I still remember the first time I played the first Assassin’s Creed. Back then, no one could have imagined the great franchise that was to come. I was so excited to see everything Altaïr was capable of, the gameplay, the stealth, the assassinations… That sealed my fate as a fan of the franchise.
With time and the responsibilities that unfortunately come with adult life and work, I confess that I lost a little bit of track of the new titles of the saga. But, when I saw the announcement and the trailer of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, it ignited a spark in me that made me play it from the day of release.
I know I sound like a fan blinded by emotions. I will try to be as objective as possible in this Assassin’s Creed Mirage review and avoid possible spoilers, so you can decide if it’s worth it or not for you.
The Assassin’s Creed Mirage history
Before going into all the technical details of the title, it is important to talk about its history and how everything flows within this new chapter of the saga. Here you will play as Basim (yes, the same Basim from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, but younger), a thief who roams the streets of Agrabah until he finds a magical artifact that changes his life… Did I say Agrabah? Sorry, I meant Baghdad.
The truth is that Basim’s appearance, his movements, and the details of his story may remind us a bit of another famous street thief from a certain children’s movie, but that’s as far as the parallels go. Basim decides that he wants to belong to the “Hidden Ones” (also known as “Order of Assassins”), and to do so, he tries to steal a special treasure for them.
After certain events, Basim must flee and ends up being saved and recruited by the Hidden One Roshan. With her, he travels to Alamut, where you’ll be able to experience the training and evolution of the assassins. I warn you it can be hurtful how much Basim messes up the Leaps of Faith. Then you’ll return to Baghdad, where you’ll have to fulfill a series of missions to unravel the plot that the Order weaves. They are searching for certain special artifacts (yes, like the one Basim steals at the beginning).
When evaluating the story for this Assassin’s Creed Mirage review, we can give it a 4/5. Although it shows us the origins of Basim, and at historical accuracy, is one of the best in the Assassin’s Creed series so far, there are moments of the plot that can seem repetitive and weak. There comes a time when infiltrating a place to free someone ceases to be surprising.
The Assassin’s Creed Mirage gameplay
After certain changes in the gameplay of Assassin’s Creed, Mirage takes us back to the beginning. Where stealth, the use of tools, assassinations, and the almost infinite possibilities of interaction with the environment, are fundamental to keep you alive.
Controls
Whether you play Assasin’s Creed Mirage on PC or console, the controls are very well thought out. They are very intuitive, and I would even go so far as to say one of the best in the series. The controls are intuitive, allowing you to switch weapons and tools quickly, activate Eagle Vision, and call Enkidu.
Another important control is the ability to whistle. The whistling will not only serve to attract the attention of the targets when you are hidden to finish them stealthily but also to be able to call your transport. This is very useful when you want to move quickly to another area of the map but don’t want to or can’t use the fast travel option.
As for the tools and secondary weapons, it is possible to upgrade them with their respective skill threes. It adds certain special features that can be very useful in crucial moments. For instance, being able to put guards to sleep with the poison darts and that these cannot wake up.
Enkidu and means of transportation
Although it is very useful to use Enkidu to detect hidden entrances or mark points of interest on the map, you have to be careful. The archers can detect it and hurt it, which will cause it to be unavailable until you leave the area or incapacitate whoever hurt it.
So, one of the great things about the camel or horse is that you can make it automatically follow a route or go to a specific mission point. You also have the possibility of setting cinematic effects in these moments. Although, like everything else, you shouldn’t neglect the game completely just because you’re on autopilot unless you’re a risk lover.
Economy
There are two types of currency circulating in this game. One is Dirhams, which are used to buy items needed in the game. The other is Favor Tokens. There are three types of tokens: Scholar, Power, and Merchant.
With the tokens, you can unlock some chests on the map. They are also useful to get discounts with merchants and hire mercenaries or musicians to distract the guards. At certain points in the game, having one of these Favor Tokens in your inventory can help you solve problems quickly.
