I do not recommend: Assassin's Creed Mirage

[@SkillUp]

Grab the all new SteelSeries Alias microphone before they sell out. Use offer code SKILLUP for 12% off at steelseries.com/alias. Thanks SteelSeries for sponsoring the video.

[@fvallo]

Where is your starfail review? I was looking forward to destruction but it seems we are not getting it, why?

[@fireisawesome1466]

I don't mind 24 hour completion times resident evil games have the same completion time frame so I am looking forward to this type of game

[@sabbylmao]

Still waiting for code SHILLUP

[@dmtsmokingman]

but I want to pretend that im invading sweden

[@ChosenOne-il4bm]

ThANK YOU FOR SAVING ME 45 POUNNDS I KNEW IT IT WAS ALL BULLSHIT IT MAKES NO SINCE WITH AC RED AND A GAME ABOUT FUCKING WITCHES LOOOL

[@choyversusgaming5461]

People need to start realizing: the games you loved 10 years ago were made by people who are NO LONGER WITH THESE COMPANIES, the amount of lay offs and turnover in this industry is INSANE, more often than not we are better off appreciating what they create at their prime time and FOLLOW those devs to whatever company they go to. Every game has credits at the end. Edit: Follow Devs = Game Directors and Lead Writers like Amy Henning, Cliffy B, Joseph Staten, Jeff Kaplan.

[@r.lum.r]

Yes to this 1000%. I’ve kind atreod to have this conversation with friends, and it’s hard to sell to them tbh. Totally agree.

[@marcusclark1339]

THIS

[@TicTacPilgrim]

Can't be better said

[@glawio]

The same thing was said about battlefield 2042 when it released. Someone did some research and showed that not only is not a single person from the bad company 2 team still at DICE, there’s almost no one left from the BF4 team either. My analogy is like that of a band. Imagine if the Beatles instead of breaking up, replaced each member with completely new people but still called it the Beatles. It would no longer be the same band, just a bunch of people trying to encapsulate the same magic of individual spark and creativity. It doesn’t work. Developers like 343 Industries are the living embodiment of this idea, and a testament to why this idea doesn’t work. You can tell that the devs are just trying to make a game feel like an older game, rather than innovating on a real passion project. This is the reason why indie games are so good rn, and really just in general. Games made for gamers, and not purely for profit.

[@selectionn]

I said this same thing with Obsidian. People wash Obsidians dick with their mouth and dont even realize or understand why all of their games in the recent years have been garbage. It isnt the same people.

[@thebulletkin8393]

Man I really just want a mainline title that isn’t allergic to telling one story in a linear way, you feel so much more attached when they do that

[@jeffs3119]

Yeah the story has become so convoluted it’s a chore. The best of AC is when they had cohesion building towards something with a theme but now they’ve literally lost the plot.

[@astronotics531]

they stopped doing it because people criticized the linear story. There's a reason the game turned to an RPG model.

[@Leohlyon]

As soon as they do that, you’ll find something else to complain about ;)

[@TyeDye622]

​@@Leohlyonexactly!

[@memecliparchives2254]

​@@astronotics531Yep, but then again the first four games, Black Flag, Origins and 3 to an extent are the only ones that did narrative and characters in AC right. The rest just didnt.

[@Alpha-1812]

The flaws described here remind me of the original AC1, it's almost as if the entire dev team is relearning how a game like this works and to a certain extent I think this makes sense, it has been 8 years since syndicate and given the high turnover of staff in the games industry, there might be no more than 10% of devs who worked on those old school AC games have worked on Mirage.

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

I'm pretty sure almost none of the devs that worked on AC1 are working on AC anymore or even at Ubisoft. So yes. I think that's true. It's new people trying to learn the DNA of a series.

[@iwakeupandboomimarat]

honestly id be surprised if it was even 10%, turnovers and layoffs are insane in this industry

[@Mukation]

You hit the nail on the head. The team there are not the original team (can't expect people to work decades at the same firm, especially in IT). So the next smaller AC game might be the thing that brings it all back? (i actually like the RPG trillogy style of gameplay, it's just the story that needs to be fixed instead)

[@Cenikid]

Its almost like when studios make these games, they gotta provide documentation on why they make their decisions, so that the next time someone works on the franchise they dont fall on their face

[@EbiLMunkeY]

Exaaaactly my thoughts when I heard him say “almost no effort to make the different districts distinct from one another” I was like hey this is exactly one of the same glaring issues as AC1

[@Tomwithnonumbers]

Combat wasn't weak in the old AC games, if was too powerful. You had infinite block and a generous 1 hit kill parry. Any problem could be solved by standing still and mashing the parry button.

[@anon4854]

They should have improved on that system rather than abandoning it.

[@S0ulEaTeR1012]

I always enjoyed that combat system don't care what anybody says.

[@CFilmer]

@@anon4854 Isn't the Mirage system an improvement? There seem to be two kinds of enemy attacks, ones that you can parry and ones that you have to dodge and can't even block. Other than that, it seems to be pretty much the same.

[@anon4854]

@@CFilmer The Mirage system is an improvement on Origins/Odyssey system. That's not the same thing. I'd rather see combat closer to the Arkham series personally.

[@CFilmer]

​@@anon4854But in what way does it differ from the old AC games, other than the two kinds of guard attacks? And how would the Arkham combat fit better? It feels to me like these mechanics only work because it's a reward for the actually challanging gameplay, which is taking out the enemies who have guns. Without that, it would be way to easy and disincentivize stealth. These are honest questions. Would like to understand different perspectives.

[@dizzyhq5100]

That’s just too bad, Ubisoft is desperately trying to break the cycle of repeatedly pumping out disappointments but it just doesn’t seem to be working

[@David-nd4to]

Maybe if they focused less on quantity. It’d help the quality

[@RobbieB2606]

Ubisoft is creatively bankrupt unfortunately

[@Philpot1992]

Desperately trying to break the cycle? 😂 they keep reskinning games and reusing animations lol. They are cementing the cycle.

[@rocketguardian]

@@David-nd4to Nah no one will ever be happy with Assassin's Creed. They did stop pumping them out. Took more time with them in Origins, Odyssey and Valhalla. But yet people still complained constantly about it. Just either enjoy it or don't. Valhalla launched three years ago. This is a smaller scale released game, too. The next big tent-pole AC game won't be for another year or more. Yet people will still complain about it.

[@Cypher652]

I think this one will split opinion. See 2 good reviews for IGN and ACG and 2 bad Skillup and Mr Matty

[@radelc]

While many people do long for the old combat and mechanics, I think the biggest complaint is the lack of assassins in the AC new trilogy. That's the stuff I miss. The Order, the conflict with Templars, and the pseudo-science fantasy elements.

[@memecliparchives2254]

Origins had that and did it better than Rogue, Unity and Syndicate combined. Rogue did it wrong, Unity sidelined it and Syndicate almost didnt bother to take it with maturity.

[@bigsmok269]

@@memecliparchives2254 Origins isnt an assassin game.

[@UzitheSaint]

Once they killed off Desmond everything went downhill

[@Nico78Not]

@@bigsmok269 Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean it's not an AC game.

[@NeverLucky1765]

​@Nico78Not origins and its sequels are the furthest you can get from being an assassins creed game while still being called assassins creed.

[@Yetithehuman]

On another video, someone described this game as shareholder creativity. A term that 100% needs to be used a lot more.

[@VampiricBard]

That is an awesome term.

[@Venomonomonom]

It was made to be a DLC and changed to a game. Ubisoft will never deliver good games until the publishers and greedy ppl in charge are out. Indie games are better than AAA for a reason.

[@MoveLove427]

@@Venomonomonom Especially these days, creativity and originality is almost non-existent in the AAA industry.

[@GameTimeNLL]

​@@MoveLove427there are still aaa studios who are pushing the mold technically and creatively tho. Youre just not gonna find it at ubisoft or similar companies.

[@gladiatorscoops4907]

@@Venomonomonom Yeh I think we all have to understand that AAA sector of the industry isn't what it once was - it has devolved, the balance between making money and being creative has shifted far too over to the greed side of things. You have the odd exception of course, but for the most part, your Ubisoft's, your EA's etc - they aren't here to innovate, they are here to pump out products. Nothing against the talent of some of the guys working at those places, Its not their fault they have to work to such ruthless creative, financial and time constraints the Higher Up's/ Publishers put on them. We are lucky we have the AA sector (which is pretty much what the AAA was 25-30 years ago) the Indie market and the VR sector all pushing innovation over money making - they keep my faith in the gaming industry where passion for the craft is still the driving factor.

[@SchnitzelDude]

My main thing with the latest Assassins Creed Titles was always "Man, i just want to go back to Ghost of Tsushima"... Ghost of Tsushima nearly had everything that i would expect from a really good Assassins Creed title. A cool progression system, a really good story (even though it's a more or less "typical revenge story"), insanely cool and good looking combat and stealth gameplay, a wonderful, believable and masterfully crafted world and pretty good exploration and "world events". Suckerpunch wanted to create a believable and cool Samurai game and (more or less) accidentally, created the best Assassins Creed Title to this date (Well, minus the Assassin Story/Theme). I really really wanted to like Mirage, but the story falls flat, the parkour is actually quite good (atleast way better than i expected), the progression is pretty standard stuff, the combat system is abysmally bad, the stealth on the other hand feels quite good, the story is boring but atleast the world and exploration were also pretty good. If i remember correctly, Ubisoft also wants to make a Japanese Assassins Creed game... if they don't start working at their own "ideas" and "visions" for a good Assassins Creed game (wich apparently mostly consists of microtransactions and half assed games), they will probably completely fail against a 2020 title that isn't even part of the Assassins Creed Universe.

