Highlights
- Ubisoft’s new game, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, has sparked controversy due to historical inaccuracies and character decisions.
- Fans criticize Ubisoft for copying the design of Zoro’s sword from One Piece, with some wishing for credit to be given.
- Despite fan disapproval and petitions to cancel the game, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows is set for release in November with minimal chances of cancellation.
Ubisoft is preparing for the launch of yet another installment in the ever-growing Assassin’s Creed franchise. The latest game is called Assassin’s Creed: Shadows, which is set in Japan. While the game is still months from release, it has already managed to surround itself with controversies.
Many fans have shown their disapproval over the fact that there are many historical inaccuracies in the game. Others have criticized the decision to include Yasuke and questioned if a game set in Japan needed a black protagonist. To demonstrate their anger, people even created a petition to cancel the game, which has gotten over 73,000 votes. To add to the controversy, a new post on X (formerly Twitter) shows that Ubisoft has blatantly copied the design of Roronoa Zoro’s sword, who is a prominent character in One Piece.
Are They The Same?
They Are Nearly Identical
The post points out how Yasuke’s sword looks exactly like Zoro’s Sandai Kitetsu. For those who don’t know, the sword was given to Zoro in Loguetown, and served him in many battles. In the other pictures, fans can see the uncanny similarities between the two swords. For further proof, even the two katana kake (stands) look the same. It also appears that Ubisoft copied the writings on the two stands, which makes it even worse.
With all the procured evidence, it certainly seems that Ubisoft did not go down a path of originality. Instead, the studio decided to copy something, and that too, from one of the most famous manga series in the world. The odd thing is that One Piece fans have taken it with good humor. They believe it is a testament to how influential it really is. Some fans have pointed out that they would have preferred if Ubisoft had given credit to One Piece and Eiichiro Oda for imitating the design.
One Piece As A Franchise
One Of The Most Popular Series In The World
This isn’t the first time that One Piece has inspired other mediums. Currently, One Piece is the best-selling manga of all time, and the number will continue to increase in the next few years. The manga has already received an anime adaptation, and a second is on its way. Toei works on the original anime, while Wit Studio is producing the remake. Aside from the anime adaptations, One Piece also received a live-action adaptation, which was widely successful. Due to its immense reception, it was renewed for a second and third seasons. It has also been the recipient of countless movie adaptations, and most of them are adored by the masses.
Given that it is such a massive franchise, there are bound to be others who take inspiration from the series and its author. Many authors have openly expressed their fondness for One Piece. In some cases, One Piece has been name-dropped in other manga and anime series, proving once again that it is in a league of its own.
The Controversies Associated With Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Ubisoft Has Been Heavily Criticized
As previously stated, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows has been targeted constantly on various social media platforms. Ever since the game was announced, people have been nitpicking about the most trivial things. One of the main points of critique has been the game’s lack of historical accuracy. Some people would fall for this ruse, but Assassin’s Creed games have never been known for being historically accurate. Ubisoft has always applied twists to stories from the past to make them more interesting. In the previous installments, players had to fight gods, which is far from being realistic and accurate.
Another complaint that fans have had has been regarding the lack of a Japanese protagonist. But Ubisoft has already added Naoe, a female shinobi of Japanese descent. So, Yasuke being the other protagonist should not matter too much. From the trailers, it looks like the game will let players pick which protagonist they want to use for a mission. Each protagonist has a different style. Yasuke fights like a samurai, while Naoe is a shinobi whose modus operandi is stealth.
Will The Game Be Canceled?
The Odds Of The Game Being Dropped Remain Zero
A lot of people have openly expressed their disapproval of the game. They have started petitions and publicly dragged Ubisoft on social media platforms. Despite all the attempts, fans who want to play Assassin’s Creed Shadows can rest assured that these actions are not going to stop Ubisoft from releasing the game in November. There have been many such instances where fans have not been interested in a game, but the publishers have gone on to do their job without any problems.
The worst thing that could potentially happen is a delay, which could happen if the studio wants to polish the game before getting it ready for release. In rare cases, developers push back the release date if they do not want the game to compete with another popular release. However, both of these things look unlikely. So, Ubisoft will go ahead with the tentative release date.
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