One of the most enigmatic and fan loved games franchises of the 21st century is Assassin's Creed. After arriving in stores in November of 2007, the game has claimed a special place in our heart as we run, scale and assassinate our way through important historical periods of humanity's past.
In this article we will be counting down the major Assassins creed games of the franchise from the worst rated to the best.
12. Assassin's Creed Rogue (2014)
Assassins Creed Rogue gameplay
Assassin's Creed Rogue was one of two games released by the franchise in 2014, sharing the date with A.C Unity, and did not require the leap to a next generation console. The story of Rogue puts a twist on the normal game thesis as you play as a character named Shay Patrick Cormac, once an assassin, but now a member of the Templar order, the sworn enemy of the Assassins.
Taking on the role of the enemy for a full game is an interesting narrative, but once the novelty of this wears off, it becomes clear that this is just an extension of Black Flag, with less to do as a player. The map sends us around Albany, New York, the icy waters of the North Atlantic, plus brings us to a multitude of small towns and settlements around the map.
For all of the atmosphere in the game, it seems like we can’t help but find the world lacking in purpose. While it looks large on a map, the multiple side activities, including forts, hunting and exploring end up being mediocre tasks and quickly become tedious. The game does produce a few positives which include: the winter period, bringing with it new upgrades for your ship, and there are good tweaks to the naval battle scene. There is also a nice tie into Assassin's Creed 3 which helped the fans feel connected to the game.
The result is an intriguing story, but forgettable missions, an empty world, and lack of effort to put a new spin on how this long-running series plays and controls continually undermine its dramatic intentions.
Gamescore: 6/10
A former assassin turned templar is a story for the christmas party
11. Assassin's Creed Unity (2014)
Assassins Creed Unity gameplay
Fans thought they were in for a next generation masterpiece when the stunning trailer revealed Assassin's creed Unity to us. With first glance it looked as if it could have been up there with the best in the franchise to date, but sadly this was not to be. The story follows Arno Dorian and takes place in 18th century Paris during the French Revolution. Arno's efforts are geared in true Assassin's Creed style as he tries to expose the true power behind the revolution.
The game received the lowest scores on average across multiple platforms and was heavily criticized for its small scope, technical issues including multiple glitches and bugs, and online mode, all unexpected things as we moved into the next generation of consoles. While the majority of these were fixed in later updates, the game just didn't live up to the hype expected of a franchise that had been doing great the past few years.
A few positives appear in the form of revamped skill and weapons options, with abilities to choose between heavy and long weapons. Murder mysteries were also a nice distraction from the main story, while the graphics themselves may be the greatest of the franchise, but this doesn’t make it the best played game.
All things considered, the game at release was considered one of the biggest flops in the franchise, coming at a time when we were moving into the next generation of gaming consoles. The game just didn’t come up to scratch, leaving few gamers satisfied as it felt like squandered potential.
Gamescore: 6/10
A cross bow on the wrist, thats a next level assassin gadget
10. Assassin's Creed (2007)
Assassins Creed gameplay
The very first game of the franchise opened us up to a new era of open world gaming and introduced us to the start of something great. Assassins creed without question was impressive on many fronts, yet a few mistakes brings it in at number 10 on our list.
The story starts out well as you play as Altair, a member of the real historical group of political Assassins of the Middle East known as the Hashshashins, set in the 11th to 13th centuries. The nine men Altair is charged with killing, did all die or disappear around the time set in the game. Some mishaps along the way seem to have squandered the potential of the game. The story starts out strong, yet, it leads on to a poor repetitive game by the halfway point, with many losing interest, and very few playing through a second time.
Assassin's Creed certainly has its fans though, and there is plenty to be enjoyed throughout the game. The stealth and combat gameplay was great, the story was interesting and historically factual and it brought a new age of game to our laps along with characters who remained relevant throughout the rise of the franchise.
Unfortunately it suffers from being the first of the franchise and with that lacks the knowledge of what it wanted to be. In the end it became just another action game, though we all remember the thrill of the first few hours of playtime and Altair has remained a hero to remember even 15 years later.
Gamescore: 6.5/10
The first hero we came to know, and not the last we loved
9. Assassin's Creed Revelations (2011)
Assassins Creed Revealtions gameplay
Assassin's Creed Revelations was the finale in the saga of the great Ezio Auditore, our favorite Assassin.he story provided us with a nice ending as we witness the old age of the protagonist, the game seemed like it was the first time we could feel the rushing of things within Ubisoft. The game's remained fairly similar in combat and gameplay to the previous releases, yet the storytelling made it a fan favorite. The thrill of obtaining the keys to Altair's library in the dungeon sequences gave players a new and exciting style of gameplay.
Additions such as the hookblade increased the games vertical climbing and roof jumping gameplay. New styles of weaponry and button layout helped the flow of the game, as we were now able to select secondary weapons efficiently. The game still suffered from the curse which often followed the franchise in that the side missions are often unrelated to the main story. Yet, this time Ubisoft were on the right track as the plot of this game had multiple exciting layers, keeping gamers engaged.
