Assassin's Creed Mirage" Clear Review! A 15-year "Assassin's Creed" fan talks about 5 things he loves about "Mirage"... Was the "return to the roots" approach a success?

It's been a month since the release of "Assassin's Creed Mirage," the latest installment in Ubisoft's popular "Assassin's Creed" series. Now that I have finally completed the game, I would like to share with you my review of the game after having conquered the entire storyline and quests.

Assassin's Creed" is a stealth game that depicts the dark struggle between the Assassins (assassins) of the Assassin's Creed and the Knights Templar, a secret society that tries to control the people of the world from behind the scenes. The player controls the protagonist, an Assassin, and his objective is to find and assassinate his target.

Although the description sounds very simple, the series is characterized by the fact that players can explore cities and historical sites around the world that have been faithfully recreated based on detailed historical research, set in a variety of eras from ancient to modern times.

The series takes place in Greece in the 5th century BC, Egypt in 40 BC, England in the 9th century, Italy in the Middle Ages, the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and 19th century London, as if tracing the history of mankind. Many of the characters in the game are historical figures, and players will experience many dramas as living witnesses to history.

The "Assassin's Creed" series, which has many points of interest for history buffs, will celebrate its 15th anniversary in 2022, and the 13th title in the series, "Assassin's Creed Mirage," will be released on October 5, 2023, to coincide with this milestone.

The concept of this work is "going back to the roots! Akiba Research Institute Editor A, who has been playing the game in real time since the first game, will discuss the appeal of this title while examining this concept, which is also declared on the official website.

Attraction 1: The setting is an Arab society that returns to its roots!

The first "Assassin's Creed" game was set in the Middle East in the 12th century. The first "Assassin's Creed" game was set in the Middle East in the 12th century, in an Arab society in the Middle Ages, a setting that tickled the hearts of history buffs, and a hard-hitting story that was driven by the harsh living conditions and strict religious beliefs.

As mentioned above, the series has been set in various countries and time periods since then, but for fans of the first game, "medieval Arab society" is probably the most typical "Assassin's Creed" setting.

The setting for "Mirage" is the 9th century metropolis of Baghdad and its surrounding areas. The city was the center of an Islamic empire that flourished, and the game is a complex mix of conspiracies, power-seeking ambitious individuals, those who seek to rise to the top, and those who simply seek knowledge.

Regardless of whether they are friend or foe, they all struggle desperately to survive in these harsh times. The passionate human drama that emerges is an important element that has not changed throughout the "Assassin's Creed" series, but when the story takes place in medieval Arab society, it is not just me who thinks, "This is what Assassin's Creed is like! I am sure I am not the only one who thinks, "This is what Assassin's Creed is all about!

Walking around medieval Arab society, which is not so familiar to us, is like going sightseeing in a strange land. As is standard in the series, there is an extensive database of historical sites and the culture of the time. As you play the game, you will no doubt become more familiar with the history of Aso.

This is an element of the "return to the basics," while at the same time coexisting with the richness of the virtual sightseeing travel software that the series has cultivated to date.

Attraction 2: Human drama of a young man's growth into a master assassin

This time, the protagonist is named Basim. The protagonist in this game is Basim, a young version of the Master Assassin Basim who appeared in the previous title, "Assassin's Creed Valhalla. At the start of the game, he appears to be a thoughtless young man from an impoverished town, but his own blunders lead to the massacre of the town's people, and he himself becomes a hunted man. As a result, he is taken into hiding by the Assassin cult, and leaves his past behind to lead a new life as an Assassin.

The drama of Basim's growth as a person and as an Assassin is quite a sight to behold, even though he has been guilty of a great crime due to the recklessness of his youth. What is exquisite is that skills are gradually released as the scenario progresses. The linkage between human growth and growth as an assassin, and the broadening of the range of actions, is a motivating factor in advancing the storyline.

The story itself is relatively simple. In order to find the mastermind behind the organization that seeks to control Baghdad from behind the scenes, the player must find the members of the organization, assassinate them, and gather information. As the story progresses, the "Investigations" screen gradually opens up information on people and topics, gradually leading to the mastermind at the center of the story. The storyline gradually leads to the mastermind in the center of the story. This is as interesting as following a suspense drama.

