Assassin's Creed Mirage takes a lot of important, imperfect steps to get back to its roots, and though that means as it does no particular thing exceptionally well, it manages to capture the essence of what made the series great in the first place. The game's setting is a vibrant and bustling city, filled with opportunities for stealthy assassinations and parkour acrobatics.
The brilliance of Mirage is the way it marries Ubi Montreal's original vision of social stealth with a modern interpretation of what a good open-world game should be. The result is a game that feels familiar yet fresh, with a renewed focus on the art of assassination and subterfuge.
Assassin's Creed Mirage review: the most enjoyable Assassin's Creed game for years. Everything is permitted, but stabbing is the most permitted. The game's combat system has been refined to be more responsive and fluid, making for satisfying encounters with enemies.
The Bad: The game's storyline cannot stand on its own, requiring knowledge from previous games to be interesting. The supporting cast of characters is also lacking in depth and development, making it difficult to become emotionally invested in their fates.
“Assassin's Creed Mirage is a fantastic return to form for the long-running franchise, and by leveraging the very best of the series' offerings, it delivers an experience that will please both longtime fans and newcomers alike. The game's world is rich and detailed, with plenty of side activities to keep players engaged for hours on end.
Compared to the last few AC games, Origins/Odyssey/Valhalla, Mirage is almost a complete throwback to the older style games in the franchise. The game's focus on stealth and assassination feels like a breath of fresh air, and the more linear mission structure helps to keep the pacing tight and focused.
So, does Mirage pull it off? Do we have an AC game that feels like a game about assassins once more? The answer is a definite “yes”, though there are still areas where the game could have been improved. The game's AI, for example, is still somewhat lacking in intelligence, and the parkour mechanics can be a bit clunky at times.
Since you play the game by killing people and going into restricted areas, you build up notoriety. The only way to remove it is by pulling down posters and killing corrupt officials. This system adds a layer of tension to the gameplay, as players must carefully manage their notoriety to avoid attracting unwanted attention.
From a technical perspective, Mirage is a solid game, and is once again helped by its smaller scope. With a more condensed world and a less cluttered map, the game's performance is smooth and stable, even on lower-end hardware. The game's visuals are also impressive, with detailed character models and stunning environments that bring the world of Mirage to life.
