The Spectacles And The Setbacks; Do These Rankings Resonate With You?
Which Assassin’s Creed game is the best? For many of the top AC titles, that’s like asking me which piece of pizza I like most out of the few slices I have left. I like them all equally, thank you very much! Alas, I have utilized not only official critics’ scores but user scores as well in order to present a hierarchy that favors the opinions of players who shed pounds nerd-sweating over these great games. As it stands, Assassin's Creed is one of the most successful game franchises ever to grace our PC's. Regardless of the platform you haved played these on, these titles have seen huge success.
There's just something about these guys that makes you want to assassinate them.
Gamers who darted into the world of Assassin’s Creed when it first launched back in 2007 show no hesitation in expressing their resounding opinions that label this is as one of the best running series. With each entry comes a new plot advancement or an experience that makes ends meet in the bigger picture. These additions to the story often come with high praise, other times they are met with grief. Aside from the plot-advancements, AC games have a lot of other qualities that make them worthwhile.
Locales in Assassin’s Creed couldn’t really get any better; these games present historical fiction at its finest. This sense of realism adds a nice blur-effect where at times you are wondering what is fact and what is fiction. Combat has a solid feel, and while navigating through most of the environments you feel like you are driving a quality vehicle. Alright, alright. I suppose we can talk about the story.
Freedom Cry makes for some memorable moments...*tear*
Assassin’s Creed revolves around the Assassin’s known as the Brotherhood, and the Templar Order, their archrivals. While the Brotherhood believes that every human has the right to freedom, the Templars operate under the notion that peace can only be achieved by enacting rules and maintaining order. These different points of view led the two sides into a violent war.
In the process of unveiling events in the plot, the player controls the present day descendants of some Assassins who lived in different eras. By accessing their genetic memories, the player is able to relive the lives of these Assassin ancestors. The Animus, a machine created by a corporation known as Abstergo Industries, is what makes this possible. Interestingly, Abstergo is the modern-day front that provides the Templar Order some cover from which to operate. With all of this goodness in mind, let us go on an Assassin’s Creed journey to explore, from best to worst, one of the most prolific video game series on the planet.
10. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
Sometimes an assassination mission morphs into a small-scale skirmish.
Following the events in Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood has players continue following the story of Ezio as he works to reestablish a foundation of assassin’s in Rome. It is there that the Assassin’s must confront a menacing Templar family whose stranglehold on the city must be dissolved. Brotherhood is considered high-shelf material by many critics and gamers alike for a host of reasons. It is these reasons why Brotherhood also sits top-shelf in this article.
Death from above!
Brotherhood is set in Rome and invites players to explore one very large, open world. The interface is user friendly and the menus provide more information and facts for those who love their fancy-facts. History buffs can further rejoice since Rome is portrayed accurately. The game also brought improvements to combat in general, including new assassin skills and a multiplayer mode. At times, exploration can be frustrating since out-of-bounds areas are not always clearly illustrated on the map. However, the detailed character models, fluid combat animations, and clear representation of the city infuse a sense of authenticity into the game. This feeling persists throughout the 20+ hour single player campaign and even carries over into a memorable multiplayer experience which includes leaderboards.
All of these features add up to a seemingly perfect setup, right? Well, Brotherhood marks the onset of a flood of complaints that accuse the developers of cramming in too many distractions. Despite these complaints, the overall opinion is that the balance found in Brotherhood is close to perfect.
9. Assassin's Creed II
Open-world environments invite you to dive on in.
Assassin's Creed II continues where the first left off. For most of the game, players control Ezio who rises to Assassin-hood after his family experiences a brutal betrayal. There are also portions of the story that take place in the present day, as Desmond desperately attempts to escape Abstergo and their forceful use of the Animus on him. This title is worthy of the second place slot as one of the best Assassin's Creed games because of the impact its design had on the rest of the titles in the series. The developers listened to players’ criticisms regarding the original Assassin's Creed, which resulted in the ironing out of almost every flaw.
Improvements seen in this ironed out sequel include a more dynamic storyline, plenty of side missions, revamped graphics, and a more responsive combat system. One of the most exciting things about this sequel is that it gives players the opportunity to experience life in a virtual Renaissance Italy. The music plays an important role in immersing the player in the atmosphere of that era. Should the player wish for an even deeper level of immersion, there is an option to set the language of the game to Italian. Also, trying to hunt down every collectible was a huge incentive to explore.
Escape routes are left up to your imagination in these dynamic environments.
Though it may not have all the features of its sequels, this title is responsible for one of the largest improvement gaps that a sequel has ever created.
8. Assassin's Creed: Black Flag
A mini-boss while en route to the mission, why not?
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations and Assassin’s Creed III both received negative feedback from the players and many assumed that the Assassin’s Creed series had reached a dead end. However, Ubisoft made a brilliant move by taking naval gameplay, one of the most appreciated elements of Assassin’s Creed III, and built a game around it in Black Flag. Edward Kenway, the main protagonist of Black Flag, tells a new and refreshing story utilizing the dryland gameplay that players are already familiar with. Thankfully, the story is playful and doesn't get bogged down in politics and melodrama.
The pirate setting is a fantastic fit for the series’ theme of open exploration and combat. Sailing the Caribbean seas in search of islands to explore and enemy ships to plunder offers hours of potential fun. The combat in Black Flag has been streamlined, which is due in part to the game’s incorporation of naval warfare. The freedom to strike out on the open seas without a care in the world definitely entices the adventurous type. A vast ocean is waiting to be explored, on which the player will encounter enemy ships and forts, as well as dive sites in which treasure can be found. The graphics of Black Flag are simply stunning.