[@southpawlibranine3511]

Ghost of tsushima is an overated game that gets boring after the first 20 hours. The enemy ai is garbage. The world is empty snd doesnt feel lived in. And the combat is repetitive

[@SchnitzelDude]

@@southpawlibranine3511 Bro, what are you on about?

[@jordancave3089]

@@southpawlibranine3511I’ve beaten it and decided like a couple years later to try it on lethal…and it was fun for a little, but I got bored pretty early on for whatever reason…I wish I could replay it as much as other people, though

[@Overlord598]

​@@southpawlibranine3511you misspelled Assassins Creed

[@southpawlibranine3511]

@@Overlord598 i agree assasins creed is worse. But you have no taste if you think ghost is more than a 7/10 experience And stop being so defensive you nerd its not like you made the game yourself. Snowflake cant handle criticism absolute loser

[@ezseff1091]

One of the things that felt the most special in the older Assassins Creed's (Ezio especially) was the detail that went into the levels that you'd actually go into, the tombs, the landmarks. You'd go in and there'd be puzzles, jumping sections, the buildings actually feel like huge and intricate landmarks. When you go into an interior in these newer games, it almost feels like houses in the sims to me, the scale doesn't feel quite right, it feels like going in and out is way quicker than it should be. I don't quite think I've captured what I'm trying to say in this comment but it's the main issue with lots of bigger open world games for me, the scale of interiors. Edit: Spelling 😁

[@IndyMiraaga]

You must've missed a lot of the pyramids in Origins, their puzzles weren't quite as intense as the Ezio games but still a lot of fun if you're into dark and dank tombs.

[@anonisnoone6125]

Origins didn't have this problem. Plus houses in medieval Baghdad weren't exactly that big.

[@zeikers]

I think the newer games locations have a lot to add to that. Ezio was in renaissance Italy where they had massive chapels and all that. Origins was in time where houses were mud huts, odyssey was in Greece where no building can be too high because of earthquakes, and Valhalla was in Viking time period who aren’t exactly known for their monuments but I do get what you’re saying

[@bigby7712]

@zeikers i think its the time periods and locations the chose to make the games are not ideal for an assassins creed game. for example you cant make assassins creed game during the bronze age it just dont fit that well. if they sticked to the original idea that was based on real life assassins order during the crusades era and moving forward from there not 1000s of years backwards would have been way more reasonable but the developers felt like an Egypt game would sound cool lets just fit an assassins creed story because it is so successful. how ever if they made a separate games for origins, odyssey and Valhalla by their own then the assassins creed series would have been much more accepted by the community

[@ezseff1091]

@IndyMiraaga Yeah I did quite like the pyramids, I think I must just have more of a preference towards Italian renaissance architecture

[@paulopbga]

Enemy types is a shame. During the Ezio trilogy we saw at least a couple variations of light chasers, medium grunts, and heavy tank enemy types. Hireable factions were also available for alternative means to tackle enemies/forts.

[@z_galanistak9192]

There be 5 different types of enemies and also hireable factions what ya on about?

[@paulopbga]

@@z_galanistak9192 Courtesans, Thieves, and the mercenaries iirc were the factions I was referring to.

[@alexf0723]

The enemies that could chase you at high speeds were so under used

[@fluffymonkeyyy6617]

The chasers only really showed up in catacombs/tombs

[@z_galanistak9192]

@@paulopbga yeah there be mercs and "courtesans" idk about thieves tho ...there be musicians too

[@craigmeister1241]

It's a shame that the villain isn't great as well. I know AC3 isn't necessarily liked a lot but one of the best parts of the game was how complex Haytham was and how it portrayed the Templars in a different light compared to the previous games. Haytham was still sympathetic and not entirely evil, and he wanted a better america, even if he couldn't agree with what the assassins wanted. It's a shame that isn't explored here.

[@slowmercy69]

AC III was the last actual Assassin's Creed game imo. I learned a lot about the American revolution through the game (foreigner comin thru), and then Ubisoft dumbed down the history aspect with IV. It all went downhill from there if you ask me. 3 only lacked polish, and has a mid ending because Ubisoft didn't want the series to end

[@mrrobluxo2369]

They tried to make it complex but it just divulged to Templars bad assassins good. Ac rogue was even worse

[@idkyoutubeneedsausernamenow]

Indeed. I find ac3 story thrilling because of that. There are not much games/stories will make the main character and the whole plot not as just or persuasive, and in this games, even to a extent wrong, which makes you think am I really doing the right thing? Haytham is a very well-written character/villian/anti-hero even without reading the novel, and he echoes more and more when you start looking in other stuff outside the game itself, which most ac antagonists are unable or less successful to achieve. I think ubisoft actually tried to use this "none of the sides is absolute just" plot for 4, rogue and unity, but none had recreate what the story of ac3 has brought to us. And ac3 also bring an alternative angle on the American War of Independance, which to me it's definitely new considering how American and most non-American hisotry books depicted the war and Washington in a positive way. (as a foreigner learned the American Revolution at school I think I can confidently say that) It's funny to see Shaun bashing it in emails and even in the description explaining differnet characters and events (I remember in early games Shaun is the character writing all the historical infomation in game to educate Desmond)

[@thatoneguy1741]

Godd I was in middle school when AC3 came out and I actually really enjoyed the story

[@memecliparchives2254]

​@@slowmercy69The issue with 3 Connor more specifically is that his development was almost thrown away near the end. Still better than Hypocrite Shay, Assassimp Arno and the Fried Twins.

[@kungfukenny3376]

For all the game's faults I have to commend their notoriety system. Makes the streets feel so alive. The first time I experienced the highest level I was genuinely panicking haha.

[@varshwalia]

I think as a DLC turned game. The story and scenarios were rushed to make it lengthy enough for a full game. Old formulas are holding up with little innovation done on top of it. For me personally, the story and emotional connection like ac2 gave me is core to the old-school AC series.

[@memecliparchives2254]

Unfortunately, thats not what people want anymore. They only want the stylish looking yet no substance parkour Unity has. And even with Mirage maybe copying it and a city sized map, its still not enough. Why? Because Rogue, Unity and Syndicate are just as bad Odyssey and Valhalla are.

[@aussieseal9979]

​@@memecliparchives2254my guy, Unity's parkour has so much damn depth. Alot more than "hold R2 and X'

[@rijusnar1994]

​​@@memecliparchives2254Unity had the best Parkour and its looks next gen than the last AC games Syndicate the best combat Rogue IS a Black flag 2.0 but has one of the best story in a AC So all your takes are Bad . Origins was good but get repetitive Then Odyssey and Valhalla are bland and just Bad overall with a low coast Witcher 3 kinda Vibe but Worst .

[@RetryOfHealGuy]

​@@memecliparchives2254Odyssey was pretty good ngl. But Valhalla was a big regret

[@sugondese411]

Keep crying boomer

[@cadeezell]

My issue with the newer games isn't as much quantity over quality, it was how they made the assassination aspect a side mission. You could go the entire Odyssey and valhalla games without dipping into the assassination plot at all. At least Origins still had the main story revolve around the assassination tree

[@darkhawk5231]

tried to find a comment like this yeah. They not only sidelined assassinations, they made you do them on random npcs at times. I don't count some weird ass flavor text as "background" as a good motivation to kill them. It was so surreal finding a npc with a healthbar popping up in the middle of a city and just killing them for fun only to realize it was a cultist and you should have done X and Y to reveal their true motives and all that. It felt terrible! Looking at what Skill Up talks about here and seeing that "Investigation" thing i feel like it ends up being the same in Mirage. You just do random mundane tasks, end up at some random enemy that the game decides to be your boss mob and there is no further explanation outside of "Duh they were from the Order so they were clearly evil!!" You have no attachment to any characters anymore, not even the main char..

[@clashwithyourmum8665]

I actually quite enjoyed odyssey and used tons of assassinations to lower the enemy numbers before attack a base. I do understand what your saying that it isn’t necessary like the earlier games but it’s still there for people who want to use it

[@BrodieCoad]

I am glad you touched on the story/storytelling, I've felt that AC, and all of Ubisoft for that matter, has a huge issue with narrative and character in their games. It feels like it is either spread too thin over the course of something too large, or as if they are just painting by numbers, delivering just what is expected and nothing more. In recent games it feels like some characters will have a total of twenty lines of dialogue and then have a death scene that is trying to get you to feel something, and you're just sitting there like "Who is this again?". I don't know whether it is corporate, risk averse, marketing department meddling, or if they have too many cooks in the kitchen and can only agree on adding in the basics. Its frustrating, because a series with this many entries should have more to say than "I guess Black Flag was good".

[@Braxmegaman]

I would guess it's the corporate thing. Older assassin's creed games had something to say, questions to ask about the core themes of "Freedom vs Order." I won't claim they were particularly nuanced or poignant, but they at least felt _purposeful_ . No Ubisoft narrative has felt that way in a long, long time.

[@divinitymode9364]

Spot on. Odyssey was the perfect case in point. The moment to moment writing was excellent but the storytelling was an absolute mess. Famously hard to get right in open world games but Ubi struggle more than most.

