5 cool things Assassin’s Creed Mirage does differently to past games
Although a direct throwback to the original trilogy, Assassin’s Creed Mirage has a handful of new systems to help set itself apart.
The new Assassin’s Creed game is now out, following a three-year absence for the series. Yes, that’s right, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla really did launch three years ago, directly around the time that the still shiny PS5 and Xbox Series X|S consoles first were unleashed. Assassin’s Creed Mirage is very different from Eivor’s Viking adventure, however, doing away with the endless bloat in favour of a single city, a return to stealth and a more linear story.
All of this this will be music to the ears of long-time series fans that have been left wanting for a more classic style of Assassin’s Creed game. And despite certain mechanical issues returning as a result – as pointed out in my Assassin's Creed Mirage review – the game innovates some systems to play very differently compared to to Ubisoft’s most recent RPG trilogy. To prove it, here’s five cool things Assassin’s Creed Mirage does differently to past games in the series.
Pickpocketing with purpose
Previous Assassin’s Creed games had a pickpocketing mechanic, true, but outside of letting you score some coin to then spend at shops it didn’t really have a purpose. Assassin’s Creed Mirage changes that for the better, removing the need for you to awkwardly hover your hand near the hip of NPCs in favour of a simple button tap whenever you’re close to an unsuspecting civilian. This will then trigger a minigame, which adds a good degree of risk/reward to your thievery.
As well as the local currency, if a pickpocket is successfully pulled off, you also have the potential to loot any one of Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s treasures and trinkets. When sold at shops, they can be worth a pretty penny. One of the main side missions in the game also centres heavily on pickpocketing, where you’re required to steal from some particularly tricky foes to unlock special treasures that can be traded for new costumes, and new dyes to apply to existing ones.
Why Star Wars Jedi: Survivor's six week delay is a good thing
Token types to barter
In addition to currency, Assassin’s Creed Mirage introduces what are called tokens. Split into three different categories – Scholar, Merchant and Power – they enable Basim to gain more influence over the city of Baghdad by letting him pay off certain groups. Power tokens, for example, can be paid to musicians, guards or rebels to see them assist you in combat, or offer distraction as you try to sneak into a specific destination.
You then have Scholar tokens that can be paid to preachers in the street to help reduce your notoriety; and then there are Merchant tokens that are pretty self-explanatory. They reduce the price of items in shops by a certain percentage, letting you stock back up on tools, health potions and other items for a much fairer price.
Tier system to upgrade tools
Assassin’s Creed Mirage refuses to inundate you with lots of gear and equipment, instead letting you play to your sneakier strengths with a new suite of tools. Some of these are familiar, like the throwing knife and smoke bomb, while others – like the trap – are completely new. Better yet, all five tools can be upgraded as you progress through the story across three unique tiers.
Taking each tool from Tier 1 to Tier 3 isn’t as linear as you might expect, as each one gives you a choice of three different perks to select. It’s only one perk per tier for each tool, which can really influence confrontations and help you tailor them to your preferred style of play. You could opt for something as simple as an increased capacity for your throwing knives, for instance, or lace them with poison so they have a far harsher effect on enemies.
Stealth kills build Assassin’s Focus
Perhaps the biggest new addition in Assassin’s Creed Mirage is what’s called Assassin’s Focus. It works very similar to the Mark and Execute function from Splinter Cell: Conviction, whereby Basim can temporarily slow down time, select which targets to take down, and then complete them in rapid succession. Assassin’s Focus is a great feature that truly lets you embrace the role of an assassin.
The kicker with Assassin’s Focus comes in how you can only deploy it after completing enough stealth kills. That’s how you fill up your Assassin’s Focus metre, so you’re always encouraged to be as sneaky as possible rather than have the action break out in open combat. For the first time in forever in an Assassin’s Creed game, you’re rewarded for staying stealthy through the Assassin’s Focus feature.
Multiple routes to the target
Individual targets to take down are back in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. Unlike in the more recent games where your objective plays out fairly linearly, Basim’s adventure gives players some creative control over how they go about reaching them. You see, with five Templars to take down as part of the story, you’ll be given the option to invade their base of operations in almost any way you choose.
You could sneak into a courtyard by swimming underneath it using a nearby lake, or hire a group of guards using one of the new tokens. However, these set piece assassinations can be tackled simply by listening and paying attention to the surrounding areas. Other invasion opportunities will quickly make themselves known, giving you multiple routes of entry to see your assassination lay out differently than how another player might choose to tackle it.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
