Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review – PC

Assassin’s Creed Mirage: A Stealthy Return to Form

The Roots of Stealth Reborn

In the latest entry of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage, we’re stepping into the sandals of Basim Ibn Is’Haq. Known to fans from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Mirage rewinds the tape to 9th Century Baghdad. Compared to Odyssey’s pan-Grecian voyage and Valhalla’s Viking invasion, Mirage tightens its scope to the rich backdrop of Baghdad. The game revives the franchise’s stealth elements, which were somewhat sidelined in favor of RPG mechanics in recent iterations. This is a stealth lover’s playground—your skills matter more than your character’s level.

Basim Ibn Is’Haq: Master of Shadows

Basim’s approach to combat emphasizes finesse over brute force. His fighting style is a calculated dance of parries, dodges, and counter-attacks. The notoriety system keeps you on your toes—mess up, and the elite guards will come knockin’ at your door. The gameplay mechanics circle back to the franchise’s core stealth elements, letting players disappear into the crowd and strike when the time is right.

Focused but Complex Gameplay

The game cuts back on level-gating and puts the emphasis back on skill. Though it warns you about exploring tougher areas, those boundaries feel less imposing than in previous titles like Valhalla or Origins. Mirage centers the experience around being an Assassin, not an RPG hero grinding for the next unlockable skill.

Skill Tree vs Investigation Journal

Instead of a sprawling skill tree, Mirage opts for a more streamlined, impactful set of abilities. Combined with the investigation journal instead of a quest log, the game prioritizes narrative agency, letting you piece together clues and decide your next steps.

Token of Discontent

However, it’s not all sunshine and hidden blades. The introduction of Favor tokens as a form of currency feels like an unnecessary detour. These tokens are more of a hurdle than an engaging gameplay element, forcing players to take on certain missions to earn them or pickpocketing.

Scoring these Favor tokens ain’t just a walk in the park—yo, you gotta be slick with your fingers. You can pickpocket ’em, but listen up: it’s only doable in some uber-specific spots. Makes snaggin’ these bad boys a real grind, no cap.

The Essence of Baghdad

Baghdad isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a fully realized world with each district oozing its unique ambiance. While the crowd density could use a bump, the architectural mastery from the Ubisoft Bordeaux team breathes life into this historic city. Special shoutout to the Baghdad House of Wisdom—an in-game monument to the Islamic Golden Age.

Master of Shadows in a Living, Breathing City

Baghdad is more than just eye-candy; it’s a living, breathing space that reacts to your every move. Utilize Basim’s nimble fingers to pickpocket both civilians and soldiers, netting you all kinds of useful loot like keys, quest items, silver, and crafting materials. But watch out, because your actions don’t go unnoticed.

Step outta line and you’ll raise your Notoriety level, triggering the city’s alarm bells—literally. The first threshold has civilians recognizing Basim and snitching to the guards. Level up that Notoriety and guards get eagle eyes, archers patrol rooftops, and more Wanted Posters show up. Go full rogue and the elite Shakiriyya guards are sent after you, making your life a stealthy hell.

This is where Favor tokens come in handy. This parallel currency can be used to reduce Notoriety, gain information, or trigger quest opportunities. Need to distract a guard? Pay a musician to bust out a tune. Want to move incognito? Slip some silver to a merchant patrol. Feel like letting someone else do the dirty work? Hire mercenaries to rough up the local military presence.

And let’s not forget social blending. Sometimes stealth is the best offense, and blending into crowds or strategically placed groups of civilians lets you navigate high-risk areas without drawing your blade. In a city as dynamic as Baghdad, being a chameleon is just as important as being a killer.

Smooth Sailing and Frame Rates: Running Mirage on High-End Gear

If you’re rolling with high-end gear, you’re in for a visual treat. We cranked up Assassin’s Creed Mirage on an RTX 4090, coupled with an i9-13900K and a 3840 x 1600 Predator X38 monitor—all settings maxed out. The performance? Pure eye-candy, clocking in at an average of 147 FPS. Even when the game’s chaos peaked, frame rates dipped to a low of 19 and skyrocketed to a high of 237 when uncapped.

While the gameplay was mostly buttery smooth, we did catch a couple of frame stalls—a hiccup, but nothing that breaks the immersion. The game is a stunner, no doubt. With gear like this, you’re not just playing; you’re getting lost in a near-photorealistic recreation of 9th Century Baghdad. We did encounter minor glitches here and there including input errors, character control loss, minor parkour fails, and the occasional people dropping from the sky.

The Basim Enigma: Unpacking a Complex Backstory and Future Potential

While Basim’s character in Assassin’s Creed Mirage might seem a tad underwhelming when stacked against his multi-layered portrayal in Valhalla, don’t be too quick to judge. There’s a ton of room for growth, and we’re all ears for some future DLC to dive deeper into his saga. In Valhalla, Basim stands out as a Hidden One, a forerunner to the Assassins, and ups the ante with a cosmic twist—being revealed as the reincarnation of an Ancient God.

Mirage takes us on a different route, rewinding to Basim’s early life as a thief on the bustling streets of 9th Century Baghdad. This younger Basim adds fresh dimensions to an already intricate persona. But here’s the kicker: Assassin’s Creed Mirage doesn’t demand you to be a walking encyclopedia of the franchise’s lore. The game excels as a self-contained narrative, serving up a storyline that’s as enjoyable for Assassin’s Creed newbies as it is for the lore masters among us. Whether you’ve been reppin’ the Creed since day one or you’re just tagging in, the narrative in Mirage packs enough intrigue and depth to stand solo.

A Narrative Worth Every Second: Story Arcs and Game Length

If the main quest isn’t enough to satisfy your Assassin’s appetite, don’t fret. Assassin’s Creed Mirage doesn’t skimp on the extras. Contracts and side quests are ready to gobble up a good chunk of your gaming hours, adding a meaty layer to the overall experience.

Now, let’s talk story structure. Mirage unfolds its narrative through eight distinct arcs, bringing a tightly woven, narrative-driven progression to the table. While most of these arcs guide you down a set path, the game does toss you a bone with three arcs that can be tackled in any order you please. This bit of non-linearity adds just enough spice to keep you guessing without straying too far from the game’s central storyline.

Final Take

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a refreshing return to the franchise’s roots, but not without its pitfalls. While the focused narrative and re-emphasis on stealth mechanics are a breath of fresh air, some gameplay elements like the Favor tokens feel like they’re holding the experience back. Yet, for fans of the series, Mirage is a trip down memory lane, offering a blend of the old and the new that mostly hits the mark.

Platforms: PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Microsoft Windows, Amazon Luna