What do we Know About Assassin’s Creed Mirage?

Assassin’s Creed fans recently got the news they had all been waiting for. According to a report in Gematsu, Ubisoft confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Mirage will be released in 2023. The French studio has always been consistent with its flagship franchise, and there was no doubt that there would be a new game soon. The main speculation was on the period that it would focus on. It will be the Islamic Golden Age, with much of the gameplay occurring in 9th-century Baghdad.

Game Set During the Islamic Golden Age

In the early days of the Assassin’s Creed series, the games were set in the Middle East during the Third Crusade. Thanks to the overwhelming popularity of those initial titles, Ubisoft decided to expand to other parts of the world, along with diverse time periods. Now, Assassin’s Creed is returning to its roots, this time with an Iraqi setting in the year 861 AD.  

The new title with have links to its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, as it will follow Basim Ibn Ishaq. This was a character introduced in the 2020 title, and the new game has been described as his coming-of-age story. Players will start off as a street thief learning to fight before becoming a Hidden One – part of a legendary order of assassins.

Drawing on the Overwhelming Popularity of History in Gaming

Once again, Assassin’s Creed will attract a lot of players through its use of historical themes and interesting periods of civilization. Throughout the gaming industry, it’s clear that historical games are among the most popular offerings on every platform. On mobile, for example, many of the most played games take inspiration from the past. Clash of Clans is one of the highest-earning games ever, and it’s inspired by early civilizations. Vikings: War of Clans and Sparta: War of Empires are another two hugely popular mobile MMOs.

The online casino industry is perhaps the best place to see how popular historical themes are. At all the sites listed by BCW, many of the slot games are based on historical eras. Players may be drawn to these bitcoin casinos for their generous deposit matches and free spins bonuses, but the games also have an influence on where they play. Rich Wilde and the Book of Dead is up there with the most popular, and this uses an ancient Egyptian theme. Other popular historical series include the Age of Gods franchise originally set in ancient Greece, and Aztec-inspired slot games with titles such as Aztec Magic Megaways.

Could This Be the Best Game in the Series?

With so many amazing titles in the Assassin’s Creed franchise, it would be hard for Mirage to topple some of the greats. It may well be the most advanced and graphically beautiful of all the offerings, but there are indications that it won’t have quite the same effect as games like Odyssey and Valhalla. The 2020 title, in particular, was lauded as one of the best games ever released. However, some Assassin’s Creed purists were slightly disappointed about how far it veered from the core premise of the series. 

It has already been announced that Mirage will be a smaller game, with only around 15-20 hours of gameplay according to Gaming Dope. It’s designed as a celebratory title to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Ubisoft’s hugely successful series, meaning that it will pay tribute to some of the earlier games by featuring many of the same tropes. This could mean that it has a tighter story that works better than some of the huge-scale games that have come in recent years. However, it may not appease the typical modern player who likes to have a lengthy campaign to get immersed in. 

As the Assassin’s Creed franchise has expanded, its themes and ideas have gone way beyond the premise of the original games. Mirage looks set to take things back to basics and give players a chance to explore large-scale urban surroundings once again. It may not end up being the most detailed title in the series, but it’s likely to be a hit with players.  

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