5 disappointing features in Assassin's Creed Mirage

The announcement of Assassin's Creed Mirage was like a ray of hope for fans following this franchise for over a decade. The developers promised Mirage would be a love letter to the Assassin’s Creed of days gone by. Consequently, this news was received enthusiastically because the fans had grown weary of the vast and lifeless open worlds of Odyssey and Valhalla.

Seeing how fun Unity was once it reached a playable state and how poorly the parkour mechanics had been executed in the recent games was unfortunate. There was no skill or style; you just held the shift key and kept running straight. The same goes for stealth, as it felt dull and often inoperable. Mirage was supposed to change all this but ultimately fell short.

Note: This article is subjective and solely based on the author's opinions.

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5 reasons why Assassin's Creed Mirage failed to deliver the original AC experience

1) Disappointing parkour

Basim synchronizing with the Abbasiyah region in Assassin's Creed Mirage (Image via Ubisoft)

Parkour in Assassin's Creed Mirage is quite a downgrade from the stylish and skillful mechanics Unity set forth. A city as pretty as Baghdad is wasted due to the abysmal system.

Compared to Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, this game stands no ground. The level of panache Ezio exuded as he backflipped onto a ledge from the back of a horse was nowhere to be found with Basim. It's safe to say that the parkour has only regressed since the days of Unity.

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2) Unfair combat

The developers made the stealth of Assassin's Creed Mirage the more obvious and easier choice for most interactions. However, this sacrificed much of the combat outside of this approach. Gone are the days when you could clobber through an entire battalion as a master assassin. While playing as Basim, you'll be lucky to get more than four kills in a row in another playstyle.

Moreover, this mode feels weird at times due to its movement. While the developers succeeded in producing a nostalgic feeling with the new stealth mechanics, they ended up sacrificing the free-flowing combat.

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3) Poor storytelling

The story feels as barren as the deserts of Baghdad (Image via Ubisoft)

Another aspect sacrificed in Assassin's Creed Mirage was the storytelling. This franchise has always featured strong storylines with a good cast of hard-to-forget characters. While Ubisoft had the right idea with Mirage, the origins of Basim had so much potential but were executed in a lackluster manner.

The first two hours of the story will have you hooked. However, the more you play, the more you will realize how barren the cast is. Until the end, the game feels like a mix of setpieces for assassination missions. The story of Mirage lacks intensity and mystery and has a lot of drama. It felt so rushed that the ending was the only high point for most.

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4) Short run time

Doing a leap of faith in Assassin's Creed Mirage. (Image via Ubisoft)

For a game that people could not wait to rush through, there were many complaints about it being too short. In the modern-day era, any full-priced AAA game is expected to provide a minimum of 30-35 hours of runtime. The runtime of Assassin's Creed Mirage was another disappointing aspect of the game.

After three years of development, the people expected the game to be longer but were sorely disheartened by the mediocrity.

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5) Lifeless world

The ever-expanding lifeless horizons of Assassin's Creed Mirage. (Image via Ubisoft)

Perhaps the most disappointing aspect of the game is its world. The city of Baghdad in Assassin's Creed Mirage is mesmerizing. Despite the vibrant and colorful aesthetic, what brings it down is the lifelessness. For an open-world game with a dense, concentrated map, such a world is unacceptable.

The game wasn't all that it was promised to be, but it is surely a step in the right direction. Fans can expect their beloved series to improve from this point onward.