It’s hard to believe it’s been 3 years since the last game in the Assassin’s Creed franchise which once was releasing entries on a yearly basis. After originally being conceived as DLC for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Ubisoft Bordeaux reworked Mirage into a standalone title, aiming to be more like early games in the franchise with the focus on stealth and assassinations rather than the massive role-playing games they’ve become with Valhalla and Odyssey.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage follows the story of Basim Ibn Ishaw in 9th Century Baghdad as he starts his life as part of the Hidden Ones. With an impressive array of weapons and tools at his disposal and an eagle companion named Enkidu, Basim will follow his orders to assassinate various figures in Baghdad while trying to uncover his own past.
The majority of the Koalaty Critics thoroughly enjoyed this scaled back entry in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, with many hoping that this is the direction it takes going forward. The critics praised the more focused story, the beautiful recreation of Baghdad and the stealth and parkour mechanics. Many did point out that the non-stealth combat was not as good as in other rentries, possibly by design to dissuade players from try to fight their way through every situation.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is available now on Playstation 5, Playstation 4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One and PC.
Here’s what Australian critics are saying about the game.
KOALATY CRITICS – AUSTRALIAN CRITICS
Checkpoint Gaming – 8/10 (Edie W-K)
Those who prefer the old Assassin’s Creed games will find a lot to love about Mirage. The map is big enough to be a joy to explore, but is not so big that it becomes tiresome, and the freerunning mechanics that allow Basim to parkour uninterrupted feel natural and easy. There are a smattering of sidequests and extra collectables, but not enough to bog you down with indecision.
GamesHub – 4/5 (Edmond Tran)
In Mirage, I felt more comfortable taking a moment to watch the rug salesman unfurl his wares, seek out and eagerly read the museum-like nodes that provide real-world historical context to the virtual recreation. These artistic efforts mirror those in the sprawling words of Odyssey and Valhalla, but knowing that Baghdad was the only place I needed to care about in Assassin’s Creed Mirage encouraged me to get to know it intimately, and motivated me to build a closer connection and attachment to its streets.
MKAU Gaming – 9/10 (Hayden Nelson)
If you are new or returning to the Assassin’s Creed Franchise you will not be disappointed. It comes complete with a rich storyline and immersive gameplay, filled with amazing combat and the incredible open-world Assassin’s Creed is known for.
Player2 – B (Matt Hewson and Jess Zammit)
Matt: The best thing about the game was the story. It was focused, entertaining and wonderfully acted by all of the voice actors. Basim was a character I could get behind and while he didn’t have the charisma of Ezio, Edward or Kassandra he was a likeable sod in his own way.
PowerUp Gaming – GOOD (Leo Stevenson)
While it’s nice to have a simpler, more straightforward Assassin’s Creed game, it feels like a throwback in the wrong ways. Playing Assassin’s Creed: Mirage didn’t make me nostalgic for those early games in the series, instead, it made me miss all the incredible content and advancements present in Odyssey and Valhalla. In saying that, it’s hard not to enjoy Assassin’s Creed: Mirage.
Press Start – 8/10 (James Berich)
Assassin’s Creed Mirage makes great effort to simplify the Assassin’s Creed formula back to what it was when it first found popularity. The solid stealth mechanics lend themselves well to creating satisfying infiltrations and the open-ended assassinations are some of the series most engaging contracts. It’s just a shame that in scaling so much back, the optional content is lacking and the story ultimately goes nowhere
SIFTER – No Score (Gianni Di Giovanni)
You know when I knew Assassin’s Creed Mirage had got me? I found myself searching for the historical places and people just to learn more. That’s something I remember fondly doing when playing the original on my Xbox 360 and Ubisoft have done a great job of recreating that feeling from all so long ago.
Stevivor – 8.5 /10 (Ben Salter)
It’s rekindled why Assassin’s Creed was a sudden sensation. Much like Mario returning to his 2D roots in the mid-2000s, it reminds us that the old way still has its charms. While there’s a place for the sprawling action-RPGs, pure Assassin’s Creed is a fantastic 15-to-20-hour experience – so long as you’re happy to follow the more obvious blueprint.
WellPlayed – 8/10 (James Wood)
A labour of love out of Ubisoft’s Bordeaux team, the developer’s first major project following a string of well received DLC expansions, Mirage is aptly named. A warbling, heat-induced vision comprised of equal parts desire, hope, and anxiety, the game reflects the series back onto itself with largely successful results
