Ubisoft has fully unveiled Assassin’s Creed Mirage, a new action-adventure game in a series focused on stealth and parkour.
Revealed as part of Ubisoft Forward’s Assassin’s Creed Showcase, Assassin’s Creed Mirage casts you as Basim Ibn Ishaq and is set in the streets of Baghdad 20 years before the events of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. The developer, Ubisoft Bordeaux, has modernized his template for the original gameplay of his early Assassin’s Creed games, using the same three pillars of his design as the original game: stealth, parkour, and assassination. It has been designed with purpose in mind.
No gameplay was shown, but there was a CGI cinematic trailer focusing on Basim’s rise from simple street thief to master assassin. He does so under the guidance of Roshan, a Persian assassin played by Emmy Award-winning actor Shohreh Aghdashloo. Narrative his director Sarah Beaulieu said the duo’s storyline could be expected to involve many historical figures, including political leaders.
In an additional briefing released to the press, Ubisoft Bordeaux revealed many additional details. Like the earlier entries in the series, this is a city-setting game, with Baghdad divided into his four distinct districts. Beyond Baghdad you will also visit Alamut, the fortified headquarters of the Hidden Ones.
The world was designed with both parkour routes and stealth in mind, so expect plenty of pathways to rooftops and hiding places. A new, more detailed detection system has been created to allow for more detail in stealth encounters. According to Ubisoft, you can also expect classic parkour moves like corner swings to return, and a faster free-running pace than in previous games.
Returning to a more classic game template also meant removing the RPG structure of modern Assassin’s Creed games. Mirage has been described as a more linear game with an emphasis on story. Like the original game, it has a series of linear mission chains, followed by segments where you can choose from a variety of available quests.
Some of these quests are what Ubisoft calls “black box missions” and are the main assassination quests. No details have been revealed, but it is said to offer an “opportunity to define the means and path to take down the next target.” Perhaps they were taking advantage of AC Unity’s assassination missions, offering different ways to infiltrate and kill targets at range?
Assassin’s Creed Mirage certainly goes back to its roots, but a modern take on these ideas introduces some new concepts. The eagle companion that first appeared in Assassin’s Creed Origins is back. According to Ubisoft, using bird sight can help you pinpoint stealth routes, but you’ll have to watch out for the new Archer enemy that can shoot eagles out of the sky. Basim also has access to the “Assassin’s Focus” which slows down time allowing him to perform multiple assassinations at once. Sounds like his Assassin’s Creed answer to Splinter Cell’s Mark and Execute system.
Beyond these additions, Basim’s kit seems to fall within the tradition of the series, including blowguns, traps, and mines. You can also do
Assassin’s Creed Mirage launches on Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS5, PS4, PC, and Amazon Luna in 2023. Three editions are planned. The $50 Standard Edition, $60 Deluxe Edition (with “Additional Content”) and $150 Collector’s Case include the Deluxe Edition plus Basim’s 32 cm statue, brooch replica, map and art Books, soundtracks, and steelbooks.
Check out our recap for everything announced at today’s Ubisoft Forward event.
Matt Purslow is IGN’s UK News and Features Editor.
