naoe to not be discovered, use your agility to confuse your opponents and stretch down your opponents with deadly precision and power as a Yasuke
- Use information as weapons and build your own spy network to have eyes and ears everywhere and find your targets easier and recruit new allies on the go with unique skills to help you with your missions
- Create a fully customizable hideaway for your growing Shinobi league, where you train recruits, craft new equipment and interact with important characters; set the room layout, decoration and accessories yourself
Optional full-game reference
Ubisoft describes the Piggyback Complete Official Guide as a full-game reference with numbered walkthroughs, annotated screenshots and maps, plus atlas, inventory and mastery sections. It is optional; the opening can be completed by following the in-game objectives.
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