We received an exclusive opportunity to interview New York Knicks' Center Karl-Anthony Towns about his experience teaming up with Ubisoft for the launch of Assassin's Creed Shadows. We also talked a bit about his love for the series and gaming in general. Assassin's Creed Shadows is the latest entry in Ubisoft's epic video game franchise, set in 16th century feudal Japan. So in this interview, we talked to Karl-Anthony Towns about the game's protagonists, gameplay, setting, and more.

Exclusive Interview: Karl-Anthony Towns Talks Teaming Up Ubisoft For Assassin's Creed Shadows

We had the chance to interview with Knicks' starting Center Karl-Anthony Towns on his experience with Assassin's Creed Shadows, and what it was like to team up with Ubisoft to promote the game's launch.

Massimo Marchiano: How long have you been playing Assassin’s Creed? What was your first game in the series?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “I had the OG title on my PS3, and Brotherhood is when I became a lifelong fan. I always loved playing in high school with my teammates.”

Overall, there are 14 main installments in the Assassin's Creed Franchise, but there's been several other spin-offs, mobile games, and even a movie. It all started in 2007 with the release of Assassin's Creed. The Franchise's story revolves around a long-running battle between the Order of Assassins and the Knights Templar.

By using a machine called the Animus, the player experiences the most critical moments of these assassin's lives. However, Shadows offers two playable protagonists, Naoe and Yasuke. Naoe The former plays more like your traditional assassin, while Yasuke is a brutish Samurai with unparalleled levels of strength. Assassin's Creed Shadows is unique in the fact that for the first time, you're not sneaking around, you're the guy everyone WANTS to sneak around.

Luckily for Towns, he received an opportunity to play Shadows early, experiencing both Naoe and Yasuke before many others.

MM: What was it like to team up with Ubisoft for the launch of Assassin’s Creed Shadows?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “Being such a huge fan and that I was able to experience the game earlier than most was an honor.”

With two protagonists instead of one, Shadows offers a familiar experience fans have come to love, but something new and experimental. You'll still climb up viewpoints, sneak around guarded areas, and explore a vast, open world. But with Yasuke, Shadows offers new stories, a new combat system, and more.

MM: What have you enjoyed most about Shadows so far?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “There are so many aspects: the scenery is beautiful and reminds me of the trip Jordyn and I took to Japan last summer.”

Assassin's Creed takes place in feudal Japan in the year 1579. Overall, players can explore through nine different regions that aim to accurately represent the geography and culture of the setting. But not only that, it features real historical figures, like Oda Nobunaga, and the game's protagonist, Yasuke.

“Having the option to switch between Naoe and Yasuke and depending on if I want stealth or strength is great,” Towns said. “AC’s story telling is unmatched and Shadows keeps that energy.”

Assassin's Creed Shadows starts off with you controlling Yasuke. But after a brief introduction, you control Naoe for a big portion of the beginning. You actually do not unlock Yasuke again for some time. But when you do, it offers an exciting new gameplay opportunity.

Players can switch between Yasuke and Naoe as the story progresses. Throughout the plot, both characters and their stories evolve and intertwine, making for a unique story in the AC franchise.

MM: As someone who’s been to Japan before, how close do you think the developers got to matching the authenticity of Japan’s geography and culture?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “I am impressed at how beautiful and realistic the scenery is; they really captured the culture of the 1500’s. Shadows reminds me of the good times I had in Japan.”

MM: Yasuke and Naoe are both unique protagonists, but is there one you prefer to play as?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “I’d say Yasuke. Strength over stealth every time.”

Yasuke's strength alone makes him capable of taking down any foe. As you progress through his plot, you understand that Yasuke isn't someone who wants to kill without reason. But in a foreign land with no rights of his own, he's forced to fight battles that aren't his. While an excellent Samurai, there's more to Yasuke than meets the eye.

Naoe is also forced to fight, though she's been training to become a Shinobi all her life. But tragic circumstances have her training with wooden swords one second, to using real ones in the next. She must accept her role in defending the Iga Clan and kill those who threaten their existence. Furthermore, Shadows allows the player to make their own choices. Unless you play on Canon Mode, you're free to carve your own path in the story.

