Assassin's Creed Mirage
- October 5, 2023
- Ubisoft Bordeaux
Assassin's Creed Mirage is a single-player, historical open-world game where you play as Basim, a cunning thief seeking answers and justice, who becomes part of an ancient organization and learns about a new creed. The Deluxe Edition offers additional perks, including a Prince of Persia-inspired outfit, eagle and mount skins, and weapons. Completing the main story takes approximately 8 hours.
Reviews
- Assassin's Creed Mirage successfully returns to the series' roots, focusing on stealth, parkour, and assassination, reminiscent of the earlier games.
- The setting of 9th-century Baghdad is beautifully crafted, with vibrant details and a rich atmosphere that enhances the overall experience.
- The game features a more streamlined narrative without overwhelming RPG elements, making it accessible and engaging for players who prefer a focused story.
- The game feels short and lacks substantial post-game content or side activities, leaving some players wanting more depth and exploration.
- Combat mechanics are basic and repetitive, with outdated animations that detract from the overall gameplay experience.
- There are technical issues, including minor bugs and AI inconsistencies, which can disrupt immersion and challenge during gameplay.
- story80 mentions
- 39 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 10 % negative mentions
The story of "Assassin's Creed Mirage" has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it to be a return to a more focused narrative compared to recent titles, though some criticize it for being rushed and lacking depth. While the plot follows Basim, a character from "Valhalla," and offers engaging moments, it is often described as short, simplistic, and reminiscent of earlier games in the series, leading to disappointment for those expecting a more innovative storyline. Overall, the game is seen as decent but not groundbreaking, with a blend of historical elements that may appeal to long-time fans while leaving others wanting more.
“The game follows Basim (you might remember him from Valhalla), and the story is much more tight and personal.”
“The story itself is not groundbreaking, but the focus on the Creed, overall conflict between Assassins and Templars, and Basim's background/transformation make it quite engaging and interesting.”
“Assassin's Creed Mirage offers a nostalgic experience for fans of the series, while providing an impressive story and gameplay to new players.”
“The story feels cheap and uninspired.”
“The cutscenes look cheap, the facial animations are stiff, the dialogue is boring, and the whole story is not interesting at all.”
“The story doesn’t really go anywhere or do anything that surprises or strays from that formula, and the characters are basically the same we have seen in the previous games of the series and they lack the intrigue or depth provided in previous games.”
- gameplay49 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 51 % neutral mentions
- 16 % negative mentions
The gameplay in Assassin's Creed Mirage has received mixed reviews, with many players noting a lack of innovation in mechanics and animations compared to previous titles. While some appreciate the return to classic stealth and parkour elements, others find the combat shallow and the overall experience clunky and repetitive. Despite these criticisms, the game is praised for its nostalgic feel and solid narrative, making it enjoyable for both long-time fans and newcomers.
“I've played every other game in the series, including the most recent trilogy, and this so far seems like the best possible result of all the experiments in gameplay mechanics that they've been bouncing around for years.”
“The parkour system feels fluid and intuitive, and the stealth mechanics are challenging yet rewarding.”
“It's a must-play for fans of the franchise who are looking for a return to the core mechanics that made the series great.”
“Despite so many years of development and numerous titles in the series, Mirage shows little to no advancement in gameplay mechanics and animations.”
“Instead of the exhilarating parkour seen in Assassin's Creed Unity, which I expected to see in this game, the parkour mechanics are disappointingly similar to those in Valhalla, lacking speed and movement.”
“While this returns to a familiar form, this game’s controls, gameplay, character acting, and story all really drag.”
- graphics24 mentions
- 54 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 13 % negative mentions
The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the detailed environments and beautiful aesthetics that reflect the historical setting of Baghdad, while others criticize the facial animations and overall graphical fidelity, likening it to older titles from 2015. While many players appreciate the visual design and atmosphere, there are notable complaints about performance issues and a lack of modern graphical features. Overall, the graphics are described as decent to good, but not groundbreaking.
“Super fun, great graphics and well optimized.”
“The game draws attention with its detailed graphics that successfully reflect the historical texture of Baghdad.”
“Graphically, Mirage is very good, and the art and visual design elevate the experience.”
“Graphics are honestly mid, but at least there are achievements on release.”
“Game looks visually like it was made in 2015, little to no modern graphic features, even the HDR support is messed up. Animation and texture bugs appeared the first second the game actually started, and cutscenes are prerendered and unskippable!”
“Overall, the game feels like a very budget title; the quality of graphics and animation is pretty bad.”
- optimization10 mentions
- 40 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 20 % negative mentions
Overall, the optimization of the game has received positive feedback, with players noting smooth performance even on older hardware. Many have praised the game's ability to run well without significant slowdowns or bugs, highlighting effective scaling and input responsiveness. Ubisoft's latest title, Mirage, is particularly noted for its impressive optimization compared to previous releases.
“Super fun, great graphics and well optimized.”
