Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a significant take for the series because it offers a break from the series’ last three games. The last games were focused more on the RPG aspects and offered a break from the general direction of the series. This new entry takes the series back to its roots. It takes place in the Middle East where you are simply an assassin with a hood and few tools at your disposal.
The map is not super massive and is full of life, unlike the previous three games. Assassin’s Creed Mirage can be beaten in a reasonable time as there are not too many side distractions. The newer Assassin’s Creed games were good but they did not have the essence of the series. The essence that made them stand out from the rest of the games.
From the setting to the way your character moves, all has been changed. Movement is slower which resembles more to the first Assassin’s Creed game. Combat has also been overhauled to make it more in line with the older games of the series. All this makes you wonder, Is Assassin’s Creed Mirage worth it? Let’s find out.
Story
You play as Basim who had some importance in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. At the start of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, you are just a fresh face and young man who is trying to be an Assassin. He is a typical Assassin’s Creed protagonist. You get to experience his character in a stand-alone story that is not connected to other games, at the beginning at least. You will watch him progress from being a young street thief to an apprentice assassin to a master assassin. Basim’s story and clothing will reflect this progression.
Basim is a former street thief but he is quick-witted, funny, and extremely idealistic and can feel naïve at times. Things get rough for him after the intro and he is recruited into the Hidden Ones who are assassins working in the shadows. You learn about Bagdad, Politics happening in the shadows, and taking down bad guys. Of course, it gets more complicated as the game progresses. All of it works because Basim and the characters surrounding it present it in a meaningful way.
The setting offers a cool backdrop for all that is happening on the screen. It got a familiar feeling but still manages to create a distinct identity. Especially the areas where you go deeper places and busy markets where all the commence and hustle of life is taking place.
The map is decent and it is good to see that it is not super massive and filled with useless stuff. Assassin’s Creed Mirage is centered around the big city with a couple of surrounding outposts, fields, and desserts. The open world is big enough that it is explorable. Open-world is where it matches with the old Assassin’s Creed games.
Narrative
The story is told through cut scenes which are not always thrilling. Some characters will emote awkwardly here and there. Voice acting and language options are good in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. The story is not epic and memorable. Grand events are happening that can change the course of a generation. There is a depth to the Basim as a character. Characters are there and the pacing of events is good. You are always out doing the next big thing, sneaking, and taking down enemies.
Combat
There is the option of money which can be used to refill the tools of your trade. You have a toolset that slowly unlocks more things as you progress. It includes things such as throwing knives, noise makers, powdered smoke bombs, blow darts, and other straightforward Assassin tools.
These tools can be upgraded at the Assassin’s Bureau in a fun way. There are different tiers to them and you can spend collective resources to unlock three tiers through the course of the game. Each tier has three choices inside and you can only choose one of these attributes. These include making throwing knives stronger or making them more poisonous and things like that. Choices are fun as you unlock more tiers and tailor the tools to your needs.
You have the option of a skill tree where you can spend points on one of the three branches in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. It opens up abilities like stun kick, chain assassination, breaking your fall, increasing carrying capacity, and things like that. All the upgrades you get feel meaningful and do not feel like filler or padded-up stuff. It is the type of skill tree where everything you unlock is worthwhile.
Tools of Assassination
There is a focus meter that lets you mark and execute enemies in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. You can mark multiple enemies and Basim would then zip through them to execute them. You will be finding weapons and costumes at a steady pace. Most of the time you would be spending resources to just upgrade the sword that you already have instead of constantly changing it.
Dagger will have a couple of perks and stats that can be upgraded. You will not be swapping to a new sword just because you found it. It is not massive or complicated but it works well enough. You will be using tools and skills that you have unlocked in the mission. Missions are mostly open-ended which makes it easy to use all the tools at your disposal.
Stealth
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is centered around stealth and the stealth is simple since the guards are dumb. It still manages to be somewhat satisfying. You will be hiding in bushes while crouching, climbing around, whistling to distract enemies, running around parkouring the streets, and trying to break line sight by hiding and escaping.
Some old Assassin’s Creed stuff is back, such as standing in the crowd, sitting on the bench, and stuff like that. You can also pay people to do stuff for you. This time, it has been changed up a bit. You have to hand people a special kind of token that tells them that this guy is doing good so help him out. To get these tokens you have to explore the maps do small tasks, find hidden stuff, and pickpocket people. These tokens can also be used to get discounts at the merchant for good.
General Gameplay
While setting up your attacks you can use the bird to scout out the enemies and find secret entrances and exits among other things. The objective could be stealing something, finding information, or killing a key figure and then escaping.
There are always multiple ways to do things, draw a key enemy, or do side objectives if you find them along the way. You can set up a trap or perfectly stealth the whole thing. There are a lot of enemies and they feel dumb. You can take them out easily and systematically by just staying in the bushes. It’s kind of how Assassin games have been for a while.
There is a notoriety system in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. As you kill enemies in public and do other bad things, you will become easily recognizable and will be pursued. To reduce this notoriety you have to bribe the town speaker and tear down posters.
Movements
Parkour is a major part of Assassin’s Creed games and Assassin’s Creed Mirage is no different. The parkour of Assassin’s Creed Mirage is not as fast or precise. Assassin’s Creed Mirage feels slow and less exciting. It is not on the same level as the other games in the series. It feels like the combination of the original Assassin’s Creed game with these three new types of Assassin’s Creed games.
The feel of it is off and even the hidden blade stabbing doesn’t feel as satisfying. Maybe it is the animation but it feels off. Momentum does not feel right while walking and stabbing. It does not feel great to stab a room full of people. It feels like it is stranded between new and old types of Assassin’s Creed games.
Verdict
The basics and stealth of a good Assassin’s Creed game are there. It offers a good time with the story and sub-contracts that it offers. Assassin’s Creed Mirage is not as complex as previous games in the series but gets the job done. It has the vibe of the original game of the series. Combat is not as smooth and feels like a watered-down version of the new Assassin’s Creed games.
You have to option to do attacks, heavy attacks, parry, and dodge. It does not feel as good and it is mostly about waiting for the enemies to attack so you can parry and stab them. Other players might feel like it is more complex but that’s where it stands now. It succeeds in committing to stealth and culture even if it has flaws. There is a historical setting that one can get lost in which makes it more than just stabbing people.
Despite all its ups and downs, it falls in the middle ground between the two types of Assassin’s Creed games. It is more in line with the older games of the series. There is more focus on the gameplay scenario with good parkour and combat despite having some flaws. There is a bit of RPGness thrown in the mix. It will be good to see the series go in this new direction. If it can improve upon the flaws going forward, then it is a step in the right direction.
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