Key Highlights
- The game mercifully shrinks the map, abandoning the bloated open worlds of recent entries for a single, dense city.
- Mirage forces a return to classic stealth, a nostalgic but potentially dated approach to gameplay.
- It offers a focused, if predictable, narrative about Basim’s origins, stripping away much of the series’ recent RPG bloat.
- The gameplay mechanics are streamlined to a fault, with limited tools and abilities that pale in comparison to its predecessors.
- Parkour mechanics remain as frustratingly imprecise as ever, a core system still plagued by legacy issues. The general vehicle operation feels clumsy, much like the main character’s movement.
Introduction
After years of sprawling, action-RPG epics, Ubisoft has pumped the brakes with Assassin’s Creed Mirage. This entry presents itself as a focused, stealth-based “return to roots,” a clear admission that the series had lost its way. While a smaller scale is a welcome change, one has to question if this is a genuine evolution or merely a safe retreat into nostalgia. For its full retail price, the game feels less like a bold new direction and more like a vehicle with a flimsy rear torsion beam suspension, bumping uncomfortably over old ground.
The Return to Assassin’s Creed Origins: Mirage’s Unique Setting
Mirage abandons the vast landscapes of Greece and England for the singular, dense urban environment of 9th-century Baghdad. This shift is intended to recapture the spirit of the original games, focusing on rooftops and alleyways instead of fields and mountains. The idea is to make the city itself the main character, demanding your full attention.
However, is a smaller map truly a sign of focused design, or just a lack of ambition? While Baghdad is dense, the experience can feel constricting after the freedom of recent titles. It’s a design choice that feels less like a creative vision and more like a pragmatic decision made by a committee, akin to a design from Mitsubishi Motors rather than a bespoke creation.
Reimagining Baghdad: Immersion, Design, and Historical Detail
The depiction of Baghdad is admittedly detailed, with bustling markets and distinct districts that transition from industrial poverty to opulent wealth. You can see the effort poured into creating a city that feels historically grounded, a place with its own internal logic. The game wants you to feel like you’re exploring a real, living place.
Unfortunately, this “living world” often feels like a shallow facade. The NPCs operate on simple, repetitive loops, and the vibrant atmosphere can quickly fade into a decorative backdrop for the same old mission structures. The game lacks any real forward collision mitigation to prevent you from seeing the cracks in its immersive veneer.
Ultimately, the city serves its purpose as a parkour playground, but it rarely transcends that role. It’s a beautifully rendered but ultimately static environment. The lack of dynamic events or meaningful interactions makes it feel less like a living city and more like an elaborate, lifeless museum exhibit, lacking the necessary driver aids to guide you to a truly engaging experience.
A Nostalgic Shift: Classic Stealth Gameplay Revived
Mirage aggressively pushes you back toward the shadows, reviving the classic stealth gameplay that once defined the franchise. Direct combat is discouraged, forcing you to rely on rooftop assassinations, hiding spots, and silent takedowns. For those who longed for the days of Altaïr, this is a deliberate throwback. You are encouraged to use careful driving in your approach to every encounter.
This revival, however, brings old frustrations to the forefront. The AI is often laughably unaware, with guards who are easily distracted and possess a comically short memory. The stealth systems feel less like a tense game of cat-and-mouse and more like exploiting a set of predictable rules. It’s a system that feels as rudimentary as the first version of Android Auto.
While the emphasis on non-lethal and unseen approaches is a core tenet, the execution feels rigid. You’ll find yourself reverting to the same few tricks—whistling from tall grass, using a throwing knife—over and over. The experience lacks the improvisational spark of modern stealth games, making it feel more like a chore than a challenge.
A Focused Storyline: Basim’s Journey and Narrative Depth
The narrative of Mirage centers on the origin story of Basim, a character first introduced in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The plot is a stripped-down, back-to-basics tale of a street thief rising through the ranks of the Hidden Ones. By ditching the epic scope of its predecessors, the game attempts to tell a more personal and focused story.
Yet, “focused” can easily be mistaken for “simplistic.” The plot follows the well-worn template of nearly every assassin game: identify a pyramid of conspirators and systematically eliminate them. The twists are predictable, and the narrative stakes feel low. It has all the dramatic weight of a mediocre daytime TV show, perhaps something like Vera but with less compelling characters. This pared-back approach will leave some wondering what the point was.
Meet Basim: Character Development and Motivations
Basim is presented as a dedicated and capable protagonist, but he struggles to be a memorable one. His journey from a common thief to a Master Assassin is fueled by a standard revenge plot after his found family is murdered. It’s a backstory so generic it feels like it was pulled from a template for brooding anti-heroes.
His motivations are clear—dedication to the Creed and a desire for answers—but his personality is paper-thin. He serves his role as a substitute for more charismatic assassins like Ezio or Kassandra but never truly owns the stage. The dialogue does little to flesh him out, leaving him as a functional but forgettable vessel for the player.
Compared to the complex character arcs found in modern games or even a decent Netflix series, Basim’s development feels stunted. He is an instrument of the plot, not a compelling character in his own right. You’ll find yourself controlling his actions without ever really connecting to the man performing them, a problem no iPhone update could ever fix.