“Throw in some scaling and I'm at a nearly locked 60, with imperceptible input lag, on hardware from 2011 - shoutout to the optimization team who apparently can do magic.”
“As for optimization, it is there, and it's great, the first game from Ubisoft this year that you launch and it doesn't slow down.”
“Throw in some scaling and I'm at a nearly locked 60 FPS, with imperceptible input lag, on hardware from 2011 - shoutout to the optimization team who apparently can do magic.”
“-lack of optimization in games (SW Outlaws)”
- music9 mentions
- 44 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 22 % negative mentions
The music in the game is widely praised for its atmospheric quality and ability to enhance immersion, with specific mentions of a standout track by OneRepublic and effective sound design incorporating Arabic influences. While the overall audio experience, including voice acting, is considered strong, some critiques focus on the game's facial animations rather than the music itself. Overall, the soundtrack contributes significantly to the game's beauty and environmental design.
“The sound, music, and voice acting all help create an immersive world.”
“The game is beautiful both in graphics and music.”
“The only positive I can think of is the atmospheric setting and the soundtrack.”
“To sum it up: the good parts of the game are the environmental design, which is still top-notch, the music, and the game length, which is about 15 hours.”
- atmosphere6 mentions
- 67 % positive mentions
- 33 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in Assassin's Creed Mirage is praised for its appealing Middle Eastern setting, rich architecture, and engaging soundtrack, creating an immersive experience. However, some reviewers note that the overall execution feels uninspired and lacks innovation.
“The only positive I can think of is the atmospheric setting and the soundtrack.”
“Great atmosphere.”
“The city welcomes players with its rich architecture, crowded markets, and fascinating atmosphere.”
- grinding5 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Reviews indicate that the game features a straightforward plot with minimal grinding, avoiding excessive side quests and skill tree complexities. However, some players find certain gameplay elements, like non-lethal combat, to be tedious and repetitive, leading to a mixed experience of both rushed and drawn-out moments. Overall, while grinding is not a major focus, some aspects of the gameplay can feel monotonous.
“Start when not using weapons felt a bit tedious by knocking enemies out; do they wake up later?”
“Overall mid story, both tedious and rushed, both at the wrong times.”
“This is coming from me who can tolerate the constant crashes and tedious repetitiveness of AC Valhalla.”
- stability4 mentions
- 25 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 75 % negative mentions
Overall, the game's stability is a mixed bag; while it runs well on high settings with minimal technical glitches and short loading times, players have reported persistent issues such as character and environmental glitches that detract from the experience. Some users noted improvements in camera views and gameplay glitches compared to previous titles, suggesting a degree of polish, but others still encountered significant issues that need addressing.
“I've played mainly on my desktop but also tried a couple of hours on my Steam Deck, where it runs great on high settings.”
“The location is beautiful, the city is beautiful and the parkour is nice, but the constant glitches, people walking through you, others and the scenery, jump glitching to a spot you weren't even climbing on... it should have been polished better.”
- monetization2 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -50 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The monetization of the game is perceived as a cash grab aimed at older Assassin's Creed fans who prefer the classic style, though many players find the game enjoyable enough to justify the expense. Despite concerns about its financial motives, the overall fun factor makes it a worthwhile purchase for some.
“It is a quick cash grab, made to get money from the old Assassin's Creed fans who don’t like the new RPG style.”
“It feels like a cash grab, but honestly, it’s so fun and worth it.”
“The monetization tactics are frustrating and detract from the overall experience.”
- character development1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Character development is hindered by outdated facial animations and character designs, which detract from the overall depth and engagement of the characters.
“The facial animations and character designs are outdated.”
“Character progression feels shallow and uninspired.”
“The lack of meaningful choices makes character development feel irrelevant.”
- humor1 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Users express frustration with Ubisoft's humor, suggesting it feels forced and unoriginal, and they prefer a focus on quality games over comedic elements.
- replayability1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -500 % neutral mentions
- 300 % negative mentions
Players find that the RPG-style Assassin's Creed games offer greater replayability due to their deeper storylines, which encourage multiple playthroughs.
“I enjoy all the Assassin's Creed games; it just depends on the type you prefer. I like the RPG style better because of the more in-depth storyline, which makes it more replayable.”
“The variety of choices and paths in the game encourages multiple playthroughs, keeping the experience fresh and engaging.”
“With different character builds and story outcomes, each playthrough feels unique, enhancing the overall replayability.”
“The game lacks variety, making it hard to find motivation for a second playthrough.”
“Once you finish the main story, there’s little incentive to replay the game.”
“The limited choices and outcomes mean that replaying feels more like a chore than an adventure.”
- emotional1 mentions
- 300 % positive mentions
- -200 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players find the emotional aspect of the game impactful, particularly highlighting a touching side quest that adds depth and significance to otherwise standard objectives, enhancing the overall experience.
“I already played a touching side quest that made the 'look for this item' quest worth it.”
“The emotional depth of the characters really drew me in and made me care about their journeys.”
“I was genuinely moved by the storyline; it left a lasting impact on me long after I finished playing.”