Between the time that video games
were first invented and the mid-2000s, there was a gap in the market for a series set
in various historical locations (but tied to the present day) where the objective was to run
around and shank people with a knife hidden up your sleeve. It was, admittedly, a niche
gap, but it was there. Thankfully, in 2007, this oddly specific need was met with the
launch of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Since then, Ubisoft’s love letter to sneaking
about and sitting o
n benches has become one of gaming’s most dependable pillars, with total
sales of over 200 million and a place in the hearts of gamers in every corner of the globe. The
series now spans far beyond just video games too; there have also been Assassin’s
Creed books, comics, board games, and a really bad film, because what gaming
franchise is complete without one of those? Most individual titles follow a similar formula; a present-day character uses an Animus machine to
relive the memories of a
n Assassin in the past, where they are usually fighting to defeat the
Templars, the order with which they have been at war for millennia. Gameplay usually revolves
around stealth and free running around a giant open world, set against the backdrop of a
pivotal moment in human history. However, it’s the small differences between each
game that separate the good from the great. For this list, we’ve only included games that
got full, standalone console releases, so no DLC, mobile, or browser g
ames will feature. We’re
also not including any remastered or re-released collections of games, as that would be unfair
to the titles that only got released once. In terms of how we’ve ranked the games, we’ve
done it based mostly on critical reception with just a dash of our own personal preference
thrown in for good measure. Whilst there have been no truly bad AC games - we’re going
to use Assassin’s Creed and AC interchangeably throughout this list, just so you know
- some are definitely
worse than most. Let’s rank ‘em. I’m Ben and I’m Peter from TripleJump and here
is Every Assassin’s Creed Video Game Ranked from Worst to Best. #22: Assassin's Creed:
Altaïr's Chronicles (2008) - DS In a piece of very good news, we won’t be
seeing any of the main Assassin’s Creed games on this list for a little while,
so, to start, we’ve got to wade through the various spin-offs and prequels that
the series has produced over the years. Actually, we’re starting with the very first one,
Alt
aïr's Chronicles, which released for the DS back in 2008. It focuses on Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad,
the hero from the first AC game and the first playable character in franchise history, who is
on a mission to track down a mystical Chalice, whilst being pursued by those pesky Templars.
Get used to hearing a version of that sentence a lot in this list; it’s basically the plot
of 90% of anything Assassin’s Creed related. This third-person 3D adventure takes advantage
of the handheld’s touchscreen cap
abilities and transports the player to new locations
never previously seen in the franchise, like the ancient cities of
Tyre, Aleppo, and Milton Keynes. Ok, one of those was a lie. You don’t actually go to Aleppo... JUST JOKING. Assassin’s
Creed: Milton Keynes would be great though. As exciting as it was to be able to assassinate
people on the go for the first time, reviewers were less impressed with the linear
nature of the game, its uninteresting combat, and the fact that this younger ver
sion of Altaïr
was much less exciting that his older counterpart. Think of the Chronicles version as the
awkward pre-teen to the main game’s handsome, high-school jock and, as a former awkward pre-teen
myself, I know just how big of a gap that is. The final verdict on this brave new outing
for the series was that it was alright, but left a lot to be desired.
It could have been a lot worse, but only if it had found a way to
put you on Altaïr’s kill list. #21: Assassin's Creed Chronicles:
R
ussia (2016) - PS4, Xbox One, PC The Chronicles trilogy is a sub-series of
Assassin’s Creed set in various locations around the world that the main games
hadn’t gotten to at the time. Confusingly, this does not include Altaïr's Chronicles
that we just talked about, even though the word “Chronicles” is literally right there in the
title. Clearly somebody liked the way it sounded. Chronicles: Russia, the third and
final game in the set, takes place in, and you’ll never believe this, Russia! I
know! And not just any old Russia - Russia in the wake of the October Revolution,
which was a revolution that happened in… November? Why are historians always
out to make me look like a fool? Players are invited to step into the
fluffy winter boots of Nikolai Orleov, who made his AC debut in a comic book series
called The Fall. He’s out to find a special box belonging to the former royal family, who were
gotten rid of in the aforementioned revolution, in his final mission before retiremen
t.