MM: Being a 5x NBA All-Star is pretty sweet. But if you had to choose, would you rather be a Samurai or Ninja?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “Definitely Samurai. With my size I don’t know if I could be sneaky enough to be a good ninja. I have the warrior mindset on lock.”

MM: How do you feel about Naoe compared to previous protagonists in the series?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “I love her story and Naoe’s stealth abilities are unmatched.”

Naoe, compared to recent protagonists, feels like a true assassin. While we love being pirates in Black Flag, and Sages in Odyssey, the truth was that the series was stepping away from its roots. But Shadows fixes that problem while also catering to fans who loved those backgrounds.

That's why you can play as Yasuke, who's completely different from anyone we've seen in the series. This allows Naoe to focus on her assassin role, but players can still be a Samurai, giving players the best of both worlds.

MM: Yasuke is perhaps the most unique protagonist in the series with his play-style, but what did you enjoy most about him?

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Karl-Anthony Towns: “Yasuke’s use of his katana to slice through his enemies has been a lot of fun.”

Naoe struggles when fighting a group of enemies. But that's not the case with Yasuke. Instead, he literally bashes doors down and slices enemies with ease. And as you upgrade him, you'll unlock more abilities to make him even stronger.

“When I heard Shadows had a Black Samurai I was all in,” Towns said. “The fact Yasuke is a real historical character makes it even more cool.”

According to historical accounts, Yasuke was an African Samurai who served Oda Nobunaga. While it's not the first time he's appeared in popular culture, this is the first time he's been a protagonist in a AAA video game. Although we don't know much about him personally, it's cool to see the developers use a historical figure as one of their protagonists.

MM: Are there any other characters in the game you found interesting during your experience?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “The animals are great and collecting them has been fun.”

There's tons of wildlife in every Assassin's Creed Game, and Shadows is no exception. Like the entries before it, you can acquire mounts to ride on. But you can also pet dogs and cats throughout your journey, and sketch wildlife interactions. However, you need to use Naoe's stealth in order to record these moments on paper.

MM: Do you prefer to play the game in Canon Mode, or do you like making your own decisions throughout the story?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “I prefer to make my own decisions and being the captain of my fate.”

As we mentioned before, Shadows offers you different dialogue options throughout the story. However, there's a Canon Mode if you want to see the story as Ubisoft intended. Overall, it offers a level of replay value that makes experiencing the story again worth it.

MM: You’ve said before that your favorite weapon is the Katana? Is that still the case? And what other weapons and skills do you like to use?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “You can’t do better than a Katana and Yasuke’s hammer, the Kanabo. Naoe has all the tools to use to distract crowds and enemies, like the smoke bomb & Shinobi Bells.”

Both Yasuke and Naoe use different weapons and tools at their disposal. Yasuke can use a Long Katana, Kanabo, Naginata, Teppo, or even a Bow. Since he doesn't need to sneak around, you'll only need to decide which weapon you want to have fun with.

Naoe can use Katanas too, as well as a Kasurigama and a Tanto. But unlike Yasuke, she'll need to make use of different tools to stay hidden, or disappear. Overall, the game allows you to change your equipment to succeed in every possible scenario.

MM: How does gaming help you unwind during the season?

Karl-Anthony Towns: “Firing up my PS5 in my downtime is a must for me during the NBA season. It helps me relax and unwind; gaming always allows me to make the most of my rest periods between games. It’s great to take some time out of my day and focus on a different kind of gameplay. Open world games with great storytelling like Shadows delivers.”

MM: When can we expect to play as you in an Assassin’s Creed Game? Think about it – a Pro Basketball player by day – an Assassin of Justice at night – all set in New York City. Sounds pretty cool, if you ask me.

Karl-Anthony Towns: “That’s a great idea; tell their creative team!”

You heard it right there, Ubisoft. Let's make this happen. I'll fire up the coffee machine and we'll start drawing up some concept art. Jokes aside, I think many fans wouldn't mind seeing an AC game set in the present someday. But right now, we're having a pretty darn good time in the world of Shadows.

Overall, that wraps up our interview with Knicks' Center Karl-Anthony Towns on Assassin's Creed Shadows. We're grateful to everyone who helped in making this possible. We also look forward to seeing what Ubisoft has in store next for Shadows.

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