How big is too big for an open-world game? It’s a question Assassin’s Creed fans have been asking themselves for years, as it seems each new entry in the series tries to deliver more than in the past – wider worlds, deeper RPG systems, more expansive campaigns. More bang for your buck is usually a good thing, but some recent Assassin’s Creed games have almost felt overwhelming. When Ubisoft announced Assassin’s Creed Mirage would represent a step back to the more tightly-focused action-adventure experiences of yesteryear, there was a surprising amount of enthusiasm from fans.
So, is Assassin’s Creed Mirage a successful blast from the past? Or is this historical series better off looking to the future when it comes to gameplay? Time to dissect this one.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage puts players in control of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla supporting character Basim, who begins the game as a street thief making his way in the small town of Anbar north of Baghdad. Basim’s life is anything but carefree though as he’s haunted by dark visions and quickly manages to land himself in a spot of hot water when he and his gal pal Nehal are recruited by the Hidden Ones (precursors to the Assassin Brotherhood) to steal an artifact which happens to belong to the Order of the Ancients (precursors to the Knights Templar).
Basim and Nehal have a falling out when they bungle the mission in a deadly fashion, so Basim decides to forge his own bloody path, joining the Hidden Ones. We see Basim training with his new mentor, Master Roshan, at Alamut, a desert fortress that essentially acts as an Assassin academy. From there, time jumps ahead again as Basim steps into his role as a Hidden One in Baghdad, where he gets embroiled in efforts to expose the head of the Order that manipulates all aspects of life in the bustling metropolis.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s story doesn’t deviate that far from the series’ blueprint, but Basim is a likable enough protagonist, and developers Ubisoft Bordeaux and Ubisoft Montreal serve up enough twists and turns to keep things engaging. Perhaps most importantly, unlike a lot of past Assassin’s Creed titles, I could actually follow everything that was going on as the game focuses on a relatively small core cast rather than trotting out endless bit characters and random historical figures.
As in the past, the gameplay of Assassin’s Creed Mirage is built around three core pillars -- parkour, stealth, and combat – with mixed results. When you find that perfect flow, parkour can feel great with Ubisoft adding some new elements, like poles you can use to vault across wide gaps. That said, issues that have long plagued this series continue to crop up – you’ll find yourself climbing up things you don’t want to climb or, alternatively, not being able to climb things you do want to. These clunky moments can be frustrating, particularly when you have a large group of angry soldiers hot on your heels.
The typical Assassin’s Creed stealth toolbox hasn’t been upgraded much here either, although it was already relatively versatile. As in past AC games, you can scout areas ahead of time with your feathery friend Enkidu and can activate your own Eagle Vision at any time to mark enemies and objectives, even through walls. Sneaking up on enemies allows you to pull off an instant kill, and you can hide in grass and weeds, whistle to draw in curious baddies, employ a variety of tools like throwing knives and smoke bombs, and more. It's standard stealth stuff, but it all works well. The big addition this time around is Assassin’s Focus, which allows you to mark several enemies (up to five if you upgrade your abilities) and take them out instantly without alerting anybody. This makes taking out groups of baddies less cumbersome than in the past without making stealth feel trivial.
If parkour and stealth can get away with not changing much, combat also not offering any real innovation is kind of a bummer. Battles consist of parrying or dodging enemies and then spamming a single attack button. Combat is passable in a pinch, but that’s about the best you can say about it. Mirage’s devs have outright said this isn’t really an action game with the stealth option almost always being preferable, which is a fine compromise until a mission forces an irritating combat challenge on you.
While I may come off as somewhat critical of Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s core gameplay, ultimately, it’s solid, with weaknesses in one area largely compensated for by strengths in another. This formula has provided a sturdy foundation for over a dozen core Assassin’s Creed titles; it just would have been nice to see a bit more innovation. Thankfully, Mirage’s top-notch world and mission design largely make up for its run-of-the-mill base mechanics.
