Assassin's Creed Mirage for Windows

Premium stealth adventure set in Baghdad

Assassin's Creed Mirage is a premium action game from Ubisoft Entertainment. It’s a continuation of the long-running Assassin’s Creed franchise. This stealth experience is hailed as a return to the franchise’s roots, taking place in 9th century Baghdad. You play as Basim Ibn Ishaq, who was first mentioned in the preceding entry, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Follow his adventures from being a street urchin to becoming a key member of the Brotherhood.

Unlike its previous entries, such as Valhalla, Assassin’s Creed Origins, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, the gameplay in Assassin’s Creed Mirage is more linear, much like the original Ezio trilogy.

Returning to the franchise roots

Assassin’s Creed Mirage generated hype among fans of the franchise because it was seen as a return to the game's roots. It combines stealth, a singular coherent storyline, and the amazing depiction of freerunning across the game. It is a stark contrast to the last three entries, which focused on open-world gameplay and general role-playing instead of stealth. As such, this is a welcome treat for the first AC fans.

In terms of scale, the game is compared to the original Assassin’s Creed game. It is primarily set in 9th-century Baghdad, divided into four districts. Get ready for another breathtaking rendition of a classic location, much like the Holy Land from the first AC game. It also features Alamut, serving as the headquarters for the Hidden Ones, precursors of the Assassin Brotherhood.

Basically, Mirage uses the Valhalla technology to create an Ezio-type AC game. While the controls and gameplay are intuitive for RPG players anywhere, the story and lore are different matters altogether. Knowledge about the previous games is recommended to fully appreciate the game, especially since the main character is a reincarnation of an Isu, a race of ancient and advanced species referenced across the franchise.

Furthermore, its intimacy with the sneaky and stealthy side of things makes Assassin’s Creed Mirage one of — if not the — best additions to the saga in years. It emphasizes the ‘Assassin’ in the title, introducing the player to the mysterious yet thrumming-with-life city of Baghdad. As the protagonist Basim, you must explore every nook and cranny of the city, climb towers, and find the quickest and most discreet ways to go across the map. There are also scenarios wherein you must sneak into well-guarded structures and steal important artifacts, liberate the oppressed, and take down the exploitative oppressors.

Beyond the Hidden Ones

Whereas Assassin’s Creed Mirage will let you follow a more linear story, with street urchin Basim catching the attention of the Hidden Ones and inviting him in, there are also various possibilities for the franchise emerging at its tail. Gather information from a network of bureaus and informants across the city, or summon your eagle Enkidu to survey the surrounding areas or tag persons of interest for Basim.

Ubisoft has also announced other titles and how they will tie into Mirage and the larger AC universe. Assassin’s Creed Codename Red is an upcoming open-world set in Feudal Japan while Assassin’s Creed Codename Infinity aims to bring back multiplayer experience with a standalone player experience, premises explored first in Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and explored further in Assassin’s Creed Unity.

Designed as a unique AC title

While most games release a barebones version gradually completed by an expansion or a DLC, Assassin’s Creed Mirage takes a different route. Ubisoft expressed commitment to releasing the game as a full experience, with no post-launch support or downloadable content down the line. This makes the game a full standalone experience that can be completed by players from the date of release.

Aside from the lack of DLCs, the game also seeks a return to its roots by emphasizing stealth. Instead of confrontational combat, as was becoming the norm in recent AC titles, Mirage will focus on planning ahead and executing a flawless sequence of takedown actions. To support this stealth-centric gameplay, this game features a revamped quick-save feature for players to pin down the best execution possible.

However, this game is far from perfect. While speedrunning will once again play an integral part, players are concerned with the lack of back and side ejects. In previous AC titles, players can launch themselves backward or sideways, continuing their parkour if they connect with a ledge. How Mirage will retain fluid speed-running animations without the directional ejects remains to be seen.

Coming earlier than expected

After going gold earlier than expected, Assassin's Creed Mirage is moving up its release date to October 5, 2023—a week earlier than its original October 12 launch date. To explain, going gold means that the game’s developers have determined that all of the game’s content and other details are ready for release. With this, players who have preordered the game for their respective devices can dive into the action and enjoy an all-new storyline.

As previously mentioned, the game will not be releasing any DLCs or additional content down the line after the initial launch. Mirage will also be focusing more on stealth gameplay over combat, with a smaller map and a shorter plot compared to its predecessors. Overall, the game has an approximated 22 to 24 hours worth of gameplay, which still offers enough content to keep players interested.

A must-have for all AC fans

Whether you’re curious about Valhalla’s predecessor or missing the stealth and freelancing of the original AC games, Assassin’s Creed Mirage will definitely cater to every fan of the franchise. It leverages the latest game engine available, with a story and concept that pays tribute to the original games. The only restriction is that the story might not be that accessible to newcomers.