While all eyes are on Assassin's Creed Mirage, which is supposed to come out later this year, fans are also looking forward to the release of Assassin's Creed Red, lovingly referred to by fans as Assassin's Creed Japan because of its setting.
Ubisoft Quebec, the game's lead studio, hasn't revealed much about the game save for its feudal Japan setting. However, plenty of leaks since its official reveal has given us a glimpse of Red. This time, a leak claims that Assassin's Creed Red will feature two playable characters, specifically, a samurai and a shinobi.
Insider Gaming reports that the playable characters for the in-development Assassin's Creed game are modeled for the iconic Japanese character. The same report adds that the character featured in the game's short reveal trailer was the female samurai. On the other hand, the shinobi, with an unspecified gender, is an African refugee who "learns the way of the creed."
IG notes that Ubisoft Quebec is focusing on stealth gameplay similar to the Splinter Cell and Hitman games.
Historically, the first Africans, the Mozambicans, came to Japan either as shipmates or slaves in 1546 with Jorge Álvares, a Portuguese captain. Since the term "Feudal Japan" refers to a period between 1185 and 1603, using an African refugee is a good fit. The bit about the African refugee discovering the Assassin's Order and becoming a shinobi also hints at clever writing.
Contrary to pop culture knowledge, the shinobi are usually associated with the lower classes during this period. This would imply then that the Shinobi in Assassin's Creed Red are aligned with the Brotherhood, the Order, or the Hidden Ones. On the other hand, this hints at the Samurai, which are warriors linked to the noble classes, being part of the Templar Order or Order of the Ancients.
Of course, Assassin's Creed Red could also feature the Samurai and Shinobi as separate factions in Japan existing alongside the Templars and the Assassins.
Ultimately, this is speculation on our part. But, with the recent report claiming that Ubisoft is going all-in on the Assassin's Creed franchise, this bit of news is exciting, to say the least. Fans have been wanting to visit Japan in Assassin's Creed ever since the franchise launched. So, you can only imagine just how happy fans are going to be if Assassin's Creed Red turns out to be just as good as imagined.
Unfortunately, all of this hype could be the undoing of Assassin's Creed Red. Hopefully, Ubisoft reveals more about Assassin's Creed Red sooner rather than later.
In the meantime, fans can look forward to the release of Rise of the Ronin on the PlayStation 5 next year, which is a game by Team Ninja that many have already begun referring to as "Assassin's Creed in Japan."
