Assassin’s Creed Mirage is out! Reviews are rushing in from all corners of the web, including Google, Reddit, and many other forums. Some of its reviews are positive, while others are negative. However, the highlight is that the franchise is changing, which is a good step. The gamers at Player.com dedicate this article to all the changes that Assassin’s Creed Mirage introduced to the franchise. We also included the mechanics that didn’t change.
Also Read: Assassin’s Creed Mirage Collector’s Edition: Is It Worth It?
The Highlights
This subsection focuses on the positive reviews that Assassin’s Creed Mirage has received. This includes the intricate sandbox, deadly combat, and smart AI. We’re breaking down all of the game’s best features below. Hopefully, the next 11 Assassin’s Creed games in development will have these features. If not, we’re looking forward to more innovative ideas from Ubisoft in their upcoming games.
A Far Smaller Map
Baghdad is just a city, so it pales in comparison to Eivor’s adventures in England, Norway, and Vinland, which are countries. This is a good thing, because the sandbox is detailed with realistic NPCs, intelligent guards, and patriotic crowds that can either rat you out or help you escape your pursuers. However, this means that the gameplay is much more intimate, even though Assassin’s Creed Mirage has a short playtime. For example, you’ll find that assassinations are easier than ever because Basim was a thief who terrorised the ninth-century Baghdad. So, it’s quite an understatement to say that he knows his home like the back of his hand.
Stealth Is Encouraged
Unlike the previous games, where stealth was practically shoved aside, the game actively encourages players to play stealthily. In the early phase of the game, full-blown combat is essentially suicide for Basim because enemy strongholds are chock-full of guards, including the guards with heavy armor. Also, your attacks barely deal any damage. So, players who want to survive should play from the shadows until they unlock all the tools available to Basim.
Variety of New Tools
There are noisemakers, smoke bombs, blow darts, throwing knives, and traps. However, you must progress in the campaign to unlock them. There are different varieties of these tools, which you can unlock by upgrading the tool. Thankfully, the crafting system is better and not ridiculously intricate like the game’s prequels. So, it’s easier to upgrade your tools.
No XP Or Levelling Up System
Basim is underpowered, but just like a true assassin, he has all the skills to succeed from the onset. This means there’s no XP to gain from killing enemies or looting chests. Yes, there’s no system for levelling up your character. So, your enemies are usually a deathblow away, even though you only use a sword and dagger throughout the game.
Minimal Skill Tree
The lack of XP and a levelling-up system doesn’t mean that there’s no skill tree. There’s one, and it’s split into three branches, which are Phantom, Trickster, and Predator. Each ability in the skill tree is worth the point you invested in it. You can get skill points by completing missions.
Basim Is Limited to a Sword and Dagger
Basim can only use a combination of a sword and a dagger in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. He can’t use every weapon he gets in his hand like Eivor, who is a capable Viking. However, players are offered a variety of swords and daggers with different abilities.
For one, some daggers can slow down time (Just like in the Prince of Persia games), while some swords deal more damage with each consecutive strike. There’s also a variety of armor sets to try out, but once you’ve upgraded your swords and daggers to the maximum, you might not need one.
Parrying Is Deadlier Than Ever
Parrying is a deadly affair in Assassin’s Creed Mirage because you can use it to kill opponents with a single critical hit. If you parry properly, Basim can stab enemies in the chest or slash their throats. It would have been nice to see the same effect being performed on Basim to even the playing fields a little. Of course, if that was the case, there would be a small window to dodge the killing blow and to give players an edge. Thankfully, parrying is more difficult because any gamer who masters it can clear large groups of enemies within seconds.
The AI Is Smarter
The enemies in Assassin’s Creed Mirage are smarter, seemingly able to detect when someone is spying on them with a bird. After seeing a spy bird, they’re smart enough to try shooting it down. So, players who want to spy will have to kill the guards in the watchtowers first before they sneak into an enemy’s base. Attackers also won’t wait for you to kill their ally before trying to hit you. They’ll try to swarm you, so you must be prepared to pull off a quick counter for instant kills.