Another exquisite performance is that of Kenn, the voice actor who plays Basim. In the beginning, Basim seems to be an unreliable older brother, but as he goes through the numerous missions, his voice gradually changes to that of an adult with a strong core and a thick voice.

In the final scene, in which he overcomes a great ordeal, I was a bit moved by the confident voice of a full-fledged assassin.

I was also impressed to see the name "Desmond Miles," an important character in the series, appear in the play for the first time in a while. I think this is an element that will be more touching for players who have been playing since the beginning of the series. These elements for series fans and the connection to "Valhalla" may give the impression that the game is not for beginners, but don't worry, even those who have not played the previous titles can enjoy this "story of a young man's growth".

Rather, those who have played "Mirage" and wondered, "What does this mean?" I recommend that those who wonder "What does this mean?" play the past titles that interest you.

It is no exaggeration to say that this title is positioned as "another first in the series," designed for such series newcomers.

Stealth action that allows you to take on even superior enemies depending on your technique!

The most appealing aspect of "Assassin's Creed" as an action game is, without a doubt, the stealth assassination action. The most appealing aspect of "Assassin's Creed" action games is the assassination action based on stealth action! After that, he shakes off his pursuers, blends in with civilians to get by, and steps back into the traffic under the heavens at the timing when the enemy's vigilance is relaxed. ......

This exquisite balance of oppression and liberation is the heart of the original "Assassin's Creed" series (I assure you!). ), and the "Assassin's Creed" series has always been about the same thing.

However, from the 10th title, "Assassin's Creed Origins," to the previous title, "Valhalla," an RPG-like level system was introduced in which status increased with the accumulation of experience, allowing players to defeat enemies to some extent by training their characters without having to rely on finger techniques and strategies. Therefore, the "Assassin's Creed" series made it possible for players to take on a large number of enemies, which was basically not recommended in the "Assassin's Creed" series, if they trained their characters well enough.

In proportion to this, the number of covert actions typical of the Assassin's Creed series decreased. In the previous title, "Valhalla," the protagonist was a hot-blooded Viking, which meant that he was less likely to take covert action.

This is where this film comes in. Mirage" is a return to the style of "Origins" and its predecessors. It employs a growth system in which the main character, Basim, is strengthened by upgrading his weapons and adding skills.

The combat is also based on stealth action, in which the player hides in the shadows and attacks from the enemy's blind spot. Air assassins, who hide in the shadows of grass, sheds, and haystacks to kill approaching enemies, or jump down from high places to assassinate them, are again used to great effect throughout the series. Successful assassination attempts are reminiscent of the early days of the series, where most enemies can be killed with a single blow.

In addition, there is a wealth of other subweapons, such as throwing knives that can damage distant targets and destroy objects, blowguns that can inflict sleep and poison effects, noise bombs that detonate to attract the attention of enemies, and smoke screens that have a blinding effect. As Basim's skills increase, he is able to modify his sub-weapons, giving him the ability to customize them in detail, for example, adding an ignition ability to a noise bomb to turn it into an offensive weapon, or a smoke screen to give him the ability to recover his strength.

Depending on the combination, some of them can be balance breakers that can inflict damage unilaterally without being noticed by the enemy.

We hope that each player will find a combination that suits his or her style and is easy to use.

On the contrary, no matter how much weapons are upgraded and skills are enhanced, there is no such thing as an increase in maximum physical strength, nor is there a dramatic increase in attack or defense power. The game is still based on assassination, to the extent that combat and stealth actions become more advantageous.

Sometimes you will go head-to-head with the enemy, but no matter how well equipped you are, if you are up against four or more opponents, you will be surrounded and beaten to a pulp rather easily. But this is okay. Assassins should not play the big game.

In terms of the game system, this is a "return to the roots" in that it goes back to the style of the early days of the "Assassin's Creed" series, but has been brushed up to make it easier to play, and at the same time it is a "newer version" of the series.

Attraction 4: Kill all your enemies in the blink of an eye! The new "Assassination Technique," the best feeling system ever!

The most appealing feature of this title is the new combat system, "Assassin's Creed.

The "Art of Assassination" is activated by pressing and holding the R3 button. Once activated, time slows down and the player can wipe out any enemy in sight.

It can also be used as a means of fast movement in some situations, since it can be used to assassinate an enemy from a considerable distance away at once. This is a very useful feature.

