I think his smirk at the end after Enkidu's attack was more just sad acceptance rather than satisfaction. Basim is characterized throughout both games and the book set between them as being extremely loyal to the people around him. So long as they are loyal to him. Enkidu reflects that aspect of him. When merged Basim returns instead of Enkidu's friend and companion Enkidu treats this new Basim as a betrayal. I think Basim's smile is the sad acknowledgement of that fact, and acceptance of Enkidu's ire
Not to mention, Basim means the one who smiles... even in sorrow, he still smiles. Just like his campfire scene, this is Valhalla Basim a.k.a the Goat.
Basim and Loki are the same person, it the memory that he remembers who he is. They don’t just merge they just have a piece missing which is the point of the game. Basim could have rejected these memories like Evior did.
I just thought his voice changed as he got older, I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure they just didn’t think the very raspy deep voice of a man who sounds like he’s smoked for years on end would fit for a bright eyed 20 year old
There’s a book about Hytham’s first mission with Basim that kinda serves as as prequel to Valhalla. It’s called Golden City. It definitely made me more intrigued with Basim’s character as it shows how mysterious he is in Hytham’s eyes.
Mirage's ending was certainly one of the most unique endings we've had in this series....I really love the way Ubisoft Bordeaux tried to connect Basim in Mirage's ending and the one we knew in Valhalla and this was without a doubt a great ending to this beautiful game I completed this yesterday only and I think its safe to say that this game was far better than what I expected before the launch
What’s even more sad is Hytham meeting Basim after Loki took over him. Hytham met basim as this guy who was a really good teacher to him, he was patient and kinder. Now Hytham met basim as a completely different person but still chose to follow him
Hytham is in the game if you do one of the tales of the Baghdad mission, he will be a character you can talk to and you will see how he joins the hidden ones.
@@speediskey9503 This is why I mentioned Hytham. Because we met him as Basim but we know that it was the first and last time Hytham have seen the real Basim without Loki
I wouldn't say Loki took over. More that Loki & Basim merged after Basim faced his trauma and "unlocked" Loki's memories. He's still Basim, just with Loki's memories and life residing within. After all, Basim still believes in the Creed. He says as much in Valhalla. So I'm sure he was still a good teacher to Hytham. Only he was also working towards his own, vengeful goals at the same time.
I’m definitely gonna replay the game again and see the interactions between Basim and Nehal in detail. I’m surprised I didn’t realize no one else ever talked to her in the story 😂
You’d think for a person that he knew for most of his life and talked to that whole time, SOMEONE would’ve asked him who he was talking to since he was the only one that could see her.
I love the concept of Nehal not being real, but apart of me subjectively wished she was still a real character. Now I feel like this is selfcest now lol
I have a theory and I want to believe that Basim, during his years as mentor, is the reason why the brotherhood stopped using eagles as companions and why they didn't seek freedom and free will until Altair got to be mentor.
I wonder if basim is the one that quoted the iconic line "nothing is true, everything is permitted" because of the things he experienced when he's still a young assassin up to this point
My biggest issue with Mirage's story is that they decided to make it nonlinear so you can access any assassination case in any order. They should've built up the conflict over successive story arcs instead of just showing it all in the end.
the first assassination all the same you need to kill that target but then you free to choose games these days wants to give the players some sense of freedom they don't want to bind players 100% into specific thing still in the end everyone will kill the same target so it's cool this is how games are now
@@mrenigma1564 that's not the point. The fact that everything except the first and final assassination is non-linear means that everything between those two can't progress the character plot in a meaningful way. It's the same problem Valhalla had with its plot but in a smaller scale. It means the story CAN'T be cohesive, because every arc has to be a villain of the week anthology, not an actual connective narrative. Imagine if playing AC2, we can kill Francezco de Pazzi before killing Vieri de Pazzi. That would ruin Ezio's character progression for the first half of the game.
My theory on Nehal not interacting with anyone is that maybe basim did think she was interacting with others just like the stabbing at the start. So he could be speaking for her in conversations in his youth without him noticing or like you said questioning it.
it would never occur to Basim to check on whether or not other people interact with Nehal because in my opinion, his brain fills in the blanks/intentionally deceives his perception of what is happening until the moment at the end where the house of cards comes crashing down. Mr. Robot is a show with great examples of this, also Fight Club.
Basim has definitely embraced Loki's memories, but will still be himself, it's like accepting your split personality. Also, you're correct, the Djinn represents Odin and therefore Loki's hatred/fear of Odin. Also the Pieces of Eden in this game ARE the Memory Seals, Alamut is where Altair found them, which would make them be used as the centerpiece of AC Revelations. The Alamut temple being revealed to be a prison was kind of dark, but still cool.
@@David-tl5qi The Hidden Ones didn't know, neither did Roshan, all Roshan knew is that Basim was different than most people and that he may have had a connection to the temple under Alamut, that's it. I doubt the order of the ancients knew he was Loki specifically, only that he may be a Sage.
I will say I love the Reznov style twist. My favorite part of the black ops (while completely unrelated) was the mental aspect that it was all in your head. I experienced that as a kid and geeked out when I experienced it as an adult in 2023 in a different equally as good story. Amazing game LEAPS in the right direction for AC.
@@brandonmotaramos5810which makes the title of the game make so much sense. I didn’t understand why it was called Mirage other than it sounded cool until I finished the game . This has become one of my favorites in the series.
Mirage got all the great elements of Assassin's creed lore, the Assassin vs Templar fantasy, the ISU element, the great setting, the good parkour and stealth, the linear story etc imagine if bourdoux were given a bigger budget and more time
Baghdad was nice looking, but not interesting to explore. Aside from the city itself, there were no historical landmarks to explore, which I always loved about these games: seeing their take on the Temple of Athena or the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Hell, exploration altogether was non existent. The combat was ridiculously easy, stealth even more so. Assassin's Focus was complete God mode. The game was originally meant to be a dlc of Valhalla and it showed.
@@brohanfromrohan5771There were historical sites (although a few were not yet built at the time of the game; ie dome of the ass). The Mongols destroyed Baghdad in their conquest, so yeah you can't see these landmarks IRL...
@@colephelps7816, that's it? One obscenely obscure actual historical site that you'd only know about through digging through some google searches? C'mon now. You know what I mean. The game sucked for exploration. It was a $20 dlc. Not a $50 standalone. Or $60 if you bought the "deluxe" like me. I got suckered.
@@brohanfromrohan5771no, the game wasn't meant to be a DLC, and it definitely doesn't show. At no point in development was it a DLC, only in the earliest conceptions of the project. As for combat and stealth, it's exactly what people were asking for: a return to tradition. At least it was still more difficult than Ezio's combat. Stealth was pretty boring mostly due to them dropping the ball on enemy AI.
@@brohanfromrohan5771 to each their own, I absolutely adore the Arabic and Islamic architecture & the colorful environment that remains beautiful, yet subtle
It’s so depressing basim was so desperate to not feel alone, to be apart of something and the one thing that he wanted as a kid betrayed him, and accepted Loki so he wouldn’t feel so alone. At least that’s how I perceived it.
I'm also very confused because unlike Eivor, Basim doesn't know of the Norse gods. He told a man at the House of Wisdom that his friend (Nehal) was into foreign gods and pagan magic so unless that knowledge is also shared with Basim, I felt like Loki tricked him by dawning the face of a supposed life long friend and suggesting that he'd be bonded with Nehal forever and not Loki as he is. It also seemed like the Djinn could have been Loki's way of making the merge with "Nehal" more convincing
He lost nearly everyone he cared about, the street orphans, Nehal, Roshan, even his fellow Hidden One that trained with him near the end - I feel that he embraced the Isu memories everyone so desperately hid from him. The cost of Loki was Basim, Enkindu’s interaction suggests as much.
@@arciere9986Evior only perceived Loki, Odin etc as Norse gods because of where she come from and her beliefs, she saw ‘Odins’ memories as fictional gods such as Norse mythology where she come from and associated it as such, whereas in reality they were just Isu. This is why Badim see’s his memories as a Jinni because it relates to Arab myth etc. But again it’s just his Isu Guard/imprisoner
There are other memory discs. My theory is that he probable went back over the years, and listened to them all in secret. Therefore, he would know the full story.@@arciere9986
Other than not explicitly naming Loki and Odin, I really loved how Basim's mental conflict with Loki was handled, next to how Bart Roberts was shown, it was my favorite portrayal of Sages. I especially liked how Basim's conflict with Loki's memories influenced how he dealt with the Hidden Ones, I always said Mirage's story would be defined in how it used Basim as a reborn Loki to criticize the Hidden Ones beliefs in freedom and I liked how Mirage did it.
It was a good ending, i say predictable because i wanted to know how the evil jinni possessed the original Basim, like Basim (Loki) sayed in valhalla that he had an agreement with is former self.
Assassins creed mirages ending was definitely unique, and I’m not joking my jaw was open when the credits started rolling just wondering “what the hell” but I actually loved the twists!
