Assassin's Creed Mirage PlayStation 5 Review

There's a solid reason why Assassin's Creed Mirage has caught so many people's attention. After a steady stream of new installments from its inception in 2007, it seemed like they were coming out yearly. But it is a fact that there hasn't been a new Assassin's Creed game since the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla in 2020. While previous entries in the series have grown increasingly sprawling and bloated, Assassin's Creed Mirage promises to return to the series' roots by providing a more compact and centered adventure.

Ubisoft indicated Mirage would be a comeback to the franchise's stealth-based roots, which has piqued the interest of many longtime players who have been frustrated by the series' recent shift toward open-world action RPG aspects. As much as I enjoyed Assassin's Creed: Odyssey and Valhalla, I understand why some fans of the series feel they have strayed too far from the series' fundamentals.

 

Exploring the vast city in Assassin's Creed Mirage, performing parkour moves across its rooftops, sneaking into the many camps, and outwitting the enemies you encounter by cleverly using your tools in inventive ways are all incredibly fun parts of the game. The journey throughout the Mirage, which was actually rather large, brought back memories of when I first started playing Assassin's Creed games. In addition to its striking appearance, it surprisingly conceals several intriguing mysteries.

The majority of the primary story content that takes place in between seems like one of the many story arcs from Valhalla; Mirage does feel like a more traditional story-centered game, even though the game starts incredibly strong and finishes on a positive note. Understandably, a hundred-hour-long RPG would spread these large-scale events out throughout a huge campaign, but the fifteen-hour plot of Assassin's Creed Mirage could have benefited from more dramatic sequences while still staying focused on a linear story.

The events of Assassin's Creed Mirage take place a long while before the events of Assassin's Creed Valhalla and chronicle the tale of Basim, a petty thief in 9th-century Baghdad recruited into the Hidden Ones by his mentor, Roshan. Basim finds himself in the heart of a plot involving the Order of the Ancients and their search for a mystery relic. The Order of the Ancients has its own sinister motivations for this search. A pattern is followed for either outcome as Basim starts killing off targets and getting closer to finding out who the group's leader is.

Within the context of the greater narrative, each of the four main boroughs of Baghdad contains a variety of safehouses, and each safehouse has its own cast of characters who narrate lesser storylines. But Ubisoft seems to be dragging a circle regarding how everything ties together and its direction, if anywhere, which will frustrate longtime fans.

 

The Gameplay of Assassin's Creed Mirage sticks to the very basics of the series, and in most cases, the assassination objectives can be completed in a variety of different methods. Staying out of a location will provide a variety of chances, such as listening in on a discussion or following individuals to a more remote location to find a clue. At its finest, Mirage excels when used to stalk foes from cover while plotting an effective attack.

At each safe house, there are optional contract assignments that can be accepted, and completing these missions generally leads to extensive side stories. Most of these missions will require you to sneak up on and eliminate targets, but others will require you to go alongside targets through difficult surroundings.

It's easy to underestimate how natural the gaming loop may feel until you actually put in the time to complete missions and eliminate enemies. The levels have also been designed with a decent amount of attention. There are nearly always many points of entrance, and even though the amount of variety in the available possibilities is not quite on par with that of a game like Assassin's Creed Unity, it is still fairly decent overall. A few assignments are unquestionably superior to others, but it never failed to pleasantly surprise me when I was given a choice between two or three distinct methods for drawing out a target or moving into the area where they were located.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is far smaller in scope compared to the three games that came before it, and completing it should take seasoned players of the series little less than twenty hours. Having said that, Baghdad and the wildness that surrounds it constitute a place that is nevertheless quite sizable. Sand dunes stretch in every direction and are interspersed by oases, which often conceal some kind of valuable loot.

 

Baghdad is a teeming metropolis characterized by congested streets and narrow passageways, which are simple to explore by rooftops. You might think twice about plunging headfirst into the city's elite center or any of the other heavily armed bases because they are protected by massive walls. The traversal mechanics, on the whole, provide a satisfying feel. There will still be occasions in which Basim will jump to a location that you did not want him to, but these occurrences are extremely uncommon.

