Fans were thrilled to learn that the next installment of the “Assassin’s Creed” video game franchise would be set in Baghdad because the game’s setting has always had connections to the Middle East.
Potential hints for an #AssassinsCreed Remake or Remaster 👀
🎨 Different definition / saturation for the AC1 Trailer
💻 The last game to be celebrated in the roadmap will be AC1 in September, right before the new Assassin’s Creed Special Event
🖌️ A new logo for Assassin’s Creed pic.twitter.com/EawY7i66ps
— AccessTheAnimus (@AccessTheAnimus) June 14, 2022
Potential Assassin’s Creed
Where Are We At This Point?
The name of the next installment in the popular series, “Assassin’s Creed: Mirage,” leaked online last week, with speculation pointing to the return of the “Hidden One,” Bassim, from “Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla.”
A day later, the game’s developer, Ubisoft, verified the news and provided an official graphic, which revealed the game’s title and protagonist. The picture depicts a doorway in ninth-century Baghdad, with Bassim hovering above the crowd with his hidden sword drawn as he prepares to commit an assassination. A market and a large mosque can be seen in the backdrop.
What Exactly Is The Point Of This Game?
Ubisoft stated that a trailer and further information would be made available today. But if the allegations are true, the game will center on Bassim’s early years, his eventual joining of the Assassins’ order, and their continuous war against the “Order of the Ancients.”
It has also been speculated that Bassim’s introduction to Sigurd Styrbjornsson during the events of “Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla” will be made available as downloadable content.
What Is Bassim’s Deal?
About this assassin, we know quite a bit. He was born in Baghdad under the Abbasid Caliphate, and his full name is Bassim Ibn Ishaq. His father was renowned as a top architect and was responsible for building the Great Mosque of Samarra, the largest mosque in the world at the time. However, Basim’s father was betrayed by a politician, which led to his exile and eventual death in obscurity.
We also know that he met Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, the “father of Algebra,” and other notable scholars at the famous “House of Wisdom,” where he studied and gained knowledge about the universe.
Bassim eventually became a member of the Assassins and rose to the position of bureau chief in Constantinople. Sometime between 860 and 870 A.D., he suffers a terrible loss that profoundly alters his character. At the end of that time period, he meets Sigurd Styrbjornsson, who sends him on yet another journey when he travels to Norway and becomes friends with Eivor, the game’s primary protagonist.
How Should We Prepare For The Game?
We can only make educated guesses based on the time period and political climate of the region, but that still leaves us with very little information regarding when the game will take place.
Several notable caliphs in the late 700s did their best to lead their territory to new heights, but historians consider the 800s to be the Abbasid Caliphate’s golden age. The region was ahead of others in many ways, including education, military strength, study, translation, technology, enlightenment, and more, thanks to the encouragement offered by these caliphs and the development of institutions like the House of Wisdom.
People
Multiple ground-breaking scientific discoveries and practical innovations were made possible by the global gathering of scientists, intellectuals, writers, educators, astronomers, and mentors.
Scholars like Al-Tabari, a physician, psychologist, and author of one of the earliest medical encyclopedias, could make cameo appearances in the game as characters Bassim might meet on his travels. Historians consider Abu Tammam, one of the most well-known poets of the day, to have compiled one of the finest collections of Arabic literature.
Knowing the games, though, we’ll encounter a number of famous persons from that era, as well as others who died suspicious deaths and work them into the plot.
Locations
It’s safe to presume that the game will span multiple locations, as has been the case with past “Assassin’s Creed” titles. Baghdad and Samarra are the two most obvious candidates because they both served as the capital.
With the Abbasid caliphate spanning from Tunisia in the west to Pakistan and parts of India in the east, and from Armenia in the north to Yemen in the south, it will be difficult to determine what lies beyond those two.
Events
While many things have happened there over the years, one sticks out as particularly noteworthy. The time between 861 and 870 AD is commonly referred to as the Anarchy of Samarra.
The time was marked by instability, conflict, and violence, with the caliphs and their respective armies at the center of much of it. Periodized by the murderous ascent of four caliphs, who all met violent ends before the pattern was interrupted, although temporarily.
How Come This Ball Game Matters So Much?
This is the fourth game in the series set in the Middle East, demonstrating how the region’s rich history provides ample material for compelling narratives.
Jerusalem, Damascus, and Acre all played host to the first game in the series, which introduced players to the protagonist “Altar Ibn-La Ahad” and the various groups vying for power in the region during the third crusade.
In contrast, “Assassin’s Creed: Origins” was set in Cleopatra’s Egypt, and players were allowed to explore real-world monuments including Luxor, Alexandria, and Memphis. The Giza Pyramids, the Library of Alexandria, and the famed lighthouse were just some of the tourist destinations open to players.