No, Nikolai, don’t say that! Don’t you know what happens when people announce they’re
retiring in fiction? It doesn’t end well! This Russian rampage performed just fine with
critics, who were fans of its varied gameplay and strong narrative but a particularly lacklustre PC
version seriously dragged down its average score. The decision to set the action at such a
pivotal time in European history was praised, with reviewers citing it as the most
interesting era of the Chronicles bunch, bu
t dull combat, frustrating level design,
and a massive difficulty spike towards the end condemned this title to the same
gristly fate as the Romanov dynasty. For those who don’t know, they were bungled into a cellar and then murdered by a
combination of gunfire and stabbing, so they really did “die-nasty”. Joke only works
if you pronounce “dynasty” like Americans do. #20: Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines (2009) - PSP Our old pal Altaïr is back for another
jaunt on a handheld and, once again, it
isn’t very good. Sorry, man, but I just don’t
think this whole portable gaming thing is for you. Bloodlines is the second spin-off in the
Assassin’s Creed universe and was released solely for the PlayStation Portable in 2009.
This time, the narrative takes place after the events of the first AC game, as our
main man travels to Cyprus to root out the last vestiges of the Templars and maybe do some
sunbathing and souvenir shopping if he has time. This title also explores the relationship bet
ween
Altaïr and his future wife, Maria Thorpe, who was formerly a Templar, but abandoned the order upon
falling in love with the nomad warrior. I mean, who can blame her. Look at that sultry
glare, those fetching white robes, and that booty that just won’t quit.
Clearly, he puts the “ass” into “Assassin”. To accommodate the limitations of the
PSP when compared to home consoles, Bloodlines made several changes to the established
series gameplay that it attempted to explain within the story.
For example, the number of
civilians on the streets was greatly reduced, as they were all living in fear due to the
island’s strict government. In reality, this was done to prevent the PSP overheating
and exploding in the faces of owners. Whilst this is certainly better than not
explaining things at all, it’s also a microcosm of larger performance issues across the game.
It might have looked good for a PSP experience, but Bloodlines’ limited gameplay, stealth,
and sound design all came un
der fire, as did the size of its playable areas
and its overreliance on platforming. Sorry Altaïr, but we will say some nice things
about one of your games eventually. Promise. #19: Assassin's Creed Chronicles:
India (2016) - PS4, Xbox One, PC Set against the backdrop of the Anglo-Sikh Wars
of the mid-1800s - which Wikipedia tells me was a conflict between the Punjab-based Sikh Empire
and the British East India Trading Company, aka, the baddies from Pirates
of the Caribbean - Chronicles: I
ndia once again borrows a hero
from the world of comic books, giving Arbaaz Mir from the graphic novel,
Brahman, his chance to shine on the big stage. Mir has gotten his hands on the Koh-i-Noor, the largest diamond in the world which also
happens to be a powerful Templar artefact. Alas, those bloody menaces steal it back from
him whilst he’s out paying a romantic visit to his princess girlfriend. This is
why you should have listened to your mother, Arbaaz, and stayed away from girls! They’r
e
nothing but trouble and they have cooties! The player character must then travel
across India to get the shiny rock back, as well as visit locations in modern
day Afghanistan and Pakistan too. This part of the world and this time period don’t
usually get much representation in video games, so it was great to see such a beautiful
and historic region finally get its due, even if only in the 2.5D side-scrolling
format of the Chronicles games. Whilst this title was deemed more fun
than its
Soviet successor, Chronicles: India was far from perfect. Critics were baffled
that fast-paced chases and parkour puzzles would be routinely interrupted by moments that required
players to stop and jump, and that the combat was sluggish at times, in stark contrast to
the main series’ slick fighting scenes. Chronicles: India turned out
to be a thoroughly average experience with the Assassin’s Creed
name plastered all over it, but hey, it does allow you to spend some fun times with
a princes
s, so it should really be number one. #18: Assassin's Creed Chronicles:
China (2015) - PS4, Xbox One, PC Our final trip to the land of Chronicles takes us
all the way back to when this sub-series began, with 2015’s Chronicles: China. In this
game, you play as a fancy dinner plate, attempting to escape the evil clutches of the
dishwasher without falling onto the ground and smashing into a thousand pieces. Oh, it means
China the country, not the material. My mistake. The character of Shao Jun
first appeared
in a short film called Embers in 2011, which was included in certain editions of
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations. In Chronicles: China, she’s the main focus of the story,
which takes place during the Ming dynasty in the 16th Century. Her job is to wipe out the
Eight Tigers - a group of powerful Templars who rule the nation using the Emperor as a puppet,
and sadly not eight big cats that have learned how to use swords. The Emperor isn’t a real
puppet either. When will the lies
end?! To give this spin-off some star power, Jun
is revealed to be an apprentice of none other than Ezio Auditore da Firenze,
the franchise’s biggest superstar, and even uses a Precursor item he gave to her
to lure in the Tigers. Whilst the presence of Big E in this story helps tie it into
the main franchise, the game itself, as well as the Chronicles series as a whole,
just couldn’t capture that full AC magic. They were all competent as platformers,
drawing a lot of positive comparisons
to the Prince of Persia series, but they all lacked
the same sense of grand adventure that had made the main games so exciting to play. China
might have been the most fun of the three, but very few players are in any rush
