Assassin's Creed Mirage
A return to stealth and parkour in 9th-century Baghdad.
Assassin's Creed Mirage, released in 2023, is an action-adventure game from Ubisoft Bordeaux and Ubisoft. It's the thirteenth major entry in the Assassin's Creed series, serving as a prequel set before Basim's appearance in *Valhalla* (2020). The story takes place in 9th-century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age, specifically the Anarchy at Samarra, and centers on Basim Ibn Ishaq, a street thief who becomes a Hidden One to battle the Order of the Ancients, who seek control and order through domination, while he fights for peace and liberty. The main plot deals with Basim's inner conflict between his Hidden One duties and his need to understand his own mysterious past.
Originally planned as an expansion for *Valhalla*, it was turned into a standalone game to allow for a larger scope. This was the first game where Ubisoft Bordeaux, previously a support studio, took the lead. The design goal was to return to the series' roots, emphasizing stealth, parkour, and assassinations rather than the role-playing elements of recent games. As a result, it's much smaller in scale than its predecessors, blending features from both older and newer installments.
Mirage launched on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Windows, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on October 5, 2023, and later on iPhone 15 Pro and iPad models on June 6, 2024. Critics gave it generally positive reviews, praising its world design, stealth focus, and return to form, though some found fault with the characters and the story's reliance on earlier games. Its successor, *Assassin's Creed Shadows*, set in Japan's Sengoku period and returning to the role-playing style, came out in March 2025.
**Gameplay**
Mirage is an open-world action-adventure stealth game designed to feel like older *Assassin's Creed* titles—more linear, story-driven, and with fewer role-playing elements. Parkour, close-quarters combat, and stealth are central. For assassination missions, it uses the "Black Box" approach from *Unity* and *Syndicate*, where players explore the environment to find multiple ways to reach and eliminate targets.
The main setting is Baghdad, split into four districts: the Round City, Karkh, Abassiyah (home to the House of Wisdom), and Harbiyah. Smaller towns like Anbar and Jarjaraya lie on the city's outskirts, and the Hidden Ones' fortress of Alamut appears in missions but isn't open for free exploration.
Quick Facts
- Title
- Assassin's Creed Mirage
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Director
- Stéphane Boudon
- Producer
- Fabian Salomon
- Designer
- Jean-Philippe Mottier
- Programmer
- Pierre Durand-Siboulet
- Artist
- Jean-Luc Sala
- Writer
- Sarah Beaulieu
- Composer
- Brendan Angelides
- Series
- Assassin's Creed
- Engine
- Ubisoft Anvil
- Platform
- PlayStation 4 · PlayStation 5 · Windows · Xbox One · Xbox Series X/S · iOS · iPadOS
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Originally envisioned as an expansion for Valhalla, Mirage was reworked into a standalone title to expand its scope. The design philosophy was to return to the series' roots by focusing on stealth, parkour, and assassinations over role-playing elements. The game is much smaller in scale than its predecessors and combines elements from earlier installments. It was released for multiple platforms on 5 October 2023, and for iOS on 6 June 2024. Chronologically, the story is a prequel set before Basim's appearance in Valhalla.
Reader's Guide
Assassin's Creed Mirage represents a deliberate shift back to the series' core mechanics after several entries emphasized role-playing and large open worlds. Its focus on linear, story-driven missions and 'Black Box' assassination design harkens to earlier titles like Unity and Syndicate. The game's setting in 9th-century Baghdad during the Anarchy at Samarra provides a historically rich backdrop, featuring figures such as Ali ibn Muhammad and the Banū Mūsā brothers. The narrative explores Basim's backstory, his transition from thief to Hidden One, and his internal struggle with his mysterious past. While praised for its world design and stealth gameplay, some critics noted the story's reliance on previous installments. The game's successor, Assassin's Creed Shadows, set in Japan during the Sengoku period, returned to the role-playing style in March 2025.
Did You Know?
- The game was originally envisioned as an expansion for Assassin's Creed Valhalla before being reworked into a standalone title.
- Mirage introduces the 'Assassin Focus' ability, allowing players to mark and instantly eliminate multiple enemies in a stylish sequence.
- If Enkidu is spotted by enemies, they may throw rocks or shoot arrows to drive the eagle away, but there is no dedicated marksman class that can shoot him down.
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