When it is done well, it feels really good and cool. It is sure to stimulate your middle-aged mind.

With the "Art of Assassination," the player can seamlessly shift from a "wait-and-see" style of play, in which the player is just waiting for the enemy to make an opening, to an "attack" style of play, in which the player takes action in a single bound. This balance is the unique appeal of "Mirage. We hope that you will enjoy the cathartic experience of a special assassin by activating it when the moment is right.

The "Assassin's Creed" series has always depicted the "cool assassin's quest to bury his target," so the introduction of this new system is a welcome addition. I've always wanted to see something like this! This is what I've always wanted to see!

If you work a little harder, you can achieve a 100% completion rate! Just the right size field and story

As mentioned earlier, the setting for this game is the metropolis of Baghdad and its surrounding areas. The city of Baghdad, where buildings are arranged in concentric circles, consists of four areas: three areas on the periphery and a circular city located in the center. The city of Baghdad, with its concentric circles of buildings, consists of three areas on the periphery and a circular city located in the center.

The field is so compact that it is almost disconcerting in comparison to the "Assassin's Creed" series, where the scale of the field has become larger with each new title, including the North American continent, the Caribbean Sea, the waters of Northern Europe, and the Egyptian region.

However, this size is just right. In the previous "Assassin's Creed" series, if you wanted to complete treasure chests and other exploration elements, you would have to spend a terrible amount of time going from one corner of the map to the other because the field was too vast and the amount of exploration elements would be enormous. With "Mirage," however, it is quite easy to fill in the exploration elements by patiently walking around the field and using the techniques learned in the numerous missions.

In fact, I was able to complete all the elements of exploration without much difficulty, and I can say that the size and volume of the field is just right for modern people who are busy with work and school. The sense of accomplishment when all the elements of exploration were completed was quite impressive.

It is a recent trend in consumer games to set the volume of challenging elements at a level that most players can achieve with a little effort, rather than simply increasing the volume. This is a trend in consumer games in recent years.

What also made me think that the game was "good" was the fact that by having the players move back and forth between the cities in the game, they gradually became attached to the field where the game takes place, and they felt that they wanted to "play around in this city more" and "see more events".

Because of this, even after completing all the events and subquests, I would always start up the game every day to explore the city without any purpose.

In this situation, I would like to expect additional DLC episodes, but "Mirage" has no plans to do so, and I am only disappointed about that.

The compactness of the field has inevitably resulted in a story that is to some extent smaller and more cohesive, rather than as massive and lengthy as in the series to date.

It was originally announced before the release of the game that it would be a volume that could be completed in about 20 hours, rather than the 100-hour-plus epic that it had been in the past. Personally, I think it was a great way to enjoy the "Assassin's Creed" flavor of "Assassin's Creed" in a lighthearted way, by taking a quick historical tour and controlling the cool looking assassins who stand around .......

Hopefully, the next game will be a big production based on the results of this one.

So, in conclusion, I, as a fan of the "Assassin's Creed" series, have focused on five points of the latest "Assassin's Creed Mirage" and talked about it. I can say at the outset that this is a game that should be played by fans of the series as well as those who have never experienced the "Assassin's Creed" series.

Over the course of the series as a stealth action game, various elements such as group battles, naval battles, and community building were added, and eventually the "Assassin's Creed" series was transformed into an RPG style where there is no need to be stealthy to complete the game. This was a survival strategy to keep the series alive, but at the same time, it was a process of gradual loss of the "Assassin's Creed" style. Personally, I think that the previous title, "Valhalla," was the climax of this process, and it was a problematic work that questioned what the "Assassin's Creed" character was all about.

The latest title, "Assassin's Creed Mirage," which is the end result of this search and confusion, is a title that once again reexamines what the "Assassin's Creed" style is and redefines the series once again as a simple stealth action game. What will the future hold for the "Assassin's Creed" series after this title?

The monologue "Towards the New World" given by Basim at the end of the epilogue made me think about such things.

Game Information
Assassin's Creed Mirage

Supported platforms: PS5/PS4/Xbox Series X|S/Xbox One/PC (Epic Games/Ubisoft Store)
Release date: 2023/10/5
Genre: Action
Price: 6,600 yen (tax included)
Manufacturer: Ubisoft