Assassin’s Creed has become one of Ubisoft’s most important franchises. Ever since the series first launched in 2007, the historical action-adventure games have been popular with players. The success of the franchise has meant that the French publisher pursued a wide range of sequels. In total, there have been 12 mainline titles in the Assassin’s Creed series. That doesn’t even take into account the many spin-offs and mobile titles that have been released.
Of course, not every single entry in the series has been met with critical acclaim. While many of the titles were received well by critics and fans, there are also several that fell below expectations. If you have ever wondered what are the best and worst Assassin’s Creed games, just keep on reading. Here are the Assassin’s Creed games ranked from worst to best.
12. Assassin’s Creed Unity
Assassin’s Creed Unity had a tough start. Not only were many details leaked before the 2014 release date but it also met with lots of criticism at launch. Primarily, this was a result of the title having a huge number of bugs and glitches. This included everything from graphical problems to performance issues. While many of these were fixed in subsequent patches, the damage was already done. It’s even made our list of The 8 Most Broken Games Ever Released.
11. Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations was the last game to feature the protagonists Altair and Ezio. That was probably for the best. After several titles, the two characters had been explored to death and a change in setting and story was needed. While this 2011 title did introduce new ideas, such as a tower defense mini-game, there was nothing significant. That made it a very missable experience for fans of the series.
10. Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation is not really that bad of a game. What makes it stand out from the better games in the franchise is its small size. That’s probably a result of it being originally made in 2012 for the PS Vita rather than a home console. This shows most obviously in the performance and scope of the title, which are both limited.
9. Assassin’s Creed
Although it was the springboard for the entire series, the first Assassin’s Creed game was not the best game. Obviously, there was a lot of potential in the concept and some interesting mechanics in this 2007 title. However, much of the gameplay was stale and repetitive. What it did do was set the groundwork for the subsequent sequels. This would allow for plenty of improvement in future titles.
8. Assassin’s Creed Rogue
Released in 2014, Assassin’s Creed Rogue took everything that was good about Black Flag and essentially replicated it with new characters. It also streamlined the experience, getting rid of some of the frustrating parts from the earlier game. However, it also failed to innovate or make any vast improvements, making it a completely derivative title.
7. Assassin’s Creed III
After the huge success of Assassin’s Creed II, the third main game in the series didn’t let down fans in 2012. While it wasn’t anything spectacular, it took players to a fresh setting and introduced brand new characters. It was also a great starting point for players who hadn’t experienced the franchise before. The best thing it did, though, was introduce the naval aspects that would be expanded upon in Black Flag.
6. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood is arguably one of the best titles in the entire series. This 2010 installment would almost certainly be higher on the list if it wasn’t so derivative of the second game. Yet, it also made a series of improvements to the combat and world-building that ensure it is one of the entries that fans have to play.
5. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Many of the more recent Assassin’s Creed game have strayed from the signature assassination missions. That wasn’t the case in Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. This 2015 title took everything from the previous games and picked out the very best parts to combine them together. The end result was a fun game to play and a compelling story set in Victorian London.
4. Assassin’s Creed Origins
The best Assassin’s Creed games have always been the ones that innovate. Although they always stay true to the core concept, they introduce new ideas and mechanics. Assassin’s Creed Origins is probably the best example of this, taking the franchise in a new direction in 2017. The RPG elements added a lot to keep the gameplay fresh, even if they were not implemented efficiently.
3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Continuing the trend started by Assassin’s Creed Origins, 2018’s Odyssey takes the RPG elements a step further. This time around they were also more refined and effective. Rather than bolted on, the role-playing parts blend seamlessly with the rest of the gameplay. When combined with the thrilling Ancient Greek setting and beautiful visuals, it led to a far more satisfying game.
2. Assassin’s Creed II
While the first game laid the groundwork, it was Assassin’s Creed II that truly showed the potential of the franchise. This 2009 title introduced players to the series’ most popular character in Ezio and refined the core gameplay. Perhaps best of all, it vastly improved the combat to make it far more engaging than in the original game.
1. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
The sixth major installment in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is probably the biggest outlier. While this 2013 title does stick to the series’ formula in many respects, it also radically alters many gameplay mechanics. Chief of all is the naval combat introduced, with the player taking control of an assassin pirate. The change of pace in being able to sail the high seas was thrilling. But the signature Assassin’s Creed gameplay was just as well done and made this one of the best games of the decade.
What are your picks for best and worst Assassin’s Creed games? Tell us in the comments below!
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