[@e2rqey]

Yup. Completely soulless. The most generic and uninteresting narratives possible. Which is really a shame because the original premise for Assassin's Creed was so cool. You've really gotta screw up to make that boring

[@afiffarakhan4992]

True, even my sister know exactly who killed Adewale. She's not even play the game but she knows the story. That's how good AC Fantasy Story back in the days. When someone dies, it hits you and it matters. That kind of deep experience.

[@SuperBallani]

Because Ubisoft games focus on gameplay loop and features over storytelling, and personally that's why i love them. I don't play game for the story, even if i'm obviously not against it but it's only an optionnal plus in my book and i hate when the story comes first at the detriment of the gameplay or the freedom, like in so many acclaimed PS exclusive titles or Red Dead 2. I frankly don't care if Ubisoft don't improve their narrative as long as they improve their gameplay and environment, that's all that matters to me.

[@Mukation]

In the old AC games the mini stories could be done in any sequence, but you were always hindered from continuing that mini side story at certain plot points in the game, in favour of progressing the main quest (and vice versa, sometimes you couldn't progress the main story without doing some of the smaller side quests). That enabled you to follow a complete chain of events overall, eventhough you could choose wich order you completed the 5 current mini quests before you progressed. This is a lesson Ghost of Tsushima took to heart aswell. Guess that is why some claim Ghost of Tsushima to be the best AC game in years :P

[@johndymond4596]

Certainly is but with way better combat

[@jaythomas468]

@@johndymond4596 Also, Ubisoft must just be INCREDIBLY TONE-DEAF because people were CRYING OUT for an AC game based in feudal Japan YEARS BEFORE Ghost of Tsushima was even announced (at least, from what I remember on various gaming forums as far back as 2012, people were talking THEN about HOW COOL an AC game set in feudal Japan would be).

[@TheCyclicGamer]

@@jaythomas468 Didn't they just announced one that takes place in Japan though?

[@jaythomas468]

@@TheCyclicGamer YES, but it TOOK THEM LONG ENOUGH. People have been clamoring for an AC game set in feudal Japan since the original Desmond trilogy came to an end.

[@rajonomistika]

Then why all these "fans" of AC franchise always complained about saying "I have to do side quests to progress main story" brah

[@aragornelesar3862]

Reviews 2 days in a row, having Austin come on as a 2nd reviewer was an amazing decision. Loving it.

[@vijaz5559]

same@@AlwayzFresh

[@jeffcarrier9808]

And still no BG3 😭

[@jamesgraham6492]

​@@jeffcarrier9808bro he's gonna need another year to complete

[@meowforjasper2838]

I agree! It's why I have two best friends. Both of their uncles can take turns. Two days in a row and one time one of my friend's was going to move but they decided not to and it was an amazing decision. They really know how to make me feel like I'm the ground and they're big muscular sledgehammers. My best friends know and is cool with it.

[@tommyswain3762]

@@jeffcarrier9808Or Starfield, which I don’t even think we’re gonna get

[@marcosm1223]

I'm very sad to hear about some things here, especially the story structure - but I cannot overstate how much I appreciate an honest and comprehensive review of the game's structure and gameplay. Great review in my opinion.

[@Thedownliner2015]

Ubisoft have now proved that even with a small map they can't make what they have interesting enough to justify the time spent in it. Real shame.

[@GradietPanda12345]

Why do you think this dudes opinion is the end all be all? If that’s the case, his review is an outlier compared to the rest.

[@memecliparchives2254]

Most wont still see it though. Rogue, Unity and Syndicate are just as icon cluttered with bloat on their side content. But hey they have flashy parkour so automatically their good games right? Im supposed to forget their terrible protagonists and terrible narratives right?

[@Thedownliner2015]

And sure we can all defend this to the hilt until the game releases and then all be proven wrong to the defenders and right to the criticisms but let's just wait until the release because I have a feeling we're just going to resolve the argument to the same old Ubisoft that appears to have lost it's mojo and waited far too long to return to ACs roots. World building top notch. All the rest is abysmal and Ubisoft is too ego driven to ever show they listened to another developer who executed the concept of side questing better. So we're just going to keep seeing this until Ubisoft swallow their pride and admit they suck at plot and immersion.

[@blackout1518]

@@GradietPanda12345I haven’t seen a single positive review for this game. If you trust ign and gamespot that’s on you but defending Ubisoft just makes you look cringe

[@Thedownliner2015]

I'm just going off the experience of playing every AC game and seeing the drift away from what it was to now return to what it was far too late in the game. And what could've saved all this? A simple launch of a new IP rather than trying to tack on a reputation of a previous IP and they've even done this with The Division by using Tom Clancy's name to sell it. Problem is by doing that it's just made The Division less than it could be because Clancy games are about realism and military so you can't have any freaky stuff in it which would've made it sell better. It's just lazy from Ubisoft. @@GradietPanda12345

[@ArnoldWind]

"Assassin's Creed Mirage is what we all feared it might be: a throwback to the old formula, with little effort made to adapt or advance that formula in any way." That is exactly what I feared.

[@primalfire7689]

Players: “we want AC to go back to the old roots this new mechanic stuff sucks” Also players: “we want new mechanic stuffs going to the old roots is bad and boring.”

[@salmannader1762]

@@primalfire7689people wanted a Basis akin to the old ac games, but also ways that expand and advance the formula, you know like a typical video game franchise, There needs to be improvements in the formula because if not I can just replay the old ac games

[@Lionbeard]

​@@salmannader1762 Not everyone needed or wanted a change in the formula. Plenty of games are successful without changing the formula and gameplay from previous similar games.

[@cloverraven]

There are 2-3 enemies that you have to uncover in AC odyssey that you DO already know but didn’t know they were involved in the main plot. That makes them more interesting. You’re right. If you don’t know the bad guy until seconds before their death it isn’t the same.

[@anonymousinfinido2540]

True, even if Odyssey was a Rpg type AC, it had that mystery regarding the enemies. Even in origins, one of Bayek's host turns out to be the enemy.

[@tombreyder6719]

​@@anonymousinfinido2540yep "the scarab"

[@anonymousinfinido2540]

@@tombreyder6719 yes

[@rebikhalifa8375]

What enemies are you talking about

[@cloverraven]

One of the hidden enemies was one of the main characters in Athens I believe. Someone you already knew. Off the top of my head.

[@RayearthIX]

I am very happy to see an old school AC game come out, but when I heard it was originally dlc to Valhalla, my interest tanked. Your review basically confirms what I feared… that they took a shorter story dlc and made it a full game without actually fleshing out that story to justify the length. Hopefully UbiSoft doesn’t use this as an excuse to never make an old style AC title again, because I miss those games.

[@frenchfriedbagel7035]

I mean the stealth gameplays still satisfying. Expecting compelling story from AC is asinine as the whole story hasn’t had focus in nearly a decade.

[@themagictoaster2472]

@@frenchfriedbagel7035 it’s not asinine to expect a good story when Ubisoft promised it. For full price, you should expect full quality.

[@frenchfriedbagel7035]

@@themagictoaster2472 technically we’re paying for $10 less than full price. Ubisoft doesnt know what they’re doing with the story. That’s not going to magically change.

[@themagictoaster2472]

@@frenchfriedbagel7035 $60 has always been full price. Corporate execs are trying to normalize $70 but $60 has been the standard full price for years. Ubisoft is trying to do the same with its writing that they do for the price. Normalize bad storytelling so you pay full price for a sub-par product. What they want is to shove the same old formula in front of you and say “it’s a Ubisoft game” and you shrug your shoulders and hand them 60 bucks.

[@miqs9]

​@@themagictoaster2472dude isn't mirage $50? Where you get $60 from?

[@TickerSymbolYOU]

Damn. I love the "I don't recommend" videos almost as much as playing most games these days. Excellent breakdown of what's working and what isn't for this massive franchise.

[@OhGodAnotherUsername]

Totally; it feels like I always learn a little something when there's some constructive criticism involved

[@TalkingBook72]

Agreed, although unfortunately the majority of people will see only that and decide the entire game is bad without watching the full review

[@yogi00700]

Which goes to show more that title shouldn't be sensetionalised but unbiased and let people decide for themselves.

[@miqs9]

​@@TalkingBook72 i mean anything for KZbin algorithm isn't it... This video (at least the title) definitely made for mainstream player...

[@gamingbytetv665]

Who the fuck is he to say what’s working and what isn’t though?

[@chocov1233]

0:35 - Man I feel old. Having one huge city to explore in a game now isn't considered open world. How bloated have game worlds become.

[@MichaelOdendaal]

Is it just me or has Assassins Creed gone backwards in terms of world building. I remember a time when AC was the benchmark of what a living, breathing city could look and feel like. AC games released 16 years ago still feels more alive to me than the most recent RPG titles.

[@SilentAssassin01234]

Origins is a masterclass in world building and the last good AC setting. The amount of detail in NPC schedules, Egyptian architecture etc is staggering and up there with with Red Dead 2. What followed after were just boring landscapes with no unique characteristics at all.

[@syro2412]

We never saw crowds as dense as the ones in AC unity in the subsequent games

[@SilentAssassin01234]

@@syro2412 No, but AC didn’t really have detailed NPCs doing much, they were all just walking aimlessly. In Origins, there are less NPCs, (still loads) but they had schedules where they sleep work and eat etc

[@francescofioroni70]

How is Mirage a backwards when they recreated a city lost in time that doesn't exist anymore like that

[@mr.dccomics9018]

Because they keep going to the same place or time periods. You never going to see an Assassins Creed game in South America, Mexico, Africa, Indiai, Jamaica etc. It's always going to be in Europe somewhere or Japan. That's why it's getting repetitive because they already been everywhere in Europe.