On the other hand, climbing is more pleasing because it draws from the earlier games in the series and requires you to discover the right path to move, particularly with the synchronization points. This aspect of the game takes inspiration from those games. Climbing to these high vantage points remains a fundamental component of the series, as it enables players to uncover various activities and objects on the landscape while giving them some rewarding views. You may also navigate more quickly by riding a camel or a horse, which is especially helpful in the undeveloped landscape around you. Walking is almost always the best option in the city because there are so many alleyways and roofs to go through that it makes the trip go by much more quickly.

Once you have a grip on how to play Assassin's Creed Mirage, engaging in combat is a lot of fun. The fact that Basim has such minimal health and takes so little damage gives the impression that you are playing an extremely challenging version of one of the role-playing games. The armored outfit of certain enemies also provides them with an unfair edge because they can avoid being hit by melee attacks coming from the front. There's a distinct impression that these guards are far more aggressive than usual and have no fear of you launching a series of consecutive attacks.

Therefore, you must constantly avoid them and wait for an opportunity to strike. Controlling your stamina is also vital because you won't be able to dodge attacks if you don't do so. You will suffer the hit because the combination of these factors makes fighting somewhat more challenging than it was in the prior games. However, if you've found your rhythm and mastered the skill, the experience will seem significantly more rewarding to you.

 

If your attempt to infiltrate the enemy stronghold fails, the guards will continue to fight you ferociously until you either kill everyone or break through the perimeter of their sight by hiding. Fighting while standing your ground is feasible, albeit risky, due to your enemies' heavy armor, which can only be penetrated from behind. You can defend against certain attacks by parrying them, which will allow you to regain part of your stamina.

However, you will need to dodge other assaults, which will use up some of your stamina. The use of basic attacks depletes Basim's stamina; therefore, it is imperative that you give great consideration to your next move in light of his low health. Even if you have it perfected, combat can turn out to be tediously lengthy, and stealth seems far more effective and fulfilling than engaging in direct conflict.

The use of stealth is strongly emphasized throughout, and the objectives of nearly every mission involve either penetrating a facility to discover its secrets or removing a high-value target. You will frequently need to search for information to locate important objectives, such as documents providing insight into other areas and goals. Enkidu, Basim's genuine eagle, can mark targets and objectives from above, while Basim's eagle vision can assist in locating foes and important objectives in close proximity.

Marksmen in some areas can fire your eagle out of the sky, necessitating your elimination of the threat, which further supports a covert invasion. As a result of the iconic concealed blade's ability to kill even the most powerful foes if they are clueless about your being there, clearing out a base in a covert manner can prove to be an intensely rewarding experience.

 

You have access to several different resources that can assist you in leveling the playing field. Smoke bombs can be used to confuse the enemy, while throwing knives can be used to bring down armored adversaries from a distance. Throwing knives can also be utilized to kill targets at a distance. Each instrument has the potential to be updated with a variety of talents, each of which may be switched in and out at a safe house.

For example, in Assassin's Creed Mirage knives can be upgraded to be thrown further distances or cause more damage. These instruments' usage mostly depends on the circumstances; you need to be on the lookout for opportunities to experiment with your cuisine. They're helpful for shaking things up, but sticking to the basics is generally all that's needed to get the task done successfully.

In addition, Basim possesses a unique ability known as Assassin Focus, which allows him to execute many foes simultaneously while remaining undetected. It is a fantastic, showy reward, provided that you find the appropriate opportunity to use it. Still, it is limited by focus bars that you obtain by carrying out stealth kills, so you need to time its use carefully. When there is a large group of adversaries in close proximity to one another, it can be a very useful method to eliminate a number of targets quickly and stealthily.

The expansion of Basim's capabilities through the use of skill trees results in the addition of both familiar features, such as additional focus meter and additional tools, and new capabilities, such as the ability to vault above enemies. The process of upgrading both gear and skills has been significantly simplified. Each weapon, shield, and armor piece can be improved twice, down to the individual level. Every piece of equipment also comes with a special perk, such as an increased chance to do damage when parrying or an increased chance to steal life. While the simplified layout is appreciated, finding new pieces of equipment is not exciting because many of the bonuses aren't engaging.

