Ubisoft choisit Basim pour Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the highly anticipated new installment in the Assassin’s Creed franchise. What makes this game particularly exciting is that it features Basim Ibn Is’haq as the playable protagonist, a character who was first introduced in Assassin’s Creed Valhalla. This is the first time in the franchise’s history that a character who already appeared in a different game gets their own mainline title. Having had the opportunity to play Mirage for a couple of hours, I can confidently say that I am eager to delve deeper into Basim’s journey and witness his progression, both in terms of storytelling and gameplay mechanics, in the full release this October. Of course, I was also interested to learn more about how Ubisoft Bordeaux, the developer of Mirage, decided to bring Basim back and explore his backstory.

Basim’s Parallel Journey with Altair

According to creative director Stephane Boudon, Basim was a character who intrigued the team. His mysterious nature made him a perfect candidate for the exploration of his youth, in order to create a parallel with Altair, the franchise’s first protagonist. Although their stories are not identical, both characters have to rise through the ranks and prove themselves worthy of the Creed. With Basim hailing from Baghdad, the team grew increasingly excited about his journey, considering the city’s significance as the cultural and technological hub of the region during its 9th Century Golden Age period.

A Return to Classic Assassin’s Creed Fantasy

World and quest director Simone Arseneault expressed his excitement about how Basim embodies the classic Assassin’s Creed fantasy of a highly skilled and stealthy killer. While previous open-world RPG titles in the franchise focused less on the creed itself, Arseneault emphasized the importance of bringing it closer to the player’s experience when embodying a member of the Hidden Ones. The team wanted to make sure that the player’s freedom in shaping Basim’s gameplay did not compromise the narrative coherence of his character journey. Consequently, players have control over how Basim approaches quests, what outfits he wears, which perks he utilizes, and more.

Familiarity and Freedom

Arseneault also discussed the challenges and opportunities posed by designing quests for a character that players are already familiar with. While the team aims to prevent players from going against Basim’s nature as an assassin, they want to maintain a sense of freedom for players in their microactions. The focus is on giving players agency in how they play, rather than determining the outcome of the story. This allows players to immerse themselves in Basim’s story while still having the ability to tailor their experience.

Designing Basim in a New Light

Artistic director Jean-Luc Sala acknowledged that it has been both tricky and exciting to present Basim in a new light for Mirage. The goal is to create a fully-fledged assassin that players can relate to and understand, before the turning point in his life that leads to his appearance in Valhalla. The team wants players to fear the moment when Basim is no longer the character they have come to know and love.

Although my hands-on experience with Mirage did not allow me to explore the narrative in depth, I am confident that Basim’s character will continue to deliver twists and turns that players have come to enjoy. With a new voice actor and a fresh historical period and city to explore, the full release of Mirage in October is highly anticipated. Personally, I am already convinced of Basim’s potential as an Assassin and excited to see if Ubisoft Bordeaux can make him one of my favorite protagonists in the series.

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Source : www.gameinformer.com