I really wish the game had more production value to allow Basim's scenes with Nehal to include more subtle clues to her nature, like people confused at Basim or something like that... As for Basim not questioning Nehal's past I can imagine that since she's a figment of his subconscious he simply doesn't register such options... like, if someone would sat him down and question his memories (or lack of them more precisely) his brain would just be incapable of rationalize It correctly and simply shrug it all off... I also like the idea that Basim is neither 100% himself nor 100% Loki... but simply a Basim made more shady by accepting Loki's memories and the emotional baggage they would carry on to him
I believe Basim/Loki is a hybrid at the end because when Basim and Nehal touch at the end they both turn into sand and fade away/combine together. If Loki fully took over Basim then I think we would have saw only Basim fade away when Nehal and Basim touched each other, and if Basim rejected Loki then I think Nehal would have just faded away when they touched kinda like when Basim touched the Jinni.
Basim has always been Loki, it was always the same consciousness. When Nehal and basim unified basim recived all of Loki’s memories. This in a way completely transformed basim after all your experiences are what make you who you are.
No, what happened is that nehal/loki took over Basim. Contrast this to eivor rejecting Odin completely and coming out completely as their own person whereas Basim turned into a madman hellbent on vengeance. Loki's theme is that he is a trickster. He made Basim believe he was just another piece to his whole when what was happening is a complete takeover. Their sands both shifting was a red herring that's shown as enkindu scars his face only seeing an imposter. I don't know why people don't see the tragedy of the character.
This story was very sad, when I finished it I was empty and didn’t know what to do lol. I was a tiny bit dissapointed because I expected something crazier, like roshan being the final member or something. But it was good
I really hope they don’t mess up the modern day side of Basim/Loki’s story like they did with Juno. As Eivor’s final chapter showed, the balance between Isu and sage can always change and I’d love to see that struggle within Loki as he and Alethia try to “reunite” their family…whatever that means
I would have liked to see a scab/scar on basims face after the story showing how not just the story and the gameplay animations for basim maturing but also his character model showing the stories effects it had
It's also really cool to mention that the memories that Basim is experiencing is most likely the story of the Binding of Loki, which explains his hatred towards Odin, as his memories tormented him for most of his re-incarnated life, and gives a lot more depth to the character we met in Valhalla.
@@RaydonMadeek Honestly I'm always split between Black Flag's and Revelations'. Black Flag is just more personal to me though so I often go with that when listing my favorite in the franchise
It is important to notice that Roshan still might be the matriach of Altair's family. Umar, father of Altair, and Darim, Altair's son, were also named Ibn-La'Ahad despite the surname meaning "son of no one" and as we can see through her letters Roshan took that title as her family name after leaving behind her life to become a Hidden One, she was the only one reffered to with the title of "child of no one" despite the fact that she wasn't even the only orphan around.
Yeah I find it odd that Altair has no surname. He knew his father. He didn't denounce his family, maybe at first based on lies. But after that, you'd think... its a bit weird in arabic to proudly call yourself La Ahad. But maybe... roshan is the ancestor. If u look into a note in Alamut, after freeing Rayhan, there is a note to Roshan mentioning possibility of expanding their brotherhood to Syria and Damascus. On the other hand, the ending seems to show Roshan just abandons the creed... right? She throws her hidden blade into the fire.
Altair didn't have "son of noone' because he was an orphan, he knew well and clear who his father was, it is just a nickname to represent how your life before joining the brotherhood
This has frequently occurred in the series as the assassins fatal flaw: “nothing is true, everything is permitted.” Yet obey the order until your dying breath. It’s their biggest contradiction
In an audio log in Valhalla Desmond remarks on the hypocrisy of an order fighting for free will would indoctrinate those born into it, having been raised in a commune of Assassins and running away because he didn’t engage well with it.
Assassins oppose control, not order. They aren't simple agents of chaos As Haytham told Connor in AC3, there were times the Assassins upheld peace above unrestricted freedom
What a great story. Remember that basim/loki isn’t evil. Loki is just broken by the things he experienced on his past life, and brought onto basim. So i don’t have any hate on basim or loki even in valhalla because i understood his sufferings.
I really hope they continue Basim’s story in the present day. He’s one of my favorite characters and in my opinion, the best choice for a modern day protagonist since Desmond
I was surprised by the lack of modern day, aside from the assassin rush being an effect by the Animus rather than an ability of Basim’s (and the game only makes you use it once) and William Miles doing a voice over at the beginning this could be entirely divorced from having a modern day. Now Basim is revived and out in the world, what now? We know Aleithia set up Layla with the staff so it’d get into the Yggdrasil facility and revive Basim, but the last we know is that he let Layla’s Animus sequence his own memories to be compatible for access through it and he left William Miles to take a look. So what’s the next step? It feels like the writers deliberately left it up in the air so as not to commit the modern day to a particular direction, just it had the biggest twist yet in Basim’s restoration and liberation.
Honestly I don't care much for the present day since Desmond died. I was excited to see where Black Flag would take us, playing as William Miles, seeing him and Rebecca/Shaun cope with the death of Desmond and find a way to stop Juno. Alas, we didn't got that. She was killed off in a comic and the present went nowhere. It's clear they don't know what to do where to go and I feel like there's no point anymore to bother with it.
I think a big reason for Basim merging with Nehal/Loki is how he empathized with the pain his past self went through. The terror of the Djinn he's experienced for so long. I only wish we got a little more detail about Basim's parents. A little odd there's nothing about his mother though. Maybe she died in childbirth. Giving birth in these old days was a lot more risky compared to the modern times. Basim's clearly have a good deal of respect and love for his father. However, Basim's ambition was always there. He wants adventure and for his actions to have meaning. He has a natural bitterness about him when his father died and everything about his father - his accomplishments, family and character - was made meaningless. Basim's clearly had a vengeful/unforgiving side to him even before the merge. Most prominently towards Nehal after killing the Caliph and towards the invaders of Alumut at the end of the game. Basim wants to make every last one of them pay. Nur said "Vengeance isn't our way" which Basim vehemently refused before agreeing to save the survivors. This vengeful part was clearly magnified after the merge. Swearing to make all of his torturers pay. The difference with Eivor and Odin is that Odin is more directly trying to take control. Odin doesn't seem to really understand what Eivor wants. They are much more distinct, separate individuals. Nehal/Loki is much more in tune with what Basim wants. Their goals and feelings are more aligned with each other.
Really well said with excellent points! Basim has definitely become one of my favorite characters of the more recent Assassin's Creed games and you pointed out a layer to his character that I didn't fully realize, thank you!
I really loved the ending but mirage is such a really great game but it’s a shame it wasn’t longer but the ending added so much lore that i really loved about it
You mention that Basim is unable to notice how no one else can see Nehal... that's obviously cognitive dissonance, brother. Nehal was born in his mind as an alternate personality because he needed her courage to face his past. She added to his dissonance by existing but also helped him to unravel it...
I honeestly really liked the story. The ending felt good and set everything into motion for the events of Valhalla. Also, I never saw that twist coming. When Basim arraves to Alamut and that Nihal disappears, I thought she was part of the order but I never realized she was actually a part of Basim's memory.
The game was everything I expected it to be. I knew it’d be my favorite game to play post Origins. The stealth is amazing, at the cost of good combat. The combat is a bit too simple. Which could be good and bad. And I really enjoyed playing as Basim
Basim was my favorite character from Valhalla and i am so glad that we got to see his origin story. Thank you for this great explainer, I totally agree with everything you said. 5/5!
One mention from other characters of Nehal is actually when Roshan is talking to basim I believe just before he becomes a hidden one she acknowledges that Basim cares for Nehal and that he is good friends with her. This wasn’t mentioned in ur video so I thought I would point it out. I also believe that this is Roshan sympathising with Basims relationship with Nehal and ultimately Loki and how she knows who Basim rlly is and that there is a side to him that she knows means a lot to Basim but she doesn’t fully want him to pursue or pay attention to however believes Basim is different and will not betray the creed and also her way of thinking because of Nehal being a part of Basims past life.
It could be that, or: - She thinks he's talking about friend she haven't met. - She is aware that he's not completly ok mental wise, and tries to be supportive without pressing the subject.
I just finished the game, and the ending confused me so damn much, hallways through, I thought that Nehal was the reincarnation of Angrboda, but watching this video made me realize that it was impossible for her to be Angrboda due to the Isu having uploaded their mind into Yggdrasil, and Angrboda didn't. Now that I think about it, nobody DID interact with Nehal, wow. Assassin's Creed keeps blowing my mind
Thanks for this. I played Valhalla a while back and still hardly remember any of this stuff. Weird for the writers to think that any majority of players will understand the ending.
