To be blunt, Assassin’s Creed Mirage was designed by the team at Ubisoft to be a kind of “rewind” for the series. Many fans had noted that recent games featuring Vikings, Spartans, and Egyptian Warriors were great, but they had a scale to them that made the titles feel overwhelming. Thus, the new title wouldn’t just take place within the “roots” of the franchise but scale down things to help the gamers feel more “at ease” within the setting. They would also do a more “refined” story and focus on gameplay elements so players could be the “ultimate assassin.”
But as in all things, just because you set out with a plan doesn’t mean that the plan will go off without a hitch. Today, the review embargo for Assassin’s Creed Mirage dropped, and Metacritic has already gotten 75 reviews for the title. Its review score? 77. While that’s not bad, it’s a far cry from the higher and more “prestige” entries in the franchise. But what were they saying about the game to give it such a score?
Well, many were indeed high on it, as the game, via its PS5 version, had plenty of 90s and higher, citing they loved the more “concise” story and that they liked how they took the “bare bones” approach to heart to deliver a “simpler yet fun” experience. Many feel that longtime fans of the series will enjoy this game for what it focuses on and how it pays tribute to what came before.
But on the “other side,” one of the biggest things that critics bashed was the story and the “originality” of Assassin’s Creed Mirage. They noted that if you wanted something truly “fresh” or “revolutionary,” you wouldn’t get it here. To that end, while combat, stealth, and familiar mechanics are all there, Ubisoft doesn’t do much to improve anything. If anything, they just took what they had before and just made sure that it worked.
Some even noted that Ubisoft possibly went “too far” in their desire for nostalgia and sacrificed what could’ve been a great game as a result.
But no matter what the critics say, it’s important to remember that this is about YOU, the gamer. Yes, critics are gamers more often than not, but their sales don’t affect the “bottom line.” So, if you’re interested in this title, then you need to go and play it!
That goes double since the game arrives tomorrow on console and PC!
