This week sees the release of Assassin’s Creed Mirage, which has been described as a throwback to the series’ beginnings. But there has been one significant alteration.
Ubisoft has recorded the game’s performances in Arabic for this edition, which is set in 9th century Baghdad.
Previous games in the long-running stealth genre were set in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, but the protagonists were always spoken by English-speaking actors by default.
Players may still play the game with English language, but the developers hope people will choose for the more “authentic” Arabic.
It’s what fans heard when the game’s first worldwide teaser debuted in late August, and it’s a move that fans like Ameer, who grew up in Baghdad, have appreciated.
He claims it’s not the first time he’s heard Arabic in games, but “it’s usually with a terrorist saying something that people recognize as Arabic.”
Ameer, a 20-year-old engineering student, was thrilled by the teaser, which allowed fans to hear the main character Basim’s Arabic conversation and see a taste of the game’s universe.
“I was like, ‘this is perfect,'” Ameer adds.
“Arabic is a beautiful language and the dialect they use in Mirage is a beautiful one,” he continues.
According to Mohammed Al Imam, a representative for Ubisoft’s Middle Eastern and North African division, the language used in the game is classical Arabic, a “1,000-plus year old” dialect “still preserved to this day in schools, academia, news and entertainment.”
He claims that while it differs from present spoken dialects, it is nonetheless commonly understood.
According to Mohammed, it is frequent in Western media to see Arabic characters speaking in “broken Arabic” or “mimicking the sounds without understanding the words.”
“Their tone and pronunciation are both wrong.
“It’s something that’s been bothering the Arabic consumer for decades, similar to someone who’s not French trying to act like a French guy.”
He told Newsbeat that one of the project’s guiding principles was that “any Arabic line must be performed by someone who is fluent in the language.”
According to Mohammed, the principle also worked in reverse: the team in charge of subtitles for English speakers playing with an Arabic audio track required a thorough mastery of both languages.
He cites an English script line in which an agitated character worries that “camels will sprout wings on their humps” if they have to wait any longer.
According to Mohammed, the sentence is really “if I had waited any longer, the Phoenix would have risen from its ashes.”
According to Mohammed, the sentence is really “if I had waited any longer, the Phoenix would have risen from its ashes.”
He claims that these “small things” are strewn throughout the game and that non-native speakers may miss them.
“But Arabs will know right away,” Mohammed continues.
“And then they’ll point it out and say, ‘Ah, that’s incorrect.'” They haven’t done their homework.”
Another important aspect of Mirage and earlier Assassin’s Creed games is its realistic recreation of historical locales.
According to Mohammed, Ubisoft also used historical specialists to ensure that the setting was accurate where it needed to be.
Ameer, who presently resides in Istanbul, thinks that the game will change the way the rest of the world views Iraq.
“I feel like it’s going to put in the mind of players that Iraq and the whole Arab world is really important to the entire world history,” according to him.
“In the past, all people talked about was war.”
“However, Baghdad and all of Iraq [in the 9th century] are at a pivotal point in history.”
“This was the golden age,” he declares. In Ameer’s perspective “all knowledge, books, and the biggest writers, mathematicians, they all originate from Iraq and Baghdad”.
That, according to Mohammed, is what fueled his own enthusiasm for the project.
“So seeing a positive depiction, seeing an accurate depiction, different characters with different personalities, not stereotypes, not cliches, was something that pushed me to to really put everything I have into it,” he continues.
Changes to established franchises can be controversial with long-term fans, but Mohammed believes that the game’s new approach will be well received by current, English-speaking consumers.
“People are more exposed to different cultures through social media and the internet, and they are more understanding of different cultures.”
“I mean, I grew up watching and consuming entertainment and media from other cultures, as well as seeing other people do the same.” The opposite is also refreshing.”
According to Metacritic, early reviews of the game, which is available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC, have been largely positive.
Some blogs, like Polygon, IGN, and Eurogamer, have commended Mirage for its more concentrated approach, as opposed to the series’ expansive prior releases.
However, some websites, such as The Gamer, claim that the return to the franchise’s older games “dredges up problems you may have forgotten.”
Ameer is eager to get started, and he believes that the game’s approach will have an influence closer to home, paving the door for further Middle Eastern game production.
“I hope games like this inspire people because they see themselves represented and think to themselves,’maybe I can make something like this.'”
“Why can’t we do something about ourselves?” It would be a wonderful future if we could attract more developers from all around the world.”