to go back to Chronicles any time soon. #17: Assassin's Creed II: Discovery (2009) - DS We’ve had a spin-off prequel and a
spin-off sequel, now it’s time for the incredibly rare spin-off midquel! Is
midquel even a word? Who knows anymore. Set during the events of 2009’s As
sassin’s Creed
II, Assassin’s Creed II: Discovery released on DS on the very same day its older sibling launched
for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. The handheld game still follows Ezio, the main protagonist
of the full game, only he’s now been given the task of protecting his fellow Assassins
in Spain, alongside the game’s main quest. Come on guys, Mister Ezio’s very
busy right now looking for the Apple of Eden! Can’t this wait? Oh,
it literally can’t. As you were. This is yet another 2.5D sc
roller
with watered-down combat mechanics from the main title, in a similar vein to
Altaïr's Chronicles from earlier. However, Discovery made sure to not copy Assassin’s
Creed II too closely to avoid comparison, utilising a different animation style and skipping
most of the present-day sections of the narrative. This led to a much better reception amongst
critics than the series’ first handheld venture. That being said, it still wasn’t a great reception
when compared to, you know, actually
decent games. Whilst some publications were fans of
the game, with the reviewer from GameZone saying that anyone who enjoyed the console
version “had” to buy this accompaniment, others were less willing to give it compliments.
There were questions asked of its boring missions, whilst others complained of a wafer-thin
story, and some wondered if the game had even been developed with the DS in mind,
citing a distinct lack of touchscreen puzzles. As an on-the-go handheld platformer in its own
right, Discovery was nothing special, which meant it definitely wasn’t worth distracting Ezio
from his very important fruit-finding mission. #16: Assassin's Creed III:
Liberation (2012) - PS Vita Here we are, everyone, the greatest ever
spin-off AC game made for handhelds. Pop the champagne and pass round
the party rings… oh wait, it’s still nowhere near the top half of
this list. Quickly, help me find the cork! In similar fashion to Assassin’s Creed II
Discovery, Assassin’s Creed III: L
iberation serves as a spin-off to a main instalment of the
series, in the same Colonial America location but at a different time. Liberation got released on
the same day as its console-based twin… well, it did in North America, at least. The rest
of the world had to wait until the day after, because never forget that you and your
entire country are simply not as important. This game gets super meta right
away, as Liberation is itself a video game within its own universe,
produced by Abster
go Entertainment, the nefarious Templar-backed
organisation from previous games. The player character finds out that
the events of the Assassin-Templar war within the story have been heavily altered,
and, with the help of a group of hackers, they take control of Assassin Aveline de
Grandpré to explore the French colony of Louisiana and discover the truth
that Abstergo is trying to hide. Aveline herself was met with praise from the video
game community, as the first female protagonist in th
e series and as a positive representation
of a person of colour within the franchise. This is all lovely stuff, which is why it’s a
shame that the rest of the game was a bit meh. Despite such an intriguing premise, Liberation’s
story is far too rushed to be gripping. In fact, everything about the game feels
like it was done in a hurry and that the team behind it didn’t stop
and think about what they could do to make it interesting. It’s a
shame - Aveline deserved better. #15: Assassin's Cr
eed Unity
(2014) - PS4, Xbox One, PC Well, would you look at that? We’ve finally
found ourselves a proper, mainline Assassin’s Creed instalment to talk about! Oh hang on, it’s
really low on the list. That’s not good at all. The unfortunate position of being the worst
“proper” AC game, at least in our eyes, goes to 2014’s Unity, which was actually
the second Assassin’s Creed game released that year. I’d say this is why it performed so
badly, but that would be conjecture on my part, and I’m
not prepared for Ubisoft to take me
to court. Their solicitors are like Assassins, only instead of hidden blades, they have
hidden NDAs, which are even more terrifying. Unity takes place in Paris during the
era of revolution; well, one of them, anyway. France bloody loves a revolt,
emphasis on the word “bloody”. French Assassin Arno Dorian - or, as they call
them in that country, “Le Assassin” - is investigating the true powers behind the plot
to depose the monarchy. The real source of the
revolution will shock you… the Templars. It’s
the Templars. It’s always the bloomin’ Templars! Unity’s stellar graphics, fun missions,
and strong voice acting would have meant a lot more to players and critics were
the game itself not spectacularly wonky upon its release. Characters walking in
mid-air, getting stuck in bits of scenery, and turning into horrible skeleton monsters
plagued gamers across the world, leading to Ubisoft issuing an apology and offering affected
customers a free d
ownload of another title. As well as that, the game felt far too
constricted, especially when compared to the massive open worlds of previous AC
titles. Considering how broken Unity was, its position at number 14 is testament to how
good the rest of it was, once people could actually play it. Oh well, maybe the other
AC game released in 2014 will fare better… #14: Assassin's Creed Rogue (2014) - PS3, Xbox 360 …ahhhhhh, bugger. Releasing on the exact same day as Unity for
the previous genera
tion of home consoles, Assassin’s Creed Rogue’s story is actually
linked to that of its twin, despite its action taking place several years earlier
in the French colonies of Northern America. The main character is Shay Patrick
Cormac, who, in a series first, actually betrays the Assassins midway
through the plot and joins up with their mortal enemies! He’s also responsible
for the death of Arno Dorian’s father, which helps set into motion the events of Unity.