In the Valhalla epilogue, Basim said him and Loki came to a mutual understanding of who they are now. That and the fact he refers to Loki as a separate entity likely means him and Loki merged into one consciousness, but still somewhat see themselves as two different people. Basically a DBZ fusion lol 💀
It's a common misconception that Basim and Loki are different people sharing one body. They aren't different people. Basim is Loki and has always been Loki, just without his memories.Imagine yourself suddenly losing your memories and being transported to the other side of the world to live your new life. You'd grow up in a completely different way and probably end up having a different personality compared to your previous one, however it'd still be you. Just without your memories. If you ever gained them you'd be the same person you were before losing them. That's what happened with basim. He wasn't born as basim and later became loki. Loki was reincarnated just without the memories of his past life. They gave him the name basim and that's what he went with because he couldn't remember his previous name. At the end we see the reincarnated Loki simply accepting his old memories and becoming whole again. That's what actually makes the eivor-odin story kinda sad. Eivor wasn't a different person than odin. He was always odin but he refused his old memories and could never become whole, unlike basim who did.
Thanks for being the only channel not trying to take advantage of the clickbait AC hate train. Everyone hating on mirage to get some views when in reality it’s has the best launch in terms of sales for an AC game in the new gen.
Ultimately, I wish that Mirage covered a little more of Basim's life between Mirage and Valhalla. I feel like there is too much of a vast difference between the Basim/Loki we see at the end of Mirage, and the one we meet in Valhalla. Especially since one of the big things in Valhalla was Basim being angry at Eivor (aka Odin) for not only imprisoning Loki, but also hurting/killing his family, but we don't hear any mention of his family at the end of Mirage, just the imprisonment. So I'm left wondering if the Basim at the end of Mirage is still a bit of an amnesiac and continues to learn more of his past life as he ages or...?
I think this game is being highly under appreciated because of all the amazing games we’ve had this year. And it’s right before the launch of Spider-Man 2.. but personally I think this is going to be one of those beloved games after some time. The music was fantastic, the gameplay was back to the roots in a lot of ways, and Basim becoming Loki is one of the most intriguing storylines since Desmond’s death
I wish we got to see something about that in Mirage. in Valhalla, all the people who ere reincarnated suffered the same injuries and major life events as their counterparts (other than Eivor not losing an eye)
But the mauling of the wolf is similar to Odin, since in the mythology, he was swallowed whole by Fenrir. The thing is that due to the Asgard memories having a filter over them to make them more understandable to Eivor, I wonder what the three monstrous children Actually looked like. On one end, Atlantis was the least filtered memory, and showed what an ISU civilization actually looked like, and we end up fighting one of the Hekatonchires, so this leads me to believe that actual large monsters were possible, thus meaning that Fenrir, Jormungandr, (Maybe not Hel) could have been actual large creatures. Although Idk how Aletheia could have birthed them. My theory is that Loki and Aletheia created them in a lab, but also added their own DNA. Or, perhaps, they were simply Isu, but maybe had mutations?@@koyoa9279
Odin didn't kill Loki's son. After defiting him, he just put him into prison, and asked Tyr to watch him. And in Valhalla Loki's motives are to get that information from Odin where his son is imprisoned.
When I started playing the game, I thought it was called Mirage, as it takes place in a desert area and, as we all know, you could get hallucinations in the desert (in real life), but now it makes more sense.
I still don’t get why Roshan was so against Basin going into the vault. The head of the assassin’s order had basically given Basim the go ahead at that point, so he had approval from a more senior assassin.
I wanted to know William's thoughts in maybe an ending present day scene sad we didn't got it. I also feel like we should have gotten something like a quick mission that passed after the end so we could see the differences of character in a more dynamic way
Don‘t. Mirage is amazing again, but Valhalla was just horrible. You would waste your time. I‘d recommend simply watching a video about Valhalla‘s story.
It’s pretty interesting to see what would’ve happened to eivor if they accepted Odin as part of themselves instead of rejecting it. I think it’s definitely a raw deal for the human incarnation. If there is anything left of the human side I think it’s like 90% isu and 10% human.
basim embraced his past and through doing so evolved. that scene where his eagle scarred his face and he kinda smirked read to me like he was accepting this evolution, embracing change and the start of a new journey.. he simultaneously joined with and parted with his own past to become whole in the present, with his eyes now set towards the future
Basim didn't figure out that Sigurd was Tyr, he thought he was Odin. Later on in England he eventually realises that it's Eivor after all. Take this quote from the end of the main story in Valhalla. "For too long I stared at the sun, it blinded me to the truth. That it was you. It was you I wanted all along."
Nehal is shown riding with Basim to Alamut BECAUSE that is a symbolic way of telling us that Nehal is his alter, as in multiple personality disorder alter. She is the dominant alter and now Basim's personality is more passive. It would've been even more obvious if Nehal was holding the reigns with Basim riding back seat.
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Nehal and the djinn are one in the same, with Nehal being a more comfortable and positive way to personify his memories. The ego of his past self is invasive and disorienting. The Djinn is like when we saw Voldemort in the fetal position, hiding in the recesses of Harry's mind. A remnant of an ego.
@@DarkoRavens no as an AC mirage is better.. because that's what it is. an AC game. An actual Assassin's Creed game. Not some over bloated fantasy/history Viking Sim
@seandowling5918 Mirage is just that, a mirage. I'd honestly rather pay full price for Valhalla again (DLC included) and *not* play it than have to put up with shitty sand and fire effects in this stupid 9-hour throwback game. If you want the "roots" back, play the earlier games. Dirt cheap by now and far less of an insult.
ohhhhhhh now i understand it the way american pronounce it was really weird to me but it seems learning arabic is useful after a while 7:44 in arabic ibn means and bent means and the exact pronounciation of لَا اَحَذ is la'ahad and la means and ahad means
Loki is persuasive. Understandable that he convinced Basim. Odin was a crazy screaming old man who acted like a Templar. No surprise Borevor said no thx
Plus Eivor saw what it did to Sigurd and Basim, so they wanted no part in that shit. Eivor even refused to open that Isu door in Vinland because they thought it was dark magic
Something i’m slightly saddened by, is that Basim was tormented with his nightmares all his life and when he seeked his answers, he was overtaken by Loki. I was deeply more interested in Basim the moment I started playing Mirage and knew where it was leading too, but I hope they allude to the fact that Basim is sort of trapped in the subconscious of Loki. Because why would Loki ever care about training Hytham or even staying in the order for that matter? I guess a means to an end to find Odin but still. Overall I loved this game and loved what Ubisoft Bordeaux was able to do. I hope they get a full fledged game where they can trully show what they’re capable of. You said it best that this studio understands AC better than anyone and they deserve to lead the charge in the games forward
Once Loki took over he remembered how he lived as an Isu and how he lives as an Assassin. Loki's and Basim's goals and world views have merged. Loki seeks not only revenge, but also justice and freedom, because he did experience Basim's upbringing. That's the way I interpret it.
@@nuttproductions461Exactly. Everyone is getting Basim wrong. Basim/Loki aren't evil, per se. He is still an Assassin , still believe in the Creed, but he is also pursuing his own ends, and the Templars are in the way of that. Basim has a plan, but he's also helping William Miles to achieve it.
Yeah, like others have said, I don't think Loki is an evil character. He wants revenge for the death of his son, just like Ezio wanted revenge for the death of his family and Bayek for his son. I believe he is someone who is disgusted by the corruption plaguing the world and those who would force their will onto others. The Hidden Ones/Assassins happen to fight for individual freedoms and stand up to defend the oppressed, something I believe is dear to Loki. That's why he stays with the Hidden Ones. Also I don't believe Loki took possession of Basim, I think they're peacefully coexisting in the same body and that their goals aligns.
I just finished mirage and I must say the ending for this game and Valhalla have been great. In Valhalla, Basim is the ONLY ancestor in history to be brought to the present day. And once Rebecca and Shaun go to get William Miles, he talks to the staff of Horus and mentions Alethiea. Now mirage is crazy since he is the first ancestor to have memories of a past life, not like Connor, or ezio or Altair. The series has picked up a lot since the shift to RPG elements and too open world. So this was perfect a set area with limits for where you can go, like with Brotherhood and other AC games you had desynchronise barriers. I felt bad for Roshan since she wanted to hold on to basim and uphold the creed of the rule of the assassins. Really good game though.
I'm on my second playthrough to pick up the pieces on how everything is Basim's doing and Nehal is just a figure in his mind. And what I found is that Nehal (Loki) didn't even remember bout the ISU stuff until Basim touch the artifact. I think its because of the moment during Ragnarok, Loki forced himself into the Idrisil (the super computer) by killing one of the member and I think it distrupts the transfer so it make the incarnated Loki (Nehal) kinda forget the reason why she's being reincarnated. So after Basim went to Alamut to be initiated as a Hidden Ones, there is this kind of barrier where it separates Basim, The Djin and Nehal. Maybe bcuz of the Chamber below the Alamut Temple it distrupts the connection with Loki. (I might be wrong on this) And after Basim went back to Baghdad and meet Nehal, she's being guiding Basim to search for Answers bout the ISU, answers that is not for him but for HER. Basim helping Nehal to uncover the real secrets and slowly Nehal remember the things happen tk her subconsciously. One of it was when they are at the ISU Chamber and there is this weird interaction between Basim and Nehal where she said "I do" and "I remember" making Basim freak out. And finally in the end when Basim said "will I ever see you again" is indicating that Basim surrenders his body fully to Nehal and Killing him in the process. Nehal seem so pure Innocent during this scene maybe bcuz she want to take control without force. Unlike Eivor, Odin forces himself to control and influence Eivor. "How long has it been" is the first words of reincarnated Loki.
