Assassin’s Creed Mirage Review

thesixthaxis.com:

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a game that fans of the series have been demanding for a long time. It steps away from the huge open world RPGs of Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla and slips back into the original social stealth gameplay for which the series was originally known. Yet it’s indelibly linked to the most recent games thanks to its protagonist, telling the backstory of Basim, a significant character from Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Basim starts the game as a thief on the streets of Baghdad, but it’s not long before his illegal antics get him roped into joining the Hidden Ones and getting his very own secret wrist blade. What follows is the obligatory hunting down of a mysterious order, and a narrative that’s pretty much right in line with what you’d expect and want from an Assassin’s Creed throwback.

What else do we want? Social stealth, ridiculously conspicuous robes and weapons, and sitting on benches, and Mirage has all of that. It really is a return to the classic style, you’ll find yourself blending into “crowds” of three people to get past guards, waiting around on benches so you can stab a guard and sit them down “inconspicuously,” and running away when you get spotted because twelve guards is a bit too many to fight off again if you’ve run out of smoke bombs. If you miss the gameplay of the Ezio saga or Syndicate, this is exactly what you want.

There are even some refinements to the formula. Eavesdropping is much improved, as now you tend to sit on a nearby bench to listen instead of following people around. You’ll now need to identify opportunities like access points, disguises, or nearby fighters who can attack the guards so you can slip into restricted areas to assassinate people. Your tools are your second or