Is Assassin's Creed Valhalla worth revisiting before the release of Mirage?

Ubisoft recently released the latest entry in its flagship stealth action-adventure series — Assassin's Creed Mirage.

The game follows the story of Basim Ibn Ishaq, a member of the Hidden Ones, who are proto-assassins that existed before the establishment of the brotherhood. The character appeared throughout the story in Assassin's Creed Valhalla and played a major role in the game's finale.

Initially, Assassin's Creed Mirage was planned as an expansion for Valhalla. However, over time, its scope compelled developers to turn the title into a standalone experience.

The game's narrative explores Basim's history and how he transformed from a skilled and cunning street thief to a legendary Master Assassin. It also sheds light on the few plot holes present in Valhalla's narrative regarding Basim.

This begs the question of whether players should replay Assassin's Creed Valhalla before delving into Mirage.

Ubisoft has assured the player base that Mirage is a standalone adventure that does not require gamers to have played any of the previous titles of the franchise. However, the connection Basim has with the narrative of Valhalla might make it worth revisiting before beginning Assassin's Creed Mirage.

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Assassin's Creed Mirage is an extension of Valhalla's narrative but still stands as its own thing

Assassin's Creed Valhalla's narrative focuses on Eivor, a Viking and the Sage of Odin (who is an Isu, an advanced race of prehistoric humanoids that created the Pieces of Eden). However, it is also tied to Basim and his nature as the Sage of Loki.

Valhalla’s story centers around Eivor, his/her brother Sigurd, and their combined effort to unite the Kingdoms of England against the nefarious Order of the Ancients.

However, by the time the game's story reaches its climax, Basim's character takes center stage. This ends up affecting the whole conclusion of both the historical and the modern-day arc of Valhalla's story.

Assassin's Creed Mirage is developed by Ubisoft Bordeaux. It was built from the ground up to deliver an entirely new and distinct experience from that of Valhalla.

Much like the two games that came before it, i.e., Origins and Odyssey, Assassin's Creed Valhalla featured role-playing game mechanics. It had multiple dialog choices, a massive skill tree, weapons, and armor sets with gameplay-affecting perks, as well as multiple subtle changes to its ending (depending on player choice).

However, according to Ubisoft, Mirage is a full-fledged action-adventure game. It is essentially a return to the roots of the series' stealth action and parkour traversal gameplay.

The RPG mechanics introduced to the series with Origins, which permeated throughout Valhalla, are also scaled back significantly. This is done to deliver a cohesive experience that harkens back to the original games in the series.

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Assassin's Creed Valhalla is still worth revisiting before Mirage release

Assassin's Creed Mirage is a distinct yet familiar experience for fans of the series, with gameplay features that are in stark contrast to the ones present in Valhalla. However, it is still worth revisiting Valhalla before experiencing the latest title due to the interlinked narrative and character arcs of both Basim and Eivor.

Valhalla also acts as the conclusion for Basim's story (at least in the historical setting). It sets him up as an important figure in the series' lore and even the modern-day narrative.

As mentioned earlier, development on Mirage initially started as an expansion for Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It eventually turned into a full-fledged standalone experience.

However, due to its inception as a story DLC, the game is bound to have narrative tie-ins with Valhalla. This has been confirmed by Ubisoft Bordeaux, as Mirage reveals how Basim met Sigurd, which led him to meet Eivor.

Apart from the narrative, another reason for players to revisit Valhalla is the post-launch support the game has received since its launch in 2020.

AC: Valhalla is easily the longest-supported title in the series, with Ubisoft regularly updating the game with new content, including three massive expansions.

The game very recently received another massive expansion called The Forgotten Saga. The expansion adds an extremely addictive and fun roguelite game mode to Valhalla, complete with unique boss fights and rewards.

Players who might have initially left Valhalla after either finishing it or due to other titles should definitely give the game another go. There is more than enough content to keep them entertained before they delve into Mirage.