Assassin's Creed Shadows Dev Teases a Massive Power…

Factions are nothing new in Assassin's Creed. Before the Assassin Brotherhood was established in 1090, there was the Babylonian Brotherhood, the Shields of Mars, and most importantly, the Hidden Ones (among others). Before the Templars became public in 1129, there was the Cult of Kosmos and the Order of the Ancients. By its timelines, Assassin's Creed Shadows players should be contending with Assassins and Templars, and maybe they are. The main group of enemies shown for Assassin's Creed Shadows so far are the Shinbakufu, which at first blush may seem like a Templar off-shoot, but Ubisoft recently cast doubt on that.

For The Best War Games Advance, we spoke with creative director Jonathan Dumont about the designs and motivations of the Shinbakufu, as well as how they compare to the Templars. What Dumont teased, however, is far more intriguing. It seems that the Shinbakufu are not the only shadow faction players will be dealing with in Assassin's Creed Shadows, opening the doors wide for tons of original storytelling.

The Shinbakufu Are Not The Only Ones Stalking the Shadows of Japan

When players first meet the Shinbakufu, they will see various members wearing unique masks and regalia. They, in many ways, kickstart Assassin's Creed Shadows' story in a daunting and dominating fashion, and history would tell players to expect the Shinbakufu to be Templars or an off-shoot. After all, their masks bring to mind the Cult of Kosmos and the Order of the Ancients. When asked about their masks and what they are supposed to portray, Dumont explained that,

"We wanted to keep the Shinbakufu visual identity secret and mysterious while injecting a bit of sense of a conflicted group. One that is not a cult or strong organization (such as the cult of Kosmos or the Order of the Ancients). This is why they use masks from different spheres of Japanese society, ranging from a mempo to a theater mask."

How and why they are conflicted remains to be seen, but they do share one common goal: power. Dumont said they were "seeking power and will do the unthinkable to get what they want."

The next logical question is why they want power, what motivates them to pursue this power, and that would likely hint at the Shinbakufu's motivations. However, Dumont understandably would not get into the motivations of the Shinbakufu, but it seems they may not be the only ones vying for Naoe and Yasuke's attention. While he would not say outright what motivates them, he did explain that they are not the only shadow faction in Assassin's Creed Shadows:

"I can say that [The Shinbakufu] are an important shadow faction vying for power in the main narrative, but they are not the only ones."

It's Not All Black and White with the Shinbakufu

Fans will have to wait for Assassin's Creed Shadows' release to see exactly what Dumont means, but this opens the door for so many storytelling possibilities. It could be that both the Assassin Brotherhood (in some form) and Templar Order are operating in Japan alongside the Shinbakufu; it could be that there is some weird mix of the three; or it could even be other shadow factions, given the conflict found within AC Shadows' setting. Overall, it seems fans should set aside franchise expectations. Following the past few games, history would tell players that the Shinbakufu are Templars, but maybe that's not the case. After all, speaking to how the Shinbakufu compare to the Templars/Order of the Ancients, Dumont would only say,

"All I can say is that there are different factions in the game, and things are not always black or white when it comes to their intentions and goals."

Of note is also the fact that Assassin's Creed Shadows' Claws of Awaji DLC also involves a faction known as the Sanzoku Ippa. While Ubisoft would understandably not say much, associate game director Simon Lemay-Comtois tells us that the Sanzoku Ippa are "known to use tactics not too dissimilar to the players’ – including creative use of counter-intelligence measures." It's unclear if the Sanzoku Ippa will appear in the base game or not, but it's at least one more faction notch on AC Shadows' belt. Ultimately, it remains to be seen how this warfare between shadow factions shakes out, but it seems clear that this is a unique story in Assassin's Creed's history.

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