AC Mirage: Do I need to know the previous games? AC Mirage guide, tips
AC Mirage is the next installment in a long series launched in 2007. Such a rich heritage of the series may cause anxiety among new players. On this page we will explain all the basic facts, as well as hint at whether knowledge of previous installments is necessary.
Last update: 12 October 2023
The series about hooded killers, which debuted during the heyday of the 7th generation of consoles, celebrates its 16th anniversary this year. 13 main installments and countless side titles made the mythology of the series extremely complex. The subsequent releases of Assassin's Creed hopped across different timelines, locations and introduced new characters.
All this legacy means that players without prior experience with the brand may feel anxiety about reaching for the latest installment of the series. On this page, we will explain the premises of AC Mirage story, and answer the question whether knowledge of the previous installments is necessary to have fun with the title.
Where and when does AC Mirage take place?
The plot in AC Mirage takes players to the Middle East, and more specifically to Baghdad in the second half of the 9th century. This time became known as a period of internal destabilization in the Abbasid Caliphate, which is reflected in the conflict-torn virtual representation of the city.
During the adventure, you will visit both densely built-up urban spaces and the wild, desert areas surrounding the agglomeration. You will certainly also come across major landmarks of the city, such as the House of Wisdom or the Great Mosque.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that this non-random selection of the setting is one of the elements of the advertised "return to the roots of the series" . The condensed, dense urban space evokes clear associations with the first installment of Assasin's Creed from 2007, in which, as Altair, we moved around the Holy Land during the Third Crusade.
Do you need to know the previous games?
Developed over the years and over a dozen installments, the Assasin's Creed universe carries the burden of a narrative legacy that the latest game must fit into. Fortunately, the writers quite neatly incorporated the broader experience of the series into the frame of AC Mirage, so learning about Basim's story as a player new to the series is not overwhelming or confusing.
We are gradually introduced to the story, and the generous exposition of the plot ensures that the new recipient does not get lost in the thicket of characters, groups or proper names. However, if at any stage of the game, you feel a bit overwhelmed by the amount of information, you can always refer to the "Codex" tab available in the game menu, where you will find the most important information about the world presented.
WARNING! The next part contains minor plot spoilers from AC Mirage and AC Valhalla.
However, this does not mean that the brand's veterans will not find anything for themselves in the story told. Observing the story from the perspective of a person who knows the chronology of the series can be great fun in combining clues and threads that return in other installments of the series.
This feature seems to work especially well from the perspective of the previous installment, AC Valhalla. In this game, we were introduced to an older version of Basim, who in his long journeys traveled all the way to the cold north of Europe. This relationship makes AC Mirage a kind of prequel to the events observed in that game, and the awareness of future events may add an additional dimension to the story.