Developer Ubisoft Bordeaux’s highly anticipated release of Assassin’s Creed Mirage is upon us, and we have spent the last several days traveling around the ancient Baghdad area. Does the game live up to the hype, or should this one get lost in the wilderness?
Read on to find out.
The Assassin’s Creed franchise first made its debut back in 2007 with Assassin’s Creed Mirage being the thirteenth installment of the series. The story arcs follow an ancient order of the Assassin Brotherhood (known as the Hidden Ones in AC Mirage) that are in a constant battle with an evil organization called The Templar Order. The original storyline for the series first started during the Third Crusades in 1191 AD.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage takes place in and around ninth century Baghdad. It is a prequel to Assassin’s Creed Valhalla where the main character for AC Mirage, Basim Ibn Ishaq, made his first appearance. AC Mirage opens as a young Basim is living and thieving on the streets of Baghdad. He finds himself in deep trouble as he and his street sister are caught breaking into a palace. A life is taken, and both have to flee the city in order to stay alive themselves. Basim is recruited by the Assassin Brotherhood, and his training begins in earnest.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review: Baghdad as it Was
The first thing that struck as impressive with Assassin’s Creed Mirage was the game world and the sprawling city of Anbar circa the ninth century. It felt like we had jumped in a time machine and was dropped right in the middle of a bustling community. The game world is alive everywhere, and full of folks just going about their business. The foot traffic does thin out at night, which is to be expected, but if you are a wanted man with high notoriety, they won’t be empty enough.
The game is set principally in the city of Baghdad, which is divided into four districts including the Round City, Karkh, Abassiyah with its House of Wisdom, and Harbiyah, but also features Alamut, the fortress headquarters of the Hidden Ones. There are also a couple of outlying cities you’ll travel to. There are synchronization points spread out throughout the decent size game map, and they just have to be visited once and synchronized in order to unlock them as a fast travel point. The developer was nice enough to even drop a couple in the vast wilderness to make travel easier, so keep an eye out for those.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review: Characters of the Times
The main characters of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, for the most part, are some of the nicest and most polite folks you’ll ever come across. We have to assume that is just the way folks were back then, as almost everyone greets Basim with, “As-salamu Alaikum”, where he politely responds, “Wa alaikum assalam.” Now we know that this is common within Islamic countries, it’s just not something we, as Americans, see very often. Those serving the Brotherhood in the game are always the nicest and are always quick to greet you in Arabic.
The bad guys, on the other hand, seem deserving of the many deaths we give them. These guys are given back stories that make assassinating them almost a guilty pleasure. Men that order the death of any slave that pines for any type of freedoms, and demand ultimate submission by any and all folks that are under them. Stories of torture, rape, and murdering of entire families (including children) just to gain complete control shows you the type of bad guys you’ll be dealing with. The story lines are well written, and reach a depth we didn’t expect.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review: Returns to its Roots
Gameplay for Assassin’s Creed Mirage takes the game back to the beginning. This is a stealth action title, and stealth is rewarded nicely. Going into a compound expecting to just slice and dice your way through it in order to reach your target just isn’t going to work. The sheer number of bad guys thrown at you, including reinforcements when called, is just too overwhelming. While the game does have a nice sword and dagger fighting element to it, you just can’t block and parry against four or more guys at once. You will, eventually, unlock your Assassin’s Focus, which will allow you to slow down time and target several guys at once. This can thin the herd quickly, but you’ll need more stealth kills to recharge it.
What the game does give you is Eagle Vision and an avian companion named Enkidu, an Eastern Imperial Eagle. Before attacking a compound, you can set your eagle to flight and have him scope out the place, as long as there isn’t a marksman around. If there is a marksman, you’ll need to locate and eliminate him in order for Enkidu to do his job. Once your eagle has completed his reconnaissance, you can then use your own Eagle Vision to see bad guys through walls and around corners. You’ll need to use tall grass, bushes, hay stacks, and high points to work your way through to your target.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review: Little Bit of RPG
One of the biggest differences between AC Valhalla and AC Mirage is the smaller amount of RPG elements. Your main outfit and weapons are upgradeable, and come with a few different perks that get better with upgrades, but those are few and far between. Your tools on the other hand, are your main keys to success or failure. You’ll start out with a torch and a throwing knife, but it’s the future tools that will turn the tide if you get caught in an ambush or find yourself outnumbered in battle. Smoke bombs can be just as important as a life potion when under attack, so be sure to unlock those the first chance you get.
The other tools can come in handy as well, and these include the blow dart, the noise maker, and the trap. Each tool, with the exception of the torch, has three levels of upgrades with a choice between several types within each level. Smoke bombs can do bonus damage, or can give you life instead, while the blow gun can make a bad go berzerk and turn on his buddies, or it can emit a cloud that also knocks out guys that are close by. While not a full on RPG title like AC Valhalla, AC Mirage gives you just enough options to scratch that RPG itch.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review: Sights and Sounds
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a gorgeous game, albeit gritty and dirty. The world around Baghdad, for the most part, is an arid desert and the graphics reflect that well. There are a few oases in the game, and the fauna around them are nicely done. Watch out for the damn snakes, though, as we were bitten multiple times before we realized a chest out in the middle of the wilderness next to an oasis had some sneaky snakes hiding in the tall grass guarding it. You can choose to travel on either a horse or a camel, and we strongly suggest you choose a camel. How often do you get a chance to ride a camel? These guys are just as fast as the horse and we have to assume sound just like a real camel.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review: Conclusion
Developer Ubisoft Bordeaux took what was supposed to be DLC for AC Valhalla, and turned it into a nice stand-alone title. The map may not be as big as AC Valhalla, but you’ll still spend at least 14-16 hours playing through the campaign, and then another 12+ if you want to complete all of the side missions, contracts, and The Forty Thieves add-on. Ubisoft also reduced the price to US$49.99 for the standard version and US$59.99 for the deluxe, which also includes The Forty Thieves DLC.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage really takes the game back to its roots, with stealth action that has surely been missed, and a storyline that doesn’t disappoint.
9
Assassin’s Creed Mirage review code provided by publisher and reviewed on a PS5. For more information on scoring, please read What our review scores really mean.
