Assassin’s Creed Mirage Looks Backwards When It Should Leap Forward

ign.com:

A hidden blade in the crowd was, from the very start, the core fantasy of Assassin’s Creed. Across 16 years of iteration and innovation it has remained the series’ soul. Despite the focus drifting into an action-oriented design, a silent kill using that iconic retractable wrist blade has always been its crown jewel. Even Valhalla’s Eivor, a viking warrior, uses the hidden blade. But it’s no secret that stealth in Assassin’s Creed is not what it used to be, and that’s what made Mirage such an enticing prospect: a chance to get back to what Assassin’s Creed was made for.

Mirage did just that. But it perhaps took the mission brief a little too literally. Rather than embrace modern stealth design and make a sneaky Assassin’s Creed for the current day, developer Ubisoft Bordeaux has crafted a throwback to the earliest days of the series. It’s a cute idea to celebrate (last year’s) 15th anniversary, but it also makes for a game that feels stuck in the past. With renewed focus, though, Mirage’s flaws could become the foundations for an exciting new era.

Assassin’s Creed has always had an unusual relationship with stealth. Patrice Désilets, the series’ creator, largely ignored the rules established by genre titans like Thief, Metal Gear Solid, and Ubisoft’s own Splinter Cell. Observing and manipulating guard patrols was barely a concern, not least because protagonist Altaïr had no tools with which to distract enemies with. Instead, Désilets was more interested in social stealth; becoming invisible by blending into the crowd. By hiding among regular people Altaïr could eavesdrop on informants, tail targets, and pickpocket important items. He could even kill someone in the street and melt away unseen. Well, at least in theory.

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