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Assassin's Creed Mirage Officially Announced: TOWCB Analysis
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1/9/22 By Colum Blackett Edited by Ashlea Blackett
Today, 1st September, Ubisoft confirmed that Assassin's Creed Mirage (codenamed Rift) is the title of the next Assassin's Creed game, and that more information would follow at the Ubisoft Forward event taking place September 10 at 9PM CEST | 12PM PT.
The news comes after a difficult week for Ubisoft, with various leaks revealing different aspects about the game, but today pressure mounted significantly when a promotional image showing potential DLC content circulated social media sites.
Copyright strikes were issued, but ultimately, the game was revealed through a series of social media posts at 5pm UK Time. It's always a shame to see leaks spoiling surprises, but we can't wait to learn more about Mirage, which for many will be a relief as the series looks to issue a hard reset and focus on stealth, a once fundamental pillar of the franchise.
Could this Assassin be Basim Ibn Ishaq from Assassin's Creed Valhalla in his younger days?
About the Author
Col is the Community Admin for The Ones Who Came Before, and one of the Assassin's Creed Community Ambassadors (formerly for The Mentors Guild.)
He is also a former Ubisoft Star Player, and has spent the last 8 years working within the Assassin's Creed community on countless projects.
Colum Blackett
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Analysis
It appears that Assassin's Creed Mirage will have a Middle Eastern setting, and if rumours are to be believed, the game will centre around the city of Baghdad in Iraq. Going off the architecture I would say that this is probably true, meaning Mirage could act as a bridge between Valhalla and the original Assassin's Creed game. In the background we can see what appears to be a bustling market place, with the intended target, potentially being a Abbasid Caliphate solider.
Going off the Assassin robes, we can safely assume that this game is set pre-Altair, putting it somewhere in the time period between 878 & 1165 AD. Everything about this image screams Assassin's Creed, but not the recent entries.
Straight away the colour scheme reminds me of Istanbul from Assassin's Creed Revelations mixed with an Assassin wearing robes very similar to the Levantine Brotherhood. It's possible that the building in the background could be the Palace of the Golden Gate, the official residence of the Caliphate in Baghdad during the early years of the Abbasid Caliphate, as suggested by community member Arshak from Assassin's Creed Landmarks.
Old Baghdad image via WorldBulletin
This Assassin has a particularly pointed hood, resembling that of an Eagle. It almost looks like a more simplistic version of the hood worn by Altair, lacking the sharp and rigid details but keeping the smooth cloth-like effect. I like how the blue undertones stand out in this image, as we are so used to Assassins mixing white and red. It could be that this Assassin is a novice, and that in this version of the Brotherhood, only Master Assassins are allowed to wear the red sash. It's hard to age the man beneath the hood, but I would put him at somewhere between 20 and 30, suggesting that this is a new recruit to join the Brotherhood.
I also notice that this Assassins has very limited weaponry, supporting the theory that he is new to the Brotherhood. He would surely have to earn additional melee weapons such as throwing knives. Although I like the outfit, I would say that it is very basic, suggesting a lack of experience and rank. perhaps we start the game as a low level Assassin and work our way up to a higher rank.
If it is indeed Basim Ibn Ishaq, as the rumours suggest, he was a frequent visitor of Baghdad's House of Wisdom according to the Assassin's Creed Wiki.
From the image we can't quite tell if the Assassin is missing his ring finger, as was required for early hidden blades, and also acted as a symbolic action which showed commitment to the Brotherhood, usually taking place during an initiation ceremony. Going off the potentially time period though, it seems likely that this Assassin would indeed have had his finger removed, as was the case with Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad.
One thing that instantly distinguishes this character from Altair and the Levantine Brotherhood is the Eagle companion, which did not make it's way into the AC games until AC Origins.
There has always been a strong bond between Assassins and birds in the series, and looking back at early AC1 concept art, we can see that a young Al Mualim also has a feathered friend to accompany him.
Here's hoping that the developers find a way to make this feature more useful in the games, as currently it has limited use for many players. It would be cool if the main character could train his bird to peck out the eyes of enemies, or drop stones or knives from above.
Finally, take a look at the intricate wood carvings and decorative designs that surround the huge archway, which are typical of Arabic doorways in larger structures. Going off the designs, I would say that this soon-to-be assassination takes place in a meeting place such as the House of Wisdom
or even a mosque.
Baghdad’s House of Wisdom via WembleyMatters
We can't wait to learn more about Assassin's Creed Mirage at Ubisoft Forward, so turn on mobile notifications and bookmark the site for more information!