So this was all your fault, Sh
ay! You monster! Meanwhile, in the modern day, an employee of
Abstergo accidentally uncovers some hidden secrets about the Assassin-Templar War buried
in the company’s computer servers and gets caught in the middle of both sides as they
attempt to either retrieve the information or bury it. We haven’t talked much about
the 21st century stuff in these games, mainly because they’re the worst parts, but we’ll
make more of an effort going forward, I promise. Although it didn’t contain any glitc
hes strong
enough to give you nightmares, Rogue was not immune from bugs that wreaked absolute havoc
on anyone playing it. Once again, I’m not saying this had anything to do with Ubisoft
working on two games at the same time, but… As well as this, Rogue also suffered from the
omission of multiplayer, a poorly-plotted story, and a lead character who divided opinions.
Whilst it wasn’t completely hopeless, thanks to the inclusion of
new mission types, weapons, and a brave new direction for it
s
plot on the whole, Rogue was not the next step that many had hoped for from
a franchise on its seventh and eighth games. At least there were no horrible skeleton
men in this one - oh God, get it away! #13: Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry
(2014) - Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4 Here’s one that might put the cat among the
pigeons, or the Assassin among the… pigeons. Sorry, I couldn’t think of anything
else that has things put amongst it. Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry began life
as DLC for the fourth
game in the series, Black Flag. It follows Adéwalé, a former
slave-turned-pirate-turned-Assassin who appears as a supporting character in
the main game. Now, he’s the one at the centre of this swashbuckling story set in
the 1730s, in the country now known as Haiti, where he comes face-to-face with the
horrors of the slave trade once again. So, probably not something you’ll be wanting
to play on a calm, cosy Sunday afternoon, then? In 2014, about two months after it was
released as extra c
ontent, Freedom Cry was made available to buy as a standalone title.
Now, anyone could play the story, even those who didn’t already own a copy of Black Flag, which
we think makes it eligible for its own ranking. Reviewers were pleased that it offered them a
chance to not only play as a supporting character, but one with such a rich history and who brought
a new experience to gamers. Experiencing Adéwalé’s torment at the hands of slavers brought
the atrocities into an entirely new light, wi
th many calling Freedom Cry the
most impactful AC chapter to date. People went nuts for Black Flag,
as you’ll find out in due course, so most were happy to spend even more time on
the high seas. Once a DLC, always a DLC though, and there just wasn’t enough content in this
story for it to compete with the big boys. Still, whilst it definitely would have been
nice to have spent longer with Adéwalé, he did more than a good enough job with
the brief moment in the spotlight he had. #12: Assassi
n’s Creed Nexus VR (2023) -
Meta Quest 3, Meta Quest 2, Meta Quest Pro No word of a lie, there was originally a
joke in this script during the entry on Mirage about how Ubisoft would probably release
a new AC game before this video came out. Then, whilst this script was still being written, Assassin’s Creed Nexus VR got released.
