Ubisoft had a lot to share at their Forward 2022 event. Amongst the teasers and trailers, there was news on Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Rainbow Six Mobile, Skull and Bones, The Crew 2 andThe Division Heartland. The showstopper, however, was a trailer for Assassin’s Creed Mirage which is slated for a 2023 release. AC Mirage will be available on PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PS4, Xbox One and PC.
Ubisoft had confirmed the existence of Assassin’s Creed Mirage just a few days before the trailer. We know that Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character introduced in AC Valhalla, is the game’s protagonist.
We also know that the game is set in 9th-century Baghdad, just a few hundred miles from the Holy Land setting of that 2007 original. AC Mirage has also been confirmed to see the return of the eagle as the scouting vehicle for the player.
Additionally, Mirage has been cited as a return to more the more traditional stealth and parkour elements seen more readily in earlier entries. We don’t know if that means the RPG elements will be removed along with the growing reliance on open combat.
We can also spy a few details to be seen in the short but packed CGI trailer. Here are five things you may not have noticed in the Assassin’s Creed Mirage Forward 2022 trailer.
The Hidden Logo Detail
The Assassin’s Creed logo contains an Easter Egg alluding to possible plot details. ‘The Hidden Ones’ is written in the ascending arms of the logo.
Something that only keen-eyed Arabic speakers would spot at first glance, but it didn’t take long for the cheeky reference to reach the rest of the world.
This would suggest a greater look at the story of the Assassin Brotherhood and their predecessor group, The Hidden Ones.
The possibility of more on the origins of the Brotherhood is bolstered by the Alamuth fortress being featured heavily in its construction phase in the trailer and press material.
Series Staples
The action sequences are a love-letter that original Assassin’s Creed ideal. The environment is littered with parkour-friendly architecture inviting a flighty escape. Also, we can see conspicuous scaffolding and verticality in almost every frame.
The conspicuous avoidance of open combat in a lengthy escape scene shows the emphasis on stealth. Additionally, details like Basim using the crowd to blend in, sitting down to and hooding himself offer glimpses of the OG techniques the player will use.
Gadgets of Yore
The clip features heavily stylised parkour and escape sections that resemble early Assassin’s Creed entry trailers as well as the idealised flow of parkour seen in the Ezio trilogy.
Ubisoft had confirmed that the games would lean more heavily on parkour and stealth with the trailer implying that escape would be more viable that hacking our way through dozens of guards. This approach can readily be seen as Basim escapes from hapless guards using the crowded streets and his fleety feet.
You can also see Basim use a few stealth staples including smokescreen and knock out gas. The latter of the two appears to be activated by a proximity fuse or some unseen trigger.
A Low-Key Hint
Right at the end of the trailer, Basim gets his assassination target and is treated to a satisfying and smoky fade-to-black. Our protagonist looks up to see a dark, demonic figure lurking in the shadows. Basim’s eyes widen with what looks like knowing terror.
The moment is clearly of significance. As it comes right at the end of the clip while it occludes enough to make viewers dig deeper. The internet speculation machine has ground out the theory that we will see how Loki manifested through Basim in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. It’s the final tease to get tongues wagging, and it certainly worked.