As usual, there are numerous collectible varieties to collect. Items from the History of Baghdad are among the best, illuminating details about Baghdad's past and culture. In the form of animus shards, these can be found strewn around the map and are typically positioned in significant areas. Stealing from select targets will net you mysterious shards that can be used to activate rare technologies while trading relics to Dervis will get you even more loot. One of Assassin's Creed Mirage's more amusing high points is the opportunity to pickpocket oblivious individuals.

If you are successful in doing so, you may be rewarded with cash, artifacts, or tokens, all of which have a number of applications in the game. Shopkeepers can lower their prices in exchange for tokens, and specific groups, such as combatants who can cause distractions, can aid you in your tasks. The tokens are scarce enough to be significant, and using them throughout missions can make otherwise challenging circumstances much more tolerable.

On the other hand, you shouldn't anticipate a significant increase in the number of new open-world features. The tales of Baghdad are entertaining small narrative adventures, but there aren't many of them, and the Easter eggs they include are quite interesting. There are enigmas that function in a manner analogous to that of the treasure maps found in the earlier games, and on the whole, the game features a large number of items that you will need to deliver to a certain individual in order to get any benefits.

You'll once again be lugging oil jars and flinging them at breakable walls to solve the puzzles required to obtain the collectibles that are normally buried behind them. There are numerous locked doors, so either you find a window through which you may unlock the door from the other side or you find a key for the locked door. These are problems that, if you've played RPGs, you've addressed hundreds of times, and Assassin's Creed Mirage doesn't make them any different.

 

However, the AI of the enemies guarding different locations is my primary source of annoyance with the gameplay. Sometimes, they'd do something that showed off their intellect to great effect, as when they spotted me up in the attic while moving or stretching their body, and, as a result, their line of sight shifted upwards. This felt incredible when it happened. On the other hand, there were instances when I would attempt to kill someone by stabbing them with an object.

Such as a throwing knife; while they were standing within arm's reach of another guard. However, that second guard would not react in any way and would continue to stand there as if nothing had happened. This instantaneously prompted me to consider that there has to be an issue with the enemy AI's ability to recognize the events taking place in their immediate environment.

The game's sound and noise mechanisms mean that the player's participation in certain activities may cause adversaries to become aware of their existence. The impact of his comrade fainting next to him should have alerted the guard to the fact that something was wrong. There are a few different clothes that, when equipped, will grant you access to various bonuses. In addition, these items can be modified to unlock even better versions of themselves, such as an early outfit that, once perfected, allows you to drastically lower the amount of noise emitted during assassinations.

 

If your enemies cannot see you, they won't be able to react to your assassination attempts because they won't be able to hear them either. Even in situations where guards were engaged in direct melee combat with one another, there were a few instances in which they simply chose to stop fighting and stand there. It's as if some misfired trigger switched off their aggression, leaving them amid a fight but unable to act. They do nothing but hold their positions and watch as you try to kill them.

Like the initial Assassin's Creed games, the Basim spin-off is not a lightweight title and places significant demands on the system's capabilities. The effort put into the environment won't be shocking to anyone who's played a Ubisoft game before. Assassin's Creed Mirage features many environments despite having a smaller map. A large number of NPCs can be seen milling about in the narrow streets of the meticulously reconstructed Baghdad, and the first-rate lighting model bathes the Middle Eastern metropolis in vivid contrasts of light and shade.

Thanks to the excellent lighting effects, you can get a feel for the environments the developers envisioned. The historical context has also been considered, and every effort has been made to respect the time period. The music serves as a backdrop to our journeys without becoming the focus of attention. It's an open-world setting that isn't too rough around the edges, allowing for a plot that rewards strategic planning over brute force.

 

Assassin's Creed Mirage strikes the ideal balance between nostalgia and innovation. It is a mix of its root formula of the original games and the glimpses at the upcoming releases. The heightened importance of stealth will inspire you to become more immersed in your surroundings. At the same time, the reduced number of equipment possibilities and the game's decreased length will guarantee that Basim does not outstay his welcome.

The open fighting and the historical narrative aren't particularly noteworthy, but the series continues celebrating diverse time periods by focusing on Baghdad. Hopefully, Ubisoft will appreciate Mirage's distinct approach while simultaneously working on numerous Assassin's Creed projects. Assassin's Creed series has made a significant step toward reclaiming its roots with the release of Mirage.
 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Senior Editor, NoobFeed