Assassin’s Creed Mirage promises to be a return to the action-adventure game roots of the series, with plenty of thrilling rooftop chases and frantic sword fights on the streets of Baghdad. But what if you could actually feel every crunch, every slash, every thud as they land? How about the wind rushing across your body as you leap between buildings? Ubisoft is partnering with haptics specialists OWO to bring the sensations of Assassin’s Creed Mirage to real life.
That’s right, this isn’t some Ready Player One fantasy, this is an actual product that you can buy, one which promises to let you feel the very impacts of Basim’s parkour across the city and his clashes with those who’d stand in his way. Slip into the OWO Haptic Gaming System vest and you’ll actually feel every slash, stab, and smack as you play.
Basim’s adventure promises to be quite a physical one, so we can only imagine what he’ll go through as he clambers, leaps, and brawls his way through the Baghdad streets. It’s really a perfect test case for this kind of hardware, and OWO promises “some exclusive sensations never felt before” alongside all its standard offerings such as various impacts and weapon wounds, the sensation of moving heavy objects, and the feeling of wind and free-falling.
The haptic ‘Sensations Technology’ is spread across ten locations including your full upper torso and arms, and uses electrodes to stimulate your muscles and replicate various sensations. Coming in at under 600 grams and with nine different sizes available, it shouldn’t be too much of a weight on your shoulders either.
OWO lists a wide range of ‘sensations’ on its website, which include “Ball, axe, punch, dart, insect bites, dagger, shot, light abdominal wound, chest dagger wound, shot with exit wound, severe abdominal wound, grip, machine gun recoil, insects, lifting weights, pushing objects, collision, wind, stress, fast driving, free fall, and strange sensations.” That’s quite the list, with even more promised for Assassin’s Creed Mirage’s implementation.
“By leveraging OWO’s groundbreaking technologies and expertise, we are able to immerse players in the world, sounds and sensations of Assassin’s Creed Mirage in an innovative and enhanced way,” Ubisoft Bordeaux’s lead producer Fabian Salomon says. “We can’t wait for our players to discover and enjoy the coming-of-age story of Basim with the power of OWO.”
“This dynamic alliance merges the immersive gameplay of Ubisoft’s world-class video games with the cutting-edge technological prowess of OWO,” OWO founder and CEO Jose Fuertes adds. “We are proud to have Assassin’s Creed Mirage in our game portfolio and we can’t wait for players to start feeling the game. Together, we are on a mission to reshape the gaming landscape and push the boundaries of interactive entertainment.”
While it’s perhaps at its best when combined with the best VR headsets for that full sensation of immersion, the OWO haptic vest works with standard PC games and also supports players on PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, and Xbox Series X/S, so if you’re also a console gamer you’ll be able to make the most of it there as well.
To celebrate the collaboration, there’s a special Assassin’s Creed Mirage Edition of the OWO Haptic Gaming System, with a unique design based on the outfit worn by Basim. It will initially be made available via the OWO website, but will then be sold in a bundle with the game itself via “different retailers,” so keep your eyes out.
The OWO Founder Edition is on sale now – expect to pay €499 (~ $560), with free shipping available for a limited time. There’s an estimated wait of three months to get your product, so be sure to get your order in now if you’re sold on the concept.
With the Assassin’s Creed Mirage release date almost upon us, warm up your sneaking skills with the best stealth games on PC and hopefully Basim won’t be feeling too many of those less-pleasant sensations during your travels.