Assassin's Creed: Mirage: PS5 Review

Developed by Ubisoft Montreal
Published by Ubisoft
Platform: PS5

The Assassin's Creed franchise has had as many ups and downs as its lead characters have had leaps of faith.

But as the series heads into its 15th iteration, the game has gone back to basics for its latest outing - and is all the better for it.

Set in 9th century Baghdad against the backdrop of the Abbasid Caliphate, you play street thief Basim Ibn Ishaq, who has spent his life haunted by a jinni spitir.

Hired for various theft jobs, Basim longs to join the mysterious Hidden Ones but is thwarted at every turn. 

Determined to prove his worth, Basim steals the contents of a chest and unleashes all manner of problems in doing so. Forced to go on the run, Basim is recruited into the order he so desires to be a part of, and finds himself on a journey that will inform the Assassin's Creed series' future.

There's little change in terms of the mechanics in Assassin's Creed: Mirage, but it works tremendously well as Basim sneaks his way around, and stealthily dispatches those who need to be taken care of.

But the star of Assassin's Creed: Mirage is the world of Baghdad itself, an environment that's beautifully realised, and which glistens in scope and possibility.

The game is a lot more compact (and reportedly has a shorter running time) but doesn't use this as an excuse to feel like it's squandered possibility and immersion.

There are thrills to be had from heading across rooftops, taking in quests and also generally interacting with the residents of Baghdad.

Everything feels both alive and lithe, with markets cluttered with shoppers and all walks of life on offer.

Stripped of the continual need from the franchise to dip back and forth into the mythology, the gameplay is more fluid and less interrupted by heavy exposition dumps, leaving you free to skulk how you want.

However, there will be some who feel the conspiracy is not as great as it has been in the past, and the narrative drive is not as strong as it should be. But for a mini reboot, in many ways, this Assassin's has pitched it just right.

At its purest the game involves the use of knives, blades and eagles - but it's a sign that even though most of these elements are not new to the series, Assassin's Creed: Mirage makes it feel alive and fresh - like you're playing for the first time.

After 15 years, that's no mean feat - and makes Assassin's Creed: Mirage the game the franchise needed for the 15th anniversary - and the one which will guarantee its future.