[@0Gumpy0]

Damn. If they had given this one a well-written linear story I could definitely see it landing. Shame.

[@jonbotwesley]

Unfortunately Ubisoft has completely lost any ability to write dialogue and characters that aren’t corny as fuck and impossible to take seriously. I don’t think it would make that much of a difference if the games were linear because I don’t think they have it in them to write anything worthwhile anymore.

[@nnnneeeeuuuu]

@@jonbotwesleythat’s more an industry problem too, good writers are becoming rare

[@tj-co9go]

Yeah. What's the last AC game that had a great story? Black Flag? Everything up to it (AC1, Ezio Trilogy and AC3) was great. Unity and Origins were decent, but someone disappointing. Odyssey, Syndicate and Valhalla makes me want to scream how bad they are.

[@beardedlonewolf7695]

Uh? Linear story is boring and short one and done, it's not popular at all, except for moms at home and dads drinking coffee. This is not what AC is.

[@jonbotwesley]

@@beardedlonewolf7695 tell me you only got into AC starting with Origins without telling me you only got into AC starting with Origins

[@roippi3985]

Sometimes you can cross your eyes and see exactly how a corp aligned its team structure to the product. The machinery of a few product teams churning out little investigation quests, then another lore team coming along and slapping some self-contained plot on each one afterwards. On full display.

[@jesustyronechrist2330]

Yup. It's all deliberately seperated and disjointed. Everything needs to be "pastable anywhere", regardless of the narrative, location and gameplay. As long as you can keep it modular, the management at Ubisoft is happy.

[@TenderNoodle]

These games seem to be made with all the creativity of a goddamn can of beans. Ubisoft no matter how hard it tries can’t seem to do anything other than make bland, mechanical products using the same tools and systems they have for years.

[@emptysoul2757]

@@TenderNoodlewhat kind of beans?

[@JoeNoshow27]

@@emptysoul2757 The kind that have been sitting in the fridge in an unlabelled tupperware container for over a year, having become so putrified that even the world's best scientists would struggle to identify their original form.

[@TheFreakazoid777]

I haven’t gotten too far into the game, but I gotta say as a long time AC fan I’ve been enjoying my time with Mirage so far. It’s been a real breath of fresh air from the massive RPG installments. I actually kinda love how scaled back it’s been, and I’m looking forward to playing more of it. Also the nostalgia factor has been hitting me pretty hard. There have been moments in this game that have taken me back to when I was in high school playing the hell outta the Ezio trilogy. I’d say it’s worth checking out if you’re an old school AC fan, especially for the $50 price point.

[@stephencroft1612]

The game is fking fantastic, these people are just nitpicking and can’t stop bringing up the “it was a DLC for Valhalla” dumb comment, just to diminish the other great things the game does.

[@Onyx474]

@@stephencroft1612 I get what you guys mean, in terms of gameplay it has an okay feel, but personally I think story and characters is almost what i remember most about the games with ezio or even 3 and 4, whereas here i wouldnt mind skipping cutscenes here and there because of how uninteresting these characters can be. Most missions felt pretty personal and somewhat meaningful in the older games, whereas here you can tell they were just throwing out missions for the sake of it.

[@salim5394]

@@Onyx474ezio games are an actual slog to get through maybe you need to play it again

[@gamingbytetv665]

@@stephencroft1612Skillup is a clown, honestly don’t know why people seem to wait on baited breath for what he has to say.

[@thegodzachieve]

Exactly. It's amazing that ubisoft can pull this off after all the hate. They have my respect after this one. I hope they don't listen to lonely 30yr olds like this channel and keep making games like this. @@stephencroft1612

[@scarletcroc3821]

In my opinion Shadow of Mordor is the best innovation on the AC gameplay loop. Stealth is very effective, the parkour feels great and the ghost abilities really add a lot. Additionally if you were forced out of stealth the combat was still very satisfying with a number of things you could do with the combo meter. Obviously the fantastical elements would be difficult to carry over into a more realistic setting, but I think it's possible

[@HookahOtaku]

man that nemesis system is so amazing, WB is a dick for patenting the system.

[@lets_see_777]

i wish the third part atleast has better main story and quality over repetitive gameplay. Otherwise it totally slaps.

[@mhjmstultiens]

I should really play the second game in that series. I liked the first one and I keep hearing the second one is better in most regards.

[@scarletcroc3821]

@@mhjmstultiens it’s better in pretty much every way except for two things: the story isn’t very good (some characters become very annoying) and there’s too much gear customization

[@binkso2500]

​@@mhjmstultiensYeah after they backflipped on the initial microtransaction scumfest, Shadows of War was mostly excellent as a slaughterfest.

[@samgutierrez1070]

I don't see a lot of people bring this up but I miss the AC multiplayer. Smoke bombs, guns and teleport were OP but artifact assault was so much fun. And the other gametypes were pretty good too. Missed opportunity

[@Manthathasspiderlikepowers]

Loved the multiplayer in the old games like brotherhood. Just good fun. Super under appreciated mode

[@mike_gusta2994]

They are working on a new AC MP game but don't expect it soon. Ubi is busy with over 4 AC projects at the moment so it might all take a while. Probably about 3-4 years I guess. And it probably will be very different than it used to be cuz the former Engine they used for the old MP's are very outdated.

[@The_Babe]

I miss the co-op way more. AC Unity should've been the direction Ubisoft went with the AC games in my opinion, Origins was a mistake.

[@Payday5]

@@The_Babe you can blame everyone that overexaggerate bad things in unity so they pretty much get what they deserve

[@Metallian81]

AC multiplayer was good, but it came at the time i gave up PvP in games. I do however want the xo-op modes of Unity to return. They were a ton of fun.

[@LikeACrouton]

People might've forgotten, but Assassin's Creed started off with one of the coolest overarching story concepts in all of video games. If Ubisoft had a shred of ambition, that first arc should've culminated in Desmond eventually getting his own, modern day Assassin's Creed game. They could've still continued the series after that with a different person, but it really bums me out we never saw that initial trilogy reach its potential

[@SpartanLawyer]

Replayed AC3: Remastered a few weeks ago, and the modern day Desmond missions made me realize just how much potential there was for what you said. The last mission at Abstergo was genius

[@mradamdust]

Exactly, but Ubi basically made themselves Abstergo abandoned the story for the hope of banking off and endless franchise. Stories need endings.

[@RM22201]

Hell no. No one has ever enjoyed assassin's creed modern-day story. People like being an assassin. Stop the bullshit

[@Thaltas]

​@@RM22201you didn't. Many others did, it was the perfect amount of Meta, much better cared for compared to how Modern Day is scrambling now.

[@mee091000]

It's actually insane that they didn't continue the storyline with Desmond Miles. I don't know wtf the devs and writers were thinking. I figured they were just going to stray off for a little bit while they got together the budget and team for the next BIG game. But it just simply never happened.

[@babyyoda6468]

Even if the storylines need to be separated you can still have the gameworld be impacted by your actions like in Pine or the Mordor games. Introduce different sub-factions in each major area. Have them be allies, neutral or enemies with each other, make them and their areas look unique and specific. You start killing in one, now another faction starts building up their defenses or they start invading themselves to claim the area for themselves possibly making everything in this area harder or easier, maybe weakening their own area in the process. All it takes (yes, I know "only") is that dynamic system, a few additional voice lines for the crowd and visuals that change based on who is occupying or fighting over the area etc. Would make the game world feel reactive and alive and add longevity and even value to all the collectibles. It doesn't have to be a full San Andreas take over but for a series like AC it could work wonders.

[@Slanderbot]

Mirage is a shadow of what the older titles captured. It really does live up to its name...

[@lihan6870]

all 3 of the recent games dont live up to their name of Assassin's Creed. Origins was the last good game in the franchise

[@gemgem-hl7ii]

​@@lihan6870Nah, Odyssey is good too. Maybe even better than Origins.

[@xUseTheForks]

​@@lihan6870nah origins is where the series started going wrong

[@Wyatt_Riley]

​@gemgem-hl7ii odyssey is a convoluted dumpster fire. Not to mention its blatantly pay to win with the ridiculous progression walls they throw at you

[@lihan6870]

@@xUseTheForks I agree with this too but the story was at least halfway decent enough to be an AC game

[@vitsavicky]

I think this is enough for me. A romp through familiar teritory without extreme bloat. I don't need it to be perfect. I am just glad we got this.

[@misterexclusive8282]

Agreed. I'm honestly excited to hear they tried to go back to their roots, even if it's a little murky. Devs that weren't around for the original trilogy trying their hand and getting it close is encouraging.

[@Cellardoorkidd]

MGS V is still an amazing experience, second to second. The stealth formula can last decades in a single good game.

[@ernie1410]

Might have to replay again… lost track how many times I’ve finished the story

[@dvornikovalexei]

"still" No stealth game has beaten MGS V yet after a decade considering the level of freedom available in carrying out every single mission. You have like 10 or more different ways to get an S rank in every mission

[@gamesandglory1648]

@@dvornikovalexei did you know there is a hidden super stealth bonus that doesn't even appear on the results screen except when you achieve it? It occurs when no enemy has even the slightest notice of anything you do. I happened to accidentally get it one time after a mission where I fell down a cliff while carrying a dude, which got me straight out of the enemy base almost instantly.