And I just noticed! If you went to the House of Wisdom, you'll find a drawing or a sketch of 2 people standing beside a DNA that looks like a tree. That reminds me of the Valhalla Ending where Layla and Desmond standing at the tree of knowledge (or Is it? I can't remember the name)
My biggest flex to this day was calling out Nehal for being Loki at the beginning of the game. I obsessed over Loki-Basim in Valhalla so badly, I guess, that I recognized his speech patterns from a mile away.
I found the ending a bit disappointing actually, as there are many things that don’t really make sense to me Like Roshan’s determination to kill Basim rather than let him know the truth is really absurd, no matter how hard I try to rationalize it Her leaving the assassins after that is a little more comprehensible, but still feel kinda overreacted (Btw didn’t Basim stab her in the heart during their fight..? 🤔) And the Fight Club twist is ok I guess, but as you said, it is weird Basim never realized during his entire life that no one was acknowledging Nehal 🤔 Also I thought that replaying through the main story after knowing that revelation doesn’t bring anything special, which is a big missed opportunity imo This kind of twist, it is fun when you go through the story a second time, and see and understand new things based on that knowledge, but there is unfortunately nothing like that in the game A few times, you might go like “oh, she is placed like that in the frame because she is not actually here”, or things like that, but nothing crazy And also I have a question, since I don’t really remember Valhalla that well (and I didn’t do the last dlc), but what is Basim’s exact goal now that he is reunited with Loki? Does he wanna get revenge on every single reincarnated Isu, or just Eivor and Sigurd? Also, why does he elaborate this ennnnnndless and really not practical plan to trap Eivor in that machine at the end of the game, when he could have done it since the beginning? And also, does he still really is an “official” assassin in Valhalla? Or is he some sort of a rogue agent? If he still is an assassin, why didn’t he get a new eagle then? Anyway, I thought the ending was kinda ok if you don’t think too much about it, but I guess it could have been better if Roshan had had better motives and Nehal had been a bit more consistently written. But I still enjoyed the story overall, much more than Valhalla or Odyssey’s anyway I kinda like the fact that it seems to end well, like Basim learns the truth, he defeats his djinn, he saves the brotherhood, etc etc, but in fact, when we know what he becomes later on, it is actually kinda sad In a way, Basim dies at the end The Basim we grew to know and like anyway
I think that Roshan saw Basim like her son-figure and she knew that whatever the temple beneath Alamut does, it will change him. And she didn't want to risk it. And I also don't think she wanted to kill him. At first it was a threat most likely, to discourage him. But then when she arrives to the temple, she is actually defensive, not offensive. She wants to block him from entering, not to kill him. She said it herself. She didn't want to lose him to his past. She has groomed him into this apprentice/son who she was proud of and close to, and he was about to destroy himself.
@@Altherot Yes I guess it makes sens (Although she clearly says to Basim if you follow that path, I will kill you) But I guess we can consider it was just a threat
That would break continuity, his mummified body was found in the cave east of Siwa, if you visited it while in the Animus he remarked the importance it held for him and Aya.
One thing I like is that in the beginning of the game, as it transitions to after his training sequence Basim’s voice gets deeper. And at the end when his mind merged with Loki’s his voice got a bit deeper after that.
I don't know if anyone noticed, but you can see the scar that Enkidu did on basim in valhalla if you look in his face
Yes, it’s so cool
I did not wish to play Valhalla, but I instantly wanted to just to see if he had a scar😅
yeah I guessed that scene would have had some purpose
I was literally gonna go and look for that
Why did enkidu do it though?
I think his smirk at the end after Enkidu's attack was more just sad acceptance rather than satisfaction. Basim is characterized throughout both games and the book set between them as being extremely loyal to the people around him. So long as they are loyal to him. Enkidu reflects that aspect of him. When merged Basim returns instead of Enkidu's friend and companion Enkidu treats this new Basim as a betrayal. I think Basim's smile is the sad acknowledgement of that fact, and acceptance of Enkidu's ire
Basim is selfish don’t let him fool you he just wants world domination
He even says it in Valhalla
Oof, beautifully put Sir.
Not to mention, Basim means the one who smiles... even in sorrow, he still smiles. Just like his campfire scene, this is Valhalla Basim a.k.a the Goat.
Basim and Loki are the same person, it the memory that he remembers who he is. They don’t just merge they just have a piece missing which is the point of the game. Basim could have rejected these memories like Evior did.
Also, no one has mentioned the nice touch of Basims voice change after merging with Loki. It was a very nice touch
I just thought his voice changed as he got older, I could be wrong but I’m pretty sure they just didn’t think the very raspy deep voice of a man who sounds like he’s smoked for years on end would fit for a bright eyed 20 year old
After finishing the game it really makes want a dlc on the journey he took with hytham and Sigurd
They made it a comic, classic Ubisoft always tying up loose ends in comics so they have an excuse not to make a game or dlc on it.
@@jordandemilio6464 damn I didn’t know that lol, yup there goes Ubisoft selling the bag 😂
There’s a book about Hytham’s first mission with Basim that kinda serves as as prequel to Valhalla. It’s called Golden City. It definitely made me more intrigued with Basim’s character as it shows how mysterious he is in Hytham’s eyes.
That would be awesome. Wow I love that idea.
It’s ubisoft. They wouldn’t do something that makes sense. Just basic with microtransactions
Mirage's ending was certainly one of the most unique endings we've had in this series....I really love the way Ubisoft Bordeaux tried to connect Basim in Mirage's ending and the one we knew in Valhalla and this was without a doubt a great ending to this beautiful game
I completed this yesterday only and I think its safe to say that this game was far better than what I expected before the launch
yes indeed
@@mrenigma1564agree
the game is ass
Your expectation is low
init the game was horrible, the main story was one big fetch quest
@@logicthat5591
What’s even more sad is Hytham meeting Basim after Loki took over him. Hytham met basim as this guy who was a really good teacher to him, he was patient and kinder. Now Hytham met basim as a completely different person but still chose to follow him
Hytham is in the game if you do one of the tales of the Baghdad mission, he will be a character you can talk to and you will see how he joins the hidden ones.
@@speediskey9503 This is why I mentioned Hytham. Because we met him as Basim but we know that it was the first and last time Hytham have seen the real Basim without Loki
@@Lockleytrailers oh ok
I wouldn't say Loki took over. More that Loki & Basim merged after Basim faced his trauma and "unlocked" Loki's memories. He's still Basim, just with Loki's memories and life residing within.
After all, Basim still believes in the Creed. He says as much in Valhalla. So I'm sure he was still a good teacher to Hytham. Only he was also working towards his own, vengeful goals at the same time.
as @SalvationCode explained, they are merged so Basim still Basim with knowledge and memory of LOKI.
Man the soundtrack in this game is amazing. Only played the game once, but hearing some of the soundtrack again, I get emotional.
you gotta see more from brendan
I personally thought it was probably the worst in the series. Completely unremarkable
My man
I’m definitely gonna replay the game again and see the interactions between Basim and Nehal in detail. I’m surprised I didn’t realize no one else ever talked to her in the story 😂
They played this seemingly huge thing off very well. Props to the writers for this.
i feel like i did but i blew it off cause she never liked any of basims friends
You’d think for a person that he knew for most of his life and talked to that whole time, SOMEONE would’ve asked him who he was talking to since he was the only one that could see her.
I love the concept of Nehal not being real, but apart of me subjectively wished she was still a real character. Now I feel like this is selfcest now lol
That's what I said
I have a theory and I want to believe that Basim, during his years as mentor, is the reason why the brotherhood stopped using eagles as companions and why they didn't seek freedom and free will until Altair got to be mentor.
Thats a good theory
I thought it was because this was the Hidden Ones, not the Assassins. But your theory certainly is possible
This does make sense. Roshan seems to be the one who started the brotherhood at Masiaf. She probably kept free will out of the tenants
So Basim, the guy who went against his mentor to seek the truth, is the reason the brotherhood never sought freedom? That doesn't make sense.
I wonder if basim is the one that quoted the iconic line "nothing is true, everything is permitted" because of the things he experienced when he's still a young assassin up to this point
also the wound that Enkidu gives Basim/Loki is actually seen on Basim in Valhalla as a scar.
My biggest issue with Mirage's story is that they decided to make it nonlinear so you can access any assassination case in any order. They should've built up the conflict over successive story arcs instead of just showing it all in the end.
the first assassination all the same you need to kill that target but then you free to choose games these days wants to give the players some sense of freedom they don't want to bind players 100% into specific thing still in the end everyone will kill the same target so it's cool
this is how games are now
@@mrenigma1564some people just simply minded and can’t appreciate what the devs made they just want some marvel type bs with everything in one
@@mrenigma1564 that's not the point. The fact that everything except the first and final assassination is non-linear means that everything between those two can't progress the character plot in a meaningful way. It's the same problem Valhalla had with its plot but in a smaller scale. It means the story CAN'T be cohesive, because every arc has to be a villain of the week anthology, not an actual connective narrative. Imagine if playing AC2, we can kill Francezco de Pazzi before killing Vieri de Pazzi. That would ruin Ezio's character progression for the first half of the game.