Couldn’t make it up, could you? Arriving on a load of different versions of the
Meta Quest virtual reality system in November 2023, this is the first time that the
long-running
series has taken advantage of this growing technology. Rebecca and Shaun from the Ezio
trilogy are back to task you - yes, you - with stopping Abstergo from building a machine that
will allow them to influence human behaviour. To do this, the player must inhabit the bodies
of Kassandra from Odyssey, Connor from Assassin’s Creed III, and ol’ Ezi-Wezi himself for
a three-pronged adventure through Venice, Colonial Boston, and Ancient Greece. Now that’s
a holiday cruise I would t
otally book myself on. As with most VR games, the most important
thing about Nexus is how well the hardware and software link up to produce a cohesive gaming
experience. Considering how janky and potentially stomach-churning the free running could have
been in VR, this game handles it rather well, with smooth responses and a merciful lack of
motion sickness. It’s hard enough to fight Templars without needing to reach for
the nearest bucket while you’re at it. Nexus VR defied all its initial
scepticism and has turned out to be a really fun way to enter the Assassin’s
Creed world. It’s not all perfect, mind you, as the combat can be a bit clunky and the
enemy AI system is hilariously inadequate, but considering how horrendous this title could
have been, it’s done extremely well for itself. Now watch Ubisoft put out ten more
AC games before the end of the week. #11: Assassin's Creed Syndicate
(2015) - PS4, Xbox One After the subpar results of Rogue and Unity,
Ubisoft learned t
heir lessons and took a nice long break before - ok, I’m just kidding, they pushed
out another Assassin’s Creed game the year after. This time, the series takes
place in Laaaaaandaaaan town, pitting the player against the most heinous
enemies England has to offer - people who skip queues at the post office! Oh, the humanity!
Not really - it’s the Templars… again. Syndicate is helmed by a pair of Assassins,
brother and sister Jacob and Evie Frye, who must navigate the capital city during the
boom of the Industrial Revolution. That means streets busy with foreign traders,
steam billowing out of chimneys, and children used as a source of
cheap labour! Ahh, the good old days. Also, something happens in modern times,
but it’s not very interesting, honestly. The sprawling vista of Victorian London was
easily reviewers’ favourite thing about Syndicate, as they very much enjoyed being able to run or
jump around such a bustling environment full of intrigue and wonder. The story, whic
h
was much less intense than past games, was also praised, as previous plots had become
too large and too easy to disconnect from. Not all was, in the words of Queen Victoria,
tickety-boo, though. Complaints about the game ranged from its repetitive side missions
to the overreliance on carriage transports, which were about as easy to control as
real horse-drawn carts with the horses wearing blindfolds. However, the biggest
problem with Syndicate wasn’t anything to do with its own contents;
it was that
Assassin’s Creed as a whole had grown stale. The series had put out nine entries in eight
years, which only served to compound all of the issues it had. By 2015, everyone was ready for
a rest, which they did get… until 2017. Look, at least they didn’t put out
two games on the same day again. #10: Assassin's Creed Mirage (2023)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC Assassin’s Creed Mirage was released in
October 2023 and, at time of writing, is the most recent instalment in the
main
arc of this pillar of modern gaming. It was the most recent AC game overall, until
the whole Nexus VR debacle we mentioned earlier. If we talk about that again,
I’ll just get angry, so let’s move on. Set before the events of the previous
game in the past, but after it in the present - that probably makes absolutely zero
sense - Mirage transports players back to the golden age of Baghdad in the 9th Century, and
puts them into the shoes of Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character players had first
been
introduced to in Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. Poor Basim has a lot on his plate; not only
must he complete his duties as an Assassin, or “Hidden One” as they are known at this point
in the timeline, but he’s also got a mysterious past that he’d very much like to know more
about. Think of this as Assassin’s Creed meets Who Do You Think You Are?, only don’t
do that, because that would be really boring. At the time this game is set, Baghdad was
the thriving centre of a huge Islamic empir
e, and Mirage certainly replicates that
with its dense environments and huge numbers of NPCs. The game also feels
like a sort of return to AC’s roots, with more focus on the stealth sections
that had made early games so popular. Even with a personal history
shrouded in the shadows, however, Basim wasn’t the most interesting
main character and some critics felt the story was too close to ones already
featured in the series, but on the whole, Mirage was a decent effort. In short: could be
w
orse, but could be a whole lot better as well. #9: Assassin's Creed: Revelations
(2011) - PS3, Xbox 360 Though the first Assassin’s Creed was
all about our good friend, Altaïr, the subsequent three games made up what is
known amongst fans as the “Ezio” trilogy, which is where the world was first
introduced to Mr. Italian-Long-Name. Revelations is the final game in this
three-piece, and not only sets our hero against the backdrop of an Ottoman civil war in
16th Century Constantinople (not I
