Assassin’s Creed is a franchise featuring action-adventure stealth games published by Ubisoft. Its compelling main characters and world-class parkour along with great storytelling have made them a big part of the gaming industry. Almost every ‘’favorite games’’ list includes one of the parts of the franchise. With many of us having grown up along with the Assassin’s Creed games, we have decided to do a ranking. Without further ado, let’s get into it:
12. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Odyssey is a game set in ancient Greece. Many fans of the franchise dislike it the most. It distanced itself from all of the things that made Assassin’s Creed popular. However, Odyssey isn’t even good on its own. It’s characterized as an RPG, but, even on its best days, it’s a pseudo-RPG. At the time of it coming out, people were saying that Odyssey is going to be the next Witcher 3. This would turn out to be simply false, as Odyssey has a bad narrative that doesn’t fit in with the Assassin’s Creed lore. The only good thing about this game is its visuals
11. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Syndicate is an Assassin’s Creed game set in 19th Century London. It tends to rank higher on tier lists. However, part of the reason why is that it came out after Unity and Unity was a complete mess. The narrative and the overall design of the game were poorly made. The movement of the two main characters is very restricted which just doesn’t feel right for an Assassin’s Creed game. Historical figures are treated like Celebrities with their pop-up cards and animation. The only thing good about Syndicate was its strong emotional moments, such as Desmond’s friend grieving.
10. Assassin’s Creed Rogue
Despite many fans seeming to think that Rogue is underrated, the game is poorly made. Ubisoft scattered around a lot of collectibles as a way to compensate for the lack of content. The game follows the Knights Templar and the Assassins. However, there’s really not much difference between them. Both groups are secretive and have little care for innocent lives. The narrative is insultingly bad. This was simply a cash-in after Black Flag which was an amazing game. Rogue, however, is a forgetful and shallow experience
9. Assassin’s Creed Unity
Back when it first came out in 2014, no one liked Unity – and for a good reason. Nowadays, feelings have changed. Newer titles of the franchise distanced themselves from what Assassin’s Creed used to be. Unity, on paper at least, does everything that the fans want it to do. The idea of the game was good, but not the execution. Alongside the messy narrative, it is filled with bugs and glitches. Maybe a year or two of longer development would have made it the best Assassin’s Creed game ever.
8. Assassin’s Creed 3
This game was supposed to be the lead in quality after Assassin’s Creed 1. However, that simply did not happen. The movement was really dumbed down because everything was automated and you had far less control. AC 3 feels disconnected from the rest of the games. The dialogue doesn’t feel as if real people are talking. The main character, Connor, doesn’t develop at all. It’s frustrating how he goes from a naive child to a naive adult, killing Templars without even questioning why.
7. Assassin’s Creed Origins
Origins is an AC game set in Egypt. The structuring is a bit mismanaged. The main issue is that the player has to do a lot of side quests before actually progressing in the main storyline. Bayek, the main character, is done really well. He goes through a range of emotions that make him connect to the player. The world of the game is beautiful. Even though the locations are dotted on the map, the act of exploration is still enjoyable.
6. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
After Origins and Odyssey, the new game tried to please both new fans of the AC content and the old-school crew. That created a trap. Ubisoft tried so hard to please everybody, while in some instances it turned out to please nobody. Despite all the issues that come with Valhalla, it is still a great game. The Viking fantasy kind of overthrows the Assassin’s fantasy. Even though it allows for you to use stealth and a hood, the context in which you use them is rather pointless.
5. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag
The story of Black Flag starts out with an outsider, which the story later on molds into an Assassin. This game is the first one after AC 1 that deals with Assassin’s Creed as the focal point of the game. It follows the main character’s search for purpose. During his search, he pushed a lot of people away. Only to later realize that those people are the true purpose. Not gold or glory, but relationships he had. The open world is big and vast, allowing for great exploitation.
4. Assassin’s Creed 1
Assassin’s Creed One is a very niche title. It didn’t try to appeal to the mainstream. That’s what made this game so great. The game is very linear. It uses the open world as a sort of background. With each new assassination, you are tossed into a new district, so there’s a lot of things to see. With beggars and other people in the street, environmental storytelling plays a big part. It is safe to say that it largely plays into the main storytelling.
3. Assassin’s Creed 2
The main issue with AC 2 is that the DLC’s really drag down the pace of the gameplay. However, the game is a step up from AC 1. It uses the open world in an even more meaningful way. AC 2 not only continues the modern life story but the ancestorial one as well. We learn more about the creator of lots of assassination techniques. The game also introduces Ezio – a fan-favorite character.
2. Assassin’s Creed Revelations
Revelations has the greatest storytelling in the entire franchise. The only bad thing about it is a bit of iffy pacing and structure. The missions sometimes don’t flow naturally. One another thing is that the side content lacks in comparison to Brotherhood.
1. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
AC Brotherhood is a masterpiece. It is not just a sequel to Ezio, but it also pushes the entire franchise forward. The open-world has never been more important to the story being told. Here we really see all of the layers that make up Ezio. His story is told very subtly but in a good way. His relationships with friends and allies are tested. The game focuses equally on the main story, side quests, and the open world that it created the perfectly balanced Assassin’s Creed game.
