Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the latest installment in the popular action-adventure franchise, this time taking players to the golden age of Baghdad in the ninth century. The game features a new protagonist, Basim Ibn Ishaq, who is no stranger to fans of the series. Basim made his debut in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla as a supporting character with a hidden agenda and a surprising connection to the ancient Isu civilization. In Mirage, players will get to explore Basim’s origins, motivations and destiny as he joins the Hidden Ones, the precursors of the Assassins, and uncovers a sinister plot threatening to unravel the balance of the world.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is the latest installment in the popular action-adventure franchise, this time taking players to the golden age of Baghdad in the ninth century. The game features a new protagonist, Basim Ibn Ishaq, who is no stranger to fans of the series.

Who is Basim?

Basim is a cunning street thief who grew up as an orphan in Baghdad, the capital of the Abbasid Caliphate and one of the most prosperous and cultured cities in history. He was fascinated by architecture and engineering, following in the footsteps of his late father who worked on the construction of the House of Wisdom, a grand library and academy housing scholars from various fields and religions. He was also plagued with nightmarish visions of a past life, which haunted and drove him to seek out answers to what they could mean for his future.

Basim did find some clues in the writings of Al-Kindi, a philosopher and mathematician who was secretly a member of the Hidden Ones, an ancient organisation opposing the tyranny of the Order of the Ancients, the forerunners of the Templars. He was intrigued by Al-Kindi’s teachings and decided to join the Hidden Ones, hoping to learn more about his visions and their meaning.

He trained under Al-Kindi and became a skilled assassin, mastering the use of the hidden blade, parkour, stealth and combat. He also befriended Hytham, a young boy who was rescued by Al-Kindi from slavery and became his apprentice. Together, they embarked on various missions across Baghdad and beyond, fighting against the Order of the Ancients and their allies.

Take note: spoilers follow for Assassin’s Creed Valhalla.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is the latest installment in the popular action-adventure franchise, this time taking players to the golden age of Baghdad in the ninth century. The game features a new protagonist, Basim Ibn Ishaq, who is no stranger to fans of the series.

What is Basim’s role in Assassin’s Creed Mirage?

Assassin’s Creed Mirage follows Basim’s journey as he rises through the ranks of the Hidden Ones and becomes a Master Assassin. He also discovers his true identity as a reincarnation of Loki, one of the Isu gods who survived a cataclysmic event by transferring his consciousness into a human host through Yggdrasil, a device connecting the present to different realities.

Loki was the trickster god who had a complicated relationship with Odin, the leader of the Aesir gods. Although he loved Odin as a brother, he also despised him for taking away his family: his wife Sigyn and his children Fenrir, Jormungandr and Hel. Naturally, he swore revenge on Odin and plotted to unleash Ragnarok, the end of times.

In Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Basim encounters Eivor, a Viking warrior who was also a reincarnation of Odin. Basim tries to kill Eivor and free his son Fenrir from his prison, but ultimately fails. He then enters Yggdrasil where he finds Layla Hassan, a modern-day assassin who was using an Animus to relive Eivor’s memories. Basim then convinces Layla to switch places with him and escapes into her body, leaving her trapped in Yggdrasil.

In Assassin’s Creed Mirage, Basim will continue his quest to reunite with his family and fulfill his destiny as Loki. He will also face new enemies and challenges as he travels across Baghdad and other locations, such as Constantinople, Cairo and Jerusalem. He will encounter historical figures such as Harun al-Rashid, Charlemagne, Saladin and Richard the Lionheart, and, of most interest, he will learn more about the Isu civilization and their many secrets.

Will Basim resonate with gamers in Assassin’s Creed Mirage?

Despite coming across as merely ‘another entry’ in the popular Ubisoft franchise, it is very clear Assassin’s Creed Mirage is set on going back to the roots of the franchise. With stealth at the core of the gameplay, versus the action romps of more recent titles, the game is very much promising to deliver an immersive and thrilling experience for fans of the franchise and newcomers alike. In this way, the game will feature:

  • A rich and diverse open world recreating Baghdad in its glory days with Basim as the explorer.
  • A dynamic and fluid gameplay system allowing players to choose their own style of play, whether being stealthy or overtly aggressive, lethal or non-lethal, ranged or melee. Even so, there is a clear push towards what made the franchise popular in the first place: stealth.
  • An engaging story exploring Basim’s character development, his relationship with Hytham and other characters, his conflict with the Order of the Ancients and, of particular interest, his connection to the Isu lore.
  • A multiplayer mode where players may team up with their friends or compete against other players online in co-op or PvP modes.

It really appears as if Assassin’s Creed Mirage is taking some of the best elements of previous titles (density and online play of Unity, storylines from Black Flag and Valhalla, stealth from Assassin’s Creed 1,2 & 3, and much more), and merging them all together into one heavily story focused package. Needless to say, it sounds fantastic and should be a satisfying entry in the series when the game launches later in 2023 for PC, PlayStation 4 & 5, Xbox One & Series X/S and Nintendo Switch.

View Author Profile

Owner, founder and editor-in-chief at Vamers, Hans has a vested interest in geek culture and the interactive entertainment industry. With a Masters degree in Communications and Ludology, he is well read and versed in matters relating to video games and communication media, among many other topics of interest.