[@Syncuno]

I think it comes close to what I’ve been wanting from ac for a while. Baghdad looks great, the scale is good. I like the shorter run time, the gameplay is decent, the outfits look badass and actually look like they fit the area and time period. The writing needs work, and the ya the regions could use a little more variety. But the game is enough, and I’m happy to support this if it means more money will go towards these games as opposed to the newer ones.

[@pb2325]

Exactly. This review is suspect.

[@PaladinSalt]

@@pb2325 I don't like how he was saying he liked the new series, and that is the future of the series.

[@pb2325]

@@PaladinSalt Yeah. I unsubscribed. There have been a few reviews that I just completely disagree and couldn’t wrap my head around the logic.

[@HellonearthlABB]

Baghdad looks terrible, the scale is too small, Paris is 10 year old and makes Baghdad look like a ps3 city, you fangirls are the worst i swear

[@memecliparchives2254]

​@@HellonearthlABBParis in Unity is not even good either, its just shinier.

[@gtabro1337]

I don't know how you did it but your footage is THE CLEANEST of all reviews, including the big outlets. A joy to watch.

[@josephhynes5874]

You've absolutely nailed the problem with these games. "Do anything in any order" and have no cohesive story arc or reason to dislike the 'bad guys' you are endlessly assassinating. Not to mention that nearly EVERY tent, boat, barrel, drying rack, scaffold, wooden platform, table, etc. is ripped directly from the last 3 games. So much copy/paste in the environment. I watched Ubisoft debut their play-through on Twitch yesterday and thought to myself after 10 minutes that I've seen/played all of this many times before and I would not be picking it up any time soon...

[@AtheismF7W]

Yes. Tons of reused assets. Make More money with as less of an effort possible.

[@tj-co9go]

So that's why this looks so much like Origins and Odyssey

[@Xenocrusher]

I can’t imagine if we could kill any of the conspirators in any order in AC2 it would fuck up the story so bad

[@anonisnoone6125]

At least watch gameplay of it first before shitting on it. Does everyone here just listen to 1 reviewer they like and form their opinion around him?

[@josephhynes5874]

@@anonisnoone6125 Did you EVEN READ my full comment? The part where I said I watched Ubisoft play the game LIVE on Twitch yesterday???!!! Unreal, Man.

[@jwconglomerate332]

I had mildly high hopes (mid hopes, I guess) that this would be the AC I have wanted since Unity. I will def check it out on discount down the road, but it seems like the throwback aesthetic is more of a "we don't have time to flesh this out into a full release to pad the coffers" instead of "let's go back to basic and then blow that out in a new and creative direction".

[@memecliparchives2254]

Well, not like Unity was is or will be better. That game is the epitome of a throwback aesthetic nostalgia bait and nothing else

[@mohdshahariar5833]

@@memecliparchives2254 Nah, even Unity had better content than Mirage will ever have

[@MisterFoxton]

Well Unity is known for its launch state, it plays fine now, but if it wasn't infamous for its long dead bugs, it may still be infamous for its story. If you like Unity, Mirage will probably appeal to you strongly.

[@memecliparchives2254]

​@@mohdshahariar5833Still, both are bad. Worthless characters, Worthless narrative, Worthless side content. But hey, look at those flashy robes and graphics and smooth looking parkour amrite?

[@memecliparchives2254]

​@@MisterFoxtonYep, ad ive said before. NOTHING will ever fix the horrendous spineless POS that is Arno Dorian or any of the characters and narratives contained in that game. Except maybe Bellec.

[@MalleeMate]

I recently played the Thief games, and kinda wished we saw the interesting stealth/guard scenarios out of those. I think modern ass creed games have amazing locations, but the NPCs and enemies lack much substance. Also the parkour could be more interesting I think. But that’s just me wanting another mirrors edge 🤷‍♂️

[@TalkingBook72]

As a longtime AC fan, this is a fantastic review. It was extremely informative and well thought out, you didn't bash the game unfairly and all of your criticisms sound very fair and legitimate. In my opinion this is the kind of review that the game devs should watch to learn from. It's just a shame that the majority of people will dismiss the full review after seeing the title alone

[@anonisnoone6125]

He contradicted himself a few times. His review sends mixed signals.

[@slaypuft]

@@anonisnoone6125 Mixed signal? The video is literally titled "I do not recommend". Is that not clear enough for you?

[@anonisnoone6125]

@@slaypuftListen to what he actually says rather than listening to the title.

[@jowoman7799]

What bothered me was that he didn't try doing any parkour and just ran around.

[@8minato]

@@anonisnoone6125facts he literally tries to justify bad combat by saying your suppose to play stealthy

[@e2rqey]

Those massive freezes look a whole lot like a very poorly implemented Denuvo DRM checks. The way they are put into Assassin's Creed games is often very invasive where it's constantly checking as you are playing. *Which is also likely why this issue is isolated to the PC version of the game

[@CreateAmazment]

Ya, but don't worry, Denuvo will keep claiming that it has 0 impact on performance!

[@AtheismF7W]

Yaarrrr mateys. JOIN the freedom ship and no more denuvo!

[@ValkyrissaGaming]

I guess those who sail the high seas don’t have to deal with this

[@AtheismF7W]

@@ValkyrissaGaming I buy copies ("license", really) of games I want to take to the high seas with me. I just don't take the legit version because fuck ubisoft.

[@VinAn-d8m]

I'll donate the money I would have spent on this game to anti-denuvo development. 🏴‍☠️

[@LordofBroccoli]

I get the feeling that AC is trapped between two separate fandoms and trying desperately to appeal to both but not suceeding. Before they leaned more into the RPG fandom and tried adding in Stealth and Assassinations to appeal to the old school fans but ended up with the best of neither. Now they are trying to appeal to the old school fans more than the RPG fans, but still ended up with the best of neither. It'll be interesting to see how this does in sales, if it bombs, I guarantee AC will become a full-blown Valhalla-like series moving forward...

[@Braxmegaman]

Can't wait for more trailers using remixes of "Rooftops of Venice" to sell me a game completely unlike that one. Real punch in the gut every time it happens.

[@jopearson6321]

My partner always says that they should split the series into Assassin's Creed and Warrior's Creed, because the latter is more accurate for recent entries.

[@MisterK9739]

They‘re not trapped, they will continue with the new style as it has more players, allows them more freedom and makes them more money (most importantly). Mirage is simply a bone to the yappin „OG fans“. The next big release will be just another massive open world RPG as Valhalla was. And I‘m glad for it

[@joebond545]

Even though there is fair criticism for valhalla, it certainly made alot of money. And as an rpg its a good game. Just not an assasins game at all

[@milkycannon444]

@@MisterK9739Valhalla is dog shit though

[@NidorinoAlliance]

It feels like it’s a series that evolves in slow motion. Where it’s best to wait a few entries and then try it again, where it feels fresh because you’re seeing the few new things and forgetting how much is still being recycled.

[@shuttttt]

Other than the first few releases I now play AC every 2-3 years when an interesting title comes out. It's usually fun at first, but I rarely manage to get a game past 60% because of how repetitive they get.

[@evanpaluch6190]

​@@shutttttthis one is 15 hours. Have fun!

[@BasementRacer805]

Unity is my favorite to date. Best parkour of the series, great environment, and plenty of stealth. I wish they would just build off of that game with future titles. Unity was and still is plagued by its terrible release, but that game is so good!

[@fillerbunnyninjashark271]

The fan backlash was so severe, they went back

[@claymathews8814]

I agree. Went back to it with FPS boost on my series S and it plays great! And you gotta love Arno too.

[@kjh4496]

It’s also plauged by it’s terrible difficulty design.

[@leithaziz2716]

My personal issues with Unity was everything outside of the parkour and visuals. The gameplay had a lot of potential, but it was VERY jank and inconsistent. You could blame Ubisoft for not expanding on the game's potential for future entries, by learning what worked and what didn't, but that's a different topic for discussion. I just personally think Unity wasn't that game, but it hinted at the *possibility* of a much better game.

[@richardmartinez5040]

AC II will always be my favorite for the same reasons, but Unity really was underrated. Loved the story from that one

[@Maho.]

get that feeling that while they've adapted a lot of the gameplay loop from the first game, trying to inject a lot more story content into that formula just hasn't worked out. The way you present this game did remind me a lot of the things back from the old game, but the way they presented their targets really made an impact as you were there watching them commit such treacherous acts and it really made them still feel like actual bad people, even if you still only knew them for such a short time

[@interlace84]

It does its name justice-- on the outside it looks like a good old nostalgic AC time, until you get closer..

[@memecliparchives2254]

Hence the name.....drumroll.....Mirage.

[@Nick10557]

I've just started this game and so far I do like that this one has you play more stealthy cause that's what I liked in the old ones

[@JohnWayne7777]

I also think I will like this game, maybe I’ll get it today or tomorrow:)

[@thegodzachieve]

yeah i hope ubisoft will just stop making games just for the sake of guys like this youtuber to stay without content. There is no way you can hate rpg AC and then say ,,i want old game" and you get mirage and say ,,this isn't unity". AC fans are so stupid it really makes sense why the series is still going. They complain yet they buy the game. I bought this game because i want AC to go in this direction. If you want it too, then buy it ! It's pretty fun. Really good AC game tho (compared to the recently released ones). People will complain about anything. @@JohnWayne7777

[@mchammer5592]

The executive creative leadership of Ubisoft should watch this together and spend the day figuring out why these problems keep coming up and making EVERY game feel so soulless.