The easiest way we find to get both Dirhams and Favor Tokens is by stealing from citizens. But if you want to play the game following the moral path, checking baskets, chests, or completing contracts, you will be able to get them.
Cats
This is possibly one of the most important additions to the game, and that is that not only are there several cats on the map, but YOU CAN PET THEM! There is even a famous cat that you can find in different parts of the map, whose face has the Assassin’s Creed logo. An important detail is that certain cats can unlock small rewards, such as crafting materials.
There is also a hidden side mission related to a cat, but we’ll talk about that later. This is a necessary spoiler; believe me, you may miss it if you’re not attentive.
Graphics and animations
Both in graphics and animations, the details are impressive. Yet, the fact that until now, you could not play without the infamous chromatic aberration takes away points. To remove this option, it was necessary to make use of mods specifically designed for it.
Fortunately, since the most recent update, there is now an option in the menu to disable it. Now you can enjoy the wonderful landscapes and environments of Baghdad.
The Animus and the new power
One of the strong points of the Assassin’s Creed Mirage Gameplay is the Assassin Focus. This ability is completely new and allows you to kill several enemies simultaneously, with an effect similar to a glitch. Ubisoft let it be known at the time that this ability and glitch effect were directly related to the Animus. The reason is that Basim was so fast that sometimes the Animus was not able to process the information in real-time.
Regarding the Animus, in this game, we will only be in the past. It is possible to desynchronize, for example, when dying or when killing innocent people. But in any case, it will only return you to a previous save point or checkpoint.
These are the main details of the Assassin’s Creed Mirage Gameplay, and we give it a 4/5, or better, 4.5/5 just for the cats. The truth is that it is quite fluid at a visual and movement level, but it could be extended a little more with other unlockable elements. This would effectively provide advantages during the game, as well as with the main missions.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage map
Assassin’s Creed Mirage was originally intended to be a DLC for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and it shows on the map. The whole setting reminded me of the first Assassin’s Creed, but I’m not talking about nostalgia, I’m talking about the flaws.
For how ambitious the gameplay is and the historical moment on which it is based, the main story and the map fell a bit short. Personally, I found it very easy to get from one end of the map to the other on foot.
Of all the areas, the one that might be a bit more complicated to access, at least initially, is the Round City. This is only because some of the guards might not be so friendly when you try to enter its streets. For the rest, there are basically no divisions between the different areas, including “The Wilderness”. This extensive desert area has a couple of Viewpoints that don’t make much sense besides revealing a couple of special chests.
Our final rating for this Assassin’s Creed Mirage review of the map is 3.5/5 due to the dimensions. Despite how accurate everything is in terms of historical period and location, it’s small.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage Unlockables
There are several ways to unlock items in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, both in-game and within Ubisoft.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage outfits
In the case of the outfits that can be obtained through Ubisoft’s platform, it’s simple, you just have to pay for this content within the store.
As for in-game unlockables, some things you can buy directly from in-game merchants or complete missions. But the vast majority require unlocking the infamous Gear Chests. Accessing these is not easy, and they are often surrounded by guards. By opening them, you will be able to get what you need to unlock them.
Several of the outfits grant important advantages, but mainly those that you can buy. As for the costumes, some of them are useful to go unnoticed in small moments of the game, and then they become an aesthetic option.
It is important to highlight that using a costume does not take away the effect of the main outfit you are using, which is a plus when playing the game.
Several of the outfits can be customized by dyeing them in different colors to give them a more personalized touch.
Unlockable weapons in Assassin’s Creed Mirage
As with the outfits, it is possible to unlock swords and daggers both in the Ubisoft store and in-game by opening Gear Chests.
These weapons have special features, and you can upgrade them and the outfits, to enhance the advantages they offer. It is also possible to unlock “skins” for these weapons, so you can customize them with the corresponding merchants.
