UPDATE
Are YOU a fan of how big the map in this game is? Do you agree that Ubisoft should keep this in mind going forward? Let us know below!
ORIGINAL STORY
There are MANY people out there who would say that “bigger is always better,” but that’s not always true in the world of video games. Some of the best games ever made weren’t “massive titles” but ones that did their jobs so well that gamers couldn’t help but love them. Sometimes, game developers forget that given the “expansive size” that several games have due to the open-world nature that game design as a whole has taken. Ubisoft is one of the more infamous developers in making massive worlds, which is why Assassin’s Creed Mirage has been such a nice change of pace for gamers.
The game isn’t set in a massive country or expansive space for gamers to go in and out of. Instead, it’s set in Baghdad during one of its golden ages, and the players get to explore the city and some small villages and outlying areas that are immediately around it. On Reddit, many fans have praised this “scaled-down approach” from Ubisoft and hope they think about this kind of design going forward with the series. Critics seem to agree with it, too. Despite the “lower” average score for the game, they praised the city’s design and how it was “full of life” and activities versus just “looking like a big city.”
For those not getting the meaning here, one of the biggest problems with open-world titles, no matter who makes them, is trying to make the open world FEEL like it’s alive. As in, putting things within it to make the world feel populated, lived in, and has had things done to it. Often, gamers will go through vast stretches of space without interacting with anything or anyone. It’ll look pretty, but it won’t feel meaningful.
In contrast, Assassin’s Creed Mirage has made gamers feel there’s always something to see or do in Baghdad as they wander around it. They desire to see all it has to offer and know that there will be people around every corner, even if they don’t see them or directly need to interact with them.
Everything about the game’s size and length was intentional, as the team who came up with the idea wanted to return to the series roots to recapture the magic of having one big city to have fun in. So far, the game seems to be doing great. But as for whether Ubisoft will take these lessons to heart? Only time will tell.