The Sandbox Doesn’t Feel Bloated
Baghdad isn’t as bloated with useless tasks as the open world of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Instead, the world is alive with tons of landmarks and characters. For one, you won’t have to use the fast travel feature much, nor will you have to travel on horses or camels for long periods. Instead, Baghdad is a dense city.
Basim Has Allies in His Hometown
Basim has plenty of allies in his hometown who will help him out. However, the protagonist may have to bribe them with tokens before they’re motivated enough to help him out. Tokens (Scholar Tokens, Power Tokens, and Merchant Tokens) are earned by completing contracts, which are side missions that are given to you by the Hidden Ones. Without these tokens, Basim won’t be getting any help. An application is that Basim can distract the guards with their help.
The Ugly Side of Assassin’s Creed Mirage
The game isn’t perfect, which is why its reviews aren’t perfect. This subsection is dedicated to all of the game’s shortcomings. Sure enough, its predecessors don’t necessarily suffer from some of these problems.
Plain Old Art Style and Engine
Ever since Assassin’s Creed Origins, the franchise hasn’t changed its art style, and it’s becoming boring. So, this is one of the problems that the game’s predecessors also had. For one, the parkour and the protagonist’s animations aren’t dissimilar. In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, the animation of Eivor drying his body after a swim looks the same as Basim’s in the new title. They do introduce other animations, but they’re mostly for assassinations.
That said, this doesn’t mean the game isn’t stunning, since you can experience Baghdad in 4K. For sure, Baghdad is also a stunning city with plenty of flora. However, the facial animations are still awkward: It’s still not as smooth as the animations in The Last of Us Part 2.
The Assassin’s Focus Is Experimental
The Assassin’s Focus allows Basim to mark several targets and then instantly teleport to their sides and assassinate them. You can only use this ability while Basim is hiding, and to charge it, you must perform silent assassinations. For a protagonist who developers claimed wouldn’t have any supernatural abilities, this is disappointing. It’s sad that they even added an effect for whenever Basim magically disappeared and then appeared behind each guard to chain assassinations.
The AI Can Be Dumb Sometimes
The AI in Assassin’s Creed Mirage can be stupid at times. They can watch Basim assassinate one of their fellow guards and then go back to their patrols if Basim doesn’t move a muscle. The better reaction would have been to attack the protagonist’s most obvious hiding spot. This makes the game unrealistic.
Repetitive Side Quests
The side quests in Assassin’s Creed Mirage are still repetitive. For one, players only experience missions like pickpocketing, completing contracts, and finding collectables. On the plus side, Basim receives combat equipment after completing some side quests instead of collectables.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Long Is Assassin’s Creed Mirage?
Assassin’s Creed is only 10 hours long if you complete the main objectives alone. This means you won’t have the time to go through all the side quests which can double your playtime. It’s still far shorter than the 60+ hours of playtime in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Funnily enough, you can run in, murder your opponents in full-blown combat, and masterfully slip away from the violence. However, stealth is the best way to eliminate groups of enemies without much risk.
Is Assassin’s Creed Mirage More Immersive Than Its Predecessors?
Reviews are in, and so far, Assassin’s Creed Mirage features an immersive sandbox that doesn’t distract players from the storyline. The open world of Baghdad is a parkour haven, where Basim can pull the disappearing act like a ghost. You can blend in with crowds, bribe the locals to distract the guards, or even use Basim’s finicky superpower. Also, the map isn’t necessarily bigger than the one in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.
Who Is the Master Assassin in the Game?
The master assassin in Assassin’s Creed Mirage is Roshan, who is also Basim’s teacher and head of the Hidden Ones organisation. She’s quite agile, intelligent, and humorous. So, her partnership with the protagonist is rather fun. Thankfully, Basim isn’t a disconcerting character too.
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