The weapons and outfits with the most advantages are those that can be bought in the Ubisoft store. Others don’t offer much besides a flashy appearance (from my completely subjective point of view). That’s why I give it an overall rating of 4/5 for this Assassin’s Creed Mirage review (I was going to give it a 3.5, but the Milad’s Outfit is definitely special).
Combat mechanics of Assassin’s Creed Mirage
This could be one of the strong points of the game, and it is that, unlike other installments, the guards can attack you in groups without turns. There are also important enemies like the elite Shakkiriya guards. These are fast-moving, difficult to defeat, and can recover energy, which makes the fights interesting.
Also, there are many elements of the environment that can be used to your advantage, including chickens. Yes, as you read, if you are in a game, in the middle of a fight, and there is a cage of chickens nearby, move away and make sure to break it with a dagger. They can be deadly, even to you. But they are not the only animals that will help you in the game.
Leopards and lions will also play in your favor, but again, try to keep your distance when opening their cages, as they might hurt you or take your life. Speaking of animals, when you find yourself in the Wilderness, watch out for the local wildlife. the goats, leopards, and snakes, among others, can hurt you if they get close enough to you.
Now, back to combat and environmental elements for the sake of this Assassin’s Creed Mirage review. Not only can you use several of your secondary weapons and tools to deal damage directly to enemies. You can use, for example, throwing knives to blow up fuel-filled vessels or drop loads of materials from pulleys on enemies.
There are also smaller fire vases, which you can pick up and throw. However, this mechanic can prove to be somewhat clumsy. You can experience some damage by accident (remember that, in the case of flames, you can always roll on the ground).
Yet, there comes a time when evading, blocking, and attacking gets a bit repetitive. Just for that reason alone, I’ll rate the combat system with a 4.5/5.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage main missions and side quests
Of course, this Assassin’s Creed Mirage review would not be complete without talking about the missions. There are two types of missions: the main ones and the secondary ones. In case you decide to follow only the main ones, you might miss out on learning more details of the story, and unlocking items, and the game would only offer you about 14-20 hours of gameplay.
But, by completing the side quests, the gameplay can be extended and add a lot of fun to the game. Another type of side quests are the contracts you can find on the Bureau boards.
The best-hidden mission of Assassin’s Creed Mirage
There is a mission that you can find near Jarjaraya, in the burned-out village. Here you can hear a cat meowing, but it won’t let you pet it. You must follow it and help it to overcome the obstacles on the way. Spoiler alert: This mission is completely altruistic; you will not get any reward beyond knowing that you helped a poor kitten in danger.
There are other hidden side quests, and it’s worth going through the game to try to find them. In any case, although the game is apparently short, it has several details that can make the experience more immersive. Just for the cat mission, I’ll give this feature 5/5.
Does Assassin’s Creed Mirage Worth it?
Whether you’re a fan of the Assassin’s Creed saga or if it’s the first time you’ve played one of its titles, we hope you have learned what you need in this Assassin’s Creed Mirage review. It may not be the biggest map or have the most complex missions. But it certainly managed to summarize in one game everything that made us love it in the beginning. and it doesn’t lose sight of the evolutions that the franchise has undergone so far.
In case you are still wondering if Assassin’s Creed Mirage worth it, I say it does. I, personally, will keep playing it, trying to unlock 100% of the achievements. and now that I know the plot, I can appreciate many details, such as the actions of the NPCs, the daily routine of the Baghdad people, and others. It makes me feel immersed in the details if I am completely honest.
This game came out with two versions, the standard and the Deluxe. In the case of the Deluxe, it allows you to get costumes and weapons from Price of Persia, the Sands of Time. This is not random, as, in case you didn’t know, Assassin’s Creed was originally born with the idea of being a continuation of Prince of Persia. But ended up becoming an independent game, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage decided to pay tribute to it.
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I hope you enjoy Assassin’s Creed Mirage as much as I did when you played it. Let us know in the comments which one is your favorite Assassin’s Creed video game so far, and always remember:
