Last week, we asked you to spotlight Basim from Assassin’s Creed Mirage using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
04.10.2023 - 12:35 / destructoid.com
The Assassin’s Creed franchise has been on quite a roller coaster since the original was released over 15 years ago. At first, each successive title seemed to enhance the core mechanics of the stealthy gameplay you’d expect from a game with the word “assassin” in the title. But then Assassin’s Creed Origins changed up the formula a bit. Assassin’s Creed became an open-world game, with more similarities to Far Cry than the original Assassin’s Creed games. The next two entries in the franchise, Odyssey and Valhalla, built upon that formula. With Valhalla, it felt like the combat had finally reached its peak, but something was lost along the way. It no longer felt like Assassin’s Creed. In fact, Valhalla often discouraged you from taking the stealth route.
Mirage seeks to return the series to its roots, so to speak. Instead of a sprawling open world, Mirage takes place in a single location: Baghdad in the year 861. It sheds the massive free-roam style in favor of a handcrafted linear experience, with a focus on the story and getting to learn the ins-and-outs of the bustling city of Baghdad. And while still keeping the polished and optimized combat from recent entries, stealth becomes the focal point once again. For the most part, Mirage achieves its goal of returning to its assassin ways. But in some ways, italso shows me why Ubisoft made the decision to take the franchise in a new direction in the first place.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage (PC, PS5 [Reviewed], PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One)
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft
Released: October 5, 2023
MSRP: $49.99
In Mirage, players take on the role of Basim, a character those who have played Valhalla will recognize. Mirage is essentially a prequel to Valhalla, taking place a decade before the Viking invasion of England. In Valhalla, Basim is already a Hidden One—the name of the Assassins before the later formation of the creed.
But Mirage focuses on the story of a younger Basim, as he grows up as a thief in 9th century Baghdad, learning about the Hidden Ones and eventually joining their ranks. Even though those who have played Valhalla might appreciate this prequel story a bit more, the narrative is its own confined experience. You do not have to have played Valhalla to understand what’s going on in Mirage.
The events of Mirage take place over eight different chapters, in a mostly linear fashion. Around the halfway point you get to choose which order to tackle three of the chapters in, but all of them must be completed regardless. Afterwards, it continues to be completely linear.
The story is definitely a strong point for Mirage. It’s probably an unpopular opinion, but I was a fan of the modern-day story in the earlier Assassin’s Creed titles, back
Last week, we asked you to spotlight Basim from Assassin’s Creed Mirage using #PSshare #PSBlog. Here are this week’s highlights:
is filled with puzzles for you to complete and one of the first you will discover is the Upper Harbor Gear Chest. There are a number of quests and puzzles for you to solve throughout your time in Baghdad and the surrounding districts including the Tales of Baghdad Quests.
Players of will soon realize that they will need crafting materials to upgrade their items in the game. These can be found in several different manners throughout the game, but players might not be able to find them consistently, particularly at the beginning of their journey. However, there are consistent methods of finding them, if players know where to look as they traverse the city of Baghdad.
In , the final Head of the Order must be found and eliminated to free Baghdad, which turns out to be the former concubine of the Caliphate, Qabiha. Qabiha is a clever woman, and the Palace is well protected when Basim seeks to infiltrate it. Doing so without getting caught will be easier said than done, and once inside the Palace, it is quite challenging to leave it without being followed by every Guard in the vicinity.
Basim's main weapon in is a sword, so it's important for him to wield one that looks good as he slices and dices through the guards of Baghdad. Unlike other recent titles, alternative weapons like axes or bow aren't present in the game, meaning that one sword or another will remain equipped throughout the entire game. None of the available blades in are entirely lacking in style, but some are more basic than others, making abandoning less glamorous options once others become available to Basim a good call.
A hallmark of any game in the series, Basim must eliminate targets throughout , one of those being Al-Mardikhwar. This target is one of the Order members at the end of the multiple Investigations that began at the Sharqiyah Bureau for the Hidden Ones in Baghdad. Finding and eliminating him will take some creativity from Basim, as well as help from the Rebels.
As you make your way through , playing as Basim, you will be tasked with eliminating several targets with the first major enemy being Al-Ghul.After infiltrating the Damascus Gate Prison early in your attention will turn to eliminating the first of five targets. With the game set in the desert, many of the locations that you will visit are settlements, and Caravanserai set just outside of Baghdad, is the one where you will find Al-Ghul.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is a return to the series' roots in a sense, bringing players to 9th Century Baghdad. But how does it stack up so far compared to the recent series entries? Here is our review in progress.
There are nine Wilderness Gear Chests scattered around the outskirts of Baghdad in . These chests contain the Hidden One Dagger and Hidden One Sword, as well as their respective Upgrade Schematics. The last three chests contain pieces for the Isu set. Each item from these chests is extremely powerful and boasts a compelling reason to acquire it, but it will be no walk in the park. All the Wilderness Gear Chests are hidden in restricted areas, making it difficult for any assassin to find them.
Daggers play a big role in , so picking the design with the best looks can have a surprisingly major impact on the game experience. Although each dagger has its own unique stats, it's possible to prioritize aesthetics thanks to a transmog system included in the game. Blacksmiths will change a weapon to have the look of another for the reasonable price of 50 dirham, so it's easy to pick a blade that has the perfect perk and make it look like one that offers a little more flair.
represents a concerted effort by developer Ubisoft to return this once immensely popular franchise back to its beloved roots. In spite of abandoning the controversial RPG-style gameplay of the past several entries in the franchise, maintains an impressive array of customization options — most significantly in the character aesthetic department. Though the latest installment in the series has a limited supply of unique outfits and costumes when compared with previous installments, the developer has evidently elected to value quality over quantity as the vast majority of 's apparel options are exceptionally well-designed — though, inevitably, some are so much better than others.
Looking for the Abbasid Knight Upgrade Schematics across Baghdad in is a perplexing challenge. However, it is completely worthwhile. When out of enemy sight, the Abbasid Knight Outfit slowly regenerates Basim's health, making it ideal for an assassin of his nature. The Abbasid Knight Sword and Dagger that come with the set are also worth picking up. However, the set isn't finished even if you have all the pieces. To properly complete the collection, you must find all the Abbasid Knight Upgrade Schematics scattered throughout the map.