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The Assassin\u2019s Creed series debuted in 2007, and since then, the series has become a fixture in the gaming landscape. It received reliable annual installments (or more!) for several years; that cadence has relented a bit now, but the franchise’s long history has certainly left us with no shortage of Assassin\u2019s Creed games to enjoy. But how do they stack up against each other?<\/p>\n
\u00a0We originally published a version of this list back in 2015, but more Assassin’s Creed games have released now, and some of our perspectives have shifted. So we are taking another look\u00a0at the titles in the whole main series (no spin-offs or side-stories) and ranking\u00a0them, highlighting the best moments and acknowledging the weaknesses in each.<\/p>\n
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<\/div>\nEven as the lowest entry on our list, we can\u2019t say Liberation is a \u201cbad\u201d game. However, it was originally created for Vita (though an HD port was eventually made), and the system\u2019s limitations are apparent in the design and gameplay. Apart from its gimmicky features and restricted scope, Liberation still feels like an AC game at its core. The combat is a fun balance of offense and defense, and the story does a good job exploring the gray area between Assassins and Templars. Heroine Aveline\u2019s ability to use different personas to navigate New Orleans doesn\u2019t pay off, but Liberation delivers solid action even if it doesn\u2019t take the series into exciting new territory.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/div>\nEzio would be a hard act for any hero to follow, and AC III\u2019s Connor struggles to live up to his predecessor\u2019s legacy. Without much initiative of his own, he mainly does chores for important historical figures \u2013 and is coincidentally at the heart of every noteworthy event of the American Revolution. Narrative plausibility aside, this entry introduces some important and interesting elements, like naval combat and homestead-building. The colonial cities and vast wilderness aren\u2019t as fun to explore as Renaissance Europe, but this ambitious installment tries to provide a wealth of content and and tell a complex, generation-spanning story. It may not succeed at every turn, but you can\u2019t accuse AC III of not trying.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/div>\nUp to this point in AC\u2019s lineage, each entry in the series felt like a significant step forward. However, Revelations isn\u2019t much different from Ezio\u2019s other adventures; it has fun gameplay, cool missions, and a cinematic presentation. On one hand, it\u2019s hard to complain about more of a good thing. On the other, that\u2019s how franchise fatigue settles in. A tower-defense minigame is the only noteworthy addition \u2013 but it\u2019s terrible and interferes with your enjoyment of the rest of the game, which makes the whole experience feel like a step down. Plus, even though Revelations brings closure to the Ezio\/Altair storyline, Desmond\u2019s modern-day arc stalls completely, so it doesn\u2019t convey a larger sense of progress.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/div>\nDid you like Black Flag? Then you\u2019ll probably like Rogue, because it is basically the exact same game with different characters and cutscenes. The biggest improvements are removals, not additions; the aggravating tailing and eavesdropping missions from Black Flag are nowhere to be found. Otherwise, the experience is a familiar one \u2013 except this time you\u2019re a Templar hunting Assassins, a story twist that doesn’t fully realize its potential.\u00a0Rogue leans heavily on proven parts of the AC formula. You sail around on a ship, deploy your fleet, capture territory, hunt for collectibles, and (of course) perform assassinations. While this stuff is always fun, Rogue’s gameplay is too\u00a0reiterative to be truly\u00a0impressive.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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<\/div>\nYou\u2019ve probably heard the horror stories about Unity, or even experienced them yourself. There\u2019s no diplomatic way to say it: This game was a disaster at launch. Fans playing in the first few weeks encountered so many problems that Ubisoft issued a formal apology<\/a>. The damage was already done in terms of public perception, but here\u2019s the surprising part: Unity actually got pretty good<\/a> once the holes were patched up. Today, players can absorb a relatively hassle-free vision of the French Revolution, with fun co-op missions, an interesting levelling mechanic, and an uncharacteristically challenging approach to combat. Plus, the relationship between Arno and Elise is well done, adding a personal touch to the story.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n The original Assassin\u2019s Creed may not have all of the expanded systems of later entries, but it has a clarity of vision and purpose that is masterfully executed. Most of AC\u2019s open-world peers were about destruction in contemporary cities, but Ubisoft broke the mold by immersing players in a vast and mysterious ancient world that is still compelling today. The mix of stealth and action encourages you explore while being mindful of your surroundings, the combat is deliberate and unique, and the key assassinations have an almost puzzle-like quality. The missions preceding those assassinations are repetitive, but the hints of the larger narrative thread give players just enough to make them come back for more.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Every installment in this series makes changes to the formula, but Origins represents the biggest shift from one entry to the next. By reimagining combat and progression, Origins takes steps into the RPG genre with elements like tiered gear, player levels, and an expanded skill tree. Despite those changes, Origins still has many series hallmarks, like the fascinating Egyptian setting and the struggle between factions vying for power. While this game boldly tries new things, that experimentation comes with mixed success. Though Origins\u2019 risks are exciting, their rough-around-the-edges quality makes this experience feel like a\u00a0first step in a larger evolution.