Summary
AfterAssassin’s Creedexperimented with the RPG genre,Assassin’s Creed Miragehas brought the classic action-adventure formula back. While not every fan loves the original titles, many fans have loved this return to form for the series. It feels like it has almost everything that they have been missing, with a few new additions that have helped modernize that classic gameplay. However, the next title afterAssassin’s Creed Mirageis supposedly throwing all of this out once more.
Asassin’s Creed Redis supposed to be the next mainline title afterMirage, but instead of following in the footsteps of that game, it will allegedly replicate the RPG formula ofValhalla. While some fans may love this, others may tune it out completely. After the RPG games got so much criticism for their bloat and lack ofAssassin’s Creedidentity, it seems like a strange choice to suddenly flip-flop. That sudden change may putAC Redat odds with some of the fanbase as the release date nears.
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AC Red Needs to Justify Switching Back to the RPG Formula
AfterAssassin’s Creed Syndicate, the franchise was in a bit of a tough spot. The yearly releases had been burning out fans, the franchise felt like it lacked direction, and some of its rougher edges were becoming more apparent. To rectify that, Ubisoft put a pause on the series to spend the next couple of years looking for a way to reinvent it. Thus,AC Originswas born, and the franchise was better for it.
Originscompletely reinventedwhat it meant to be anAssassin’s Creedgame. Instead of being an action-adventure title, this game brought the concept to the RPG genre for a whole new experience. What ensued was a fantastic adventure that is heralded as one of the best entries in the series to date. So, Ubisoft chose to commit to this approach going forward. And while that could have been a great choice for the franchise, some fans hated this new direction.
OdysseyandValhallamay have delivered fun historical RPGs, but they seemed to stray too far fromAC’s identity.Odysseyput more focus on RPG elements rather thantheAssassin’s CreedstorywhileValhallawas just packed with way too much content. Both titles may have been commercial successes; however, they were also extremely controversial with the fanbase. Some loved this direction while others were calling for the franchise to go back to its roots. So, Ubisoft delivered on that wish.
Assassin’s Creed Miragebrought the series backto the action-adventure genre, which led to an exciting entry into the franchise. However, the studio does not seem to have any plans to stick with this model going forward. Instead of building off of this title,AC Redwill be returning to the controversial RPG mechanics of its predecessors. While not much is known about the title itself, this sudden flip-flop may put the game in a bit of a tough spot.
Now that some fans have seen what a modern action-adventureACgame can be, they may have no interest returning to the RPG genre. Plus, the last twoACRPGs seemed to be needlessly long and had strayed too far from the core of the franchise. There is a chance thatAC Reddoes the genre right, but some fans may never give it that chance. And if Ubisoft decides to suddenly return to theMirageconcept afterRed, then it will lead to a very disjointed franchise. Either it needs to stick within the original series' template, orAC Redwill have to show fans why the RPG genre should be the future of the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed Mirageis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