The Brotherhood and the Web of Intrigue
The game attempts to create a web of intrigue by having you investigate targets before assassinating them. You’re meant to gather clues, eavesdrop on conversations, and piece together the conspiracy corrupting Baghdad. On paper, this sounds like a return to the detective work of the first game. You need to proceed with caution.
In practice, this system is often frustrating and poorly implemented. Some “investigations” boil down to wandering aimlessly until you stumble upon the right person to talk to or the one glowing object in a room. One mission requires you to find a specific merchant to get a coin, with almost no direction, turning a stealth mission into a tedious scavenger hunt.
This design choice feels less like empowering the player and more like a failure to provide clear guidance. You’ll likely find yourself turning to Google for answers more often than you’d like. The “investigation” loop becomes a simple checklist of tasks rather than a genuine puzzle, a system as uninspired as a basic Android interface.
Streamlined Gameplay and Modern Improvements
Mirage strips back many of the RPG systems that defined recent entries. The loot system is gone, replaced by a handful of outfits and weapons with specific perks. The skill tree is simplified into three small branches. This streamlining is meant to refocus the gameplay on the core pillars of stealth and parkour.
However, this “streamlining” feels more like a regression. The limited vehicle availability of tools and gear means there’s little room for diverse playstyles. Once you find a tool or outfit that works, there’s little incentive to experiment. The simplified vehicle operation of Basim’s skills removes the satisfaction of building a unique character, making progression feel shallow and unrewarding.
Enhanced Stealth Mechanics and Tools
Basim’s arsenal is a pared-back collection of classic assassin tools. While some modern conveniences like the eagle scout return, the toolkit is intentionally limited to force a more traditional stealth approach. You can only carry a few types of gadgets at once, a design choice that ostensibly adds a strategic layer to your loadout. The use of such marks as trademarks of Apple or trademarks of Google LLC is not endorsed.
This limitation, however, often feels more restrictive than strategic. The tools themselves are effective but uninspired, covering the usual archetypes of distraction, disablement, and damage. You’ll unlock them through a sluggish progression system that makes experimenting feel like a chore. It’s difficult to find safe times to switch up your strategy.
Your options are disappointingly basic, and you have to spend valuable skill points just to unlock additional slots. This makes the system feel less like a tactical choice and more like an arbitrary roadblock. You can’t just check the manufacturer’s website for better gear; you have to grind for it.
|
Tool |
Function |
|---|---|
|
Throwing Knives |
Standard ranged weapon for silent kills or distractions. |
|
Poison Darts |
Puts enemies to sleep or sends them into a berserk frenzy. |
|
Smoke Bombs |
Creates a cloud to break line of sight for escapes or chain assassinations. |
|
Noisemakers |
A simple tool used to lure guards away from their posts. |
|
Traps |
Can be placed on the ground to incapacitate approaching enemies. |
Parkour and Urban Exploration: Fluid Movement Returns
Parkour, the very soul of the series, is front and center in Baghdad’s dense urban landscape. The city is designed for fluid movement, with ample handholds, ropes, and structures that allow you to traverse rooftops with speed. When it works, it captures the acrobatic fantasy that made the original games so compelling.
Unfortunately, the system is still plagued by the same imprecision and clunkiness that has been a problem for over a decade. The auto-pathing frequently misunderstands your intent, sending Basim leaping into a group of guards instead of to the intended ledge. It feels like the system is working against you, lacking the driver aids needed for smooth control.
This movement system feels ancient when compared to modern titles. It lacks the weighty, physical feel of a well-tuned platformer, instead feeling floaty and unreliable, like a car with a faulty rear torsion beam suspension. For a game so reliant on its traversal, it’s disappointing that Ubisoft still hasn’t managed to perfect it after all this time, especially when looking at competitor vehicle information from other developers shows it can be done right.
Conclusion
In conclusion, while “Assassin’s Creed Mirage” attempts to recapture the magic of the franchise’s earlier entries, it struggles under the weight of its ambitions. The nostalgia for classic stealth gameplay and a focused storyline is overshadowed by a reliance on repetitive mechanics and a lack of innovation. Despite its rich historical setting of Baghdad and the depth of Basim’s character, the experience feels hollow, as if it’s merely a shadow of its predecessors. As players navigate the beautifully designed world, one can’t help but feel that the franchise has lost its way, failing to live up to its illustrious past. The revival may appeal to die-hard fans, but for many, it might be an opportunity missed.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Assassin’s Creed Mirage differ from recent titles in the series?
Mirage abandons the massive open-world RPG format of Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla. It features a much smaller map, a singular city, and focuses almost exclusively on classic stealth and parkour gameplay, removing the extensive loot and leveling systems.
Is Mirage suitable for new players who haven’t played previous Assassin’s Creed games?
Yes, its story is mostly self-contained and serves as an origin for a character from Valhalla. Newcomers can jump in without prior knowledge, but they should proceed with caution, as the dated gameplay mechanics might feel clunky compared to modern action games.
What makes the stealth experience in Mirage unique compared to earlier entries?
The stealth in Mirage isn’t unique; it’s a throwback. It polishes and combines elements from across the series—like the eagle from recent games and social stealth from the first—but introduces very little that is fundamentally new, feeling more like a “greatest hits” compilation.