The world of Assassin’s Creed Mirage is much smaller than the last few entries in the series – the map is a Long-Island-esque chunk of land with its northernmost point being a mere 10-minute run from its southern end. The map is dominated in the center by Baghdad, which is large but not nearly the biggest virtual city the AC series has given us. That said, size isn’t everything, as Baghdad is more densely packed, complex, and lively than anything Ubisoft has cooked up previously. Interesting sights await at the end of every twisted alleyway and the city is divided into a number of unique districts, from the opulent Round City, to the bustling markets of Karkh, cultured halls of Abbasiyah, and beyond. In the past, big cities in Assassin’s Creed games have often felt like window dressing – detailed but not particularly immersive or interactive. Baghdad, on the other hand, feels genuinely alive.
While Mirage’s Baghdad is well designed, don’t expect it to wow visually, at least on a technical level. Nothing is very reactive -- fabrics and other materials don’t animate, and while lighting looks nice in certain key areas, it isn’t very dynamic. The main characters look passable, albeit several years behind the curve, but some NPCs appear to be refugees from the Xbox 360 era. Of course, this being a Ubisoft game, you’ll often see NPCs clipping through each other, Basim’s robes taking on a mind of their own, and other weird visual bugs, although thankfully, the crashes that plagued my hands-on time with the PC version weren’t a problem on PS5. It should also be said that while Mirage often appears pretty dated, there are occasional moments – the sun setting over an outcropping of rock in the desert, looking out over Baghdad from a high vantage point at dawn – when the game can look rather striking.
You can read about our PC performance test here.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s campaign is initially a straight-shot linear experience, but not long after you reach Baghdad, it branches out and you’re given free rein to tackle your investigation into the leader of the Order in whatever sequence you see fit. In order to expose the big boss, you’ll need to kill their main four lieutenants, but tracking down and exposing them is a tricky task in its own right, requiring you to hunt down clues and take out various lower-level Order members. Mirage does a great job of making it feel like a shadowy conspiracy is lurking under the surface of nearly everything happening in Baghdad and a new Investigation Board menu makes all the web-like connections easy to follow.
Each of the main Order members you pursue will require you to delve into a different section of Baghdad society – commerce, higher learning, the military, etc. – with missions often reflecting the world you’re exploring. Sure, there are plenty of standard “infiltrate this outpost and kill a target” missions, but you’ll also find yourself doing more outside-the-box things like tracking hidden symbols, leading a slave revolt, or sneaking into a harem as a eunuch (thankfully, it's only a disguise).
When it finally comes time to take down a major Order member, you’ll be presented with a “black box" mission, which is the best part of Assassin’s Creed Mirage. While these missions seemingly always come to the same deadly end, you’ll need to tackle multiple objectives to claim your bounty and you’re given some freedom in how you want to complete them. Each of these black box missions offers its own unique setting, from a bustling bazaar to a house of wisdom that hides dark secrets and more. Each new objective in these multi-step missions usually mixes up the gameplay – one moment you’ll be sneaking past guards, the next you’ll be eavesdropping, searching for clues, or trailing a suspect. These are easily some of the most complex, satisfying Assassin’s Creed missions Ubisoft has ever delivered.
The core Assassin’s Creed Mirage campaign doesn’t overstay its welcome, clocking in at around 12 to 15 hours, but there’s also a hearty amount of side content to tackle. Bonus contracts, “Tales of Baghdad” story bits you can run across while exploring the city, and, of course, tons of chests to loot and collectibles to grab. While Mirage doesn’t have XP or RPG-like leveling, there are still ways to improve your abilities as skill points are awarded for completing missions and you can collect crafting materials to improve your weapons and gear. There’s more than enough here to justify Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s reasonable $50 asking price, but you needn't worry about the game murdering all your free time.
This review was based on a PS5 copy of Assassin’s Creed Mirage provided by publisher Ubisoft.
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