Complete guide to mastering The Puppet Show quest with expert strategies and hidden insights
Quest Overview and Prerequisites
Unlocking The Puppet Show quest in Assassin’s Creed Shadows serves as the essential gateway to accessing the Claws of Awaji expansion content. This mission begins conventionally but quickly transitions into an engaging 2D platformer experience that diverges from the game’s standard gameplay mechanics. Before attempting this quest, players must complete significant portions of the main narrative campaign.
Prerequisite Completion Requirements:
- Eliminate all targets listed on the Shinbakufu assassination board
- Finish all character-specific missions for Naoe, Yasuke, and Junjiro
- Complete the endgame storyline quest titled Out of the Shadows
Once you’ve satisfied these requirements, navigate to your Hideout where a distinctive marker labeled “News from Hattori Hanzo” will appear. Approach this location and initiate conversation with Konatsu to commence The Puppet Show questline, which ultimately grants access to the Claws of Awaji expansion content.
Related Content: Assassin’s Creed Shadows Title Update 1.1.1
Nishinomiya Shrine Exploration
After speaking with Konatsu at your Hideout, she directs you to investigate a puppet performance in Settsu that may contain crucial intelligence regarding Naoe’s missing mother. Switch to controlling Naoe and journey to the Nishinomiya Shrine situated within the Izumi Settsu territory.
Upon arrival, locate Junjiro and engage him in dialogue. Choose the conversation option “Let’s see what this show is about” to advance to the next phase of the mission.
Following the introductory cutscene, you’ll discover multiple interactive elements within the shrine grounds. Thorough exploration reveals these key activities:
- Inspect the mystical fox spirit mask for lore insights
- Examine the intimidating oni mask collection
- Assist a distressed child locate her missing toy, which rests submerged in the pond directly before her position
Pro Tip: Completing all shrine interactions before the puppet show may reveal additional dialogue options and provide deeper narrative context. The toy retrieval specifically triggers unique character reactions that enhance the storytelling experience.
After thoroughly investigating the shrine precincts and finishing the available tasks, position yourself before the primary temple staircase and choose “Watch the show” to commence the distinctive 2D platformer sequence where you’ll command multiple characters through a theatrical narrative.
2D Platformer Gameplay Breakdown
Maiden Character Segment:
As the Maiden disembarks from the vessel, activate the movement control to proceed forward. Maintain rightward progression until encountering a series of sealed doorways. Unlock these barriers, continue advancement, ascend the vertical ladder, and culminate this segment by gesturing to the Champion and his accompanying allies.
Champion Combat Section:
Transition to controlling the Champion character to advance through The Puppet Show narrative. Progress forward and eliminate the two opposing combatants. These initial skirmishes present minimal challenge, allowing players to practice evasive maneuvers and defensive parrying techniques.
Next, engage the Parkour function to scale the adjacent wall and maintain forward momentum. When confronting an insurmountable vertical barrier, access the left-side doorway and withdraw the concealed platform. Employ this structure to vault over the obstruction and confront additional hostile forces.
Persist in forward movement, mount the next wall, traverse the bridge structure, defeat encountered adversaries, then shatter the subsequent door through sprinting impact. Conclude the Champion’s narrative arc by overcoming successive enemy waves.
Shinobi Stealth Mission:
This segment requires assuming control of a Shinobi operative while emphasizing covert movement tactics. Initially, descend from the roof elevation to ground level. Subsequently, span the chasm employing the grappling apparatus and continue progression.
Upon reaching the cavern entrance, activate the prone stance to navigate through the confined passage while ascending vertically. Then, drop to the lower level and advance while executing stealth takedowns on opponents.
Proceed by crawling under the residential structure, ensuring you deactivate illumination sources to evade detection from proximate enemies. Maintain forward momentum, eliminating hostiles through stealth kills and avoiding confrontation when necessary to attain rooftop positioning.
Descend via the rooftop access point and neutralize the antagonists ahead. When approaching the large chamber, defeat remaining foes, egress through the window aperture, sprint forward, and leap to the ground to complete the Shinobi’s narrative journey.
Advanced Strategy: During the Shinobi segment, prioritize extinguishing lights before engaging enemies to maintain stealth advantages. The platformer mechanics respond differently to rapid inputs—deliberate, timed movements often prove more effective than hurried actions.
Recommended Reading: 7 best beginner tips for Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Advanced Strategies and Completion
With the successful conclusion of The Puppet Show quest in Assassin’s Creed Shadows, during the culminating cutscene, select “I will go to Awaji” to transport to a novel island location where you can commence the Claws of Awaji expansion content.
Following this decision, a fresh mission titled A Shinobi on Awaji automatically initiates.
Common Pitfalls to Avoid:
- Rushing through shrine interactions misses valuable narrative context
- Attempting to bypass platformer mechanics with impatient movements
- Neglecting stealth approaches during Shinobi segment increases difficulty
- Overlooking environmental clues in the 2D platformer sections
Optimization Tips: For experienced players, challenge yourself by completing each platformer segment without taking damage. The Champion section particularly rewards precise parry timing, while the Shinobi segment offers additional hidden paths for speedrun strategies.
Explore Additional Assassin’s Creed Shadows Content:
- How to obtain the Cerulean Arc Katana in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows walkthrough: How to complete Hunting the Hunters quest
- How to play the A Critical Encounter quest in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
- Naoe weapon tier list in Assassin’s Creed Shadows
No reproduction without permission：GameCDjnh » Assassin’s Creed Shadows walkthrough: How to complete The Puppet Show quest (Claws of Awaji access quest) Complete guide to mastering The Puppet Show quest with expert strategies and hidden insights