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Valhalla\u2019s map\u00a0might seem\u00a0scaled-down compared\u00a0to the massive size of\u00a0Odyssey and Black Flag, but\u00a0it arguably features more content than any Assassin\u2019s Creed game to date. Spanning the entirety of England and two mythological realms (soon to be three, thanks to a massive 40-hour expansion coming in 2022<\/a>), as well as Ireland courtesy of the Wrath of the Druids DLC<\/a>, simply put, there\u2019s no shortage of things to do in Valhalla. Be it sailing around English riverbanks, looting and plundering like the Viking king or queen Eivor is, assassinating Order of the Ancient members across the countryside, or laying waste to furry predators in Norway, you\u2019re going to be busy having a bloody (literally) good time. Like its open-world RPG predecessors, it features morsels of lore for those interested in the larger Assassins vs. Templar conflict and features significant reveals that could shape future Assassin\u2019s Creed games. But at the heart of Valhalla is a story of family, sacrifice, and revenge. If you need hundreds of hours of Assassin\u2019s Creed gameplay, Valhalla has you covered.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Fully embracing its open-world destiny, Assassin’s Creed II gives players denser cities to explore, more activities to undertake, and a more engaging combat system. The introduction of Ezio, who is remains the series’ most recognizable\u00a0hero to date, is just one of AC II\u2019s pivotal moves. It also establishes other key elements, like building and upgrading a headquarters, finding neat collectibles (like \u201cthe Truth\u201d), and earning income over time. This entry is also a visual treat, recreating the splendor of Renaissance Italy in full effect, from the towering cathedrals to the winding waterways. With so much to do and see, getting lost in Assassin\u2019s Creed II is inevitable.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n In many ways, Black Flag is a deviation from the Assassin\u2019s Creed titles that came before it \u2013\u00a0but it\u2019s still a ton fun. As a treasure-hunting pirate, you trade the tall buildings and political conspiracies of previous games for the danger of the high seas. A pirate\u2019s life is exciting, from the thrill of exploration to the chaos of naval battles \u2013 not to mention the sound of your crew singing sea shanties. The story feels\u00a0underwhelming and fragmented, but you\u2019re so caught up in conquering islands that you barely notice. If you approach\u00a0Black Flag as a pirate fantasy rather than a traditional Assassin\u2019s Creed game, you won\u2019t be disappointed.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Continuing the exploration of RPG territory started by Origins, Odyssey fully incorporates the new genre elements into the Assassin\u2019s Creed structure. As a mercenary in Ancient Greece, players have a satisfying level of ownership over all of their exploits. Whether you\u2019re making choices in dialogue or sailing across the huge map in your customized ship, the expansive sense of freedom in Odyssey is exhilarating. The skill tree gives you access to an array of exciting combat abilities, making you feel like an all-powerful force on the battlefield. The sheer volume of quests and activities mean that the tasks can get repetitive, but Odyssey\u2019s exceptional post-launch support<\/a> (via free updates and paid DLC) help inject variety into the adventure.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n A series can acquire a lot of baggage over multiple installments, implementing more\u00a0features across several different games than could ever fit in a single entry. Syndicate sifts through the possibilities and assembles an almost perfect representation of the\u00a0“classic style” Assassin\u2019s Creed experience.\u00a0The carefully crafted assassination missions (with great unique kills) and the compelling Victorian setting are the highlights fans would expect. However, the adventure still holds surprises; the new zipline reinvigorates traversal, and the upgrade system gives you a satisfying way to expand the abilities of the twin protagonists Jacob and Evie Frye.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Brotherhood strikes an almost perfect balance between judiciously refining the best parts of its predecessor and making its own mark on the series. While many elements return from AC II, the new mechanics Brotherhood contributes to the formula make it a deeper and more rewarding experience \u2013 but just by a hair. You are able to be more aggressive in combat, performing chain kills rather than waiting around for attacks to counter. Instead of upgrading a single base, Ezio renovates the entire city of Rome, claiming territory and improving shops to build Assassin influence. He also recruits his own initiates, calling on them in combat and sending them on missions that complete automatically in real-time. This layer of management makes players feel like more than a single blade in the crowd; it conveys a sense of overseeing and steering the fate of the Assassin order as a whole. Add in a clever competitive multiplayer mode, and Brotherhood becomes the ultimate Assassin\u2019s Creed experience against which all others are measured.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n8<\/h2>\n
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Assassin’s Creed (2007)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\n7<\/h2>\n
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Assassin’s Creed Origins (2017)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\n6<\/h2>\n
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Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (2020)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\n5<\/h2>\n
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Assassin’s Creed II (2009)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\n4<\/h2>\n
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Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\n3<\/h2>\n
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Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\n2<\/h2>\n
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Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (2015)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\n1<\/h2>\n
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Assassin\u2019s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)<\/div>\n<\/h2>\n\n