@@blank3531having a nonlinear story makes the game bland and takes away the character development of the protagonist
@@theadmiral4157 and yet we felt his character development thanks to the lengh of the game
My theory on Nehal not interacting with anyone is that maybe basim did think she was interacting with others just like the stabbing at the start. So he could be speaking for her in conversations in his youth without him noticing or like you said questioning it.
it would never occur to Basim to check on whether or not other people interact with Nehal because in my opinion, his brain fills in the blanks/intentionally deceives his perception of what is happening until the moment at the end where the house of cards comes crashing down. Mr. Robot is a show with great examples of this, also Fight Club.
Don’t forget Alex mason in call of duty black ops
Basim has definitely embraced Loki's memories, but will still be himself, it's like accepting your split personality. Also, you're correct, the Djinn represents Odin and therefore Loki's hatred/fear of Odin. Also the Pieces of Eden in this game ARE the Memory Seals, Alamut is where Altair found them, which would make them be used as the centerpiece of AC Revelations. The Alamut temple being revealed to be a prison was kind of dark, but still cool.
but did the hidden ones like Roshan know that Loki was inside? I don't fully understand
@@David-tl5qi The Hidden Ones didn't know, neither did Roshan, all Roshan knew is that Basim was different than most people and that he may have had a connection to the temple under Alamut, that's it. I doubt the order of the ancients knew he was Loki specifically, only that he may be a Sage.
@@tronarclight2976 ok gotcha, ty man
I'm always happen when they use a an isu relic that isn't an apple or looks like one, they feel a bit over used
Also The name Nehal is derived from the Persian language, and means “newly planted tree”. Thus Nehal is Yggdrasill’s newly planted seed of Loki.
ok bro we know u got that from another video
@@vemogiralt9077 didn't Know giving some more info was hurting your feelings ,sorry bout that
@@vemogiralt9077by your logic people cant spread any knowledge after reading a book too because well "they just got that info from a book"
Honestly gonna miss this version of Basim. He was pretty great.
I will say I love the Reznov style twist. My favorite part of the black ops (while completely unrelated) was the mental aspect that it was all in your head. I experienced that as a kid and geeked out when I experienced it as an adult in 2023 in a different equally as good story. Amazing game LEAPS in the right direction for AC.
Yes!!! Nehal being a mirage is such a twist because you really truly only trust her
@@brandonmotaramos5810which makes the title of the game make so much sense. I didn’t understand why it was called Mirage other than it sounded cool until I finished the game . This has become one of my favorites in the series.
Mirage got all the great elements of Assassin's creed lore, the Assassin vs Templar fantasy, the ISU element, the great setting, the good parkour and stealth, the linear story etc imagine if bourdoux were given a bigger budget and more time
Baghdad was nice looking, but not interesting to explore. Aside from the city itself, there were no historical landmarks to explore, which I always loved about these games: seeing their take on the Temple of Athena or the Lighthouse of Alexandria. Hell, exploration altogether was non existent. The combat was ridiculously easy, stealth even more so. Assassin's Focus was complete God mode. The game was originally meant to be a dlc of Valhalla and it showed.
@@brohanfromrohan5771There were historical sites (although a few were not yet built at the time of the game; ie dome of the ass).
The Mongols destroyed Baghdad in their conquest, so yeah you can't see these landmarks IRL...
@@colephelps7816, that's it? One obscenely obscure actual historical site that you'd only know about through digging through some google searches? C'mon now. You know what I mean. The game sucked for exploration. It was a $20 dlc. Not a $50 standalone. Or $60 if you bought the "deluxe" like me. I got suckered.
@@brohanfromrohan5771no, the game wasn't meant to be a DLC, and it definitely doesn't show. At no point in development was it a DLC, only in the earliest conceptions of the project.
As for combat and stealth, it's exactly what people were asking for: a return to tradition. At least it was still more difficult than Ezio's combat. Stealth was pretty boring mostly due to them dropping the ball on enemy AI.
@@brohanfromrohan5771 to each their own, I absolutely adore the Arabic and Islamic architecture & the colorful environment that remains beautiful, yet subtle
It’s so depressing basim was so desperate to not feel alone, to be apart of something and the one thing that he wanted as a kid betrayed him, and accepted Loki so he wouldn’t feel so alone. At least that’s how I perceived it.
I'm also very confused because unlike Eivor, Basim doesn't know of the Norse gods. He told a man at the House of Wisdom that his friend (Nehal) was into foreign gods and pagan magic so unless that knowledge is also shared with Basim, I felt like Loki tricked him by dawning the face of a supposed life long friend and suggesting that he'd be bonded with Nehal forever and not Loki as he is. It also seemed like the Djinn could have been Loki's way of making the merge with "Nehal" more convincing
@@arciere9986damn. that would make sense since Loki is known as the trickster god
He lost nearly everyone he cared about, the street orphans, Nehal, Roshan, even his fellow Hidden One that trained with him near the end - I feel that he embraced the Isu memories everyone so desperately hid from him. The cost of Loki was Basim, Enkindu’s interaction suggests as much.
@@arciere9986Evior only perceived Loki, Odin etc as Norse gods because of where she come from and her beliefs, she saw ‘Odins’ memories as fictional gods such as Norse mythology where she come from and associated it as such, whereas in reality they were just Isu. This is why Badim see’s his memories as a Jinni because it relates to Arab myth etc. But again it’s just his Isu Guard/imprisoner
There are other memory discs. My theory is that he probable went back over the years, and listened to them all in secret. Therefore, he would know the full story.@@arciere9986
Other than not explicitly naming Loki and Odin, I really loved how Basim's mental conflict with Loki was handled, next to how Bart Roberts was shown, it was my favorite portrayal of Sages. I especially liked how Basim's conflict with Loki's memories influenced how he dealt with the Hidden Ones, I always said Mirage's story would be defined in how it used Basim as a reborn Loki to criticize the Hidden Ones beliefs in freedom and I liked how Mirage did it.
It wouldn't have made sense to name drop loki and odin as basim would have no clue what norse mythology is
I thought the ending would be predictable (because of valhalla) but I definitely didn’t expect that.
It was a good ending, i say predictable because i wanted to know how the evil jinni possessed the original Basim, like Basim (Loki) sayed in valhalla that he had an agreement with is former self.
Absolutely loved the ending. Basim is a tragic and badass character one of my favourite assassins
Assassins creed mirages ending was definitely unique, and I’m not joking my jaw was open when the credits started rolling just wondering “what the hell” but I actually loved the twists!
same here cliff hanger.
I really wish the game had more production value to allow Basim's scenes with Nehal to include more subtle clues to her nature, like people confused at Basim or something like that...
As for Basim not questioning Nehal's past I can imagine that since she's a figment of his subconscious he simply doesn't register such options... like, if someone would sat him down and question his memories (or lack of them more precisely) his brain would just be incapable of rationalize It correctly and simply shrug it all off... I also like the idea that Basim is neither 100% himself nor 100% Loki... but simply a Basim made more shady by accepting Loki's memories and the emotional baggage they would carry on to him
I believe Basim/Loki is a hybrid at the end because when Basim and Nehal touch at the end they both turn into sand and fade away/combine together. If Loki fully took over Basim then I think we would have saw only Basim fade away when Nehal and Basim touched each other, and if Basim rejected Loki then I think Nehal would have just faded away when they touched kinda like when Basim touched the Jinni.
Basim has always been Loki, it was always the same consciousness. When Nehal and basim unified basim recived all of Loki’s memories. This in a way completely transformed basim after all your experiences are what make you who you are.
No, what happened is that nehal/loki took over Basim. Contrast this to eivor rejecting Odin completely and coming out completely as their own person whereas Basim turned into a madman hellbent on vengeance. Loki's theme is that he is a trickster. He made Basim believe he was just another piece to his whole when what was happening is a complete takeover. Their sands both shifting was a red herring that's shown as enkindu scars his face only seeing an imposter. I don't know why people don't see the tragedy of the character.
This story was very sad, when I finished it I was empty and didn’t know what to do lol. I was a tiny bit dissapointed because I expected something crazier, like roshan being the final member or something. But it was good
Dang you’re done already??? Is the game that short???
@@AstarionWifey the games been out for 7 days
@@AstarionWifeyI finished it and got the platinium 5 days ago 💀
@@Sebastian04223 it takes me 3 months for a game 🤣🤣🤣
@@AstarionWifeyif its valhalla or odyssey yeah, but this is more linear than the others
I really hope they don’t mess up the modern day side of Basim/Loki’s story like they did with Juno. As Eivor’s final chapter showed, the balance between Isu and sage can always change and I’d love to see that struggle within Loki as he and Alethia try to “reunite” their family…whatever that means
They just want to find their son and get the information where Odin imprisoned him. That's what they mean by 'reuniting' their family.
