Historic fantasy ‘Assassin’s Creed’ sparks bitter battles

PARIS: The “Assassin’s Creed” series of video games is adored for its painstaking historic accuracy, but also sparks controversy with heavy use of artistic license – most recently with a black samurai in the latest instalment, “Shadows”.

Black samurai

Released on Thursday, “Shadows” takes place in 16th-century feudal Japan, replete with imposing fortified cities and tranquil temples crafted by developers.

“They’ve done a really fantastic job with very accurate recreations,” said Pierre-Francois Souyri, a historian among a dozen French and Japanese experts consulted for the game in a bid to weed out cliches and anachronisms.

Accurate recreations

Souyri says he has answered “a hundred or more questions” from the development team, ranging from how salt was produced to how puppet shows were staged.

Souyri adds that within the carefully crafted setting, “it’s not too hard to come up with characters who find themselves having adventures” in “a very eventful period” marked by intense conflicts.

Controversy erupts

But one foundational choice by the creative team has provoked fierce debate online and beyond: casting a black samurai, Yasuke, as one of the two playable protagonists. The other is a young female ninja, Fujibayashi Naoe.

Irritation that an African character was depicted with the rank of samurai prompted a Japanese petition against the move, receiving more than 100,000 signatures.

The text blasted “lack of historical accuracy and cultural respect” by game developers.

Historical accuracy

Souyri was unimpressed by the criticism.

“It’s the game’s conceit to call him a samurai, it’s not a doctoral thesis,” he said.

Like other historians who have weighed in, he pointed out that Yasuke “is a person who really existed” – although the historic evidence on his status “can be difficult to interpret”.

Culture war battleground

Erupting even before “Shadows” had been released, the controversy over the black character’s inclusion has been the fiercest surrounding any “Assassin’s Creed” game.

The series has been attacked in the past, including by hard-left French politician Jean-Luc Melenchon for how firebrand Robespierre was depicted in “Assassin’s Creed Unity”, set during the French Revolution.

Astroturfing campaign

In a February report, the European Video Game Observatory noted that Ubisoft’s announcement of Yasuke immediately “sparked a heated controversy amplified by social media”.

The outfit blamed most of the uproar on “an American conservative moral crusade” waged by a hard core of “at least 728 interconnected accounts”.

That group made up “only 0.8% of speakers on the topic of ‘Assassin’s Creed Shadows’ in the US (but) account for 22.1% of all related coverage”, the Observatory added.

Conclusion

The controversy surrounding the inclusion of a black samurai in “Assassin’s Creed: Shadows” highlights the complex issues surrounding cultural representation in video games.

While some may see the move as a step forward in diversity and representation, others argue that it lacks historical accuracy and cultural respect.

Ultimately, the debate surrounding this issue will continue to rage on, with no clear resolution in sight.

FAQs

Q: Why is there controversy surrounding the black samurai in “Assassin’s Creed: Shadows”?

A: The controversy surrounds the historical accuracy and cultural respect surrounding the depiction of a black samurai, Yasuke, as one of the two playable protagonists in the game.

Q: What is the background of Yasuke in the game?

A: Yasuke is a real historical figure who lived in 16th-century Japan. However, there is debate among historians about his exact status and role in Japanese society.

Q: What is the response from game developers to the controversy?

A: Game developers have defended the inclusion of Yasuke as a black samurai, citing the historical accuracy and cultural sensitivity of their approach. However, some critics argue that the depiction is inaccurate and disrespectful.

Q: What is the significance of this controversy in the broader context of cultural representation in video games?

A: The controversy highlights the complex issues surrounding cultural representation in video games, including the need for historical accuracy, cultural sensitivity, and diversity and representation.