[@Alex-qq1gm]

I think some of them might be too busy trying to avoid going to prison tbh.

[@MarluxiaX2]

Well the company is on the verge of Bankruptcy. If Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar flops, they're finished.

[@polygonpenguin]

There was a time when a Ubisoft open-world game would get me excited but now they make open world games like how an AI would. Soulless and generic.

[@wingedhussar1453]

Honestly the main gripe and problem with the game is the flat characters and the dialogue. The are soo boring and lifeless compared to unity where each person had life and charcater

[@CringeLord0119]

@@wingedhussar1453 Almost everyone in Unity was whining, I hate the rose tinted goggles fallacy

[@commandernomad2817]

You know whats particularly weird about the lack of enemy types? Is tha Valhalla had a _ton_ of enemy types, like a genuinely huge number.

[@jamiegreyy]

It didn't mean much because the combat was so simple though. Hardly any of them make you have to change the way you play.

[@MrVvulf]

@@jamiegreyy Adding to that is the tediousness of the finishers. I got SO tired of the finisher animations in Valhalla. They're cool for the first two hours of the game, and annoying for the last 60 hours.

[@zrupnik4217]

In 25 hours i saw soldoers with 6 or 7 weapons, they had different armors, but the many english axe wielder werent any different than the viking axe wielders move wise

[@ShoddyLegion]

Ezio collection had 4 enemy types, light, medium, heavy, and ranged. It's regarded by most as the best of Assassin's creed games of all time.

[@enternamehere142]

No..

[@RedShadowOfSaturn]

Yeah, I'm beginning to really hate the freedom-centric "do the story beats in any order" formula. I understand the idea is to give the player agency to tackle tasks however they want, but it's gotten to the point where the NARRATIVE continually suffers as it's just a clump of missions with a conclusion. I think in order to continue with this type of formula, UbiSoft (or any other studio that does a game like this) needs to have a persistent visual and audio diagram/menu screen of all of the events that a player has unlocked and completed to clearly illustrate how details link together. When you play a game beginning to end in the same order, it's easier to see how all the details fit, and on subsequent playthroughs, you can tell if any details were fit in early in the story that you may have missed. In games like these, I just feel like I miss 90% of the details, and by the end, they wrap things up and...it's over...and I hardly have a handle on what actually took place.

[@leithaziz2716]

Outer Wilds is a game that is structured that way, but it is a VERY different sort of game and mostly works as well as it does because the mystery and lack of handholding plays into the experience of exploring space, which is a major appeal of that game.

[@CoolBreeze29491]

Dam games don't even make sense anymore. They stopped making sense after Desmond and Ezio's era was over.

[@a1lebedev]

You’re continuing your quest of pissing off publishers with your truthful reviews. Thank you for your and Austin’s work, keep it up. And your viewers will be here for you!

[@onemorescout]

Controlled opposition is a valid strategy

[@EnsignRedshirtRicky]

@@onemorescout Subtle trolling. 8/10 (-2 for not using a period)

[@DarshanBhambhani]

Kinda crazy you think he’s pissing off publishers, you think Ubisoft will let him review so many games if he’s pissing them off? They just want the reach that Skillup will bring them, non of them give a shit about some arbitrary “score”

[@acev3521]

Be extremely skeptical of every reviewer who said Cyberpunk is good now like this guy did

[@gerald3389]

@@acev3521it is good now what are you talking about

[@muhtasimfuad5130]

Those freezings are due to multiple levels of DRM the game uses. Only way to fix it is to remove them which knowing Ubisoft will never happen.

[@AtheismF7W]

Yarr matey! there exists an alternative option.. eventually. There will be a quacked copy sooner or later.

[@selectionn]

@@AtheismF7W If its Denuvo then no, probably not. I will tell you now the only person cracking Denuvo will likely not be cracking this game because we (pirates) do not want to play this at all, and Denuvo games will only get cracked if we donate to the person who does denuvo. Its really not a big loss fortunately.

[@AtheismF7W]

@@selectionn I totally get it and respect the work you quackers do.

[@fockyutuub5193]

The problem here is lack of a director. Or lack of a director that plays games. Nintendo directors will play each part of their game like a 100 times and make small adjustments. And they’ll play the whole game several times before release and make adjustments. Ubisoft? Nah dog, they’re like a corporate entity where people don’t understand or play the games they make. They just make it following some kind of plan or script. Like, it’s supposed to have collectibles, check. Not understanding why collectibles are good or bad, and how to make them better and more engaging. Like Zelda gives a perfect amount of reward for collecting korok seeds. They reward you for exploring, for being curious about weird looking things and nook and crannies that you went out of your way to find, and then they also reward you by exchanging them for more inventory slots.

[@fillerbunnyninjashark271]

Which is a shame because Rayman origins is one of the greatest platformers

[@NotoriousAMY]

Definitely agree with you. I love the stealth aspect, but I’m 10 hours in and I’m getting so bored. Even Odyssey had different types of bad guys. There’s nothing to explore in the desert. It’s disappointing.

[@321guyver]

I think your comments on the story are definitely going to be valid... But because of the return to the classic gameplay, I am actually excited to play this one, as I did not like the last couple games... But I am one who holds the Ezio trilogy is highest regards, and still like Unity overall. The return to being an Assassin, and no level grinding makes this a pick up for sure.

[@Wolves437]

This is exactly how I feel. The new games felt like they were going to be something else, but they decided to slap "Assassin's Creed"on the title to get sales. I think if Mirage wasn't originally going to be a DLC and was built from the ground up as a stand alone, people would have different opinions.

[@keepingitcrypto560]

So far the story has been good to me. Game has been fun thus far

[@MagnustheRad]

Its hair ripping frustration that story still takes a back seat to everything else, it's one of the things humans have done since man first crawled out of the savana and spewed noises out the food box, AC2 and brotherhood is the most beloved AC game for this reason

[@Braziliansyrah]

17:50 It wasn't like this in the old games at all, Altair was a full fledged warrior, Ezio learned to be and every assassin since 3 was a killing machine. In mirage it just seems they had no time and tried to implement the RPG-esque combat but featureless, the old games had beautiful animations in the battles and interesting mechanics attached to it.

[@dvornikovalexei]

In 1 we take down an entire army with Altair in combat😂

[@itizwhatitiz9560]

It's still like this. On Normal difficulty you can easily smash through enemies, especially with Assassin Focus, while on Hard it rewards a safe stealth play over combat. I don't find the problem in that.

[@kingdoughproductions4130]

Right? Chain kills were so satisfying along with many kill animations

[@FrigidHeights]

massive missed opportunity to not go back to the classic brawler style combat for this game. the RPG hack and slash combat with the RPG parkour feels so out of place in a “back to roots” game.

[@soanywayistartedblastin8463]

Fucking hell the cope is wild.. M go play the first game and see how balanced it is.. The whole ezio trilogy plays like absolute shite and feels Lime hes ice skating. Your nostalgia clouds your judgement

[@nordicfjordhoss]

Some of the things I wish Ubisoft could add to Mirage is side-activities. I'm sure they could add in a middle-eastern dice game. Also being able to replay assassination missions would've been great since you're able to do it in multiple ways.

[@sacredsecrecy9620]

Wait, there are no side quests in Mirage??? Only the main plot and that's it?! That's unprecedented for Ubisoft 🤯 Was wondering throughout this review why there was no mention of those activities at all. That's why...! 🤔

[@MrHoll87]

@@sacredsecrecy9620 This is false. There are countless "side quests" in the form of a few "Tales of Bagdad" short quests, but there are also contracts you accept from the bureau, they have you do anything from assassinations, completing heists, protecting a targeted individual and they try to flee the area, etc. It's nothing fancy or groundbreaking, but I was honestly surprised how much there actually is to do in this game considering it's much smaller in scope and everything. Plus there collectibles as well so if you really wanna keep playing after credits roll, you can do those.

[@Ganon999]

I think the "return to roots" approach had me interested at first but the more I thought about it, it's still just the AC we've already played. I think the game being shorter than the recent titles is good but a more unique location or a variety would have really helped. Everyone is wanting Japan which makes sense, I would like that too.

[@ChosenOne-il4bm]

You have ghost of tishmi Assassins creed is not assassins creed anymore

[@slytheninja]

Codename Red is set in Japan which is the next main title

[@Ganon999]

@@slytheninja Oh right. I hope that turns out well.

[@Nyles_FS]

@@ChosenOne-il4bm Ghost of Sashimi

[@Dezzyyx]

you deserve some funnypoints my man @@Nyles_FS

[@Pumba424]

Props to you for taking this one and letting austin do Lies of P. He definitely got the better end of that stick lol

[@Carlisho]

😂

[@MegaMo93]

This is a real shame, especially because I really enjoyed games like syndicate, unity, and black flag back in the day (I know those first 2 aren’t a common opinion, but still). From what I understand, mirage was supposed to be a return to form. It’s a shame that it’s not recommendable.

[@nooneknows19]

the issue with syndicate is that it feels more like an ac parody than ac game. Its still fun but idk if its a great ac game. Also the grapel launcher ruins parkour for me.

[@eval_is_evil]

Syndicate setting and story was phenomenal. Hated the melee combat, way too long and overboard it was ridiculous. Loved stealth and assassinations and even busywork. Eve was awesome she looked great and was lethal. Her brother was so annoying. He should have been like a brute force solution with 2 guns , one hit knockouts etc. But no, they just made him annoying and takes the same time to K.O. enemies (boring). It made no sense having both of them, Eve alone would be enough i doubt anyone would be against the idea of Eve being the main assassin character in Syndicate. The multiple points of entry and objectives were really good mechanics. Loved it.

