May 16th 2024.
The hype is real as the latest trailer for Assassin's Creed Shadows reveals that players will have not one, but two protagonists to control in the highly anticipated game. Fans have been buzzing with both excitement and disapproval since the trailer's release, but some have raised concerns about the potential for racism to play a role in the game.
Just a day after the accidental leak of the game's release date, Ubisoft unveiled the cinematic trailer for the 14th installment in the popular action role-playing series. The trailer confirms previous rumors that players will be able to play as both an African samurai and a female ninja, but there is still little information about the overall plot.
However, even before the official release of the trailer, details had already been leaked, causing fans to take to social media to share their thoughts. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of negativity surrounding the fact that one of the lead characters is black. Within 24 hours, the cinematic trailer had already been viewed over 4 million times on Ubisoft's YouTube channel, with a staggering number of dislikes.
It's hard to believe that a simple cinematic trailer, which shows no gameplay and is meant to be a teaser for the full reveal in June, could elicit such a strong negative response. Upon closer inspection, the comments section on the trailer is filled with little substance, with some even making comparisons to other games like Ghost of Tsushima.
One user, Eroyaji, even went as far as to say, "So it's Ubisoft making their own Ghost of Tsushima with a bigger budget, but way smaller brains." This statement is quite nonsensical, as Ghost of Tsushima is a big-budget first-party game that shares many similarities with early Assassin's Creed titles.
Another user, Arseny Kudryavtsev, expressed their lack of interest in the game, stating, "You know that feeling you get when you're waiting for a new Assassin's Creed game... and sudden urge to play? I don't have it," without providing any specific reasons why.
While YouTube does filter out overtly racist comments, there are still many remarks regarding the fact that the first game set in Japan features an African male as the lead character. The poorly written dialogue in the game also hasn't helped, with some pointing out the cringe-worthy line where Yasuke says, "We are the shadows" while wearing ceremonial armor.
There is also debate among fans about whether Yasuke, the real-life inspiration for the character, was actually a samurai or not. This has only added fuel to the fire and further poisoned the discussion.
It's disheartening to see that such a highly anticipated game has become embroiled in a culture war on the internet. The situation is regrettable, as it's difficult to have any meaningful discussion about the game when the focus is on irrelevant and divisive topics.
However, there is also criticism towards Ubisoft's attitude towards game ownership, with many urging others not to pre-order the game. One user, Wyattinous, summed it up by saying, "In the eyes of Ubisoft Execs, this is a $70+ rental."
All of this is to be expected in the gaming community, with the top-rated comment at the time of writing coming from user-vg8ox3he1i, who said, "The most heroic thing about this trailer is that they left the comments open."
As we eagerly await the release of Assassin's Creed Shadows, let's remember to focus on the game itself and not get caught up in irrelevant discussions. And for those who want to share their thoughts, you can always email or leave a comment below. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and sign up for our newsletter to stay updated on the latest gaming news.
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