I would have liked to see a scab/scar on basims face after the story showing how not just the story and the gameplay animations for basim maturing but also his character model showing the stories effects it had
Fr I was hoping to rum around as loki
I think you get reset to before the end of the story. Otherwise you wouldn’t be able to use Enkidu.
@@sslender07 you have eagle vision
For those that are not aware, there is a novel that explores Roshan's life and story before she joined the Hidden Ones.
It's only just releasing next Month tho, or, atleast if you mean the book ,,Assassins creed Daughter of no one".
@@AMV_GMVguy Yup that's the book Daughter of No One.
@@brilicusgaming6922 nice, currently reading the golden City (definetly recommend it). Extremely Hyped for daughter of no one.
Of course, it's in a novel...
Where might one find this?
It's also really cool to mention that the memories that Basim is experiencing is most likely the story of the Binding of Loki, which explains his hatred towards Odin, as his memories tormented him for most of his re-incarnated life, and gives a lot more depth to the character we met in Valhalla.
The scene with Enkidu rejecting Basim was pretty heartbreaking
I was worried how Ubisoft would handle basins decent into madness. Safe to say I’m not anymore
Technically he isnt mad yet, maybe if he never went to Norway his Loki persona would never have turned on?
@@nuttproductions461 he did literally laugh insanely when fighting against eivor
This, Black Flag's, and Origins' endings are currently my favorites in the franchise
So you did not play Ac2 trilogy? Best ending without a doubt
@@RaydonMadeek Honestly I'm always split between Black Flag's and Revelations'. Black Flag is just more personal to me though so I often go with that when listing my favorite in the franchise
@@RaydonMadeek”this guy’s opinion is different from mine so it means he hasn’t played this game.”
"I will never see you again, will I?" - that line hit hard. It's like an inevitable deep sadness that you know it's coming very soon.
This game has restored my love for this franchise. Great writing and great stealth. AC is Back!
It is important to notice that Roshan still might be the matriach of Altair's family. Umar, father of Altair, and Darim, Altair's son, were also named Ibn-La'Ahad despite the surname meaning "son of no one" and as we can see through her letters Roshan took that title as her family name after leaving behind her life to become a Hidden One, she was the only one reffered to with the title of "child of no one" despite the fact that she wasn't even the only orphan around.
Yeah I find it odd that Altair has no surname. He knew his father. He didn't denounce his family, maybe at first based on lies. But after that, you'd think... its a bit weird in arabic to proudly call yourself La Ahad. But maybe... roshan is the ancestor. If u look into a note in Alamut, after freeing Rayhan, there is a note to Roshan mentioning possibility of expanding their brotherhood to Syria and Damascus.
On the other hand, the ending seems to show Roshan just abandons the creed... right? She throws her hidden blade into the fire.
@@Gamespectives She didn't abandon the creed. You meet her in Valhalla where she is hunting order members and has reclaimed her hidden blade.
Altair didn't have "son of noone' because he was an orphan, he knew well and clear who his father was, it is just a nickname to represent how your life before joining the brotherhood
It's ironic that assassin's oppose the obedience and order but Roshan tries to stop him for not complying with her orders.
Thats what basim said to roshan after he defeated her !!
This has frequently occurred in the series as the assassins fatal flaw: “nothing is true, everything is permitted.” Yet obey the order until your dying breath. It’s their biggest contradiction
A subtle flaw in the creed, nearly every AC protagonist questions it
In an audio log in Valhalla Desmond remarks on the hypocrisy of an order fighting for free will would indoctrinate those born into it, having been raised in a commune of Assassins and running away because he didn’t engage well with it.
Assassins oppose control, not order. They aren't simple agents of chaos
As Haytham told Connor in AC3, there were times the Assassins upheld peace above unrestricted freedom
You can hear the increase of testosterone in Basim’s voice once he went Loki’s Creed
Hahahaha, I noticed that too but could not put it into words before I saw this 🤣
So true 🤣
Also the fight against roshan surprised me that you had two use a throwing knife
You don’t. I used traps and the cut scene popped up with a knife in her shoulder lol
@@ItsSquonkingTime So throwing knives are obviously cannon
Yes but not necessarily needed to complete the mission
@@ItsSquonkingTime I don't care I'm not in the mood I just woke up
I used a throwing knife as soon as the fight started and the cut scene played and I was like wtf I already killed her? Lmao 😂
What a great story. Remember that basim/loki isn’t evil. Loki is just broken by the things he experienced on his past life, and brought onto basim. So i don’t have any hate on basim or loki even in valhalla because i understood his sufferings.
I really hope they continue Basim’s story in the present day. He’s one of my favorite characters and in my opinion, the best choice for a modern day protagonist since Desmond
I agree. Lots of potential here
I was surprised by the lack of modern day, aside from the assassin rush being an effect by the Animus rather than an ability of Basim’s (and the game only makes you use it once) and William Miles doing a voice over at the beginning this could be entirely divorced from having a modern day.
Now Basim is revived and out in the world, what now? We know Aleithia set up Layla with the staff so it’d get into the Yggdrasil facility and revive Basim, but the last we know is that he let Layla’s Animus sequence his own memories to be compatible for access through it and he left William Miles to take a look. So what’s the next step? It feels like the writers deliberately left it up in the air so as not to commit the modern day to a particular direction, just it had the biggest twist yet in Basim’s restoration and liberation.
Honestly I don't care much for the present day since Desmond died. I was excited to see where Black Flag would take us, playing as William Miles, seeing him and Rebecca/Shaun cope with the death of Desmond and find a way to stop Juno. Alas, we didn't got that. She was killed off in a comic and the present went nowhere. It's clear they don't know what to do where to go and I feel like there's no point anymore to bother with it.
They will in next years game.
I'm happy that the Layla arc is done. May she never be mentioned again.
I think a big reason for Basim merging with Nehal/Loki is how he empathized with the pain his past self went through.
The terror of the Djinn he's experienced for so long. I only wish we got a little more detail about Basim's parents. A little odd there's nothing about his mother though. Maybe she died in childbirth. Giving birth in these old days was a lot more risky compared to the modern times.
Basim's clearly have a good deal of respect and love for his father.
However, Basim's ambition was always there. He wants adventure and for his actions to have meaning.
He has a natural bitterness about him when his father died and everything about his father - his accomplishments, family and character - was made meaningless.
Basim's clearly had a vengeful/unforgiving side to him even before the merge. Most prominently towards Nehal after killing the Caliph and towards the invaders of Alumut at the end of the game.
Basim wants to make every last one of them pay. Nur said "Vengeance isn't our way" which Basim vehemently refused before agreeing to save the survivors.
This vengeful part was clearly magnified after the merge. Swearing to make all of his torturers pay.
The difference with Eivor and Odin is that Odin is more directly trying to take control. Odin doesn't seem to really understand what Eivor wants. They are much more distinct, separate individuals.
Nehal/Loki is much more in tune with what Basim wants. Their goals and feelings are more aligned with each other.
Really well said with excellent points! Basim has definitely become one of my favorite characters of the more recent Assassin's Creed games and you pointed out a layer to his character that I didn't fully realize, thank you!
I believe that Basim merges with Loki because he wants to get revenge on the person who tortured him in the past which could be Odin(Evior)
@@masterassassin791 Happy to contribute! ^^
I really loved the ending but mirage is such a really great game but it’s a shame it wasn’t longer but the ending added so much lore that i really loved about it
You mention that Basim is unable to notice how no one else can see Nehal... that's obviously cognitive dissonance, brother. Nehal was born in his mind as an alternate personality because he needed her courage to face his past. She added to his dissonance by existing but also helped him to unravel it...
His mind is very sheltered and he bends logic so that his false reality doesn't crumbe bc he can't face the ptsd his past Isu self went through.
by far the best explaination and very simplified 😁
I just finished the game and I was so confused.Thank you Master.Keep up the good work👍
I honeestly really liked the story. The ending felt good and set everything into motion for the events of Valhalla.
Also, I never saw that twist coming. When Basim arraves to Alamut and that Nihal disappears, I thought she was part of the order but I never realized she was actually a part of Basim's memory.
Wow, what a character Basim is! The ending made him one of my favourite AC Characters ever.
The game was everything I expected it to be. I knew it’d be my favorite game to play post Origins. The stealth is amazing, at the cost of good combat. The combat is a bit too simple. Which could be good and bad. And I really enjoyed playing as Basim
Agreed. I loved Origins and Mirage is one of my new favorites and definitely my favorite out of the Post Origins content
Basim was my favorite character from Valhalla and i am so glad that we got to see his origin story. Thank you for this great explainer, I totally agree with everything you said. 5/5!
