After you take out your first couple of targets inAssassin’s Creed Shadows, you’ll be introduced to Akechi Mitsuhide, one of Oda Nobunaga’s generals who wishes to turn against the powerful daimyo. He’ll introduce you to a number of rich and famous contacts around the region, each helping you discover more about Oda’s activities, and ultimately bringing you closer to assassinating the man himself. Before you may do that, though, you’ll encounter a messenger who was attacked - and his letters seized - by what he claims to be an oni lurking in the Bamboo Grove.
You’ll then sneak through the Bamboo Grove, looking for anything suspicious, until you find a very loud, but very human-looking “oni” within a small clearing. You’ll then sneak up on him, where you’ll be presented with two options: eitherassassinate him right away, or try talking to him first. Here’s what immediately ensues after you choose each option, and what it means in the long-term for yourmain campaign playthrough ofAssassin’s Creed Shadows.
What Happens If You Try To Assassinate The Oni Gennojo?
Pros & Cons Of Assassination
Unfortunately, if you attempt to assassinate the oni outright, you’ll find very quickly that he’s too powerful for that. As soon as you draw your hidden blade, he’ll grab Naoe’s arm and turn things around,immediately beginning a boss fight. His health bar reveals that his name is Gennojo.
Gennojo isn’ta terribly difficult target, though he does have one nasty move you’ll need to watch out for. Occasionally,he’ll throw explosives at the groundin front of you; if they hit, they can deal massive damage. Thankfully, this move is well telegraphed. As long as you watch for Gennojo to cock his arm back, you should be able to get out of the way in time.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Review: A Gorgeous Japan That Plays It Too Safe
Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed Shadows is easy on the eyes, but a generally basic simulation, scant upgrades, and bland side activities weaken the effect.
At length, though, you’ll manage to wear Gennojo down.He’ll stop you before you kill him, though, and agree to give you the letteryou’re looking for - after you answer his questions, that is. He and Naoe have a brief conversation; he tells her she’s the first worthy opponent he’s fought in a while, and she asks why he stole the letter, which was bound for members of the Ise clan. He even flirts with her briefly, before telling her that he plans to rob a group of merchants passing through a nearby village soon.
This opens up a new sidequest, in which Naoe can go meet Gennojo and continue to help him in his quest to strike back against the rich and powerful. This is a pretty lengthy questline that also includes the opportunity to romance Gennojo later on, and ultimately determine his fate in his efforts to get revenge for his family. It’s not to be missed, although trying to kill Gennojo on sight isn’t the only way to unlock it.
What Happens If You Talk To Gennojo First?
Pros & Cons Of The Diplomatic Route
You can also elect to talk to Gennojo before attacking him. It’s not the most productive conversation, though: Gennojo and Naoe will just antagonize each other for a few moments, beforethey end up fighting anyway. The only real difference is that attacking Gennojo first would put him at a significant disadvantage, forcing him to start the battle at less-than-full HP. Exactly how big that disadvantage is depends on the skills and perks you’ve unlocked - in essence, how much damage you can do with your assassinations.
You’ll have a second opportunity to try and talk Gennojo down before you fight him, but it seems like you always have to defeat him to get the letter.
You’ll go through the same boss fight with Gennojo (albeit slightly shorter), after whichhe’ll have the same conversation with Naoe and hand over the letter. The same sidequest chain will become available afterward, allowing you to meet Gennojo in a nearby city. You’ll still have the opportunity to romance him later if you’re so inclined. Ultimately, the only real difference is how the interaction begins - it always ends the same way, and doesn’t impact any of your story or romance opportunities later.
You Should Attack Gennojo First
If Only To Make Your Life Easier
If for no other reason than to save yourself some time,you should attack Gennojo/the oni firstwhen you meet him. It’ll give you a decent advantage going into the battle, which, while not absolutely necessary, is always welcome. Gennojo is beatable, but those explosives he uses can get annoying quickly. The less time you have to spend dealing with them, the better.
You’re not missing out on anything by skipping the initial conversation - all the big, important information comes after you beat him. And of course, this doesn’t really detract from your chance to romance Gennojo later. I found that, no matter what dialogue options I chose with him during these early quests,I was still able to complete his romance storylineas long as I continued taking on the quests he gave me, and chose the heart icon dialogue option at the right moment.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows Dual Protagonists Explained
Everything to know about playing and switching between Naoe and Yasuke, the two protagonists who share the spotlight in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.
Even if you don’t want to romance Gennojo,you can also recruit him to The Leagueby keeping him alive and completing all of his quests. He’ll startshowing up around your hideoutonce you recruit him. However, even that has nothing to do with the first impression you make on him, and everything to do with how much of his questline you complete, and how you navigate some of the more pivotal decisions in his story. When you first meet him, you should just attack to save a little time.
But again, this decision isn’t nearly as impactful as it seems from first glance. Even if you choose to talk to Gennojo first, you won’t miss out on any of this content, and you’ll still be able to continue with Gennojo’s questline, romance him, and recruit him as normal. Nor does any of this matter for the main quest ofAssassin’s Creed Shadows, so you’re truly free to approach this situation however you want.
