Assassin's Creed Mirage Unleashes the Ultimate Evolution of the AC Series, Combining Unity, Odyssey, and Classic Elements

Assassin's Creed Mirage brings a sense of familiarity as it explores storylines and gameplay reminiscent of the franchise's earlier games. After playing for only three hours, it's still too early to fully judge the overall experience. However, Mirage appears to satisfy fans who have been anticipating a return to the series' smaller scale formula. It incorporates elements from Assassin's Creed Unity and Assassin's Creed Odyssey, with Mirage's Order of Ancients assassination missions drawing inspiration from Odyssey's detective-driven hunt for the Cult of Kosmos. Despite these modern additions, the game feels closest to the original title in the franchise.

As the latest installment in the 15-year-old action-adventure series, Assassin's Creed Mirage casts you as Basim Ibn Ishaq, a young thief who joins a group of trained killers dedicated to preserving humanity's freedom from those who seek to oppress it. Set in 9th-century Baghdad, Mirage reintroduces social stealth, features a smaller map, and offers a single playable protagonist. While certain RPG elements from the series, such as roleplaying encounters and unlocking abilities through a skill tree, make a reappearance, they are more limited in scope compared to the branching, choice-driven dialogue of Odyssey or the vast assortment of perks and skills found in Valhalla.

"Excluding the RPG elements found in the previous trilogy of games, as well as minimizing the expansive RPG aspect commonly associated with role-playing games, our team can now place a greater emphasis on the meticulous micro-actions," explained Simon Arseneault, the director of world and quests for Assassin's Creed Mirage. "Through creating a more condensed game, we are able to craft more intricate experiences. This enables us to delve into more detailed questlines, featuring enriched dialogue, and occasionally breathe life into storylines by developing unique characters specifically tailored for them."

During my time with Mirage, I had the opportunity to explore three distinct segments of the game. Initially, I embarked on what was likely the introductory level, assuming the role of Basim, a skilled street thief yearning to join the Assassin Brotherhood's forerunners, the Hidden Ones. This initial segment effectively showcased all the hallmark narrative elements that define an Assassin's Creed game. Basim, characterized by his audacity and confidence, possessed extraordinary climbing abilities, and his backstory included the classic trope of having at least one deceased parent, mirroring the tradition of previous Assassin's Creed protagonists. After completing this introduction, the preview advanced to Basim's early days of training with the Hidden Ones, before propelling even further into the future to a pivotal story mission. In this mission, Basim is tasked with locating and apprehending one of the leaders of the Order of Ancients, the predecessor organization to the Templar Order.

I particularly enjoyed the final part of the preview. It allowed me to freely explore an open-world city with a main objective and plenty of side missions, which is exactly what I look for in an Assassin's Creed experience. While I didn't have enough time to fully explore the expansive city of Baghdad, a quick look at the map reminded me of the size of Unity's Paris. The buildings in the city are densely packed together, creating numerous opportunities for parkour and freerunning from one point to another. However, the freerunning mechanics are not as smooth and fast as those in Unity, which is still considered the best parkour system in the series. At times, controlling Basim feels a bit heavy, similar to how it was with Connor or Edward compared to Arno and the Frye twins. Basim jumps where I instruct him to, but descending from rooftops and maneuvering around windows can be a bit less graceful and occasionally result in getting stuck. Nevertheless, Basim's control is an improvement compared to the past few games, as he is easier to direct and more agile than characters like Bayek, Aya, Kassandra, and Eivor.

Lies of P Everything to Know

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 - Official Aang Gameplay Spotlight Trailer

Modern Warfare 2 & Warzone - Official Lara Croft Operator Bundle Gameplay Trailer

SpongeBob SquarePants: The Cosmic Shake | PlayStation 5 & Xbox Series X|S Announcement Trailer

GNOSIA - PlayStation/Xbox Announcement Trailer

Slave Zero X - Exclusive Release Date Reveal Trailer

Assassin's Creed Mirage Hands On Preview

Touhou Luna Nights - PS4/PS5 Announcement Trailer

33 MORE Things You STILL Didn't Know In Zelda Tears Of The Kingdom

Firearms Expert Reacts to Starfield’s Guns

Are Too Many Games A Bad Thing? | Spot On

ShareLink

Embed

Size:640 × 360480 × 270 Start at:

End at:

Autoplay

Loop

Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

Sign up or Sign in now!

Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos.This video has an invalid file format. 00:00:00 HTML5

Auto

Report a problem Sorry, but you can't access this content!Please enter your date of birth to view this video

January February March April May June July August September October November December 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 Year 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1946 1945 1944 1943 1942 1941 1940 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1932 1931 1930 1929 1928 1927 1926 1925 1924 1923 1922 1921 1920 1919 1918 1917 1916 1915 1914 1913 1912 1911 1910 1909 1908 1907 1906 1905 1904 1903 1902 1901 1900 By clicking 'enter', you agree to Our Website's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

Basim's combat abilities are noticeably inferior compared to his counterparts in action RPGs, which took some time to adjust to after playing as Kassandra and Eivor who could singlehandedly defeat armies. While a well-timed parry can result in an instant kill, the guards in Mirage pose a greater challenge. When Basim is detected, they will call for reinforcement and coordinate their attacks to corner him. Handling a small number of enemies is manageable for Basim, but once their numbers exceed three, trouble awaits. Whenever I attempted to engage in a group fight, I either perished or barely escaped with minimal health. Based on my gameplay experience, Mirage encourages players to avoid direct confrontations. Basim excels at stealthily eliminating guards one by one or sneaking past them unnoticed.

"Particularly in the beginning, when you lack the necessary tools, it is advisable to retreat," Arseneault commented. "As you progress, acquire more skills and tools, and tailor your perks to match your playstyle, you will be able to handle a wider range of situations through combat."

I really enjoy this. It reminds me of Unity, where Arno was a skilled duelist but not an unstoppable force. In Mirage, the combat emphasizes Basim's expertise in stealth operations. His hidden blade, throwing knives, smoke bombs, and other tools are much more effective than a sword. Social stealth is also back, allowing Basim to blend into his surroundings and reach his target unnoticed. The newer games have influenced the stealth system, with the ability to crouch, but it still closely resembles the original Assassin's Creed games. You can hire people to distract guards on your behalf or act innocent on a bench as guards pass by.

The biggest change to the stealth mechanics is how guards respond to your actions. Basim's illegal activities, such as killing, attacking people with a sword, or stealing, increase his notoriety. As his notoriety rises, guards respond more aggressively. At first, the rooftops are a safe haven where you can freely move and reach your destination. But if people recognize you on the streets, posters with your face are put up, and civilians react to you by calling out guards. The danger increases on the ground, pushing you to stick to the rooftops. If you continue with illegal actions, lookouts are added to the rooftops, actively searching for you. Eventually, elite guards are dispatched to hunt you down, and the chase becomes deadly. Initially, you may find yourself dying more often, but as you acquire better tools and skills, you can improve your chances of survival.

I didn't have enough time to fully experience this system in action during my brief playthrough of the game. As I played the preview, I focused on stealth, so I can't say for sure how it feels in practice. However, I am excited to find out for myself. I hope that it creates a sense of awareness from the city's institutional organizations, as they make greater efforts to stop you. This would further incentivize players to avoid direct conflicts and approach situations in a more covert manner. I believe that this would greatly increase the overall threat posed by the Order of Ancients, making it feel as though their presence is tightening its grip on the city.

The final portion of the open-world segment involved an assassination mission, following a similar structure to the "Black Box" missions introduced in Unity. Looking back, it's evident that Assassin's Creed was gradually moving towards a gameplay style reminiscent of 2016's Hitman with these Black Box missions. However, the series ultimately shifted away from social stealth in favor of a more action RPG-oriented approach in Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. Mirage seems to bring the series back to the path initially paved by Unity and Syndicate, with its non-linear assassination missions that offer multiple approaches and reward careful planning and strategic thinking.

"We have a total of five or six Black Box missions in the game," stated Arseneault. "Our main focus with these missions is to enhance the assassination experience. We want players to establish a connection with their target, making the missions feel more intense and personal. In this particular mission that you played, we set it in a bustling bazaar. We wanted to capture the social essence of such a place, turning it into a central hub for players to interact with various characters. Mechanics such as talking to people, eavesdropping, tailing, and pickpocketing were incorporated to enrich the experience. As players progress, they will encounter different Black Boxes, ranging from military compounds to other unique locations that we won't go into detail about. Each Black Box has its own surprises and distinctive elements. We aimed to make them stand out, just like the targets and locations within. Thus, the gameplay and quests for each Black Box will offer a truly unique and captivating experience."

