The Assassin's Creed franchise has existed within our industry long enough that you can almost identify the key transitions in different eras of game releases, provided you have been actively involved in it. We have seen how this series has reinvented and reinnovated itself from time to time at a pace that most other franchises wouldn't even dare to try. While some of its innovations have produced outstanding results, others have caught themselves in divided opinion about the series' direction.
If you have followed the Assassin's Creed series from the beginning, you are fully aware of how fundamentally different the game has become, transitioning from a linear, city-centric experience to becoming a fully developed open-world role-playing epic. So, let's take a look at how well all these games stand as of now, from best Assassin's Creed Games to Worst Assassin's Creed Games without spoiling the plot (in order from best to worst).
Assassin’s Creed II (2009)
When we talk about “the classic Assassin’s Creed formula,” we’re mostly talking about what Assassin’s Creed 2 perfected. This is the entry, you can say, where the series truly figured out its identity.
In open-world games, we very rarely get to experience such a clearly defined path of character growth as we do with Ezio, like how he develops as a young man. Even today, when we go back to play the game, it is clear how well it respected and utilized our time through well-designed missions and cities that rewarded exploration.
So, we won't be wrong if we say ACII was the heart of the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Every now and then, a franchise stumbles into something so natural you wonder why it wasn’t obvious from the beginning. For Ubisoft, Assassin's Creed Black Flag was this moment. Without hesitation, they were fully committed to the concept of being a pirate, and you could see this through every aspect, from ship combat to exploration to the ocean.
Many of those who played the game simply enjoyed it, even though half of them had never played any of the previous Assassin's Creed games. All they cared about was how much freedom was offered in the game.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
The name "Brotherhood" in the game actually carried significance in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood. Yes, this was the first title in the franchise that featured an assassin recruitment system, which instantly became a widely hit feature of the game.
Anyone who played Brotherhood at launch remembers how good Rome felt. The game had rich backgrounds, was very immersive, and had so much going on that it didn’t feel like filler. The multiplayer aspect of the game was also a very interesting addition and was much more strategic than most people expected.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
If you were covering or following the industry during the Unity/Syndicate underperformance era, you could see that Ubisoft was actually in a very tough spot. The franchise needed a reinvention, and Origins became that turning point for the studio.
Assassin's Creed Origins took a vast shift from the traditional Assassin's Creed formula by introducing open-world action RPG mechanics into the gameplay. The story follows Bayek and his wife, who set out to avenge their son's death. Essentially, the story attempts to convey an emotional connection, which was appreciated by both diehard fans of the franchise and newcomers.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Syndicate had an extremely rough start due to its release being at the exact point where many were still disgruntled over the technical problems of Assassin's Creed Unity (we'll talk more about this later). However, when people actually played Syndicate, they found that it was a really well-balanced Assassin's Creed game.
The way that Jacob and Evie carried the game's story was amazing. Assassin's Creed has had very few games that have been able to pull off dual protagonists well, but Syndicate made it feel so perfect. Many loyal fans of the series, particularly those who prefer to play stealth, still consider Evie to be one of their favorite characters. But, above all, that initial setback did affect the game's performance in terms of numbers.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Valhalla lets you explore the setting of snowy Norway and its political struggle of 873 AD. You will raid various Icelandic villagers and make your way toward England. This is how you will get an idea that the game is actually exploring a larger story.
However, As you play further into the game, the depth of what you are doing begins to feel thin and repetitive, and that was the only minus point of this game. Also, you will find that each region has its own unique story, breaking the momentum and pace of the game. It feels like you are starting fresh each hour or completing a mission, which is a downside for a story-driven game.
Assassin’s Creed Unity
And finally on our list, we have Assassin's Creed Unity, which would have been an industry hit but ended up being one of the cautionary examples during the PS4/Xbox One era.
It was based on the quality of both its graphics and gameplay. Unity launched with an exceptional visual presentation; the new Parkour system was highly smooth, and the environments felt alive with atmosphere, but where did it go wrong?
Bugs, glitches, and broken NPCs all gave off bad first impressions of the game. While a later update fixed these issues, the damage was irreparable. Even for Arno (our protagonist), his narrative felt uneven.
While this brings us to the end of our list, we have intentionally left out a few titles that have performed decently, or you can say did not leave an impact either in positive or negative ways. However, we would love to know your suggestions in the comments as well.
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