‘Assassin’s Creed Mirage’ Gets A Mysterious Adults Only Rating

Assassin’s Creed Mirage looks like an exciting return to the classic Assassin’s Creed format that Ubisoft introduced with the very first game.

Gone are the RPG elements and it appears we’re getting back to basics, with more subdued and stealth-based combat.

The setting is also a welcome change: Mirage heads back to the Middle East, to the hub of civilization and the sprawling, glittering city of Baghdad.

Players take on the role of Basim, a street thief suffering from ‘nightmarish visions’ who joins the ancient organization ‘The Hidden Ones’ and becomes—you guessed it!—an assassin bound to the Creed.

Ubisoft assures us that this is “a modern take on the iconic features and gameplay that have defined a franchise for 15 years. Journey to Alamut, the legendary home of the Assassins who laid the foundations of the Creed in this heartfelt homage to the game that started it all.”

So what’s up with the Adult’s Only rating spotted on both the US Xbox Store and the PEGI 18+ rating on this UK store?

It appeared at first that the ESRB rating was due to ‘Real Gambling’ which was listed along with “”Intense Violence, Blood and Gore, Sexual Themes, Partial Nudity” and indicated the inclusion of loot boxes—a blast from the past, if true, and extremely surprising given Ubisoft’s “return to the series roots” (though we should expect an Item Shop to distinguish revenue models from the original still).

Ubisoft has since clarified that this is an error, though where it stems from remains a mystery. Eurogamer received an update from the French game company that dispels any notions of loot boxes:

“Following the announcement of Assassin’s Creed Mirage during Ubisoft Forward, some store pages mistakenly displayed the game for preorders with an Adults Only ESRB rating,” a Ubisoft spokesperson told Eurogamer. “While Assassin’s Creed Mirage is still pending rating, Ubisoft wants to reassure players that no real gambling or lootboxes are present in the game.”

This is welcome news. Unless the game features some other shocking content—perhaps some full-frontal nudity or disturbing incest scenes (oh wait, that’s House Of The Dragon!)—I expect it will be rated ‘M’ like every other Assassin’s Creed title.

Here’s the trailer:

And here’s the full Showcase video:

I think Mirage looks good! I was spellbound by the original Assassin’s Creed and its beautiful graphics and unique gameplay. I’ve been . . . less enamoured of the series as it’s become a near-yearly endeavor. The new RPG games have some cool innovations and stories but require far, far too much of a time investment and even the Viking setting of Valhalla—a setting that I adored—was not enough to draw me in for long.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage releases in 2023.

What do you think of Mirage so far? A cool return to form, or just another entry in a series you’ve long burned out on? (And what will the modern stuff be, I wonder—always my least favorite part of these games!)

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