Assassin’s Creed is a video game franchise that truly needs no introduction. It first released back in 2007 and since then has evolved into a juggernaut spawning multiple titles within the main series as well as a bunch of spin-off games. The latest installment entitled Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is scheduled to release during the holiday season of 2020 on PlayStation, Xbox and PC – each promising a unique experience. This list consists of AC games released on PC, as they play out differently on other consoles. If you would like to try playing Assassin’s Creed on PlayStation, remember to stock up on your PSN Cards here when you’re done with the list!
Now, let’s take a trip down memory lane and rank all of the previous main installments in the franchise from best to worst.
1. Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, Revelations
When it comes to the best Assassin’s Creed game out there, none comes close to the Assassin’s Creed II trilogy. While we realize that we are talking about three games instead of one and are technically cheating, we strongly believe that Assassin’s Creed II is best experienced together with Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood and Assassin’s Creed Revelations.
There are numerous reasons that make the Assassin’s Creed II trilogy take our number one spot. The charismatic character of our protagonist Ezio, his character development throughout the trilogy, the historical figures such as Leonardo Da Vinci and the beautiful setting in Italy are some of the many reasons.
Gameplay-wise, the combat was greatly improved compared to its predecessor and while the game was still a sandbox to a degree, it offered a lot more things to do. Some of them would be to obtain rare armor sets, customizing your mansion as your home base, recruiting fellow assassins to fight on your behalf, claiming territory as your own as well as crafting your own gear.
The story is very well written and the way it connects to the first game is breathtaking. Overall, the trilogy hugely expanded on all of the aspects of the first game and that earns it the number one spot.
2. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a close second on the list but it definitely isn’t what you would expect from a standard AC title. While the game does feature the sneaking aspect, assassination, climbing and parkour, it starts to deviate from the formula with naval battles, shark hunting, and sunken treasure hunts.
While the story isn’t the greatest, it does connect to the main storyline of the franchise in a rather interesting way, and the character of our protagonist Edward is very likable and charismatic. The campaign of the game is not the best and has its ups and downs, but the sheer amount of exploration that you can do and side missions that you can complete allow you to carve your own path to success. Overall, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is a great game that is unique in the franchise and should be awarded its own series of games.
3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is our third pick on the list and it was not an easy decision. As an AC installment, it perfected many older aspects and introduced a lot of new ones into the franchise successfully. Whether that is good or bad, is entirely debatable. The game features an open world, a lot of history, and new characters who have interesting personalities and great character development.
The combat system received an overhaul and many RPG elements have been added to the game. The reason we say that all of this is debatable is the fact that the story is far from what we would expect. It suffers from the same issue as the AC Origins, but successfully implements everything that Origins couldn’t which is why it is placed so high on the list.
4. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is kind of a return to the norm when it comes to an AC game and doesn’t stray far from the already familiar mission formula. It brings us back to the roots of AC games which are stealthy assassinations, admittedly monotonous fetch quests, and many other small chores that we can choose to indulge in.
The Victorian era of London, although a bit bland and dreary, is an interesting setting. Having two protagonists who take different approaches to combat as well as other situations that you can find yourself in offers enough variety to keep things interesting. Although the combat does feel a bit outdated in this one, it is still a good Assassin’s Creed game.
5. Assassin’s Creed
Ahh, the start of it all. The original Assassin’s Creed game was very difficult to place as it pales in comparison to most of its successors. However, we feel like it should be at least somewhere in the middle if not higher on the list. The original AC was the first game of the franchise – it introduced us to the whole storyline and core elements of every game to come.
The struggle between the Assassins and the Templars, the old civilization, the Apple of Eden, we saw it all first in this game. While the game does feel a little too sandboxie for modern standards; the storyline, interesting plot, and historical aspect of the game easily overshadow it.
6. Assassin’s Creed Origins
Assassin’s Creed Origins is next on our list and it is what we would consider being a mixed bag in terms of gameplay, setting, and story. While the game has its good aspects, namely the huge map, beautiful locations, and a well-written story, it also has its downfalls. The main thing that causes this game to be placed lower on the list is not just its disconnection from the main storyline, but it’s disconnection from the Order of the Assassins in general.
The game does bring a lot of good things to the table such as an improved combat system as well as RPG elements but the weapons are poorly balanced and the ranged ones are too overpowered. This causes players to completely ignore sneaking around and ambushing enemies, preferring to just shoot at them from a distance. This is a major gameplay issue considering the core gameplay aspects of the AC franchise. Overall, ACOrigins is a good game, just not a good Assassin’s Creed game and that’s why it is so low on this list.
7. Assassin’s Creed Unity
Getting close to the end here with Assassin’s Creed Unity as our seventh pick. Now, contrary to many other lists and discussion boards, AC Unity is not the worst AC game out there. Many aspects of the game are just what everyone wants from an AC title.
A rich story, an interesting setting during the French Revolution, and a very relatable main character. However, what drags this game down on every list is the sad state that it launched in back when it was released.
Assassin’s Creed Unity launched in an unfinished state riddled with bugs and issues. To make things worse, it was very poorly optimized so most players couldn’t even run it at the time it was released. A lot of these things got fixed over time and Assassin’s Creed Unity is one of those games that is definitely worth revisiting today.
8. Assassin’s Creed III
Coming in at number eight on our list is Assassin’s Creed III, and while it is technically the worst game on the list, it is by no means a bad game. It just simply isn’t as good as all the others. Assassin’s Creed III was the first game that introduced us to naval battles which is a concept loved by many fans, and was expanded upon in AC IV: Black Flag. The game also featured improved parkour and smoother movement animations as well as a great setting during the time of the American Revolutionary War, where players can help general George Washington win a decisive battle.
Unfortunately, things go downhill rather quickly for Assassin’s Creed III. The main protagonist lacks character development and his personality is not that interesting which makes him unrelatable to players. While this installment marks the end of the main storyline and our modern protagonist Desmond, it leaves many questions unanswered regarding the whole plot which was never really touched upon in any other games since.
Final Thoughts
This concludes our list of Assassin’s Creed games ranked from best to worst and while some of the games were better than others, there is no doubt that all of them were good games that had a lot of thought and love put into them. While a few things didn’t quite work out in some of them and things may not have gone as planned in others, there is no doubt that all of them are still worth playing today after thirteen years.
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