Assassin's Creed Mirage boasts an intriguing storytelling element that is apparent in the first chapter of the game. The cinematic introduction to Basim's character is beautifully depicted in "The Master Thief of Anbar", the game's first mission. Basim regains consciousness in a misty dark place as he struggles to maintain his balance in quicksand.
He seems to be stalked by an unknown entity which appears in front of him right after he falls on his back. The grotesque figure takes a look at Basim and that is when he realizes that he is, in fact, dreaming. However, the story keeps up at this point to highlight the closeness between Basim and Nehal, a pair of orphan thieves. The first mission in Assassin's Creed Mirage takes quite a turn at the later stages and is perfectly engrossing for a tutorial.
Assassin's Creed Mirage: How To Use Basim's Eagle (Enkidu)
Enkidu can be incredibly helpful in Assassin's Creed: Mirage. Here's how players can get the best from Basim's eagle companion.
The Master Thief of Anbar Guide
The beginning of Basim's journey showcases his humble beginnings and early way of life in the city of Baghdad. While the whole idea of being a pickpocket in an Assassin's Creed game isn't too farfetched, players can surely feel a surge of adrenaline at the end of the mission. The mission is fairly simple and easy to follow for beginners as the game familiarizes them with the basic controls and game mechanics.
Following Nehal is the first objective of this mission as they leave Basim's house and the game introduces players to the basic parkour mechanics of the game. They stop at a rooftop to chat over Basim's apparent fanaticism regarding the "Hidden Ones". They find themselves right above a crowded Bazaar, which is the best location to familiarize players with the looting and pick-pocketing mechanics. Although Assassin's Creed Mirage pays homage to the old mechanics, pick-pocketing is completely new in this game. It focuses on proper timing and cannot be spammed like the older games.
Assassin's Creed Mirage: Difficulty Differences Explained
Choosing the right difficulty in Assassin's Creed Mirage is essential to having a great and fulfilling gameplay.
It starts off with a simple task which is stealing a pouch on a table and quickly turns into stealing pouches from nearby merchants. As the pair of thieves continue to pickpocket civilians in the streets of Anbar, they decide to meet with their thievery agent who goes by the name of Dervis. Soon, Basim is tasked with stealing a shipping ledger at a nearby harbor.
This is where players get familiarized with the stealth mechanics. The harbor itself is lightly guarded and since Basim lacks any weapons at this point of the game, stealth is key to getting the job done as quickly as possible. After clearing the first two enemies, players should use their eagle vision to locate the guard with a key. He can be spotted on the first floor of a barrack and one can easily get inside it. However, a guard can be seen just outside the entrance of the said barrack. Hence, players should stay hidden in tall grass and attract him towards Basim by whistling.
After knocking him out, players can use the ladder to climb up to the first floor and take out the guard with a key. This key is used to open up the door of a room that has the required ledger on a table. As the pair of thieves return to Dervis after a job well done, Basim meets Roshan, one of the hidden ones.
Infiltrating the Winter Palace
Basim tries to explain to her that he is capable of much more than stealing simple ledgers and wants to join their ranks. However, Roshan leaves soon after without any answer to his requests. Basim is still determined to join their ranks and wants to recover a chest that contains something of value to the Hidden Ones. Nehal decides to help him even though she does not agree with his future aspirations of joining the Hidden Ones.
Assassin's Creed Mirage: How to Parry Attacks
Turn defense into offense with parrying in Assassin's Creed Mirage.
The chest in question is heavily guarded and is located in one of the most secure locations in all of Anbar, the Winter Palace. Word is that the Caliph himself was present in the castle and with even more security, the job seemed impossible. However, Basim decides to infiltrate the Winter Palace in search of the chest which might be his ticket to joining the ranks of the Hidden Ones.
Players are presented with two options when they reach the Winter Palace. They can either follow Nehal who knows a way inside or scout the location on their own to find a discreet entrance. In this situation, following Nehal is the best and easiest option. As they enter the beautiful courtyard, a group of three guards can be seen patrolling around the perimeter of a garden.
Players are expected to get past them while being discreet and staying low in the surrounding vegetation. Once more, Basim has to recover a key from a guard who decides to sit on the opposite end of the courtyard. Upon knocking him out, players can steal the key and bring it back to Nehal, who remains waiting in front of a locked door.
Upon unlocking the door, Basim and Nehal eavesdrop on the Caliph and five masked men from the Order of the Ancients. Once they leave, Basim opens the chest to find an ancient artifact that projected a holographic view of two figures in an altercation.
Suddenly, the Caliph catches Basim red-handed, and he drops the artifact. Nehal saves Basim's life by killing the Caliph in his own castle. The game picks up when they try to leave the Winter Palace and players should avoid any altercations with guards and run towards the next checkpoint without looking back.
After reaching the hideout, Roshan wakes Basim and offers him a second chance at life. He was instructed to reach the western docks where a boat could get him out of the city. However, Basim decides to warn his friends and Dervis before leaving.
Assassin's Creed Mirage: All Harbiyah Enigma Locations & Solutions
This guide will help players decipher the Find What I Stole, A Holy Hoard, and Left Behind Enigmas in Assassin's Creed Mirage.
Basim blames Nehal for her choice of killing the Caliph to save him, but that is when the guards overhear their conversations. Hence, players need to be careful and avoid detection at all costs while on their way to the docks. Upon reaching the docks, another cutscene showcases Basim's fragility as the guards catch up to him and are ready to kill him. Thankfully, Roshan saves him just in time and both of them decide to climb a nearby tower to avoid the guards.
They successfully dive into the water below and are safe from the pursuing guards. However, Basim loses consciousness after an unplanned dive and the mission ends here. Even though "The Master Thief of Anbar" is just a tutorial mission, it does a fantastic job of setting the building blocks for an amazing story of vengeance. Moreover, this mission provides ample opportunities to use the improved photo mode introduced in the game.
Assassin's Creed Mirage is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S. It is in development for iOS platforms