The Assassin’s Creed franchise has been around now for quite some time. Since the first game released back in 2007, we’ve had a bumper crop of entries for the series. There have been spin-offs, multiplayer entries, and the recent ‘RPG trilogy’ which has kept the series evolving.
Across the decades fans have been able to leap into the lives of many different assassins in several historical settings. Many players have their favourite games, including us, so we’re going to attempt to rank the mainline Assassin’s Creed games.
Our next entry in the Assassin's Creed series should be Codename Red
Assassin’s Creed 3
Inarguably the worst iteration of the franchise, many fans believe that this game just didn’t deliver in terms of enjoyable quests and the series had begun to feel a little tired by this point. Sadly, the game just didn’t service the stellar central assassin of Haytham Kenway who has been a favourite for some time. Around this time, Ubisoft was losing the originality of the series and the third game suffered greatly from fatigue. This hasn’t stopped modders remaking the game, though.
Assassin’s Creed Rogue
What should have been a huge success on the heels of Black Flag, Rogue fell instantly flat despite the interesting spin of having us play as a Templar. It didn’t help that the series wasn’t evolving enough between entries. Once again, the assassin, Shay Patrick Cormac, was interesting and the story carried on its absurd but intriguing pace, however, the lack of change between games was causing the franchise to lose fans quickly.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
While some hold Unity in high regard, looking at it within the range of all the games it falls short in many places. This was supposed to be the multiplayer entry we’d all been waiting for but it felt like a mess. The missions were rather bland and while Arno Dorian thrived in the setting of the French Revolution, the game launched with lots of bugs and issues that made the game much less fun than its predecessors.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Syndicate nudges itself above Unity because of its setting. Being able to play in London finally was a major highlight. It was also the first time we got to play as twin assassins, Evie and Jacob Frye. The series once again started to feel fresh again, even though it fell short with poor combat. Sadly, by this time many players had bounced off the franchise with even Ubisoft agreeing that there was some fatigue around the series. Thankfully Assassin’s Creed was about to get an overhaul with Origins.
Assassin’s Creed
The original game does well sitting in the mid-point of this list. It’s here because it hasn’t aged all that well and the story is in its infancy - it hasn’t quite gone full melodrama nonsense. However, it’s the origin of the franchise and it spawned some genuine brilliance. There’s also something to be said for its simplicity as the seeds were being planted for the later bloated feel of the games. While Altair is a little dull compared to his later comrades, his vagueness allows the world around him to thrive.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
The start of the ‘RPG trilogy’, Ubisoft pulled in a group of Egyptologists to ensure an authentic world for this overhaul of the franchise. Over 700 employees, over four years, created a whole new feel for Assassin’s Creed Origins by introducing a fully open-world alongside the hero of Bayek. This was exactly what the series needed and many who had abandoned the franchise came back in droves to enjoy a new experience. This change was in response to many calling the franchise stale. The game was well received by many and led to Ubisoft keeping the shift in style for three games.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Ubisoft has an issue with throwing everything in the pot and hoping it’s tasty. The third game in the ‘RPG trilogy’, Valhalla, became a brilliant, but bloated adventure that seemed filled with busy work. While many agree that this entry is utterly gorgeous and Eivor is a fantastic assassin it suffered from too many quests pushing the game into lasting longer than it perhaps should have. Having said that, you can’t get past the fact that it was terrifically acted and filled with great activities that filled out the world.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage
The newest entry in the franchise took it back to its roots. A simpler affair with a smaller city and a truly wonderful protagonist in Basim. Bringing the series back to a smaller adventure allowed the combat to shine and the world of Baghdad took centre stage. While Ubisoft creates an endearing story, it shares the spotlight with a world created with a high level of authenticity that pulls in players. The ‘RPG trilogy’ revamped the series into a more action-led genre, and Mirage brought back stealth gameplay which fans loved.
Assassin’s Creed Black Flag
Do we have rose-tinted glasses on for this entry? Maybe. But honestly, who doesn’t want to be a pirate? This game was so revolutionary that Ubisoft set out on a long voyage to create another pirate game, Skull and Bones, which has been in development hell since 2017. Black Flag combined a brilliant assassin, great seafaring gameplay, and a nice balance of action-based and stealth combat. Setting out to sea was a wondrous feeling that few games have managed to capture.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
For part two of the ‘RPG trilogy’ we went to Ancient Greece, a truly beautiful world filled with wonder. Players finally had the choice of two assassins - Alexios or Kassandra - who accompanied a great narrative. Taking place in mythological history, Odyssey allowed for a clash of history and myth with players being able to tackle creatures such as the minotaur, revelling in a more fantastical era. The game was a huge financial success for Ubisoft, and while players loved this new direction, there were some concerns over the RPG mechanics becoming too expansive.
Assassin’s Creed Ezio Trilogy
Okay, so we’re cheating a little with this one and including three games for the price of one. However, the three games of Assassin’s Creed 2, Brotherhood, and Revelations have since been sold as a package and are available to be played back-to-back on modern consoles. This was the golden age of Assassin’s Creed - an Italian setting that felt fully realised; Ezio, probably everyone’s favourite assassin; a wonderful story that combined interesting modern-day sections and addictive narrative elements for Ezio. Players tend to hold this entry in high regard for it’s perfect balance of stealth and crowd-based action fights.
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The full trilogy allowed Ezio to be the most realised assassin because he took the series full circle with Revelations linking up with the legacy of Altair from the first game. As we saw his entire journey, it felt like a much more in-depth experience for players, creating both a wonderful trilogy and a piece of nostalgia for all.
Featured Image Credit: UbisoftTopics: Assassins Creed, Assassins Creed Valhalla, Ubisoft