Critical: Returning to Roots is Also Its Primary Flaw

The time has finally come; we are here, and the hour of the grand verdict for Assassin’s Creed Mirage has arrived. This game has generated significant buzz since its announcement a year ago due to its decision to回归系列最初的精髓，专注于纯粹的潜行元素。不再有过去三部作品中的动作角色扮演游戏成分；在这里，我们致力于展现该系列最初的模样，并承诺游戏可以在大约十五小时内完成。是的，在2023年，能够在如此短的时间内完成一款游戏已成为一个卖点。确实如此，那么这种回归初心对于整个系列来说是一个好决定还是坏决定呢？

As a result, the goal with Assassin’s Creed Mirage is to explore Basim’s youth and understand how he evolved into the character seen in Valhalla twenty years prior. Before becoming the powerful and confident assassin, Basim was initially just a small-time thief, a minor ruffian in 9th-century Baghdad. The game is set in the year 861, when the capital of Iraq was one of the most prestigious cities in the world, only to be completely destroyed five centuries later by the Mongols. I will be very clear; the greatest strength of this Assassin’s Creed installment is its portrayal of Baghdad itself. The game developers announced a faithful recreation of historical Baghdad, and for the most part, they have delivered on that promise. Simply put, it is undoubtedly the most enchanting city depicted in an Assassin’s Creed title to date. While there may be debate about comparing it to Revolutionary France’s Paris in Assassin’s Creed Unity, Mirage excels uniquely in its representation of Baghdad.

I LOVE YOU BAGHDAD

The city is vibrant, filled with residents and intricate details; exploring it is an irresistible pleasure. Each district boasts its unique identity, showcasing impressive diversity. This immersion is complete, almost making one prefer spending more time on the ground rather than aloft. Given the narrow alleys, Baghdad is ideal for parkour and the agile movements of our beloved Assassins. You can climb anywhere, leap from rooftop to rooftop, slip through tight passages, blend into crowds, even vanish underwater if guards become a nuisance. Sometimes, merely opening the map reveals Baghdad’s richness. With everything concentrated, it also conveys a sense of great variety; recognizing streets or passages during an initial playthrough is nearly impossible. Besides Baghdad, the game allows exploration of Alamut, a highly symbolic region where the Brotherhood’s renowned fortress was built and where the Creed originated. Although Mirage’s map is smaller than those in Assassin’s Creed Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, its concentration and on-screen activity make the smaller size negligible. A denser play area with plenty to do is preferable to vast, underutilized spaces. Moreover, Assassin’s Creed Mirage is visually stunning; one must commend Ubisoft Bordeaux and all subcontracting companies involved in its creation.

A Problem

We would have preferred NPCs to exhibit more realistic and organic behaviors, but that is not the case this time around, although they generally perform adequately overall. The area where it falls short is in the enemy AI, which feels completely off and artificial. This was noted during our previews and confirmed in the final version: enemies are quite unintelligent, to be frank. In fact, activating eagle vision reveals their extremely limited field of view and inconsistent patterns. Enemies can only see up to 10 meters ahead, are entirely deaf, and most importantly, they have a frustrating tendency to quickly forget that they were pursuing Basim. All it takes is putting some distance between them or hiding in bushes or haystacks for them to lose track of him. Assassin’s Creed AI has never been exceptional, but in 2023, after titles like Red Dead Redemption 2, The Last of Us Part II, or even Ghost of Tsushima, having such a low level of AI is concerning, especially for an important franchise like Assassin’s Creed.

The moment has arrived; the highly anticipated verdict for Assassin’s Creed Mirage is now here. Since its announcement a year ago, the game has garnered significant attention due to its decision to return to its roots, emphasizing pure stealth gameplay. Unlike the recent action-RPG elements in previous episodes, this installment focuses on the series’ original essence, promising completion within fifteen hours of playtime. Indeed, being able to finish a game so quickly has become an appealing feature in 2023.

Less is More

What is most concerning about the proposal is forcing the player to engage exclusively in infiltration. While the game has been designed with stealth mechanics at its core, finding a balance with the legacy of recent episodes would have been more prudent. Direct confrontation or simple fights are not rewarded, even though it is possible to alert guards and fight against numerous soldiers; however, this is not the developers’ intended approach. The combat system has been marginalized; strikes are limited, the parrying system is poorly executed, and everything encourages the player to flee or remain hidden. Emphasizing discretion by returning to the series’ roots is appreciated, but it would have been more desirable for Ubisoft to be more ambitious regarding infiltration possibilities. Drawing inspiration from “The Last of Us Part 2,” which successfully balances stealth and intense combat, could have enhanced the overall gameplay experience.

About the Author

Ahmed Hassan

Author

Author's posts