stanbul), but we also catch up with our old pal Desmond Miles
in the modern day. How have you been, Dessie? Oh, you’re in a coma and need to wake up otherwise
the world will end. I think I’ll leave you to it. More third person, open world sneaking and
stabbing is the order of the day in Revelations, as players control Desmond in the present,
Ezio in the past, and Altaïr in the even past-ier past. These were characters that fans
of the series had spent years getting used to, which benefited
this game hugely, as
they were so invested in the story. But, as a new entry into the series, Revelations
wasn’t actually that “new” at all. The previous two AC games had been defined by
the innovations they had brought to the table, the exciting new types of gameplay that set them
apart from each other and the wider gaming sphere. Revelations felt more like a retread of what
had come before - a very competent retread, yes, but this was the first sign that Assassin’s Creed
was becoming les
s inventive and more dependent on its established tropes. This problem
would only get worse as the years went on. On the other hand, it sold 7 million copies
in its first year, over half of them coming in the first 24 hours, so people were
clearly happy to play the game and I am clearly a doofus who doesn’t know what he’s
talking about. It had a cool black box though. #8: Assassin's Creed (2007) - PS3, Xbox 360 Here we are folks, the one that started it all; the game that inspired young chil
dren all
over the world to pull their dressing gowns over their heads and pretend to shank
their friends with a toy knife hidden up their sleeve. The very first Assassin’s Creed
game from the distant past of 2007. Ooooooh. Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad is an Assassin searching
for the sacred Pieces of Eden in the midst of the Third Crusade, which took place during 1191
for the less historically-inclined viewers among you. Meanwhile, Desmond Miles, his modern-day
descendent, is a regular guy with a re
gular life who gets hooked up to a machine to see what
his great-great-and-several-more-great-grandpops was up to in the past. You
know, like all regular guys do. The first Assassin’s Creed was a huge seller
for Ubisoft, shifting 9 million copies in just two years. This is nice and all, but, more
importantly, without this title, there would be no franchise as we know it today. No free-running
gameplay, no grand historical locations interweaving historical events with fiction,
and no modern
-day plot by Abstergo and their Templar pals. All of it can trace its roots back
to right here, and that’s pretty damned special. Obviously, critics didn’t know that at the time, so were more than happy to point out some of the
flaws with this new IP. These included repetitive combat - an issue that still gets brought
up about the series now - poor map layout, and AI that was more likely to kill you by
accident than with any sort of planned offence. But hey, who cares if Nan says a few
dodg
y things over Christmas dinner or if Grandad took out five lampposts
whilst driving back from the shops? We respect our elders in this family,
and that goes for video games too. #7: Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020)
- PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PC Whilst researching this entry, we made
a pretty startling discovery. Did you know that the Vikings nicked all of
their ideas for gods off of Marvel and the Thor films? I can’t believe
more people aren’t talking about this! In 2020, Assassin’
s Creed decided
to get in on the beardy, pillaging, boat-sailing fun when they released Valhalla,
the twelfth major instalment from the Blokes in Cloaks. This story follows those naughty
Norsemen - and women - as they run riot through England in the 9th Century AD,
damaging this beautiful country only slightly less than your average group
of football fans on a Saturday night. The player takes in this story through
the eyes of Eivor Varinsdottir, a warrior who was left orphaned by a warlord
and
his cronies at a young age and ends up falling in with a bunch of Hidden Ones later in life,
one of whom is Basim from Mirage. Eivor is out to avenge the murder of her parents, but not
before meeting the likes of Alfred the Great, having visions of Asgard and the Gods, and
swinging her axe at everything that moves. I say “her”, but, interestingly, players could
choose what gender Eivor was. We’ll stick with female pronouns for this entry however,
as Eivor is actually canonically femal
e. The game’s vast customisation options,
as well as its large open world, increased capacity for weaponry, and the
return of an Eagle Vision-type mechanic, was among the many plus points
that were highlighted in reviews. There were issues with how bloated the game
felt - a wider symptom of Triple A gaming at the time - and that Eivor didn’t actually grow
much on her journey, but most fans were happy to raise their horns of mead and thank Odin that such
a grand Viking adventure had been se
nt their way. #6: Assassin's Creed III (2012) - PS3, Xbox 360 To avoid any confusion, since the Ezio trilogy
included Assassin’s Creed II and its sequels came directly after, Assassin’s Creed III was released
after that was finished, which actually makes it the fifth overall title in the series. And this
was supposed to make things clearer how, exactly? Instead of the dashing Italian, players
instead take on the role of Haytham Kenway, a British poshboi overseeing the American
colonies duri
ng the time of revolution, as well as Connor, his half-Mohawk son. In his
people’s language, his name is Ratonhnhaké:ton, but I’m going to stick with Connor, because
