How AC Mirage Influenced Assassin’s Creed Shadows in a Significant Way

Assassin’s Creed Shadows Takes Inspiration from Mirage

While Assassin’s Creed Shadows represents a distinct shift from Assassin’s Creed Mirage, there is a notable similarity that emerged during their development. Each game was overseen by different studios within Ubisoft, allowing for independent creative processes, despite the overlapping timelines. The most significant commonality is found in their quest log systems, demonstrating a convergence of vision between the two titles.

Insights from Development

In a recent interview with Screen Rant, game director Charles Benoit shared insights into how the teams behind Shadows and Mirage independently arrived at comparable ideas for quest log design. This unexpected synchronicity proved fruitful as both teams recognized their alignment on key structural elements.

Charles Benoit: It’s funny because Mirage and Shadows were in production in quite the same time frame in a way. And we didn’t know what Mirage was doing, and at some point when we started talking between each other, we realized that we were aiming at the same type of pillar with the menu that looked quite similar in the aspect of more visualization of a quest log.

So we kind of learned from them, and also from playing Mirage, to adjust some of our concept. Yeah, it’s just funny how the two games converged without knowing that.

Revamping the Quest Log Structure

Unlike conventional quest logs that typically present objectives in a linear, descending format, both Mirage and Shadows adopt a more interconnected, web-like approach. This innovative design enhances players’ navigation between objectives, an essential feature, especially in expansive, open-world environments.

The Positive Impact of Mirage

This intuitive quest log structure provides a seamless experience for players, facilitating easier transitions between objectives rather than relying on tedious scrolling. More importantly, this design aligns effectively with the overall gameplay, as seen in Mirage, where it encourages a sense of exploration by showcasing various means to gather information. Though Shadows may not focus as heavily on complex quest narratives as its predecessor, any advancements in this direction would certainly enhance the gaming experience.

Smart Innovations in Assassin’s Creed Shadows

A Meaningful Iteration

Naoe from Assassins Creed Shadows head and shoulders portrait

One of my standout features in Assassin’s Creed Mirage was its engaging quest log, and I am thrilled to see this element making a return in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. The focus on enhancing player intuition is particularly reassuring, especially when compared to other recent Ubisoft titles like Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and Star Wars Outlaws, which also seek to innovate beyond the traditional gameplay mechanics.

The progression of game design in the Assassin’s Creed series has sometimes lagged, especially in relation to significant changes, such as the transition to larger open-world environments. However, reimagining the quest log system exemplifies the potential gains from such innovations. I anticipate that fresh concepts will play a vital role in shaping the overall experience in Assassin’s Creed Shadows.

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