To conclude, the game remained a fan favorite because of the characters within it, and kept with the feel of a real Assassin's Creed, even though it was very similar to those that came before it.
Gamescore: 7/10
Our favorite assassins Ezio looks great in his old age
8. Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015)
Assassins Creed Syndicate gameplay
Assassin's Creed Syndicate brought us to the streets of Victorian London, a time period filled with English accents, suits, posh hats, and Pubs-a-plenty. For the first time we got the option of playing as either gender, choosing from either Jacob or Evie Frye, who are twin assassins, sounds like double trouble to me.
The story follows the twins as they try to free London from the tight grip of modern era Templars and it was rather refreshing to see Assassin's Creed in the modern era. Playing as two characters was a nice addition and brought about a refreshing twist on the franchise.Nice additions to this game came in the form of an improved and dedicated grappling hook, helping us leap the streets of London with ease and a wicked pair of brass knuckles that gave enemies no chance on the city's cobbled paths.
All in all, it was produced very well, the setting was good. The game received a positive reception, much better than Unity and Rogue. It received praise towards the plot, graphics and missions. Many fans of the franchise, along with your average gamer enjoyed the game, and we could even argue this was a turning point and a return to form for the seemingly exhausted franchise. Ubisoft seems to have been catching up to the modern era with this one.
Gamescore 7.25/10
Use cart and buggies in your very own assassin styled drive by shooting
7. Assassin's Creed 3 (2012)
Assassins Creed 3 gameplay
Assassins Creed 3 takes us on a journey through the American Revolution. Ubsoft were in need of a new story and many would agree in saying they found it in the form of Conor, a half English, half Mohawk character.
The game got a nice upgrade in the form of graphics thanks to the new Anvil engine, while playing across the American frontier really brought about a fresh change from the mainly European cities. The open world gaming was taken to a new level on this release.The story and gameplay within this game were ahead of its time, the revamped stealth within the natural foliage rather than the stone jungles really added to the effect of an Assassin and helped the game feel more like what the franchise wanted to represent.
The game seemed to suffer with some slightly uninspiring mission design, a recurring problem within Assassins Creed. The gameplay and the design in total really made this feel like Assassins Creed was moving in the right direction after we moved on from the story of the fan favorite Ezio.
Game score: 7.5/10
Run, slash and Assassinate your way through the American cival war
6. Assassin's Creed Origins (2017)
Assassins Creed Origins gameplay
Assassin's Creed Origin takes us to the time of the last of the Pharaohs, in a dying Egyption kingdom. You pursue peace and prosperity for your people, as you play as Bayek, a nomad of the desert. Ubsoft seem to have come back strong after a one year break, and fans would have agreed Ubisoft needed a break. The game prospered from this as while the essence of Assassin's Creed remained, the game felt like a new start for the franchise.
With historical figures such as Cleopatra and Julias Caesar making an appearance, and a multitude of historical easter eggs to satisfy those hungry for the past, it felt both new and familiar.The depth to the world along with the story and graphics really made an impression on gamers, feeling like we entered a new era.
Small problems arose in the Xp system, as story mode was locked off until you reached a certain level. While there was a lot to like about Bayeks tale, it also seemed dule at points, and was often easy to forget what was going on. The game overall really felt as if it had something for everyone, the story took us back to the earliest days of the Assassins order, while the history and gameplay gave all players something to keep them interested.
Gamescore: 7.5/10
Assassins Creed has never looked as beautiful as it does in Origins.
5. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
Assassins Creed Brotherhood gameplay
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood picked up directly where AC2 left off, and while it probably only worked if you were a fan of Ezio, by now the majority of the franchise's players were in love with our hooded vigilante. We follow on in the Renaissance era of Italy, flowing effortlessly into the next game as the story stays consistent and fresh enough to keep games intrigued about our favorite hero. It providing us with a worthy followup to arguably the best game in the franchise.
The map of Rome was a beautiful mix of ancient ruins, beautiful city streets and landmarks such as the Coliseum. The city was split well into 12 districts, each of which was overseen by a Borigia tower, representing the Borgias control of the area. Brotherhood did well to build on top of the existing platform, revisiting several locations and faces we had seen before. It felt more nostalgic than tedious, and the story held up nicely as we continued on the path of a fan favorite.
One of the best selling points of Brotherhood was the ability to recruit other assassins and send them on missions to further the orders cause, or, you could summon them to fight alongside you, as nobody likes to fight alone, not even Assassins. In conclusion, the fact that very little changed from the previous game didn’t deter any gamers from playing this repeatedly. The game was a great sequel and with the minor upgrades made, and it remained a classic for many years to come.
