Assassin's Creed Mirage (PS5) - Review

Assassin’s Creed Mirage – A respectful tribute to the past, weighed down by the present.

As a long-time and loyal fan of the Assassin’s Creed franchise, I seriously considered skipping Mirage. After Valhalla—a game I found a bit bloated and exhausting—I wasn’t exactly excited to play another entry starring Basim, a character I didn’t find compelling the first time around. Still, my love for the series won out, and I decided to give Mirage a chance. 

Assassin’s Creed Mirage sets out to take the long-running franchise back to its stealth roots, trading sprawling RPG worlds for a tighter, more focused experience. On paper, it’s a welcome change of pace. In practice, though, it feels more like a reminder of why the series moved on in the first place.

Back to Basics—For Better and Worse

Mirage dials things back to the original Assassin’s Creed formula: stealth, parkour, assassinations, and city-based missions. You play as Basim, a familiar face from Valhalla, but unfortunately, he remains an unlikable and emotionally distant protagonist and his story never becomes truly engaging. The characters are flat, the dialogue is stiff, and the narrative struggles to build momentum. It’s meant to be a character-driven return to classic AC storytelling, but the emotional core just isn’t there.

Stealth and Sandbox Shine

Where Mirage succeeds is in its sandbox gameplay and stealth mechanics. Infiltrating palaces, sneaking past guards, and silently picking off targets still brings a thrill. The mission design encourages creativity and careful planning, and when it clicks, it delivers the kind of gameplay fans of early Assassin’s Creed titles will appreciate.

That said, the notoriety system—a carryover from older entries—feels just as annoying now as it did back then. Similarly, eavesdropping missions make an unnecessary return, adding tedious padding to missions rather than tension.

Movement and Combat: A Mixed Bag

Parkour remains a core element of Mirage, and it works reasonably well, especially when navigating rooftops or slipping through tight alleyways. It brings back the feeling of old-school Assassin’s Creed traversal, though movement—particularly while running—can feel a bit sluggish at times. It lacks the speed of titles like Unity or even Origins, but it’s still satisfying when it flows smoothly.

Combat is straightforward and functional, focusing on timing and precision rather than flashy combos or spectacle. While it may not have the depth or weight of more recent entries, it fits the scaled-back design of Mirage. It’s clearly not meant to be a combat-heavy game, and when viewed through that lens, the simpler system feels appropriate—though it could still benefit from more polish and impact. 

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is a thoughtful return to the series’ roots, offering a more compact, stealth-focused experience that long-time fans may appreciate. The game shines when it lets you plan and execute intricate infiltrations, bringing back the core gameplay that made the early titles so engaging.

However, a lackluster story, underdeveloped characters, and some clunky mechanics keep it from being a true return to form. While the parkour and combat are serviceable, they don’t quite reach the heights of earlier entries. Still, for those burnt out on the massive RPGs of recent years, Mirage offers a refreshing—if imperfect—change of pace.

Final Rating: 7/10 

Pros

• Focused stealth gameplay

• Compact world with tight mission design

• Nostalgic old-school AC atmosphere

Cons

• Weak story and characters

• Sluggish movement

• Outdated mechanics like notoriety and eavesdropping

• Underwhelming combat