News game Assassin’s Creed Mirage finally unveils gameplay and it’s stunning!
Published on 06/12/2023 at 20:15
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After an appearance at the PlayStation Showcase, gameplay was expected for Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Ubisoft did not disappoint us with ten minutes of gameplay. We can finally see the back-to-basics episode at work and it might shock more than one.
Back to basics: infiltration, parkour, assassination
It’s no secret that Assassin’s Creed Mirage was thought of as a return to basics, a tribute to the first games of the license to celebrate its 15th anniversary. We also asked Benjamin Potts (animation director): “why didn’t you do a remake like everyone else?” According to him, even if he understands the fans’ desire for a remake and recognizes that Ubisoft is aware of it, it made more sense to offer a game that was more of a celebration, a mix between a return to basics and a tribute to the different opuses of the franchise. But it is true that overall, Mirage clearly looks like the first Assassin’s Creed of the name (see Assassin’s Creed II). And this is not only due to the fact that with Mirage the license takes us to the Middle East again
It is clear that the gameplay exudes nostalgia. Return of optional contracts, almost ubiquitous stealth assassinations, possibility of hiding in the middle of the crowd, Black Box missions, eagle vision… There’s a little bit of every Assassin’s Creed in Mirage. In addition, everything has been thought out to push players to discretion. This is why we should not expect to find the more aggressive fights of the last opuses. According to the details of Benjamin Potts, Basim will only have two weapons at his disposal (against a whole wheel of tools to advance discreetly). The combat system will therefore be similar to that of the first games, simpler and with comparable feel and mechanics. But that does not mean that it will be laborious, at least that is what Benjamin promises us. If the feel is very old, the hitbox system is inspired more by the latest opuses for example. The goal is still to bet on stealth, but if that fails, Basim is therefore more than capable of defending himself. We also note the absence of levels for the enemies who can almost all be assassinated discreetly in one shot, as in the first AC. Are you starting to feel like deja vu? Don’t worry, the Ubisoft Bordeaux teams have concocted a few surprises for us.
We wanted to find iconic and memorable mechanics for players. It was really important to us!
Benjamin Potts
Some new features in Assassin’s Creed Mirage
You probably noticed it during the gameplay presentation: Mirage has a few new features in stock. One of them had already been explained last year. But tonight, we got to see it in action! Mirage will have different enemy archetypes, and some will be able to scare your eagle away. Under these conditions, it is impossible to do your tracking correctly. You have to go and assassinate the enemies who are causing concern in order to be able to call your companion again. It will also be possible to bring down scaffolding or other objects in order to slow down the progress of your pursuers and/or disappear in a cloud of smoke.
But the most striking additions are the reputation system and the assassin focus. The first is represented by the bar at the bottom right of the screen. As Benjamin told us during our interview, it includes three different levels that will change the way people around you react: “It’s ok with NPCs pointing at you and saying ‘this is the wanted man” to enemy archetypes that alert an entire section with a fog horn.” In short, the higher your level, the more difficult it will be to go unnoticed. Of course, some actions will raise this gauge, while others will lower it.
As for the assassin focus, it is linked to the left gauge and allows Basim to assassinate several enemies simultaneously… well more or less. As Benjamin explained to us, this exclusive mechanic was designed to show off Basim’s exceptional agility and speed (which you may have already seen in action if you’ve finished Assassin’s Creed Valhalla). The system looks rather ingenious and gives a little something extra to this tribute game: a separate identity. We just have to wait for October 12 to see what it will give, whether on PC, PS5, PS4, Xbox Series and Xbox One.
About Assassin’s Creed Mirage