[@MegaMo93]

@@nooneknows19 those are both super fair criticisms!

[@memecliparchives2254]

​@@nooneknows19Yep, its essentially the Thor Love and Thunder of the franchise. While Odyssey is the She Hulk of the franchise. When you consider both games are made by the same team, it makes sense. Unity however, is a melodramatic mess especially in its narrative and characters that i just didnt bother. There is a reason i love Origins as much as Black Flag, though i dont love them both as muchas the first four games. But damn, those games did try to be great. It saddens me that most people including SkillUp subscribe to this stupid monolith that old games good, new games bad. A bad game is a bad game. That goes to Rogue, Unity, Syndicate, Odyssey and now Valhalla and Mirage.

[@gopalarora9997]

I enjoyed Syndicate until I realized how samey everything in it was. It suddenly felt so empty and boring and I could not play it anymore. This was after 20-30 hours, I think. It had a lot of great ideas for questlines and activities, but it felt too cold and lacked heart. That's just my experience with it, could be just me.

[@007feck]

What excited me in games most around 10-15 years ago was the NEW things I could do / wow we have 3D worlds / wow we can build a base / upgrade / it just feels like there’s nothing new anymore - just “we can do that too” or “let’s make players do that 25 times instead of 5”… so for Valhalla, when I got 10 hours in, I already felt like I had spent 200 hours on it already…

[@joelhess1436]

Thats very true i say this all the time. But lets be honest here. If players want something new in terms of realism, devs have to put many years in development like rdr2 for example. Problem is, most of the studios dont have the money to do so.

[@kit76149]

I wish game devs weren't so obsessed with "total freedom" to the point it strongly hurts the narrative. Making the main plot a bit more linear won't kill you

[@Tearintime]

I really needed this game to be a success, so they could start making actual old school entries again

[@andrewphoto4750]

this shit is ass gang, literally nothing to look forward to getting. no cool weapons nothing

[@bohenian]

Nah, I think they should let AC rest/die now. Those yearly releases put stress on the development of what it really wants to be. Heck, calling it "Assassin's Creed" in the later games kinda felt weird.

[@srn7254]

@@bohenian IDK why people keep acting like the series is on life support or something. I mean, you can love or hate the direction RPG titles took as much as you want but Valhalla was the highest-earning entry in the whole franchise ($1B+ as of Q4 '21) - any publisher would be insane to suddenly drop such a profitable IP.

[@bohenian]

@@srn7254 I'm not saying it's bad. I just wanted them to call it a new game and have a franchise out of it instead of calling it Assassin's Creed for it to sell. But then again, they need to sell. It could've been more free from the allegations of "this isn't Assassin's Creed!"

[@cosmancho2959]

​@@Not-So-SwiftIt should had ended years ago.

[@teneesh3376]

The parkour was my biggest concern. Shame that I was right. They really did just reused the RPG system and all of its faults. But those games had very open areas and were maily used for mountains or flat walls. Mirage's world is more condensed and like the old games. But the system isnt made for the levels

[@MegaMerdeux]

Exactly. They tweaked the basic parkour system of odyssey and origins. What they should've done instead is using something more like unity. That game has a great parkour system and fun but challenging combat. I know many fans disliked unity. But I personally liked the gameplay mechanics. Way better than the combat of origins, odyssey and Valhalla.

[@shoutamagatsuchi3076]

I really enjoy Assassin's Creed: Mirage, so far. Dwelling 3 hours into the game and I really enjoy it. Though it is not as good as what players expected it to be, it still gives me hope that Ubisoft is slowly making its way back to where Assassin's Creed was before. Ubisoft is just hearing out to players what they have to say, the critics, and how Ubisoft will try to learn from the critics and players' feedbacks to figure out what they can do if they were to have a new AC installment in the future. My pros and cons about this game: Pros: - Mirage really did go back to the roots (but not completely) - Brought back old techniques; i.e., blending in, ripping off wanted posters, bribery - The feeling of playing an Assassin's Creed game. - I love the combat, very brutal. - Brought back the notoriety meter, made me stressful tbh. - Finally, a perfect Assassin outfit, Baghdad style, made me feel like I'm Altair once again. Cons: - Setting of choice: map is a little too small (I really wished it was as big as Valhalla) - Some areas are very empty and not much to explore. - No modern day story (In which I understand, they removed it to focus more on Golden Age Baghdad. But I seriously do need a modern day story, after Valhalla. As long as the Modern Day story is good, I'm all for it) - Story was quite mid (But I wouldn't say 'worst', a bit harsh for that) so far. - The animations looked and felt awkward. - The combat were quite simple, just a tap-tap, instead of any combo buttons. But so far, I would rate the game a 6.8/10. Just the first step of a really long staircase to get the Assassin's Creed we hoped for. I hope Ubisoft learn from the critics and reviews on how they can improve their future AC games. But nonetheless, there will be future updates of this game, so there's more to be expected...

[@teneesh3376]

Just from looking. I know my biggest issue with combat is hit feedback. Enemies dont react to being hit. They stay still. Im fine with combat sucking to emphasise stealth, but give us better hit feedback

[@alfredhoonter5955]

Wow. I saw this coming a mile away. Ubisoft just cannot tell a story in an interesting way.

[@chriszalitach2462]

They’re extremely risk averse, which is synonymous with large gaming corporations. It also runs against the very grain of video game making which is an art form, and therefore demands risk due to its essence.

[@DasGewkmiXX]

THANK YOU! You finally managed to put words to what I have been feeling with Ubi games for so long. Their formula is too non linnear so that the story faulters. Thanks alot!

[@Windupchronic]

I've just started it. It's not without its issues. I've had a few graphics glitches, and one outright crash. I also have trouble remembering the names of all the characters, but they seem to have anticipated this, because Basim can't remember anyone's name either. But I am enjoying the stealth aspects of the gameplay. I wasn't crazy about how Odyssey and Valhalla were more brawlers. So I'm liking that about Mirage. But my tastes in AC games is weird. I actually really like Syndicate, for instance, which no one else seems to like.

[@MrMjbovi]

If this was like a 15-20$ game I would have no issue with it being almost a clone of the first. If they made it more linear I'm sure I'd love it. Great review as always!

[@WyzeGuy]

It's on Ubisoft's subscription service, so it is $15. Along with whatever else you'd care to play for a month

[@kami3449]

​​@WyzeGuy thats good to know

[@whoishe2527]

@@WyzeGuythat’s what I like to hear. I almost bought it til I seen your comment

[@Retrofire-47]

Assassin's Creed has _always_ been open world though... just sayin'

[@cloudvoid0]

Thank you for calling out the poor narrative structure. Almost no other major reviewer gives importance to the writing in games, which according to me is one of the most important components in such games.

[@eeleye7075]

“Fucks sake” was my reaction when I read that title

[@DevDinish]

I enjoyed Origins and Odyssey a lot. Valhalla was coo but I like the direction they're taking the series. But I lean towards more longer games being an RPG gamer first. But I understand people who aren't into the newer titles

[@frankavilla5601]

I started with Origins then Odyssey. Loved them. Valhalla had a bad story and was too empty. The older games though? So repetitive and boring. Only Black flag was interesting. All the other ones I had to just rush through because I was so tired of spamming counter and jumping off buildings to your death. No exploration, boring weapons, and costumes.

[@shubhamgosai__]

From trilogy, origins stood out to me as something new and exciting. Disappointed to see Mirage failed to re establish the old gameplay mechanics.

[@Bowblaxian_Tricknology]

It's sounds to me they gave all of you exactly what you asked for, but you all can't think for yourselves/actually play those old AC games. Those games were beyond tedious

[@Blacklungs-Sanji]

@@Bowblaxian_Tricknology exactly 💀💀 I love both old and new ac games, but never should they cater to stealth OR combat.. it’s always meant to be strong both ways… which basim is, he shouldn’t take more dmg tho like wtf

[@drangus3468]

"Awful writing" is all I needed to hear. Appreciate your insight and journalistic integrity, keep it up mate.

[@mhrocks909]

This review has more review in the first 4 minutes than other reviewer’s have in their 30 minutes. Shill up good.

[@natchu96]

The talk about villains cropping up out of nowhere and dying just as quickly makes me think back to Origins, of all things. Some of the targets did still do that. They usually already have a pretty well solidified impression in your mind though, based on the horrible things they've done under their funny animal name. There's even some villains who you interact with quite early on in the story arc if not outright befriend, none the wiser until the horrible truth dawns on you. It's honestly kinda uncanny that Ubisoft generally _can_ make something good on occasion, but just mysteriously refuse to make anything like it ever again.

[@ciaranmcguinness8900]

Probably because most of the team that made that game don't work for Ubisoft anymore

[@randam1005]

The thing is, they didn't even have to change up the story too much to make the villains better. Just one scene with the villains doing some bad stuff makes them memorable. Everyone remembers the Origins villains from the scene where they kill Bayek's son. Everyone remembers the AC2 villains from the hanging scene and when they meet up around the table/Roman theatre

[@henrysmith8163]

We’re at the point, technologically, again, where they can do even crazier crowd simulation stuff than the original games. I feel like that was the original foundation of its unique approach to stealth. Using the density and commotion to kill/steal in plain sight. That culminates in using all your skills to carry out high profile, high security assassinations in public view, and subsequently escaping.

