With narrative director Sarah Beaulieu giving an insightful interview to ScreenRant regarding the new game's story direction in light of a trailer drop, details are finally starting to emerge about the mysterious Assassin's Creed title scheduled to join their line-up in 2023. Set primarily in 9th-century Baghdad, Assassin's Creed Mirage looks to be a triumphant return to the series' roots.

There's still plenty that's unknown, but everything that's come out about the game so far is only making fans more excited about the upcoming game. From gameplay details to how the story will play out, gamers have some basic information about what to expect before its release.

Mirage Was Originally Meant To Be A Valhalla Expansion

Basim leaping over citizens and guard with his hidden blade drawn.

For a while, fans had been waiting for news about the next Assassin's Creed game, and earlier this year, Ubisoft shared some exciting updates. Bloomberg UK reported a leak that suggested a planned expansion to Assassin's Creed Valhalla had transformed into a brand new game for the franchise.

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According to the leak, the title was originally codenamed "Rift" and would feature a side character from Valhalla as its protagonist. Whilst it was reported that the change was simply to fill a gap in Ubisoft's release schedule, fans were happy when the leaks were finally confirmed.

Mirage's Protagonist Is Valhalla's Basim Ibn Ishaq

Basim hiding behind a corner in the city of Baghdad in Assassin's Creed Mirage.

Anyone who has played Assassin's Creed Valhalla will know that Basim Ibn Ishaq is a name to be respected, if not feared, as he is a legendary assassin possessing a whole host of unique skills. However, rather than showing the legendary figure at his most powerful strength, the game will show a young Basim who hasn't yet reached his potential.

The upcoming game will start with Basim's beginnings as a street thief and expand upon Assassin's Creed's other great origin stories. In the trailer, Basim is seen being inducted into the Hidden Ones, so the game will feature his transformation into a fully-fledged assassin.

Mirage's Middle-Eastern Setting

Assassin's Creed Mirage Logo Arabic Hidden Ones Easter Egg

When Ubisoft announced that Mirage would take place in Baghdad, it was a popular move with fans as the Middle East was also the setting for the very first Assassin's Creed title. Though it will take place in a different time period and focus on a different area, it will definitely feel nostalgic for older players.

According to what people know of Mirage's setting so far, it will reconstruct the city of Baghdad at the height of the Islamic Golden Age and feature four distinct regions with their own flavors. In addition, it will take in the Brotherhood's legendary stronghold Alamut Castle, a location that's been mentioned countless times in the series but never actually visited until now.

It Will Feature Real-World Events Including The Zanj Rebellion

Basim sword-fighting with a pair of guards in Assassin's Creed Mirage.

Assassin's Creed is no stranger to featuring real-world events and sprinkling in appearances by famous historical figures, so it's no surprise that Mirage will do the same. According to Beaulieu in her interview with ScreenRant, one of the most significant events will be the Zanj Rebellion, a brutal uprising that began in southern Iraq during that period.

She also added that it will feature the leader of the uprising, Ali ibn Muhammad, who she said would have "a huge impact on Basim." If they can successfully weave together his real-life story with the game's story, it could be one of the franchise's best portrayals yet.

It Will Be A Coming-Of-Age Story

Basim perched atop a building preparing to assassinate two people in promo art.

With Basim starting the game as a young thief, it's obvious that he will have a lot of learning and maturing to do in order to achieve his potential, so it makes sense that Ubisoft chose to make the game a coming-of-age story about the assassin. Polygon reports that this journey will be guided by a mysterious character named Roshan.

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Played by Shohreh Aghdashloo - the Iranian-American actress best known for playing Chrisjen Avasarala in The Expanse - this character will be a mentor to Basim, and her charismatic voice is heard in the cinematic trailer. Under her tutelage, Basim will discover the Hidden Ones and learn to fight for a cause.

Mirage Will Be More Linear Than Recent Games And Focus On Stealth

AC Mirage's return to the Middle East matches the rumors that Basim will be the main character.

One of the things fans wanted from the new Assassin's Creed game was a return to the core gameplay that made the earlier titles so iconic. Whilst the modern open-world RPG titles are an impressive feat in their own right, the basic story of Assassin's Creed Mirage lent itself to an old-fashioned linear style.

That's why the marketing for Assassin's Creed Mirage has been all about the return to the older gameplay elements that fans love, focusing on stealth rather than all-out RPG combat. Additionally, the new game will feature plenty of fast-paced parkour and smooth assassinations, making it very much a throwback to the older games.

Black Box Missions Are Back

Assassins Creed Mirage Cinematic Screenshot

One of the most interesting details to come out of Ubisoft Bordeaux's recent briefing about the game is the return of "Black Box missions," which was reported by IGN. If these are anything like the equivalent missions in Assassin's Creed Unity and Assassin's Creed Syndicate, then fans are in for a treat.

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In those games, these missions involved letting the player loose in an area with a specific target and then allowing them to decide their own path and method of execution. With the assassination kit that Basim will boast in Assassin's Creed Mirage, it could well turn out to be a big selling point for the game.

Basim Will Have Some Fun Tools At His Disposal

Assassins Creed Mirage First Look Image

What makes the idea of compact, multi-path assassination missions especially appealing is the number of different tools Basim will have at his disposal in the game. Primarily, Basim's eagle looks to be central to all the gameplay, allowing him additional means to be stealthy when completing missions.

According to Polygon, Basim can slow down time and mark various targets to complete elaborate multi-kills. Finally, the assassin will be much faster and more agile than previous assassins, with new moves, including a pole vault technique, which will help make Basim feel distinctive to play in the game.

Mirage Will be A Much More Compact Experience

Basim and his eagle in Assassin's Creed Mirage

One of the biggest things fans were asking for in terms of ways Mirage could improve over Assassin's Creed Valhalla is a smaller map without so much filler. In an interview with IGN, executive producer Marc-Alexis Côté promised just that with Mirage, saying that it will be a denser city environment that harks back to the series' roots.

Along with the linear format, it will make for a much more compact, story-focused experience, and it will be possible to complete the story in 15-20 hours. With Côté describing this as "closer to our original games," it's confirmed that Mirage is exactly what classic Assassin's Creed fans have been asking for.

Mirage Will Be Under $50

A promo shot for Mirage Assassins Creed

Whilst many fans would probably happily have paid as much as they did for Valhalla, Ubisoft has made the surprising commitment to keep Mirage at a base price of $49.99 on all platforms (via GameRant). Even the Deluxe Edition is set for a $59.99 price tag, well below the $69.99 triple-A games have been going for in recent years.

Of course, this reflects a game with far less content than previous installments, which could easily occupy a player for well beyond 150 hours, but it's still a move that hasn't gone unnoticed by fans.

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