Say what you will about the Assassin’s Creed games, but they’ve never slouched in the costume design department, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage is no exception.
The game features not just one gorgeous set of robes for protagonist Basim, but a whole wardrobe of them which can be tracked down through side quests, story progression, DLC—and the dreaded Ubisoft Connect.
Still, even in a game with such a consistently stylish set of Costumes, a few have risen above the rest to become the five best-looking Costumes in all of Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
The best Costumes in Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Of note, Costumes are distinct from Outfits in Mirage—while Outfits provide specific gameplay enhancements and can be upgraded, Costumes are simply cosmetic skins you can slap on if you don’t like the look of your Outfit. The distinction can be a little confusing, but nothing will stop Basim in his quest for fashion.
Honorable Mention: Initiate of Alamut Costume
It may be cheating to include the robes literally on the cover of the game, as this is the iconic look Basim will wear for most of its runtime—but you do unlock them as a strictly cosmetic Costume after beating the main story, so in they go. It’s a solid (if somewhat lacking) Costume that doesn’t really stand out from the much cooler Assassin robes Basim’s contemporaries wear, but the good part is that you don’t have to stick with it for long.
5) Far East Merchant Costume
Rather than a side quest or a story beat, the dazzling Far East Merchant Costume can simply be purchased from any Merchant in the city for a staggering price of 500 Dirhams. There are ways to meet that lofty goal, whether it be using Merchant Tokens to bring the price down or relying on a few strategies to make the necessary cash in no time at all, but the end result is well worth the investment in both time and money.
This ridiculously opulent Costume will make Basim look right at home in the bazaars of Karkh, and wearing it to assassinate the elusive Treasurer during the Great Auction mission just feels right. The eye-catching silks are perfect for an Assassin who likes to be seen, and doesn’t carry many identifying traits to help guards pick you out… except, of course, for the giant insignia on the belt, but that may as well be a series staple by now.
4) Ezio Revelations Costume
Ezio Auditore da Firenze’s iconic outfit from Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood has been in nearly every game since then, but Mirage marks the first time the robes he donned in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations have made a return, unlocked through the external Ubisoft Connect service. It’s not hard to see why, either: These robes fit almost perfectly into Baghdad, and have even received a few tweaks to make them more setting-appropriate. The Constantinople Assassin’s Brotherhood logo on the chest has been swapped out in favor of the Alamut Brotherhood’s, and the distinctly Italian frilled cuffs have been removed entirely, making Basim rock this outfit far better than Ezio ever did.
Unfortunately, the fur spaulders and bracers haven’t been altered at all, meaning that Basim is probably on the verge of heat stroke whenever he’s wearing this Costume. One must suffer for fashion.
3) King of Thieves Costume
This simple, subdued outfit is the final reward of the Forty Thieves preorder quest, which unfortunately looks to be the only piece of DLC Mirage is ever going to receive. While the quest itself is fairly lackluster, even going so far as to make you clear the same location twice at one point, it’s more than worth muscling through to get your hands on the King of Thieves Costume.
One of the core tenets of the titular Assassin’s Creed is “hide in plain sight,” which this unassuming outfit does perfectly while still preserving a reasonably Assassin-ish look, complete with white hood (albeit a lowered one). Plus, it’s one of the few Costumes in the game to put Basim’s hair on display, and those luscious locks are definitely worth a few style points.
2) Altair Costume
Yet another blast from the past, the Altaïr Costume hearkens back to the very first game. Like the other throwback on this list, it can be unlocked through Ubisoft Connect, and unlike the other throwback on this list, it fits in perfectly with the rest of the setting. This simple, practical look is still one of the best outfit designs Ubisoft has ever done, and unlike Renaissance Italy or revolutionary Paris, it doesn’t stick out like a store thumb in Abbasid Baghdad.
Most of the other Assassin robes in the game take heavy and obvious inspiration from Altaïr’s outfit to begin with, so you can respect tradition without breaking your immersion. You can even pair it with the Iconic Filter to give the game a full AC1-style makeover, albeit with actual subtitles this time. The only drawback is the wonky cloth physics, which like to stick to Basim’s legs a little too much.
1) Master Assassin Costume
You don’t unlock the Master Assassin Costume until you’re gearing up to take on your final target in the Head of the Snake mission, but it’s easy to see why Mirage makes you prove yourself before you get to wear it—it’s the best-looking Costume in the game without a doubt, finally giving Basim his own iconic red and white robes that give the likes of Ezio or Connor a run for their money.
It feels like a natural evolution of Altaïr’s classic robes, with a sleeker silhouette and personal touches from Basim’s starting outfit like his shemagh. It’s not too flashy, too bulky or too militaristic, making for an outfit that one could believably see “hiding in plain sight” in just about any crowd.
My only complaint is that you don’t get very long to enjoy it unless you save all of the side content for extremely late in the game, but this is still a look for the history books.
Published: Oct 11, 2023 04:24 pm