Assassin’s Creed Mirage Vs Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

As a franchise, Assassin’s Creed has undergone more visual and mechanical overhauls than any other series on the market—a move that, quite frankly, has driven a wedge between old-school fans and newcomers alike. And now, with the arrival of Assassin’s Creed Mirage stepping in to nudge the likes of Valhalla from the spotlight, that divide has never been greater. Has this been a good thing for Ubisoft, or has it rocked the same apple cart that formulated with the arrival of Origins several years back?Well, therein lies a question that we’ll have to disassemble into several pieces to be able to answer.

If you have just picked up a copy of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, or are sitting on the fence wondering whether to make the dive or not, then be sure to read on for all the details. Which is better — Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, or Assassin’s Creed Mirage? Let’s dive right in.

What Is Assassin’s Creed Valhalla?

For those who’ve yet to experience Valhalla in all its Viking glory, one can only describe it as being an open world action RPG set in the—you guessed it—Viking era. Based in a downsized version of England, the game revolves around a warrior named Eivor, who, among other warriors and settlers, aims to establish a kingdom from the foundations of a country divided into several factions. Granted, it isn’t the most story-driven entry in the series, but boy, it certainly is the longest. But more on that shortly.

What Is Assassin’s Creed Mirage?

Assassin’s Creed Mirage is the latest entry in the series, and, in short, a more traditional chapter that takes several core elements from the pre-Origins framework. Set in Baghdad, the game revolves around the assassin known as Basim, and the founding of the Hidden Ones (or the Brotherhood, as it’s later referred to as.) In short, Mirage is “an homage to the first Assassin's Creed games”, and thus, “a shorter, more narrative-driven game than recent entries in the series.”

Map Size & Story Length

It’s certainly no secret that Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, as an open world game at least, is hands down one of the largest, and not to mention most densely populated in the entire anthology. What’s more, it’s also the longest game in the series, too, as its campaign alone boasts roughly fifty-plus hours of content, all of which takes place across both a small-scale version of England, as well as a small portion of Norway, Vinland, and even Ireland and France. Mirage, on the other hand, is much smaller in size, and thus, a lot easier to navigate and slug through story-wise. Matter of fact, its story is somewhat minute in length, and roughly ten, maybe eleven hours long in total.

To give you a rough idea of how large Assassin’s Creed Valhalla actually is, the five areas that it makes up total a whopping 140km², making it the grandest and most ambitious map in the series to date. On another note, Assassin’s Creed Mirage has a map size that’s 45km², though from the looks of it, only 13km² is available to explore, whereas the remainder is either inaccessible or strictly limited. So, quite the difference in size and length, all things considered.

Combat & Gameplay

Combat has certainly taken a few different forms since the series’ inception, that’s for sure. Since Origins, however, the gameplay and mechanics have drifted more towards being tactical RPG oriented—a style that was also adopted in Valhalla. What’s different about Mirage, though, is that its combat system has returned to the series’ roots, which means less drawn-out and tactical combat scenarios with bullet sponge-type enemies, and more chain kills with one-button counterattacks.

In addition to the combat, Mirage also returns to the stealth-based gameplay—a style that’s highly reminiscent of the original Assassin’s Creed and the several pre-Syndicate entries that succeeded it. On the subject of Valhalla, however, gameplay is incredibly different, and instead focuses on high-octane warfare and wall-to-wall combat with very little tactical input. Due to this, Valhalla definitely steals the crown for being the most challenging of the two.

Which Is Better?

If you’re wondering which of the two entries is the all-round better choice, then honestly, you might be in for a bit of a surprise. Truth is, with both Valhalla and Mirage offering vastly different play styles and gameplay mechanics, it all boils down to a matter of preference. Case in point, Valhalla is an open-world RPG, and not to mention the culmination of two previous games working to formulate a bigger, better, and arguably more ambitious saga. However, Mirage is slightly more traditional, as it bears all the same hallmark qualities as the earlier entries, which means smaller maps, simplified controls, and a much shorter experience overall.

It goes without saying that, as far as the fan base goes, players have been toying with the idea of ditching the traditional format for the full-fledged RPG one for several years or so now. And if you happen to find yourself allocated to that niche clique, then boy, you might be in for a bit of a surprise when it comes to experiencing Mirage in all its classical glory. For those who preferred the series before it underwent the major overhaul, however, stepping into Mirage will feel like coming home after an eight-year hiatus.

So, to answer the burning question, which of the two is better: it’s neither. Simply put, both games represent vastly different concepts; Valhalla has the qualities of a full-fledged open world RPG, whereas Mirage is a love letter to the series’ original entries. It’s swings and roundabouts, really, so while we could technically argue that Valhalla is the better game, mechanically speaking, there’s a good chance that not every fan will agree. Either way, if you’re a die-hard fan of the series, and are looking to flesh out the lore, then you won’t want to skip Mirage.