One mention from other characters of Nehal is actually when Roshan is talking to basim I believe just before he becomes a hidden one she acknowledges that Basim cares for Nehal and that he is good friends with her. This wasn’t mentioned in ur video so I thought I would point it out. I also believe that this is Roshan sympathising with Basims relationship with Nehal and ultimately Loki and how she knows who Basim rlly is and that there is a side to him that she knows means a lot to Basim but she doesn’t fully want him to pursue or pay attention to however believes Basim is different and will not betray the creed and also her way of thinking because of Nehal being a part of Basims past life.
It could be that, or:
- She thinks he's talking about friend she haven't met.
- She is aware that he's not completly ok mental wise, and tries to be supportive without pressing the subject.
I finished mirage but did not play Valhalla but now I will. Thank you!!
I just finished the game, and the ending confused me so damn much, hallways through, I thought that Nehal was the reincarnation of Angrboda, but watching this video made me realize that it was impossible for her to be Angrboda due to the Isu having uploaded their mind into Yggdrasil, and Angrboda didn't. Now that I think about it, nobody DID interact with Nehal, wow. Assassin's Creed keeps blowing my mind
Thanks for this. I played Valhalla a while back and still hardly remember any of this stuff. Weird for the writers to think that any majority of players will understand the ending.
In the Valhalla epilogue, Basim said him and Loki came to a mutual understanding of who they are now.
That and the fact he refers to Loki as a separate entity likely means him and Loki merged into one consciousness, but still somewhat see themselves as two different people.
Basically a DBZ fusion lol 💀
@@nuttproductions461search for valhalla "the last chapter" cutscenes. should be there. it's not long
It's a common misconception that Basim and Loki are different people sharing one body. They aren't different people. Basim is Loki and has always been Loki, just without his memories.Imagine yourself suddenly losing your memories and being transported to the other side of the world to live your new life. You'd grow up in a completely different way and probably end up having a different personality compared to your previous one, however it'd still be you. Just without your memories. If you ever gained them you'd be the same person you were before losing them. That's what happened with basim. He wasn't born as basim and later became loki. Loki was reincarnated just without the memories of his past life. They gave him the name basim and that's what he went with because he couldn't remember his previous name. At the end we see the reincarnated Loki simply accepting his old memories and becoming whole again. That's what actually makes the eivor-odin story kinda sad. Eivor wasn't a different person than odin. He was always odin but he refused his old memories and could never become whole, unlike basim who did.
Thanks for being the only channel not trying to take advantage of the clickbait AC hate train. Everyone hating on mirage to get some views when in reality it’s has the best launch in terms of sales for an AC game in the new gen.
Ultimately, I wish that Mirage covered a little more of Basim's life between Mirage and Valhalla. I feel like there is too much of a vast difference between the Basim/Loki we see at the end of Mirage, and the one we meet in Valhalla. Especially since one of the big things in Valhalla was Basim being angry at Eivor (aka Odin) for not only imprisoning Loki, but also hurting/killing his family, but we don't hear any mention of his family at the end of Mirage, just the imprisonment. So I'm left wondering if the Basim at the end of Mirage is still a bit of an amnesiac and continues to learn more of his past life as he ages or...?
I think this game is being highly under appreciated because of all the amazing games we’ve had this year. And it’s right before the launch of Spider-Man 2.. but personally I think this is going to be one of those beloved games after some time. The music was fantastic, the gameplay was back to the roots in a lot of ways, and Basim becoming Loki is one of the most intriguing storylines since Desmond’s death
Loved the ending. So damn good.
You forgot to mention how Odin attacked and imprisoned Loki’s son. His main motivation for all of this craziness.
I wish we got to see something about that in Mirage. in Valhalla, all the people who ere reincarnated suffered the same injuries and major life events as their counterparts (other than Eivor not losing an eye)
ladddd you are a helmet you yeno.
It's weird that he didn't mention Lokis son in mirage. So now in my head I'm still thinking it's a wolf even though it really isn't 😂😂
But the mauling of the wolf is similar to Odin, since in the mythology, he was swallowed whole by Fenrir. The thing is that due to the Asgard memories having a filter over them to make them more understandable to Eivor, I wonder what the three monstrous children Actually looked like. On one end, Atlantis was the least filtered memory, and showed what an ISU civilization actually looked like, and we end up fighting one of the Hekatonchires, so this leads me to believe that actual large monsters were possible, thus meaning that Fenrir, Jormungandr, (Maybe not Hel) could have been actual large creatures. Although Idk how Aletheia could have birthed them. My theory is that Loki and Aletheia created them in a lab, but also added their own DNA. Or, perhaps, they were simply Isu, but maybe had mutations?@@koyoa9279
Odin didn't kill Loki's son. After defiting him, he just put him into prison, and asked Tyr to watch him. And in Valhalla Loki's motives are to get that information from Odin where his son is imprisoned.
Basim's tragedy is more pronounced if you think about how endearing and selfless he acted during the prologue. Loki took over a worthy one.
True
You have no idea how much this helped. And I PLAYED Valhalla.
Actually there are two reasons why Basim was looking for him and there are two reasons are one he was his prisoner and two he also killed his son
When I started playing the game, I thought it was called Mirage, as it takes place in a desert area and, as we all know, you could get hallucinations in the desert (in real life), but now it makes more sense.
If we get Basim’s Creed 2, it’s pure eagle vision this time. No more bird’s-eye view since they aren’t boys anymore.
Valhalla is Basim's Creed 2.
He looks just like old loki in the end. It was so well done. You explain it well and this video is helpful
I still don’t get why Roshan was so against Basin going into the vault. The head of the assassin’s order had basically given Basim the go ahead at that point, so he had approval from a more senior assassin.
She didn't want her student to change. She wanted Basim to be the same.
@@mywifesboyfriend5558I get the feeling she knew something was up to do with Nehal, and that was part of the rabbit hole she feared Basim going down.
Roshan was Mentor alongside Rayhan, like what we see in the french brotherhood. One did not outrank the other
17 years of cliffhanger endings. 17 years. Where is the damn story going?
I wanted to know William's thoughts in maybe an ending present day scene sad we didn't got it. I also feel like we should have gotten something like a quick mission that passed after the end so we could see the differences of character in a more dynamic way
There was surprisingly very little modern day, just a voiceover by William Miles at the start.
Modern day in now gonna be separate tbh I like it that way
Wish William was playable. One of my only problems with Mirage tbh.
The biggest issue of AC today is the cliffhangers
Eivor embraces the present.
Basim embraces the past.
Desmond embraces the future.
This video couldn’t have came out at a better time I just beat mirage now I gotta go play Valhalla I absolutely LOVED Assassins creed mirage
Don‘t. Mirage is amazing again, but Valhalla was just horrible. You would waste your time. I‘d recommend simply watching a video about Valhalla‘s story.
@@C.est_moi_meI wouldn’t say that, sure it’s not as good as other AC titles but if your playing you’ll be fine with the story and gameplay
Explained extremely well! Thank you!
The biggest clue that Nehal wasn’t a real person. Basim didn’t copulate with Nehal despite living together
lmfao dude.....
I think the ending was so poetic, Nehal was Loki the whole time, and we didn’t even know it. He really is the trickster
It’s pretty interesting to see what would’ve happened to eivor if they accepted Odin as part of themselves instead of rejecting it. I think it’s definitely a raw deal for the human incarnation. If there is anything left of the human side I think it’s like 90% isu and 10% human.
It is a bit like a smeagol/ gollum situation. A battle between two individuals sharing the same body.
If only ubisoft had the same writing style and passion for their games like rockstar does
Amazing ending. At least for me!
People say the Mirage story is bad while it's actually a banger
Basim is a very interesting character
Bruh I literally just beat the game and looked up an ending explained vid and you just posted !
I love how the accent changed after loki took over
basim embraced his past and through doing so evolved. that scene where his eagle scarred his face and he kinda smirked read to me like he was accepting this evolution, embracing change and the start of a new journey..
he simultaneously joined with and parted with his own past to become whole in the present, with his eyes now set towards the future
if they did a trilogy or maybe 1 more before he turned into loki it would’ve been a lot better
Technically, there is one. The book, this game, and Valhalla.
Great channel! I have been an AC fan for the longest time and finding a channel dedicated to AC games is awesome.
The ending is great. Basim is like the joker.
If look at roshan when basim defeats her she will look confused when basim looks at nehal
I d really love a short 5 hour dlc showing basims training with Hytham and how Sigurd showed up and Basim figured out that he was Tyr
Basim didn't figure out that Sigurd was Tyr, he thought he was Odin.
Later on in England he eventually realises that it's Eivor after all. Take this quote from the end of the main story in Valhalla.
"For too long I stared at the sun, it blinded me to the truth. That it was you. It was you I wanted all along."
@@mfzbtravis Oh damn, you are right totally slipped my mind. Dlc would still be fire :D
Nehal is shown riding with Basim to Alamut BECAUSE that is a symbolic way of telling us that Nehal is his alter, as in multiple personality disorder alter. She is the dominant alter and now Basim's personality is more passive. It would've been even more obvious if Nehal was holding the reigns with Basim riding back seat.
