The first Assassin’s Creed Mirage gameplay trailer dropped today, giving us our first real look at the assassin at the heart of this new adventure. As you might expect, Mirage looks like a classic Assassin’s Creed game with some new and exciting moves. While we only got to see a brief glimpse at what Basim has to offer, it’s clear that Ubisoft has added plenty of neat tricks that should freshen up the series.
The gameplay trailer above shows off some of Basim’s moves as he heads deeper into the Moroccan city of Al Mamoun. We see Basim pull off a couple of classic assassin tricks, starting with a quick kill, before he uses an evasion move to get some space between him and his pursuers.
From here, Basim grabs hold of a wooden structure, ripping it apart to form an obstacle between himself and his foes. He then leaps up to a rooftop, grabbing onto a column and pulling himself around the corner of the building with a swift kick. This ability looks like it could make stealth a whole lot easier – leaping from corner to corner as you try and evade your foes. I’m sure Ubisoft will be rekindling some fan favorites in Mirage, and this marksmen-avoiding stealth section is a classic example.
Despite his evasive actions, the enemy is persistent, managing to land a few shots on Basim. Fortunately, he has some ace up his sleeve, namely Enkidu, a talking falcon who gives him additional intel on enemy movements in the city. Unfortunately, the enemy managed to find the marksman’s perch before Enkidu could, making scouting the palace neigh-on impossible.
As you’d expect from a modern Assassin’s Creed, Basim uses stealth to blend in with locals and non-lethally take out a guard. He also uses a knife-throw to take out another guard, hiding his weapon after he throws it to avoid suspicion.
After disposing of the guard, Basim climbs to the marksman’s perch, stabbing him to put an end to the extra threat. He then leaps out of the way to avoid being hit by a crossbow shot. This part reminds me of the rooftop chase in Assassin’s Creed III, where you’re trying your best to get away without getting shot. Thankfully, it ends before Connor has a run-in with a canoe, although Basim’s pursuers do have a hand cannon with which they could put an end to things.
While stealth clearly plays a huge part in Basim’s assassin experience, so does free-running. I like that Assassin’s Creed Mirage actually shows off Basim’s ability to swing around the corners of buildings rather than just referencing it in the trailer’s narration. Some games within the series opt for a party-line in describing how elaborate your movements can potentially be, and it’s nice to have a definitive example.
As well as the combat and stealth shown in the gameplay trailer above, Ubisoft has revealed additional details on Basim’s abilities in Mirage. During a press event in London, the publisher explained to us that Basim has an ability called Assassin’s Focus. This allows him to target multiple enemies before launching an incredible attack.
The attack sees Basim seemingly dematerialize, before reappearing in front of each of the enemies he targeted. He then stabs each of them before continuing his stroll down the street. Ubisoft tells us that Assassin’s Focus can’t be used indiscriminately though, as Basim will need to perform stealth skills to fill up his Assassin’s Focus gauge. Don’t expect to simply run around and hastily stab everyone – you’ll be penalized for it, and it won’t refill your Assassin’s Focus power.
At the end of the day, Assassin’s Creed Mirage still looks like a fun and action-packed game. Fitting, as it arrives in 2022. We’re also looking forward to fact checking the Assassin’s Creed games, alongside the best assassins games on PC.