Assassin’s Creed has a long, complicated history that dates all the way back to 2007. What publisher Ubisoft started as a fairly barebones, third-person stealth action game eventually turned into a diverse franchise that will be 16 years old next month. Assassin’s Creed’s breathtaking music, iconic hidden blade weaponry, historically based settings, and an all-star cast of characters, such as Ezio, Eivor, Basim, and Altair, have firmly cemented it as one of the most notable long-running gaming franchises ever. Assassin’s Creed Mirage is out now and is ready to make a name for itself in Ubisoft’s flagship series, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to put the spotlight on five of the games that helped make Assassin’s Creed popular. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing, but the series’ best games still stand tall as gaming experiences that every third-person action fan should seek out. Without further ado, here’s our ranked list of the best Assassin’s Creed games.
5. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey isn’t everyone’s favorite entry in the open-world RPG era of the franchise, but it might be the best overall package when compared to its predecessor, Origins, and successor, Valhalla. Released in 2018, this Greece adventure tells a dual-protagonist story in a sprawling open world that might just be the most vibrant the franchise has ever seen. Exploration is rewarding, and combat feels as bloody and punchy as you would expect from a game set around the Peloponnesian War. It’s a far cry from Assassin’s Creed’s stealth roots, but Odyssey still manages to stand on its own thanks to its top-notch RPG mechanics, an addictive gameplay loop, and Kassandra, who is arguably the most interesting protagonist the series has ever known.
4. Assassin’s Creed Unity
Few games are as misunderstood as Assassin’s Creed Unity. This French Revolution-set fifth mainline entry in the Ubisoft franchise was lambasted upon launch due to a plague of bugs and glitches that resulted in an often unplayable experience. However, Unity has found a dedicated audience in the years since its release, as most glitches have been patched out, revealing an enthralling, dense world that puts gameplay above all else. With buttery smooth movement and assassination gameplay, many still regard Unity as the entry with the best parkour. Unity’s lead, Arno Dorian, has a gripping story to tell, but if you’d like a little company, there’s also the cooperative element, which allows players to run along rooftops with a few friends.
3. Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
The original Assassin’s Creed revolved around the Third Crusade in the Holy Land. Assassin’s Creed 2 then followed with a personal look at the streets of Italy during the Renaissance. Next, Assassin’s Creed 3 got up close and personal with a cold look at the American Revolution. With so many fascinating destinations already explored, fans were on the edge of their seats to learn where Ubisoft would take them next. Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag introduced the last timeline anyone expected, but it still managed to work for so many reasons, becoming one of the best games on this ranked list in the process.
Starring the effortlessly smooth Edward Kenway, the fourth Assassin’s Creed game lets players loose to embark on a swashbuckling pirate adventure during the Golden Age of Piracy. Treasure hunting feels authentically pirate-y, sword fighting, while derivative, is appropriately harrowing, and the seas of the West Indies were turned into bottomless pools of secrets to uncover. Black Flag isn’t just one of the best Assassin’s Creed games ever, it’s one of the best pirate games ever made. I mean, do we even need to talk about how much fun the pirate ship combat is?
2. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
It might sting to see Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood left out of the top spot, as for many, this is the definitive Assassin’s Creed experience. The entry is one of the few rare direct sequels, as it continues the story of Assassin’s Creed 2’s Ezio Auditore da Firenze as he sharpens his abilities as an assassin. In fact, with expanded mechanics and tools, everything in this sequel is more refined, but what really makes Brotherhood stand out is the risks it took and how they successfully paid off. Most notably, this follow-up introduced multiplayer into the franchise, which could have absolutely been a soulless attempt to follow a trend but ended up being a well-thought-out add-on experience for players to test their stealth skills out on one another. Brotherhood also experimented with a system that allowed players to recruit other assassins and use them for various side activities.
1. Assassin’s Creed 2
There’s a good chance we wouldn’t be approaching year 16 of the franchise without Assassin’s Creed 2, which is why it’s earned the top spot on this ranked list. Unlike Brotherhood, Ezio’s original story didn’t have a predecessor to build directly off of. It needed a new hero, location, and story to tell, and somehow, after all these years, it all holds up. Assassin’s Creed 2 is more than a sequel with two hidden blades instead of one. It’s a franchise landmark with compelling characters, relentless style, heart, and a city that managed to get millions of gamers obsessed with history.
Assassin’s Creed 2 might be a copout pick for number one, but it’s undoubtedly a turning point for the series with magic that Ubisoft is still struggling to fully capture.
If you’re looking for more on the game, check out when Assassin’s Creed Mirage takes place in the franchise’s timeline.
