Summary
Going into October 2023, the wider gaming community knew that the month would be a busy one for game releases, and that’s only getting truer with each day. WithMarvel’s Spider-Man 2,Super Mario Bros. Wonder, andAlan Wake 2all on the horizon now, gamers have a lot to get excited about this October. But while those three titles are the biggest of the month, October has already had its fair share of exciting releases, and it all kicked off with Ubisoft’sAssassin’s Creed Mirage.
Released just a few days ago,Assassin’s Creed Mirageis the latest entry in the long-running stealth, action-adventure, open-world RPG hybrid franchise, but it finds itself in a unique situation, marking both a departure from the series' usual formula, and a return to it at the same time. Designed to be a break from the recent RPG-focused formula, and a return to the series' stealthier, paired back roots,Assassin’s Creed Miragehas put nostalgia at the very forefront of its marketing, and in that way, it’s in the exact same boat as this year’sCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3.
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Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 Are Heavily Relying on Nostalgia
After months of leaks and speculation,Assassin’s Creed Miragewas officially announced back in September 2022, and from the get-go, it was clear that Ubisoft was banking on nostalgia to sell the game. Acting as the centerpiece forUbisoft’s celebration of the franchise’s 15th anniversary,Assassin’s Creed Miragewas designed from the ground up to feel reminiscent of the very first game in the series, from its similar-looking locations to its similar time setting, including its heavier emphasis on stealth gameplay and its paired back combat and smaller-scale.
Throughout its marketing, Ubisoft made it clear thatAssassin’s Creed Miragehad been designed specifically as a throwback to theAssassin’s Creedseries' original formula, and now that fans finally have their hands on the game, that certainly seems true.Assassin’s Creed Miragehas had a bit of a mixed critical reception. With a lackluster story, some disappointingly dull characters, and a bit of a going-through-the-motions mid-section,Mirageis far from the best game in the franchise, but it does succeed at being a faithful throwback, and for many fans, that nostalgia trip is going to be worth the price of admission, even if the game does feel half-baked.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is in the exact same boat. Set to release in just a month,Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3is relying very heavily on nostalgia to move copies, and that approach is pretty blatant. On launch day,Modern Warfare 3will have no original 6v6 maps of its own, instead, it’s remastering all 16 original 2009Modern Warfare 2maps, and a great deal of the game’s marketing has focused on these returning maps, clearly trying to weaponize fan nostalgia for the originalModern Warfareseries.Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3’s campaignhas been marketed in a similar way, focusing on returning legacy characters like Captain Price and Makarov, and similar-looking set pieces like a gulag infiltration.
WhileCall of Dutyhas been using nostalgiato market its games for a good few years now, it’s never been quite as blatant as it is withCall of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. And thoughModern Warfare 3is sure to be a decent entry - with first impressions from the closed beta being pretty positive - its weaponization of nostalgia is undeniable, and it’s possible that Sledgehammer and Activision are using it to hide any shortcomings that the game may have, akin to what Ubisoft may have done withAssassin’s Creed Mirage.
Assassin’s Creed Mirageis available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
