The Assassin’s Creed fanbase, once known for their adoration of the franchise, has now turned to bashing everything about it. Despite claiming to love the series, hardcore fans have been criticizing every aspect of it.
For years, the narrative among these fans has been that Assassin’s Creed has strayed too far from its stealth-assassination roots and has become too focused on the open-world action RPG genre. They believe that this shift has killed the spirit of the franchise.
However, when Ubisoft released Assassin’s Creed Mirage, a game that returned to the series’ roots, the reception was far from kind. It seems that no matter what Ubisoft does, they can’t seem to make a well-received Assassin’s Creed game anymore.
Regardless of personal opinions on games like Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla, it’s undeniable that all three fall under the open-world RPG category. This departure from the classic Assassin’s Creed formula didn’t sit well with old-school fans who preferred shorter, more stealth-focused games. It’s worth noting that this shift was largely a response to the poor reception of Unity and Syndicate.
Origins was the most well-received of the recent games, likely because it was the first of its kind. However, discontent quickly spread among the fanbase with Odyssey and Valhalla. Despite Valhalla being the most profitable game in the franchise, it was criticized for prioritizing quantity over quality.
In response to this criticism, Ubisoft released Mirage, a 15-hour game that heavily emphasizes stealth in a Middle Eastern setting. This is reminiscent of the original Assassin’s Creed, which also focused on stealth and had a similar setting.
One would expect that this return to the series’ roots would bring joy to old-school fans, but that’s not the case. Mirage has been heavily criticized and mocked by its supposed target audience. Interestingly, many fans are comparing Mirage to Unity, highlighting how much better they believe Unity looks and feels. However, it’s important to remember that Unity faced similar criticism when it was first released.
It’s crucial to acknowledge that Assassin’s Creed Mirage is not a misunderstood masterpiece. It’s a solid 7/10 experience with flaws in its story design and enemy AI. However, for AC purists, Mirage should be seen as a step in the right direction. If fans have been complaining about the last three games being boring 100-hour loot fests, yet still criticize Mirage, it shows a lack of clarity in their desires.
Unfortunately, there seems to be no cure for this condition of not knowing what fans truly want from Ubisoft.
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Source: DOTESPORTS
