Assassin’s Creed Mirage takes place in 861 CE, making it one of the earliest games in the series’ timeline. However, unlike the most recent games like AC Valhalla and AC Odyssey, its setting is almost entirely a single city and its surroundings.
Ubisoft took things back to basics with this entry to the franchise, hoping to appeal to those fans who adored Assassin’s Creed in the first five or so releases. However, it’s not clear exactly what the setting is for those fans who haven’t consumed every piece of media shared about it.
Related: Where Does Assassin’s Creed Mirage Fit In The AC Timeline?
Which City Serves as the Backdrop for Assassin’s Creed Mirage?
Assassin’s Creed Mirage takes place in the ringed city of Baghdad for a huge chunk of the story. Even when players aren’t there, the story will be focused on events and goings on within the city. At 861 CE, it was grown to encompass a huge amount of land behind a great circular wall. This city is one of the most powerful, diverse, and important in the world at the time the game is set.
The center of the city was known as Madinat As-Salam, or City of Peace. It makes sense, given that this part of Baghdad sits in the middle, surrounded by walls, buildings, and people. It would take a lot to destroy it.
Due to the surrounding area being mostly arid desert, Baghdad is a dusty city where sand is kicked up at all times of the day. While players parkour across rooftops, they’ll be doing so while moving through this dust, that could act as cover from a distance.
What Areas Basim Will Explore in Assassin’s Creed Mirage?
While a big chunk of Assassin’s Creed Mirage will take place in Baghdad, there are areas outside of the city where Basim will go during the story. There are biomes around Baghdad of desert, swamps, rivers, and canyons that will house all sorts of activities. Everything players do will come back to the city, though.
A fan-favorite location, and one fans are extremely excited to explore, is the fortress of Alamut. This is the base of The Hidden Ones, the Assassins before they became their own state. Here, Basim will learn about the order, and players are likely to see the sort of lore they haven’t captured since Assassin’s Creed Revelations.
What is the Setting for Assassin’s Creed Mirage?
Assassin’s Creed Mirage is set in Baghdad in 861 CE, at a time when the Abbasid Empire, which was based in the city, reached across a huge expanse of the world. Its influence could be felt in northern Africa, all the way into a large chunk of Asia. It was massive.
This time period and setting is when a load of scientific discoveries were made. The areas where the empire excelled are mathematics, astronomy, and medicine, and we today owe a lot to the pioneers of the time. As a result, The Hidden Ones will have some pretty advanced technology for the time at their disposal.
Almost nothing from this time period survived, so Ubisoft had to do a lot of work with the findings that were around to help them rebuild the city for the game. This is why players get to explore a massive ringed city, the center of the world for a brief period of time, and one that is filled with vibrant people and events.
Why is Baghdad Significant for The Assassins/The Hidden Ones in Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Baghdad is significant to The Hidden Ones/Assassins in Assassin’s Creed Mirage because it’s the center of the world at the time the game is set. The order has always sought to influence the world for the better where it can have the most impact, so this makes sense for AC Mirage’s setting.
However, there is a second reason Baghdad is significant for 861 CE and for the game that comes before Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. Basim is a key character in Assassin’s Creed lore, but when players meet him in AC Valhalla, he’s under the influence of Loki, an Isu. This is because he’s a Sage, a reincarnation of the Isu, and that always meant he’d lose his sense of self as soon as Loki’s memories were triggered.
In Baghdad, Basim’s Sage memories have an awakening, but this happens in a way he can contextually apply. Given the culture and time period, Basim sees Loki and these hidden memories as a Djinn, a Genie, and a dark force within him. Once those memories are fully awakened, he leaves for England and the events of AC Valhalla. For that to happen and for players to fully understand what’s going on, AC Mirage must explain Basim’s story within The Hidden Ones and as a person.
