Summary
- Assassin's Creed 2 revamped open-world, introduced iconic protagonist Ezio
- Assassin's Creed Brotherhood innovated with killstreaks in combat system
- Assassin's Creed Origins shifted the franchise to open-world RPG, revitalizing the series.
The Assassin's Creed series has been through its fair share of ups-and-downs with fans loving the games when Ubisoft was at its peak. For the most part, players should have a great time checking out the best Assassin's Creed games around, which are fairly entertaining even if some of these titles are showing their age. Some of the most notable titles in the series have done a great job of helping the franchise evolve, for better or worse.
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Engrossing in the history of the Assassin's Creed franchise is made even greater with the nostalgic and powerful opening lines from some of the games.
6 Assassin's Creed 2
Improved The Open World And Introduced One Of The Series' Most Iconic Protagonists
Assassin's Creed 2
- Released
- November 7, 2009
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Platform(s)
- macOS, Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
The first Assassin's Creed game was fun in its own right, but no one expected the glow-up of the sequel. Featuring a massive sandbox, improved gameplay, and a compelling protagonist, it's easy to see why many fans hail Assassin's Creed 2 as one of the best sequels ever made.
Ezio is a joy to control as he slowly becomes an assassin and completes missions while trying to fuel his revenge plot. The gameplay may be a bit dated by modern standards, but the impact this game had on the franchise is something that can still be felt to this day.
5 Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Killstreaks Became A Staple Of The Combat System For A Long Time
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
With Assassin's Creed 2 turning into one of Ubisoft's biggest successes, the company decided to capitalize on this success as much as they possibly could. This led to Ezio enjoying two more games that elaborated on his story, with Brotherhood being lauded by many as one of the best games in the series.
The addition of killstreaks helped combat become more cathartic than ever before as players dropped enemies by the dozens without facing too many problems. This did make stealth in the game less important than before, but fans didn't mind as long as Ezio became a whirlwind of death in battle after landing a single combo.
4 Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
The Ship Traversal And Combat Helped The Gameplay Feel More Varied
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag (2013)
- Released
- October 29, 2013
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Genre(s)
- Action, Open-World
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
Black Flag is one of the best Assassin's Creed games ever made that has aged like a fine wine. Assassin's Creed 3 was slightly disappointing for some players, which is why the success of Edward Kenway's adventures was more important than ever before.
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Every Assassin's Creed game may have a unique setting and cast of characters, but they also all share a fair few classic traditions too.
Players loved the idea of becoming an assassin who explored the high seas and engaged in acts of piracy. The Carribean was beautiful to explore, with players engaging in ship battles that were a ton of fun and perfected the naval combat from Assassin's Creed 3.
3 Assassin's Creed Unity
An Important Game For All The Wrong Reasons
Assassin's Creed Unity
Not all Assassin's Creed games changed the franchise for positive reasons. By the time Assassin's Creed Unity came out, fans were tired of the annual release schedule, and it didn't help that Unity was loaded with bugs at launch and became one of the worst Assassin's Creed games in the eyes of many.
It cemented the fatigue that players were experiencing for the game, which was reflected in the dwindling sales for the franchise. It's a shame since Assassin's Creed Unity is hailed by many as an enjoyable game in the series once players weren't irritated by a consistent stream of bugs.
2 Assassin's Creed Syndicate
The Low Sales Forced Ubisoft To Pivot When It Came To The Franchise's Gameplay
Assassin's Creed Syndicate
Assassin's Creed Syndicate is an excellent game in the series, letting players explore Victorian London and introducing the first-ever female protagonist in the series. However, Syndicate also suffered from the fallout of Unity's poor reception.
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Assassin's Creed games are known for being very fun to play. Here are some installments in the franchise with the best gameplay.
So, despite being a polished experience with many highlights, Syndicate's low sales caused Ubisoft executives to execute a major pivot for the series. The franchise took a break and came back with a new identity that was very divisive with fans.
1 Assassin's Creed Origins
Turned The Franchise Into An Open-World RPG For A While
Assassin's Creed Origins
- Released
- October 27, 2017
- Developer(s)
- Ubisoft
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
- OpenCritic Rating
- Mighty
After The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt became one of the most popular and revered video games ever made, Ubisoft decided that they wanted to enjoy a slice of the open-world RPG pie too. Instead of creating a brand new IP, the company decided to change the identity of Assassin's Creed with the launch of Origins.
The game was massive and jam-packed with content, letting players witness the birth of the Assassin Order. It's a huge tonal shift for the series that fans were unsure about, but it worked in Ubisoft's favor as the Assassin's Creed series became popular once again.
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Assassin's Creed is synonymous with expansive open worlds, but which entry in Ubisoft's franchise is the best in this area?