[@marceachucarro8834]

Exactly, Unitys crowd simulation was insane, but then again, this game is a downgrade from Unity in many, many ways.

[@LeonJohnson-yi3hg]

@@marceachucarro8834remind me again why they switched things from unity ? Oh right the “fans”.

[@marceachucarro8834]

@@LeonJohnson-yi3hg They changed to appeal to a broader demographic, sacrificing quality over quantity.

[@LeonJohnson-yi3hg]

@@marceachucarro8834 they were pumping out yearly sequels far before thatclown

[@marceachucarro8834]

@@LeonJohnson-yi3hg And? The franchise got stale a long time ago, true. My point still stands tho, they saw how successful the RPG route was and went with it. Is it any better? Are you going to tell me that Mirage is better in some way than any of the others that came out before Origins? Unity had a lousy story and was plagued by bugs, but at least you could tell some effort was put on it. Gameplay wise is in a complete different level than these uninspired, lazy and bloated new entries.

[@Evanz111]

The only critic I trust. People were hyping this up way too much, and it’s sad that people let themselves think it would be a “return to form”. All that resulted in was people getting a game with less content, less features and less that makes it stand out.

[@drwalka10]

KOTAKU- POSITIVE DESTRUCTOID - 7.5/10 ROCKPAPERSHOTGUN - POSITIVE GAMEINFORMER - 8/10 POLYGON - POSITIVE DEXERTO - ⅘ IGN - 8/10 BUTWHYTHO - 8/10 CBR - POSITIVE WCCFTECH - 8/10 GAME BOLT - 8/10 NOISYPIXEL - 9/10 ...... SEEMS LIKE A RECOMMEND TO ME

[@kami3449]

An 8/10 doesn't sound like an recommend to me, especially during this year where we have 9s and 10s to recommend. Sounds more like "ya it was decently good, but i wouldn't recommend it"

[@cj3670]

​@@kami3449a 8/10 is fine. Ain't no way you think a 8/10 is bad

[@Evanz111]

@@drwalka10Alright, I’ll just listen to a load of reviews from people I don’t know. That’s not how game criticism works. You should find a reviewer you trust, who has a similar taste in games, and whose opinions you usually agree with. People aren’t a collective consciousness, they relate to some more than others.

[@Lionbeard]

It was absolutely a return to form in several ways.

[@xrtbo6]

Always appreciate your honest reviews mate, thanks. I was holding high hopes for mirage but think I’ll hold off unless it’s very reasonably priced

[@BullFrogFace]

Yeah, this seems like a buy at half price months or a year down the line

[@ernie1410]

Not sure UBI games are even worth buying anymore.

[@dimeterchevaeros8480]

Love this! Voting with your wallet is the only thing the greedy bastards in charge are going to notice.

[@pacman4202]

One thing that made the old combat great was the camera would move in to make it more cinematic. Remember the double counters from AC3? This looks bland compared to what it could be, especially for a company like Ubisoft.

[@TalesZuliani]

Sounds like a good game for a big sale. Same strat I always play with Ubi games. Wait until all DLCs are out and buy the gold edition on a sale

[@Alexisonscope]

SkillUp’s own release cadence is wild right now! All this content and still have our weekly ‘Gamers!’ to look forward to.

[@joshuatealeaves]

It’s S tier content on a steady drip. I’m with you brother…wild

[@moriyoukai2076]

And expect some big gaming news the day it's uploaded, as usual

[@christophluger793]

The first assassin's creed was my favourite. It was a completely new setting and very immersive.

[@aaronkeener5559]

We need a remake

[@sladewilson9741]

Not me, the AC2 trilogy was the capstone.

[@justin9744]

Uh what? It certainly was not immersive and I don’t think you know what that word means if you truly believe what you said. The first game was actually bad. You just do the same things over and over and over and over and then the game ends.

[@christophluger793]

@justin9744 maybe not for you, is AC Origins or Valhalla more immersive? If you say yes you don't know what that word means.

[@memecliparchives2254]

​@@sladewilson9741The first four games altogether are peak AC.

[@alsenar2]

Mirage is such a let down, especially after we got Baldurs Gate 3 and the Phantom Liberty DLC. I mean, even Starfield "tried" something new and isn't that bad, but Ubisoft just can't evolve.

[@splinterborn]

The Real AC games had better plot because it was structured, halfway designed well and philosophical in many aspects. (AC1/AC2/ACR/AC3/AC4 ect.)

[@mrflufflebunny4529]

The structure he described is literally what ac1 runs with

[@Tallmios]

​@@mrflufflebunny4529We all have rose-tinted glasses about AC1 but it was exactly like that. It was just new for everyone back then.

[@splinterborn]

@@Tallmios I Played it at least 15 times on 3 platforms and recently, no glasses on my face.

[@lolcat]

​@@TallmiosI never beat it until a few years ago, so it's pretty fresh in my mind it definitely wasn't bad

[@Tallmios]

@@lolcat Still a shame they didn't do anything to evolve it.

[@RKDriver]

I've played nearly all of them and what I think it basically comes down to is "been there, done that." It's the same game whether you're into Odyssey AC or old stealth AC. Go to an area, meet an NPC, get a quest, go to the area while trying not to be spotted. Kill a few lame guards you've seen hundreds of times before, retrieve said item and return. Repeat that over and over.

[@BlueJayYT]

Idk, tbh I’m all down for a return to the basics without huge iteration. It’s been so long since that basic formula, I’m ok settling for it just being back at all. I’d love a stronger narrative, but with a short playtime and good parkour and stabby’s, this game seems worth a buy for me

[@Bowblaxian_Tricknology]

That's insane. Those first AC games are trash

[@Herogus3xD]

I agree with some of your points, but after just finishing the story, i can say that i loved all of the gameplay till the end. Like you said, stealth, movements, love it! I do agree with indeed more enemy types and make a bit more of a challenge, i suppose i could of just put it on HARD difficulty. But i very much do recommend AC: Mirage. I hated this level system, restriction system in the previous titles, (Valhalla, Odyssey) but i loved Odyssey story as well. I think this game is great, could have indeed more content, maybe do more with the desert and the northern City where you start. I felt punished when not doing stealth and loved the options you can get with the skill tree.

[@eden20111]

I am honestly shocked there’s no modern day scenes. I was really looking forward to see what Basim was planning in modern day 😢

[@rickyleahey9286]

Basim is Loki, and he knows it. Kind of takes away the whole appeal of the game. Are we playing a secret villain the entire time or did they forget how Vahalla ended? Are they lazy or stupid? Wait don't answer that. The answer is both.

[@cinnamonsparrowdesigns]

@@rickyleahey9286 I was curious how that tied in to this. It seems weird to want to like this character b/c of what we all know.

[@chromejailer6799]

Honestly, modern day scenes/gameplay was crap ever since Black Flag. It switched from being part of the game to a chore that you had to force yourself to go through in order to be allowed to go back to the game. If they're gone, I'm glad.

[@eden20111]

@@chromejailer6799 I disagree they were the best part of assassins creed. It’s what made assassins creed so great. Showing the animus and how they operate it. The Layla storyline was pretty weak but the reveal at the end of valhalla had me high hopes for more present day content. so bummer none was included here.

[@user-xg6sx5ev9u]

​@@chromejailer6799don't tell this new ac fans too much, they have no idea, Desmond was the connection between all assassin's creed games and it added the sci fi epic, it was great, patrice desilet (the creator of ac) had a plan for him where he would become the modern assassin by the end of the series but ubisoft wanted to milk it over and over again so patrice left. It's a shame really

[@sakka13]

i liked origins, odyssey and valhalla and def want more like them. but it would be good if they release games like this for those who like em. i personally dont miss old AC.

[@Frraksurred]

These are still the best reviews out there. They are not worshipping or hate mongering, they are just straight shooting with a focus on each facet of a given game.

[@johndymond4596]

This guy and before you buy are the only reviewers worth listening to

[@lordmolag45000]

​@@johndymond4596I recommend MrMattyPlays as well. He's pretty good to, albeit a tad bit biased towards Bethesda and Xbox titles.

[@JohnKobylarz]

We shoulda seen it coming! Especially since the title “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage” is a very appropriate way to describe the game. It’s a mirage of a classic game series.

[@JohnWayne7777]

Stop crying

[@TheJoaovicente]

Mirage is a good stealth game. And thats exactly what I needed. I might add it's the best AC since Unity.

[@kieraneric2549]

This is exactly what I expected from a dlc turned full game. I’ve said it again and again: it’s nothing but a glorified dlc.

[@DimaArmstrong]

It was only planned as a dlc for a short time while in preproduction. You have zero idea what the reality of the situation was.

[@kieraneric2549]

@@DimaArmstrong I have a quadrillion idea of what the situation is. In fact, I just had lunch with God and the tooth fairy yesterday so don’t embarrass yourself.

[@DimaArmstrong]

@@kieraneric2549 damn, that’s actually a very funny reply lmao.

[@shikihayate]

​@@DimaArmstrongand now it cost 50$, ez money

[@WhereMerx]

I honestly can feel it's a glorified dlc sadly. I was hoping it was gonna be the older combat. Since it is the same combat as the last 3 assassin's creed I was hoping for more violence but I feel like it's very bare and kinda clunky with the parries.

[@Wampa842]

This game completely passed me by. I didn't even know it had been released, and now the next entry's trailer is out.