there’s no way my embarrassingly British arse is going to be able to say that multiple
times without making a ridiculous error. In a neat little twist, Kenway is actually
revealed to be a false protagonist and a member of the Templars, whilst his son is
the Assassin out to stop him. As a result, Connor becomes the player charac
ter
after a few hours of playtime. This was the first time Assassin’s Creed players
could control two separate characters in the same time period, which played well with fans
and critics who were more than happy to be fooled. The varied combat also came in for some
praise, especially the naval battles, which would be featured much more prominently in the next
instalment of the franchise. More on that later. Assassin’s Creed III was really up against
it coming off the back of such successfu
l predecessors, but, thankfully, the
big risks it took largely paid off, and the game has a strong
following amongst the AC faithful. Was it better than the three games in the
Ezio trilogy? Well, we know it was better than one of them, because we’ve already
discussed it. That’s how these sorts of lists work. Have we taught you nothing
in all the years we’ve been doing this? #5: Assassin's Creed Origins
(2017) - PS4, Xbox One, PC With a subtitle like “Origins”,
you’d expect this tenth main
line Assassin’s Creed entry to be the one with the
earliest setting, and you’d be right… well, until the next game came along and was set
about 400 years before this one. Spoilsport. Origins takes place against the backdrop of
Ancient Egypt - which is already a big win, as who doesn’t love a Pharaoh or two? -
and introduces us to the husband-and-wife duo of Bayek and Aya. They’re a
pretty happy couple on the whole, well, that is until Bayek and his son get
kidnapped and, in the ensuing scu
ffle, he accidentally kills his own child. That sort of
thing is going to put some strain on a marriage. Much like in a marriage, things had gotten a bit
repetitive in the relationship between Assassin’s Creed and its player base. Few video game series
make it to ten entries, and with good reason, and long-term fans were worried that they were in
for more of the same with this Egyptian epic. So, Ubisoft decided it was time to shake
things up; the video game equivalent of taking a romantic g
etaway or wearing your
funky Friday socks on a Monday instead. A new character, Layla Hussein, was introduced in
the game’s Animus sections, which made them a bit more bearable. The combat system was overhauled
to be more free-flowing and less restrictive than in previous instalments, and extra attention
was given to making each location feel unique, whilst the number of collectibles on the map
was severely reduced. Thank God, because if I get told to go and get one more bloody eagle
feath
er, I’m going to scream my lungs out. All this contributed to a pretty great
reaction to Origins overall, instead of one that was [awkwardly] pyra-midling? [more
confident] pyra-midling. No? Ok, let’s move on. #4: Assassin's Creed Odyssey
(2018) - PS4, Xbox One, PC Remember we talked about the
game that was set before Origins, completely invalidating its name? Well,
that’s this one. Feel free to get angry. In Assassin’s Creed Odyssey from 2018,
Layla Hussein is back for more escapades in t
he present day; this time she’s
on the hunt for yet another artefact with those infernal Templars hot on
her heels. What a bunch of wronguns. For this outing, instead of a nice
Egyptian couple helping her out, Layla is assisted by the memories of a Spartan
mercenary - named either Alexios or Kassandra, depending on the player’s choice of gender
- who is fighting in the Peloponnesian War; a massive conflict between Sparta and
Greece that raged in the 5th Century BC. Hands up if you knew wha
t the
Peloponnesian War was before you played this game. Put your hands down,
at the back there! I know you’re lying! With Origins having given the series a much-needed
injection of fresh ideas, Odyssey continued the trend of letting players explore vast open spaces
and fight enemies in a more unstructured way, as well as introducing new side missions that allowed
them to battle mythical creatures from the realm of Atlantis. Because why would you have a game set
in Ancient Greece and not p
ut huge monsters in it? Most of the stealth elements that had defined
the series in its early days were dialled down, but the action-RPG elements were so good
that nobody cared too much. This was also the biggest world seen in an AC game to
date, and whilst some reviewers found its vast scale too much, the majority
were in awe of how epic everything felt; appropriate for a game named
after Homer’s legendary story. That’s Homer the Greek poet, not Homer
Simpson. Although now I want to see a
mod for this game where he’s the main
character called “Stupid Sexy Templars”. #3: Assassin's Creed IV: Black
Flag (2013) - PS3, Xbox 360, Wii U Grab your bottles of grog, find
a particularly chatty parrot, and prepare to catch a whole host of
diseases; it’s time to talk about pirates. For the sixth mainline Assassin’s Creed game,
which released in 2013, the series pointed its telescopes out towards the sea and decided its
newest adventure should take place during the golden age of piracy
. That’s between 1715 and 1722
in the West Indies, in case you were wondering. The captain of this particular voyage is Edward
Kenway, whose son and grandson we’ve already talked about in the AC3 entry. After killing an
Assassin and stealing his robes and identity, Kenway gets involved with their business
by initially playing both sides of the Assassin-Templar conflict for his own benefit.
