Ubisoft has revealed that the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage will return to its roots to deliver a more focused experience that pays homage to the original games.
in Interview with GamesRadar (Opens in a new tab) About Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Creative Director Stephane Boudon explained that the developer has been listening to fans of the series who want to see the series return to a more streamlined experience. “Creating the Mirage was a confluence of several inputs,” said Boundon. “We started to hear the desire for a character-driven story, focusing on the main pillars of the first adaptations on a more intimate scale. It resonated with us as well as the developers, and that was the starting point for the project.”
After a handful of larger, larger-than-life Assassin’s Creed games – looking at you, Valhalla – it’s good to hear Mirage is going to be a little more intimate.
golden age
Set in the 9th century, Mirage gives us a chance to see the first steps of Basim, the antagonist from Valhalla, and his journey from young man to Master Assassin. After losing his mother at a young age, Bassem lived on the streets of Baghdad. It was here that he first began dreaming about joining the Hidden Ones, a secret group of assassins.
With Bassem on a journey to become the most versatile killer in the history of the series, parkour and stealth are set to take center stage, as they did in the original games.
Mirage will also provide plenty of opportunities for exploration. Set in the vibrant streets of Baghdad during the golden age, it will offer four unique areas to investigate. And while it would certainly be fun to scour the rooftops of industrial Karkh or sneak through the lush gardens to the Round City, I can’t wait to seek out all the secrets hidden within this bustling metropolis. Hopefully, the map is on the smaller end of the scale.
Smaller is better
As a fan of Norse mythology, I was initially very excited to play Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Unfortunately, what started as a treat ended up becoming a chore as I felt I had to complete every side mission in order to advance in the game. In a world where open-world RPGs are an integral part of the experience, I’m beginning to find the relentlessly vast expanses of open-world gaming exhausting.
Every time I logged in, I was greeted by a menacing view of a crowded map filled with different missions in every shade of the rainbow. As someone who likes to eat vegetables first, I felt the weird urge to complete all the different and potentially useless tasks before getting into the main story.
Having to hunt down floating paper fliers or find cats for an old lady wasn’t exactly what I imagined when I think of a Viking-themed Assassin’s Creed game. While some of these extra missions can be a fun way to lighten the mood, it’s the lack of seriousness that made the original games so engaging.
I can try to find cats or stalk fliers at any time, but getting to role-play as a secret assassin in 9th century Baghdad isn’t an opportunity I get regularly. With that in mind, I’m glad to see that Ubisoft is going back to the drawing board to make a more intimate game that stays true to the core of the franchise.