Gamescore: 8/10
Join the Brotherhood and fight against the dark forces of the Templar order
4. Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2018)
Assassins Creed Valhalla gameplay
The long awaited introduction of the Vikings into the Assassin's Creed franchise came to us with the release of Valhalla. It could be argued that this strayed from the traditional core of AC, but did it in such a great way that fans couldn’t help but play it thoroughly. The game is set during the Viking invasions of Britain in the 9th century, giving us a beautiful look at the medieval period of the British isles. You take up control of Eivor, a female viking, who becomes entangled in the ancient war between Templars and Assassins.
The game received praise for its world design and narrative, introducing a different style of gameplay into the franchise as we raid our way through small towns and seaside settlements. The graphics of the game are visually stunning and one can’t argue it brings a new look to the franchise with its massive open world. The epic castle conquests, intense axe based combat and drinking competitions a British university student couldn't handle, make you feel as if you are truly following in the steps of a Norwegian warrior.
While the roots of a stealth based Assassins Creed are somewhat lost in this, the whole game feels a bit more action packed than normal, and arguably the fans loved the change up. The sophisticated RPG battles and intense story really made this feel like one of the best open world games of the year in 2018.
Follow in the footsteps of a Viking warrior and take to the sea in search of glory in this Assassins Creed.
3. Assassin's Creed Black Flag (2013)
Assassins Creed Black Flag gameplay
Assassin's Creed Black Flag was a game ahead of its time in both storytelling and gameplay, it was no doubt one of the most fun and interesting games within the franchise. The hero Edward Kenway, a pirate full of confidence, instantly became a fan favorite. The story takes place in the golden age of piracy in the 18th century all along the Western world, as you take to the high seas playing as the protagonist and the grandfather of Connor from AC3. While we had been to the oceans briefly before, this open world really took the sea faring to the next level, as you sailed around the map making use of the intriguing side quests which at times felt just as important as the amazing main story.
The mixture of land based action, alongside the warfare between ships and the looting involved really brought amazing gameplay to the fans, bringing about one of the most fun games in the franchise. The game had great graphics for its period and the open world structure never felt as free as this game. Everywhere you look and travel to is full of life, and it set the benchmark for future games, which never could quite hit the way this game did. It includes interesting side tasks such as the Maya stones, incorporating an important aspect of Mesoamercian history into the story of the game. You come face to face with some of history's most fascinating pirates, or as the English call their thiefs, privaters.
All things in consideration, the story, the graphics, the gameplay and the story of Edward brought us one of the best Assassin's Creed games of the franchise, one that has been released across all platforms, and it continues to be played by fans to this day some 9 years later.
Gamescore: 9/10
Edward Kenway, an assassin of the high seas
2. Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018)
Assassins Creed Odyssey gameplay
Assassins Creed Odyssey brought the franchise into full RPG open world mode and did so in a great way. It was a grand adventure through a beautiful world on a scale we had not seen before in Assassins Creed. The players in this game go further back in time than ever before as we partake in the period of the Peloponnesian war in Ancient Greece around the years 431-422BCE. You control a mercenary who fights for both sides as they attempt to find their family.
Odyssey received great reviews in almost every sector of its game, the characters were great and you felt a connection with them, the setting and story remained interesting, while the open world was huge and full of exciting places to explore.The emphasis put into the story, the beautiful ancient landmarks, fights against mythological beings such as the Minotaur, and the multiple endings all helped bring together one of the best Assassins Creed games we had ever been given
The only real major criticism the game ever received is the idea that it's a very long game to finish, and while this may be a problem for the part time gamers, those who are major fans of the franchise never really had a problem with its length.
Gamescore: 9.25/10
Fight on both sides of the ancient Assassin and Templar war, and decide for yourself who you prefer.
1. Assassin’s Creed 2
Assassins Creed 2 gameplay
We have arrived at number 1 in our list and it is no surprise that Assassins Creed 2 comes in at first place. The second game in the franchise was a testament to future games, and the sheer improvement from the first game evelated the series to a whole new level. While this game is dated, it isn't a surprise to the fans of the franchise that this game remains number one after all these years. Thousands of fans have fond memories of the first time they met one of the most memorable characters of any video game series, Ezio Auidotre.
The franchise really opened up a lot here, gone were the tedious repetitive missions which ruined the second half of the first game. The story is beautifully written and was a tightly woven piece of art which kept gamers intrigued as to what was going to happen next. There were tons of exciting things to do throughout the game, such as the tombs which brought a great spotlight to the platforming. A variety of weapons, stealth techniques and depth to missions gave this game high marks across the board. We explored Renaissance Italy, Florence, Venice, Tuscany and Forli for all they had to offer, giving us breathtaking landmarks and gameplay in the age of this game. The whole scale of the game seemed huge compared to its predecessor.
While it remains as the second game in the franchise, it set the bar to the highest level for all future games, something that even technology just couldn’t compete with. The feeling we all had when we first played this game may never be matched again, and it remains as a solid place to start for any who wish to get into the franchise.
Gamescore: 9.5/10
