You've probably heard the marketing pitch by now. Ubisoft promised a "return to roots." They told us they were ditching the massive, bloated maps of Valhalla and Odyssey to give us something that felt like 2007 again. But when you’re staring at the digital storefront, the big question remains: is Assassin's Creed Mirage good enough to justify the nostalgia trip, or is it just a smaller version of the same old formula?
Honestly, the answer depends entirely on what you hated about the last few games. If you were tired of spending 150 hours chasing question marks across England, Mirage is a breath of fresh air. It’s tight. It’s focused. It’s about being an actual assassin in a city, not a Viking warrior who occasionally crouches in tall grass. But it isn't perfect. Basim, our protagonist, isn't exactly Ezio Auditore in terms of charisma, and the combat—well, it's definitely an afterthought.
The Baghdad Scale: Why Size Actually Matters
For years, Ubisoft went bigger. Valhalla was massive. It was also exhausting. Mirage takes place in 9th-century Baghdad, and the map is a fraction of the size of previous entries. This is arguably its greatest strength.
Instead of empty fields, you get a dense, vertical playground. You’re constantly parkouring over rooftops, sliding through stalls, and using the environment to disappear. It feels lived-in. You actually start to learn the layout of the Round City rather than just staring at a waypoint on your HUD. This density serves the gameplay because, for the first time in a decade, social stealth actually matters again. You can blend into crowds. You can pay musicians to distract guards. It’s less about "numbers go up" RPG mechanics and more about "how do I get into this palace without being seen?"
The developers at Ubisoft Bordeaux clearly looked at the original Assassin’s Creed and AC II for inspiration. You see it in the way Basim moves. While the engine is still technically the one used for Valhalla, they’ve tweaked the gravity and animations to make the parkour feel more fluid. It’s not quite the complex system of the Unity days—which many fans still consider the gold standard—but it’s a massive step up from the clunky climbing we've had recently.
Is Assassin's Creed Mirage Good for Stealth Purists?
If you play these games to be a ghost, you’re going to be happy. Mostly.
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The "Black Box" missions return here. These are open-ended assassination targets where the game gives you a location and a goal, then lets you figure out how to execute it. Maybe you bribe a servant to unlock a back door. Maybe you steal a disguise. This freedom is where Mirage shines. It stops holding your hand and lets you be creative.
However, the AI can be... questionable.
Sometimes a guard will spot you from a mile away through a crack in a wall. Other times, you can whistle from around a corner and kill five men in a row because they keep walking into the same pile of hay to investigate their dead friends. It’s a bit janky. But that jank feels oddly nostalgic, too. It’s that classic Assassin’s Creed experience where you feel like a god-tier killer right up until the moment the physics engine decides you should jump off a building into the street instead of into the haystack.
Tools of the Trade
Basim has a belt full of gadgets that actually feel useful.
- Throwing Knives: Your best friend for silent long-range kills or breaking environmental traps.
- Smoke Bombs: Still the most overpowered tool in the game. Drop one and you can vanish or just stab everyone while they cough.
- Blowdarts: Great for putting guards to sleep or making them go berserk.
- Noisemakers: Essential for pulling a guard away from a post without alerting the whole camp.
The Combat Problem
Here is the thing: the combat in Mirage is intentionally mediocre. The developers have gone on record saying they wanted to discourage players from just fighting their way out of every situation. If you get surrounded by four or five guards, you’re probably going to die. Basim is fragile. He doesn't have the magical spear of Leonidas or the dual-wielding axes of Eivor.
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Parrying is the name of the game. If you time it right, you get an instant kill. If you miss, you lose a huge chunk of health. It makes the stakes higher, but it also makes the game feel a bit stiff when things go loud. If you’re looking for a robust action-RPG where you can build a "warrior" class, you will be disappointed. This is a game that wants you to run away the moment you’re spotted. Honestly? That’s exactly what an assassin should do.
Story, Basim, and the "Valhalla" Connection
Basim Ibn Ishaq is a complicated character. We first met him in Valhalla as a seasoned, somewhat mysterious Master Assassin. Mirage is a prequel that shows his origin as a common street thief in Anbar.
Is the story compelling? It’s okay. It’s a bit "by the numbers" in terms of the hidden ones vs. the order of the ancients. You hunt down members of a secret council to liberate Baghdad. It works, but it lacks the emotional weight of Bayek’s journey in Origins. The voice acting is solid, especially if you play with the Arabic voice track (which I highly recommend for the atmosphere), but Basim himself feels a bit hollow until the very end of the game when the plot finally connects back to the wider series lore.
For those who aren't caught up on the meta-narrative of the series, the ending might be confusing. For the lore nerds, it’s a goldmine. But even if you don't care about the Isu or the modern-day stuff (which is virtually non-existent here, thankfully), the historical tourist aspect of Baghdad is worth the price of admission alone.
Technical Performance and Visuals
Baghdad is gorgeous. The way the sun hits the dust in the markets and the vibrant blues of the tiled domes in the Round City is stunning. Ubisoft has always been great at digital tourism, and they haven't lost their touch here.
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On PS5 and Xbox Series X, the game runs at a smooth 60fps in performance mode. You’ll see some screen tearing here and there, and the lip-syncing in cutscenes can be a bit wooden, but overall, it’s a polished experience. It’s also worth noting that this wasn't a $70 game at launch. It was priced lower ($50) because it’s a smaller, 20-25 hour experience. That transparency is appreciated. It’s not trying to be a "forever game." It’s a weekend experience.
Common Misconceptions
A lot of people think Mirage is just DLC for Valhalla that got turned into a standalone game. While it started that way in development, it has its own identity. It uses the same engine, sure, but the rhythm of play is fundamentally different. You aren't managing a settlement. You aren't raiding monasteries. You are stalking targets.
What You Should Do Next
If you’ve been away from the series since Syndicate or Unity because it got too big and bloated, Mirage is the perfect time to come back. It’s a focused, traditional stealth game that respects your time.
To get the most out of your play session, follow these steps:
- Turn off the HUD elements: The game is much more immersive when you aren't staring at icons. Use your eagle, Enkidu, to scout, then rely on your eyes.
- Play with Arabic Audio: It changes the entire vibe of the game and makes the setting feel authentic. Subtitles are excellent.
- Prioritize the "Extra" Tools: Don't just stick to knives. Upgrading your smoke bombs to include a healing vapor or a corrosive effect changes the game.
- Ignore the "Assassin Focus" if you want a challenge: There’s a new mechanic that lets you teleport-kill three or four enemies at once. It’s cool, but it’s a bit "superhero-ish." If you want that old-school feel, just don't use it.
Is Assassin's Creed Mirage good? Yes. It’s a confident, compact stealth title that successfully trims the fat. It doesn't reinvent the wheel, and it certainly won't win over people who hate the Ubisoft formula entirely, but for fans who missed the hidden blade and the white hood, it feels like coming home.