When I think of Ubisoft RPGs, the first thing that comes to mind is "that game is too big." It seems I'm not the only one who shares that sentiment, and it seems the developer is well aware that people are starting to get a little burned out on the massive open world. [It's a relief, then, that "Assassin's Creed Mirage" (opens in new tab) is about to scale back a bit, as GamesRadar (opens in new tab) spoke with creative director Stéphane Boudon, whose community is shaping the latest entry in the series. Origins," "Odyssey," and "Valhalla" are all great games that promise to take you on an epic journey through powerful fantasy. By incorporating RPG mechanics, they're tailored to deliver on those ambitions."

"However, we began to hear from our fans that they wanted a character-driven story that focused on the core pillars of the original AC on a more intimate scale. It resonated with us developers, and this was the starting point for the project."

Applying what made the old, small-scale Assassin's Creed so great to modern development sounds like an exciting prospect. Game length is an ever-evolving topic, and in the face of live services and working lives, the amount of time one can dedicate to a single game seems to be getting smaller every year. It may also be difficult to recall how much shorter the older "Assassin's Creed" games were compared to their modern siblings. Assassin's Creed 2, for example, requires about 35 hours to complete, according to HowLongToBeat. (Open in new tab) Valhalla, on the other hand, takes 104 hours more than that, about 139 hours (open in new tab) to complete. And that's before the DLC.

However, it seems Ubisoft is not yet completely ready to ditch all the mess that has become synonymous with RPGs, with Bourdon noting that Mirage "has richer and denser maps than the original AC" as well as "more gameplay opportunities, more interaction between systems, more depth," he notes. However, he hopes that the more intimate scale will make Mirage less overwhelming.

"With a more condensed scope and a clear focus on Basim and his coming-of-age story, the main goal of Mirage is to have the audience fully immersed in 9th century Baghdad," Bourdon concluded. And it is an important event of that time for the "Hidden Ones." We wanted this game to be a stand-alone game that everyone could enjoy."

With Ubisoft recently canning a series of games (open in new tab), postponing Skull & Bones again, and its stock plummeting, Assassin's Creed Mirage must be good. It won't be the developer's last chance to deliver a hit, but it doesn't feel like the clock is ticking.