Maybe I'm wrong, maybe Nehal and the djinn are one in the same, with Nehal being a more comfortable and positive way to personify his memories. The ego of his past self is invasive and disorienting. The Djinn is like when we saw Voldemort in the fetal position, hiding in the recesses of Harry's mind. A remnant of an ego.
I only made the first theory because Evior only had one other personality haunting him, Odin. Basim had two.
Mirage is better than valhalla
No it's not. Compare their MetaCritic ratings.
@@DarkoRavensI mean as an AC game it is.
@@seandowling5918 No. It's barely better than Syndicate, and that's all.
@@DarkoRavens no as an AC mirage is better.. because that's what it is. an AC game. An actual Assassin's Creed game. Not some over bloated fantasy/history Viking Sim
@seandowling5918 Mirage is just that, a mirage.
I'd honestly rather pay full price for Valhalla again (DLC included) and *not* play it than have to put up with shitty sand and fire effects in this stupid 9-hour throwback game. If you want the "roots" back, play the earlier games. Dirt cheap by now and far less of an insult.
ohhhhhhh now i understand it
the way american pronounce it was really weird to me but it seems learning arabic is useful after a while
7:44
in arabic ibn means
and bent means
and the exact pronounciation of لَا اَحَذ is la'ahad
and la means and ahad means
Loki is persuasive. Understandable that he convinced Basim. Odin was a crazy screaming old man who acted like a Templar. No surprise Borevor said no thx
Plus Eivor saw what it did to Sigurd and Basim, so they wanted no part in that shit. Eivor even refused to open that Isu door in Vinland because they thought it was dark magic
Get Eivor's name right, fool.
One thing that is INCREDIBLY underrated is the soundtrack its just a BOP
Something i’m slightly saddened by, is that Basim was tormented with his nightmares all his life and when he seeked his answers, he was overtaken by Loki. I was deeply more interested in Basim the moment I started playing Mirage and knew where it was leading too, but I hope they allude to the fact that Basim is sort of trapped in the subconscious of Loki. Because why would Loki ever care about training Hytham or even staying in the order for that matter? I guess a means to an end to find Odin but still. Overall I loved this game and loved what Ubisoft Bordeaux was able to do. I hope they get a full fledged game where they can trully show what they’re capable of. You said it best that this studio understands AC better than anyone and they deserve to lead the charge in the games forward
Once Loki took over he remembered how he lived as an Isu and how he lives as an Assassin. Loki's and Basim's goals and world views have merged. Loki seeks not only revenge, but also justice and freedom, because he did experience Basim's upbringing. That's the way I interpret it.
@@nuttproductions461Exactly. Everyone is getting Basim wrong.
Basim/Loki aren't evil, per se. He is still an Assassin , still believe in the Creed, but he is also pursuing his own ends, and the Templars are in the way of that.
Basim has a plan, but he's also helping William Miles to achieve it.
Yeah, like others have said, I don't think Loki is an evil character. He wants revenge for the death of his son, just like Ezio wanted revenge for the death of his family and Bayek for his son. I believe he is someone who is disgusted by the corruption plaguing the world and those who would force their will onto others. The Hidden Ones/Assassins happen to fight for individual freedoms and stand up to defend the oppressed, something I believe is dear to Loki. That's why he stays with the Hidden Ones. Also I don't believe Loki took possession of Basim, I think they're peacefully coexisting in the same body and that their goals aligns.
I just finished mirage and I must say the ending for this game and Valhalla have been great. In Valhalla, Basim is the ONLY ancestor in history to be brought to the present day. And once Rebecca and Shaun go to get William Miles, he talks to the staff of Horus and mentions Alethiea. Now mirage is crazy since he is the first ancestor to have memories of a past life, not like Connor, or ezio or Altair. The series has picked up a lot since the shift to RPG elements and too open world. So this was perfect a set area with limits for where you can go, like with Brotherhood and other AC games you had desynchronise barriers. I felt bad for Roshan since she wanted to hold on to basim and uphold the creed of the rule of the assassins. Really good game though.
Damn, they pulled a Black Ops style twist for the ending
100% agree.
As an aside, i look at the big open areas on the map, and think about the various side quests, and feel like expansions are coming.
I'm on my second playthrough to pick up the pieces on how everything is Basim's doing and Nehal is just a figure in his mind.
And what I found is that Nehal (Loki) didn't even remember bout the ISU stuff until Basim touch the artifact. I think its because of the moment during Ragnarok, Loki forced himself into the Idrisil (the super computer) by killing one of the member and I think it distrupts the transfer so it make the incarnated Loki (Nehal) kinda forget the reason why she's being reincarnated.
So after Basim went to Alamut to be initiated as a Hidden Ones, there is this kind of barrier where it separates Basim, The Djin and Nehal. Maybe bcuz of the Chamber below the Alamut Temple it distrupts the connection with Loki. (I might be wrong on this)
And after Basim went back to Baghdad and meet Nehal, she's being guiding Basim to search for Answers bout the ISU, answers that is not for him but for HER. Basim helping Nehal to uncover the real secrets and slowly Nehal remember the things happen tk her subconsciously. One of it was when they are at the ISU Chamber and there is this weird interaction between Basim and Nehal where she said "I do" and "I remember" making Basim freak out.
And finally in the end when Basim said "will I ever see you again" is indicating that Basim surrenders his body fully to Nehal and Killing him in the process. Nehal seem so pure Innocent during this scene maybe bcuz she want to take control without force. Unlike Eivor, Odin forces himself to control and influence Eivor.
"How long has it been" is the first words of reincarnated Loki.
And I just noticed! If you went to the House of Wisdom, you'll find a drawing or a sketch of 2 people standing beside a DNA that looks like a tree. That reminds me of the Valhalla Ending where Layla and Desmond standing at the tree of knowledge (or Is it? I can't remember the name)
@@coachmel2404 wow so interesting, i need to see that drawing you’re talking about too
My biggest flex to this day was calling out Nehal for being Loki at the beginning of the game. I obsessed over Loki-Basim in Valhalla so badly, I guess, that I recognized his speech patterns from a mile away.
I found the ending a bit disappointing actually, as there are many things that don’t really make sense to me
Like Roshan’s determination to kill Basim rather than let him know the truth is really absurd, no matter how hard I try to rationalize it
Her leaving the assassins after that is a little more comprehensible, but still feel kinda overreacted
(Btw didn’t Basim stab her in the heart during their fight..? 🤔)
And the Fight Club twist is ok I guess, but as you said, it is weird Basim never realized during his entire life that no one was acknowledging Nehal 🤔
Also I thought that replaying through the main story after knowing that revelation doesn’t bring anything special, which is a big missed opportunity imo
This kind of twist, it is fun when you go through the story a second time, and see and understand new things based on that knowledge, but there is unfortunately nothing like that in the game
A few times, you might go like “oh, she is placed like that in the frame because she is not actually here”, or things like that, but nothing crazy
And also I have a question, since I don’t really remember Valhalla that well (and I didn’t do the last dlc), but what is Basim’s exact goal now that he is reunited with Loki?
Does he wanna get revenge on every single reincarnated Isu, or just Eivor and Sigurd?
Also, why does he elaborate this ennnnnndless and really not practical plan to trap Eivor in that machine at the end of the game, when he could have done it since the beginning?
And also, does he still really is an “official” assassin in Valhalla?
Or is he some sort of a rogue agent?
If he still is an assassin, why didn’t he get a new eagle then?
Anyway, I thought the ending was kinda ok if you don’t think too much about it, but I guess it could have been better if Roshan had had better motives and Nehal had been a bit more consistently written.
But I still enjoyed the story overall, much more than Valhalla or Odyssey’s anyway
I kinda like the fact that it seems to end well, like Basim learns the truth, he defeats his djinn, he saves the brotherhood, etc etc, but in fact, when we know what he becomes later on, it is actually kinda sad
In a way, Basim dies at the end
The Basim we grew to know and like anyway
I think that Roshan saw Basim like her son-figure and she knew that whatever the temple beneath Alamut does, it will change him. And she didn't want to risk it. And I also don't think she wanted to kill him.
At first it was a threat most likely, to discourage him. But then when she arrives to the temple, she is actually defensive, not offensive. She wants to block him from entering, not to kill him.
She said it herself. She didn't want to lose him to his past. She has groomed him into this apprentice/son who she was proud of and close to, and he was about to destroy himself.
@@Altherot
Yes I guess it makes sens
(Although she clearly says to Basim if you follow that path, I will kill you)
But I guess we can consider it was just a threat
Even that bird knows new basim is not someone to be trusted.
I genuinely really hoped the person in the tomb thing was bayek, and somehow the isu had preserved his body.
Naw that would have been too much, sorta like that lame odyssey ending
Huh? Wasn't Bayek buried in the caves where the modern day segment of Origins takes place?
@@BuryTheLight-tds he was, along with Aya
That would break continuity, his mummified body was found in the cave east of Siwa, if you visited it while in the Animus he remarked the importance it held for him and Aya.
One thing I like is that in the beginning of the game, as it transitions to after his training sequence Basim’s voice gets deeper.
And at the end when his mind merged with Loki’s his voice got a bit deeper after that.