The mission I played involved Basim searching for clues to uncover the identity of the target. Through these clues, I discovered that the target would be present at an auction to bid on a specific item. Although Basim and I didn't have enough funds to outbid the other participants, I managed to deduce the target's identity based on the information I had gathered. After the auction, I stealthily made my way into the buyer's private quarters and secured the antique item. This allowed me to pose as the buyer and gain access to the target's chambers. However, my progress was halted by a guard who required proper credentials to proceed further. Fortunately, a nearby vendor offered me their credentials in exchange for some money. While pickpocketing the required amount, I overheard a conversation revealing that someone had been confiscating these credentials. Determined to continue, I infiltrated their hideout, eliminating a few guards to avoid detection, and obtained the credentials I needed. With the stolen credentials, I successfully entered the target's chambers, pretending to offer the antique for sale. Seizing the opportunity, I swiftly stabbed the target in the neck. Unfortunately, my hasty act drew the attention of numerous witnesses, forcing me to make a frantic escape following the assassination.

The level impressed me with its freedom, allowing me to figure out how to complete tasks during the Black Box mission without constant direction. Instead, I had to listen to NPCs, gather clues, and determine my next steps on my own. While the game provided some objective reminders, it primarily let me explore and find my own way to the target. This structure is reminiscent of the original Assassin's Creed, where Altaïr had to uncover his target's identity before pursuing them. In Mirage, you engage in a similar process of collecting clues, deducing a target's identity, and ultimately eliminating them, but within the open-ended structure seen in Odyssey's hunt for the Cult of Kosmos or Valhalla's pursuit of the Order of Ancients.

According to Arseneault, the structure of Mirage may feel somewhat similar to the Cult of Kosmos or the Order of Ancients in the previous two games, but it is an integral part of the main structure. Instead of tracking quests, you track cases, clues, or individuals, and all of these become "quests" in a sense. This blurs the lines, but it contributes to the investigative and detective atmosphere that is sought after. It is not a matter of starting and ending quests; rather, you are aware that you are searching for someone and will eventually find and likely eliminate them, or the situation may evolve into something else. The focus lies in the investigation work, consolidating everything to enable parallel investigations. You have multiple targets to tackle, and you can decide in which order you want to pursue them.

Arseneault expressed that Mirage pays tribute to the original Assassin's Creed games, particularly the first installment. He highlighted how Assassin's Creed 1 followed a mechanical loop, where players would progress through a series of tasks in a predictable manner. Mirage takes inspiration from this concept but introduces a modern gameplay loop that incorporates quests with recurring characters. While Mirage returns to the essence of the series, it does not simply replicate past experiences. Instead, it blends elements that we appreciate from the first Assassin's Creed game and incorporates them into a contemporary gaming experience. While the actions are reminiscent of the original, the overall structure has evolved to become more open and adaptable to a modern audience.

During my playthrough of a specific Black Box mission, I observed an example of this evolution. Prior to unlocking the mission, Basim, the protagonist, needed to uncover various clues. Once inside the Black Box, I discovered that I had the freedom to approach certain parts of the mission in different ways. Ultimately, the outcome remained consistent—Basim successfully identified the true identity of an Order of Ancients member and achieved his objective. However, my choices along the way could lead to diverse paths each time I replayed the mission. This led me to speculate on the extent to which the mission could be altered. Could I have bypassed significant portions by outbidding others for the antique from the start? Was it possible to complete the mission without the antique or my credentials? Could I find a way to eliminate witnesses before assassinating the target, completing the entire mission with stealth? These questions have left me eagerly anticipating replaying the mission to witness firsthand the consequences and possibilities inherent in the other Black Box missions.

"Some of the Black Box missions offer more flexibility," explained Arseneault. "While this particular mission follows a mostly linear path, there are variations in the actions you can take. For instance, at the end, instead of role-playing and waiting for your turn to speak with the Treasurer, you have the option to directly assassinate your target. These unexpected twists add a sense of intrigue and make it more captivating, as the player becomes an integral part of Basim's evaluation of the target."

I have high hopes for Assassin's Creed Mirage - I believe it has the potential to be one of the finest entries in the Assassin's Creed series in recent years. I particularly appreciate how it incorporates mechanics and gameplay elements from games like Unity and Odyssey to enhance the already successful foundation of the original Assassin's Creed. Let's hope this combination fulfills its potential throughout the entire game.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is set to launch on October 5 for Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, and PC.