Summary
It looks like Ubisoft is making a real attempt to make the nextAssassin’s Creedgame,Codename Red, the biggest and most enjoyable entry in the series, if reports are anything to go by. The developers have been pouring an incredible amount of resources into the game’s development, and since it’s finally allowing fans to become an assassin inthe wonderful country of Japan, there’s no doubt that it’s going to be an absolute blast to play through when it eventually releases.
While there’s no doubt that there’s going to be a plethora of new mechanics for players to experiment with during their missions,Assassin’s Creed Miragealso introduced a fewtools and features that enhanced the gameplaywhich many fans hope will be carried over.Miragemay have been much smaller compared to its predecessors, but it was clear that Ubisoft were still experimenting with certain features and mechanics that many players eventually came to appreciate, so it would be unfortunate not to see at least a few of them return in the long-awaitedAssassin’s Creed Codename Red.
5Different Filters
Being Able To Switch Filters In The Next Game Would Allow Players To Set Their Own Visual Style
For the first time in the series,Assassin’s Creed Mirageallowed players to switch around the screen filter to try and mimic the look of the original game by giving the world a much more gray and subdued color palette. This might have simply been a neat little addition to the game, but Ubisoft never could have expected just how much this would excite the fans, especially those who have stuck around sinceAltair’s journeys in the first game.
There wouldn’t be any harm in carrying this filter feature over intoCodename Red, especially considering just how many options would be available thanks to the setting. They could take a book out ofGhost of Tsushima’sbook and use a Kurosawa-esque black and white filter to mimic traditional Japanese samurai films, or they could even play around with their own filter ideas like Capcom has done with theResident Evil 4 Remake. It’s a feature fromMiragethat proved to be a big hit among fans, and one that Ubisoft should definitely consider bringing back for the next entry.
4Environmental Poles
Whilethe parkour system inMiragewasn’t changed around too much fromValhalla, there were still a few different ways players could use the environment to traverse around Baghdad, with the most useful being the poles. These would usually be situated in pools of water or in between a large gap which Basim could use to vault his way across, making for a fun and exciting way to evade any attackers hot on his trail.
It seems highly likely that Ubisoft are going to be basing the newest game ina more traditional setting, so there would still be a lot of infrastructure like this lying around which hasn’t yet been swept away by modernization. They would therefore be a great addition that could make high-speed chases a lot more intense and enjoyable, and if the map is going to be as big as some claim it to be, they would also make traversal so much more manageable.
3Eagle Archers
Bringing Back Eagle Archers Would Encourage The Player To Get More Creative With Their Plan Of Attack
The eagle has been a core gameplay mechanic ever sinceAssassin’s Creed Originswhere Bayek’s loyal bird companion Senu would scout out a fortress or camp for him before he enters himself. It eventually became clear though that players would rely on the eagle a little too much, which was taking away from the stealth gameplay since it would be easy to simply spot all the enemies without having to listen to their footsteps or find out their whereabouts naturally.
To resolve this, Ubisoft introducedEagle ArchersinAssassin’s Creed Miragewho would force Basim’s eagle to retreat in certain scenarios, encouraging the player to scout out the area for themselves, which often made for a much more enjoyable stealth experience.Miragemade the right call by simply nerfing the eagle rather than removing it entirely, and in order to call back to the core gameplay roots of the series, which Ubisoft have been striving to do for a little while now, this is a feature thatCodename Redshould definitely replicate.
2Experimental Tool System
Being Able To Choose Which Tools To Unlock First Added A Lot Of Player Freedom To Mirage
By far one of the best parts aboutMiragewashow it handled the Tools. These pieces of equipment were extremely useful in the older games as handy weapons that could either help the assassin escape from a tricky situation, or simply take down an enemy in silence without anyone seeing. By the time that the games were incorporating more RPG elements though, these Tools became more and more unnecessary and largely forgotten about by the developers.
Not only didMiragebring them back, it also gave the player the freedom to pick and choose which they would like to unlock first by paying a visit to Ibn Musa, and this granted a little bit of leeway for them to create a particular playstyle. Each Tool could also be upgraded to make them more effective, adding yet another layer of customization to the gameplay. Tools should definitely come back inCodename Red, and if Ubisoft did want to dip intothe RPG genrewithout straying too far into it, they could just as easily copy this feature so that players can pick and choose how they want to play, allowing them to handle missions their own way. Of course, a few extra Tools would also be greatly appreciated, such as a grappling hook to pull down enemies from ledges, or lightning-fast shurikens to catch enemies by surprise.
1Assassin’s Focus
Despite Being Polarizing At First, Assassin’s Focus Made Mirage’s Gameplay Much More Fun And Fluid
Assassin’s Focus was initiallyquite a divisive mechanicwhen it was first being shown off in trailers, but afterMirage’srelease, a lot of fans warmed up to the feature, especially since it made stealth missions a lot more exciting without them ever becoming too easy. The way this ability works is Basim will be able to target multiple enemies before then performing a lethal chain attack to take down each one of them, but while this might sound extremely powerful, it also runs on a Focus bar which is very limited, so players would have to use it wisely.
This simple feature could help ensure that the gameplay inCodename Redalways remains fluid and fun, while at the same time, adding another level of strategy to encounters which could make clearing out a large fortress so much more enjoyable. If the Focus bar inCodename Redwould be recharged from performing stealth and Tool kills, this would create an incrediblysatisfying and addictive gameplay loopthat would allow the player to feel like they always have one-up over their enemies, without being too overpowered in the process. This may have been a controversial feature at first, but Assassin Focus has proved how fun it can be in practice, and it would be a real treat for fans if it returned for the next entry.
