Assassins Creed Mirage: A Modern Game in Abbasid Baghdad

posted on: Aug 6, 2025

By: Jake Harris / Arab America Contributing Writer

The Assassin’s Creed video game series is one of the most popular and long running franchises in 21st century gaming. Each game is a work of historical fiction. Games take place in famous historical eras such as the French Revolution, American Revolution, Ptolemaic Egypt, and the Viking invasion of England. 

History of Assassin’s Creed

The franchise follows a long standing secret rivalry between two secret societies that influence world events. These are the Order of Assassins, based on the Shia Muslim group called the “Hashashins” who existed in medieval Persia and the Levant. Their eternal adversaries in the series are the Knights Templar, based on the real military order that was heavily involved on the side of Christian Europe during the Crusades. The Assassins work in the dark to serve the light. They believe in the free will of humanity and work to target those who seek to oppress and control humanity. The Templars seek a society based on order and stability. They see the Assassins as anarchical. 

Many of the authoritarian figures in the historical record are portrayed as secret Templars within the game. The Templars have a front as a Christian order, but in reality they worship ancient fictional beings called the “Isu”. These beings are the precursors to humanity who were superior in every way. The Isu created humanity as a slave race initially before a mass extinction event left humanity on its own. 

Assassin’s Creed Mirage (2023)

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the second most recent installment of the franchise. It follows a Baghdad street thief called Basim who seeks a greater purpose in life. Basim grows up in the town of Anbar. This was the former capitol of the Abbasid Caliphate prior to the founding of Baghdad. He finds out the creed of the “Hidden Ones” a precursor to the Assassin Order seen in later games. He already has cunning skills in deception and secrecy, making him a natural for the order. 

The story takes place at the height of the Islamic Golden Age. Innovations in Math, Science, and the Arts originating in the Islamic world are moving humanity forward as a whole. 

Portrayal of the Zanj Rebellion

Basim becomes allies with Ali Ibn Muhammad, the leader of the Zanj Rebellion. This is a major uprising in the context of the history of the Abbasid Caliphate. The revolt consisted of enslaved Africans and various Arab tribes. One of the early major missions in the game involves Basim working together with Ali’s right hand man Beshar, a former slave rescued by Ali. They find out through an infiltration of a work camp that he is being detained in the Damascus State Prison and rescue him. Basim allies with those opposed to the Caliphate mainly because in the context of the game, many of those in power are secretly in the Templar Order, called the “Order of the Ancients” in this game.

A big addition to the title is the process of lowering the characters notability as an assassin to fend off enemies. This involves taking down wanted posters throughout different locations in Baghdad and the wider map to remain anonymous to authorities.

The House of Wisdom

Another famous reference to real history present in the game is the inclusion of the House of Wisdom. The House of Wisdom was the intellectual center of the Islamic Golden Age. It was regarded as one of the largest public libraries in the world at the time. In Assassin’s Creed Mirage, The House is infiltrated by the Templars and hijacked to steal ancient manuscripts that would allow them to gain access to technology of the Isu Civilization. Basim is tasked with eliminating the corrupt forces that have taken control of the House, and Baghdad’s intellectual authority.

The game is full of real locations within the Abbasid Caliphate some of which still exist in modern Iraq today. The graphics engine of the newest consoles have allowed the locations to look almost like reality. 

“Old School” Assassin’s Creed

While not all reviews of Assassin’s Creed Mirage were positive, many of the old school fans of the series found nostalgia in the games format. One of the major complaints among long time players of the game for years is that of the RPG (Role Playing Game) format found in the newer games. Fans complained that the maps and areas discoverable had become too large and the game was focusing less on the linear storyline. Too many subplots and filler. Assassin’s Creed Mirage fits the entire total air time for cutscenes down to around 3 hours. This is in comparison to the previous title which had a game movie length of 24 hours. The game is also much more stealth based than melee combat. This was the original format of the earlier Assassin’s Creed titles. 

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