Ubisoft has revealed that the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage will return to its roots for 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 listened to fans of the series who want the series to return to a more streamlined experience. “Creating Mirage was a convergence of several inputs,” said Boundon. “We started hearing a desire for a character-driven story focused on the main pillars of the first ACs on a more intimate scale. It resonates with both us and the developers, and that was the starting point of the project.”
After some bigger, bigger than life Assassin’s Creed games – looking at you, Valhalla – it’s nice to hear that Mirage will be a bit more intimate.
Golden era
Set in the 9th century, Mirage gives us the chance to see the first steps of Basim, the antagonist of Valhalla, and his journey from youth to Master Assassin. After losing his mother at a young age, Basim lived on the streets of Baghdad. It was here that he first began dreaming of joining the Hidden, a secret assassination group.
While Basim embarks on a journey to become the most versatile assassin in franchise history, parkour and stealth take center stage, much like the original games.
Mirage will also offer plenty of opportunities to explore. Set in the bustling streets of Baghdad during the Golden Age, it will offer four unique districts to explore. And while it’s sure to be fun to scour the rooftops of industrial Karkh or sneak through lush gardens into the Round City, I’m looking forward to finding all the secrets hidden in 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 being a chore as I felt I had to complete all the side quests to progress to the game. In a world where open-world RPGs are an integral part of the experience, I’m starting to find the relentlessly vast expanses of open-world games exhausting.
Every time I logged in, I was greeted by the menacing sight of a cluttered map full of different quests in all shades of the rainbow. As someone who likes to eat their veggies first, I felt the odd urge to complete all the different and potentially useless quests before moving on to the main story.
Chasing floating paper flyers or looking for cats for some old lady wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned when I thought of a Viking-themed Assassin’s Creed game. While a few of these extra quests can be a fun way to lighten the mood, for me the lack of seriousness has lost what made the original games so enticing.
I can try to find cats or chase flyers at any time, but playing the part of a secret assassin in 9th-century Baghdad is not a chance I get regularly. With that in mind, I’m glad Ubisoft is going back to the drawing board to create a more intimate game that stays true to the series’ core.