In a gaming landscape where titles promise hundreds of playtime hours, Assassin’s Creed Mirage with an estimated 20-hour adventure feels like a refreshing breeze. Amid sprawling open worlds that demand more time than one can afford, Mirage emerges as a beacon of concise storytelling. Sarah Beaulieu, the narrative director, confirmed in a recent Reddit AMA that the game’s length harkens back to the early days of the Assassin’s Creed franchise.
As a child, I was drawn to games with a long duration, believing that the length equated to value. I relished savoring every moment, prolonging the inevitable end. Back then, a game’s worth was directly proportional to the size of its open world – a topic that fueled spirited debates during recess. The game flaunting the larger map typically earned the crown of superiority.
Yet, times have changed, and so have my preferences. Perhaps adulthood has curtailed my free time, or maybe my attention span has become more fleeting. The moment I encounter a game boasting an excessively long completion time, I’m met with an odd repulsion. Take the case of Dying Light 2, which claimed a staggering 500 hours for completion during its pre-release hype. While reality suggests a more modest estimate of around 96 hours, the proclamation of 500 hours did the opposite of pulling me in. This sort of grandiose claim doesn’t seem like the smartest marketing ploy.
Enter Assassin’s Creed Mirage, where the game’s manageable length is a badge of honor. It doesn’t shout, “Look how bloated and drawn-out we are!” Instead, it signifies a focused and finely-tuned experience. Modern games often suffer from gigantism, attempting to adhere to an industry-wide notion that bigger is better. However, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. While monumental RPGs like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Baldur’s Gate 3 can rightfully justify their extended gameplay, not all games demand the same expansive treatment.
In most cases, brevity enhances the quality of a game. A succinct adventure typically sidesteps filler content, pointless collectibles, redundant environments, and lackluster narratives. Why pad a game’s length by including yet another bandit camp that mirrors the five previous ones? It’s a futile exercise that squanders players’ time. Assassin’s Creed, once a series with moderately sized open worlds, has also fallen into this trap. The transition to massive RPGs has led to sprawling experiences like Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, a game that swallowed more than 200 hours of my life. In hindsight, it was an overindulgence.
As a completionist, I found myself compulsively tackling every nook and cranny, a habit that eroded my enjoyment. Midway through Valhalla, I felt the tedium setting in. Pursuing blue and yellow markers on the map had lost its charm, and the combat had become mundane with its repetitive cycle of stealth attempts followed by all-out chaos. Even the most engaging gameplay loses its allure when overused.Consider the contrasting tales of Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man Miles Morales. The former, a full-length title, was brilliant but was muddled with filler. Mini-puzzles and repetitive crime-stopping activities padded the game but added little substance. On the other hand, Miles Morales opted for brevity, resulting in a more streamlined experience. While some repetitive tasks persisted, the overall journey was less diluted, making each objective more bearable.Skepticism shrouds my anticipation for Assassin’s Creed Mirage, even as it promises a return to the franchise’s roots. Nevertheless, the knowledge that it intends to offer a shorter, focused experience is music to my ears. By limiting the scope to a single major city and eschewing the barren expanses of previous entries, Mirage seems poised to tell a more personal story centered around Basim. The absence of the “must-hit-200-hours” mandate is a breath of fresh air. Not every game needs to follow this model, but in an era where gaming often demands a year-long commitment, Mirage’s respect for players’ time is a welcome change.Mirage’s objective isn’t to outsize its predecessors. Instead, it aspires to weave a tale that is concise, engaging, and free of unnecessary bloat. As excitement builds for this upcoming addition to the Assassin’s Creed universe, it’s evident that the game’s commitment to a well-paced experience is its most alluring feature. Mirage doesn’t seek to be the biggest – a title reserved for its successors. Instead, it is poised to captivate players with its skillful storytelling, making every moment count. Assassin’s Creed Mirage, with its promise of a focused adventure, stands as one of my most anticipated entries in the series in quite a while.
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Includes several titles.
Which was showcased at E3 2003.