Does Assassin's Creed Mirage Have a Present-Day Storyline? Answered

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While Assassin’s Creed mostly takes place in our past, the stories are usually tied together with a framing device that takes place in the present day. Assassin’s Creed’s history is generally told through the Animus, a machine that allows someone to see the memories of their genetic ancestor. However, the modern-day narrative and the animus have been receiving less focus in the more recent titles. The recent games primarily center on the adventures of the assassins, taking place in multiple historical events. Does the present-day storyline still exist in Assassin’s Creed Mirage, or does it exclusively take place in the past?

Is There a Present-Day Story in Assassin’s Creed Mirage?

Nonetheless, Assassin’s Creed Mirage does not feature any storylines in the present day. Instead, Mirage focuses exclusively on the adventures of Basim Ibn Ishaq in 9th-century Baghdad. The title’s primary story is about Basim’s rise to power.

The animus and present-day stories became less of a focus in the series around Assassin’s Creed III, which featured the climax of Desmond Miles’ story arc. Many fans began to question the point of modern-day cutscenes when they added so little to each game’s narrative. Nevertheless, the more recent titles still had scenes that took place in the modern day. The present-day plots featured an ongoing plot that connected one title to the next. The Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s direct predecessor, Valhalla, still had a present-day narrative tied to the greater lore.

The Story of Assassin’s Creed Mirage

You begin the game taking control of Basim when he’s a lowly thief.
Basim trains under a wise and powerful teacher.
Basim joins a secret organization known as the Hidden Ones.
You then set out to take out high-ranking members of the Order.
Basim discovers a revelation about himself.
Basim joins the Brotherhood, directly tied to the events of Valhalla.

Mirage further illuminates the ongoing story arc concerning Basim in the present day. However, there are no major scenes in the present day in Assassin’s Creed Mirage. There’s still the framing device of a machine looking back in the past, but none of it showcases any characters or settings in the modern day. Future Mirage DLC may have scenes in the present day, yet that is speculative on our part.