Assassin's Creed Mirage is getting permadeath and New Game Plus, which could change the way I play

Ubisoft has announced Assassin's Creed Mirage is getting a free update in December that will introduce a New Game Plus mode and a permadeath mode. The latter feature will be optional "across all difficulties", with more details on both modes said to be coming soon. While we don't know all the ins and outs of the modes, it's already quite easy to imagine how the introduction of permadeath will affect how you approach investigations and stealthy scenarios in Basim's adventure.

It would certainly raise the stakes if you're spotted by guards, or choose to engage in a fight out in the open. New Game Plus, on the other hand, is more of a question mark. I imagine you'll be able to relive the story all over again with all of the unlocked tools and gears you've acquired over time. But personally speaking, I can't see myself having the desire to want to start the adventure all over again. Given it's a more contained experience, I feel like I can explore all available avenues in one go, and I'm happy to move on. Still, if you need an excuse to do all of the investigations over again, having everything at your disposal from the get-go is sure to incentivize some to hit the streets of Baghdad again and make the most of all the tools and gear in any given situation.

A different way

The investigations in Assassin's Creed Mirage play out like Black Box missions, with different paths and means of assassinating a target presented to you. The way they offer up various choices and put you in control of how to get rid of your quarry has always appealed to me since I first dived into Assassin's Creed Unity. Early on in Mirage, you of course only have select tools based on what you've worked to unlock and how far you've progressed, and any gear you can equip is also pretty limited unless you put in the time to find and earn new sets of armor or weapons. The tools can be especially handy during a stealthy mission, with darts that put guards to sleep, or powerful smoke bombs that can get you out of a tight spot. And judging by New Game Plus in the likes of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, everything will already be at your fingertips.

Notoriety

Assassin's Creed Mirage improves a 14-year-old stealth feature I didn't realize I'd been missing

You could argue that this might make life a little easier during your missions, but I think it will help to offer up even more ways to approach your target. It could really shake up the earlier missions, and you'll also benefit from your know-how as you've helped Basim go from street thief to master assassin. Still, if everything is unlocked from the beginning, you will lose a sense of progression, and if Basim is kitted out completely, he could feel closer to a master of Creed already. But depending on what appeals to you, it could present plenty of room for experimentation with the various tools and equipment.

With lots of healing items and plenty of ways to get around guards undetected, permadeath is one way of upping the stakes as you go from mission to mission. After all, one slip up or a badly timed exit from safety could mean the end for Basim. While I can imagine it leading to some frustration, it would encourage a more considered approach, and add a layer challenge for those who seek it across all difficulty levels available. It's a feature that always makes me think of strategy games like Fire Emblem, in which it was a hallmark aspect of the earlier games. But as someone who wanted the tactical challenge without fear of losing beloved characters, I always appreciated having the option to play without in the most recent iterations.

After the news that there are no plans for DLC or new expansions earlier this year, this update may help reinvigorate Assassin's Creed Mirage for those who want to give the adventure another go.

The best thing about Assassin's Creed Mirage is the return of smoke bombs, and now they're even better.

Heather Wald is the Evergreen Editor, Games at GamesRadar+. Her writing career began on a student-led magazine at Bath Spa University, where she earned a BA (Hons) in English literature. Heather landed her first role writing about tech and games for Stuff Magazine shortly after graduating with an MA in magazine journalism at Cardiff University. Now with almost seven years of experience working with GamesRadar+ on the features team, Heather helps to develop, maintain, and expand the evergreen features that exist on the site for games, as well as spearhead the Indie Spotlight series. You'll also see her contribute op-eds, interview-led features, and more. In her spare time, you'll likely find Heather tucking into RPGs and indie games, reading romance novels, and drinking lots of tea.