However, one day he decides that the Templars are a bunch of stinky losers, and joins their
enemies o
n a full-time basis. Good call, Eddie. The main thing everyone talks about regarding
Black Flag is its stellar naval combat, which really is as good as everyone says it
is. Getting to steer a magnificent vessel around the vast oceans whilst firing cannons
to your heart’s content is the closest thing any of us will ever get to being pirates,
beyond watching movies illegally online. But there’s more to this game than driving
big wooden ships around - you do drive a ship, don’t you? The graphi
cs are great, the story
is non-linear and encourages exploration, and the plot holds up as one of
the best in franchise history. Black Flag is still regarded as one
of the best Assassin’s Creed games, open world games, and games of any kind for
the seventh generation of home consoles. It’s also most people’s pick for the
greatest pirate-themed game ever made, although it doesn’t have nearly
enough Jackanisms in it for my liking. #2: Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
(2010) - PS3, Xbox 360 The
delicious cheese and pickle in the middle
of the Ezio trilogy sandwich, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood continues the story of the most
famous video game Italian since a certain plumber, as he travels to Rome to take on the
powerful and influential Borgia family. This real dynasty, who played a
major role in the Renaissance, including producing two Popes, are,
in-game, high-flying members of the Templars. Who saw that one coming? Oh wait,
everyone did. That’s how these games work. In the mo
dern world, Desmond Miles returns
to mirror his ancestor’s feud with the secretive order, in an effort to prevent the
impending 2012 apocalypse. Considering all the mad stuff that’s happened since
2012, maybe an apocalypse wouldn’t have been the worst idea. Is it too
late to tell Desmond not to bother? There is a lot to like about Brotherhood,
and I mean a lot. From its compelling and multi-layered story to its exciting stealth
and combat, and fabulous voice acting and sound design to its
stellar multiplayer
mode, it did a perfect job of continuing the story from the previous title whilst also
introducing new ideas and gameplay strands. These include the ability to gather a group of
followers and order them to do your bidding, which would be so useful in real life.
The closest thing I have to that power is yelling at James, and that usually
ends with him crying in the toilets for several hours. Wouldn’t catch
Ezio doing that, would you James? Brotherhood received near-unive
rsal
critical acclaim upon its release, was nominated for several major awards, including
seven BAFTAs, and was Ubisoft’s most successful launch ever in the European market. Basically,
it’s a very, very good game, but whilst some people prefer The Two Towers, we’ve always
been bigger fans of The Fellowship of the Ring. #1: Assassin's Creed II (2009) - PS3, Xbox 360 Whilst the series technically began in
2007, it is generally acknowledged that Assassin’s Creed really got underway two years
later, with the release of its second title. Assassin’s Creed II, which was the last time
the numbering system on an AC game was actually accurate, is where we first meet Ezio, where we
first travel to Italy during the Renaissance, and where we first got details of the cataclysmic
event that Desmond would spend the next two games trying to stop. Basically, all your favourite
parts of Assassin’s Creed started right here. Initially a brash and arrogant young man,
Ezio takes up the mantle of A
ssassin after the death of his father. He discovers that
his papa was done in by the Templars after he learned of their plans, setting off a chain
of events that would cover the next three games. Critics went wild for it upon its release,
with most reviews highlighting how it had managed to maintain so much of what made
the first game so good whilst removing the parts that had made it drag. This was
a more refined experience in every way; better graphics, a strong plot,
faster paced action
, the lot. Had Assassin’s Creed II not been as successful
as it was, then the series as it is today simply wouldn’t exist. Ezio became an instant video game
icon, easily the most recognisable AC protagonist even after all this time, and his compelling
story - plus stellar voice acting from Roger Craig Smith - generated enough interest to
sustain the franchise for years to come. No matter how many subpar spin-offs Ubisoft
decides to release or how many millions of collectibles they force us
to gather up,
Assassin’s Creed will always hold a special place in the video game world, thanks in no small part
to one very handsome man in a long white cloak.
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