If piracy is your scene, Black Flag will set you free!
Of all the entries in the series, Black Flag has the most to offer, and this alone lands it a top spot as one of the best Assassin's Creed games. Though it boasts a lot of new features, its naval warfare does not attract everyone. Many of the main missions focus on pirate themes and this can make the game feel lopsided, especially for those who aren’t big pirate-fans. For those individuals, the situation improved with the arrival of Assassin’s Creed: Unity, a more typical game of the series, and Rogue, which is considered a spiritual-successor of Black Flag.
7. Assassin's Creed I
Altair must act carefully if he wishes to reclaim his honor.
Assassin's Creed I came onto the gaming scene as a title with massive potential. It brought forth interesting new content including a unique dual-story consisting of present-day Desmond, being manipulated by people and technology that are way over his head. Desmond simply doesn’t know the history, but in due time he comes to know a lot more about his Assassin ancestor, Altair, than he thought was humanly possible. Due to the sheer amount of mechanics it possessed, this game raised the bar for what was going to be expected from future installments in the series.
The concept of the game was unique at the time given that traditional stealth games only involved hiding in the shadows. What makes Assassin's Creed stand out from the crowd is that it allows players to blend into a crowd; a feature that has persisted throughout the entire series. Of course, exploration has no limits; players can go anywhere and kill anyone if they wish. Also, this was the game that gave gamer’s around the world the tingles as they activated the hidden-blade for the first time. That was the year when there was a shortage of sharp pencils and a surplus of students paying the school nurse a visit after having gored their wrists on their hidden weapons. As groundbreaking as these features were, there were some things about the game that didn’t impress.
Even assassin's believe in living to fight another day.
One of the biggest problems in this game is that it quickly takes on the flavor of an endless grind. This opened the door for a story that might strike some as slow-paced and speckled with uninspired elements from time to time. While fun for its time, Assassin’s Creed didn’t take big enough risks to set itself up to become a classic.
6. Assassin's Creed: Revelations
The hook-blade pushes the term handy to the next level.
Revelations weaves together a few different plotlines involving Desmond, Ezio, and Altair. The backbone of the story is comprised of Ezio’s quest to get at the mysteries inside of Altair’s vault by utilizing his memories. At this point in the games we are quite familiar with and borderline bored of Ezio Auditore. Perhaps this is why many players believe that Revelations represents the low point of Ubisoft's creative-direction with Assassin's Creed. Even so, Revelations has a nice, thick silver-lining.
What makes Revelations stand out is that it presents a perfect blend of historical fiction, the artistic style is top-notch and the multiplayer is innovative. The hook-blade, an extension of the hidden-blade, makes an exclusive appearance in this title as part of the technology derived from the Constantinople branch of the Assassin Brotherhood. Revelations was also praised for its incorporation of space and time travel. Not only did these two features aid players in piecing together overarching storylines, they also provided an escape from Constantinople, which many viewed as one of the least memorable settings in the franchise. Constantinople was one of a few major complaints that players had about the game. Another cause for complaints stemmed from players being required to participate in an ill-conceived tower defense mini-game. Due to the mini-game being perceived as a gimmick, the game received harsh criticism for it.
While Revelations does a fine job of rehashing the recruit-and-train-assassin’s formula, that milked-concept coupled with the easily forgettable setting of Constantinople leave much to be desired. Still, the game took and perfected every system found in previous games.
5. Assassin's Creed: Rogue
Gorgeous environments are one of the few redeeming traits in this lackluster experience.
In Rogue, Players take control of Shay Cormac, an assassin turned Templar, who is out to hunt his former kind. Shay's story takes place during the Seven Years War and his quest makes him a contemporary of Haytham Kenway. The game was developed by Ubisoft Sofia and deploys an improved version of Black Flag's gameplay. Whether assassinating targets on the ground or sinking ships in the North American Arctic waters, an angry and vengeful Shay executes his job with precision.
A few highlights of the game are the ability to get inside a Templar and the improved visibility during naval battles. Also, due to the chosen historical period, characters and locations are unique. The air rifle, a new weapon available, is also considered a plus.
The downside of the game is that it can become monotonous, there is no underwater exploration and it feels more like an expansion pack than a separate installment. Being the 7th installment in the series, Rogue simply doesn’t have enough character to stand tall on its own.
4. Assassin's Creed III
An executioner being assassinated, how glorious!
One of the most negatively viewed games in the series, Assassin’s Creed III, set itself on a very ambitious path. Players assume the identity of Desmond’s descendent, Connor, as he struggles to suppress Templars who are vying for freedom during and following the American Revolution. After playing as Ezio for the previous three games, many players were eager to see a new protagonist. Unfortunately, not everything worked out as well as Ubisoft hoped it would.
As far as Connor is concerned, he is quite different from Ezio in that he comes across as more serious. Although this can make his mission more emotionally compelling, sometimes he appears static, incapable of adapting his emotions to the scene. When it comes to features, Assassin’s Creed was a breath of fresh air, even though implementation was not a stunning success.
Assassin's Creed III was the first game to feature naval combat which offered a new style of missions and the accompaniment of new animations alongside improved graphics were thrilling. However, the mechanisms involved in this naval-style of combat were not mastered until later on in the series. Despite the lackluster naval experience, the story is very compelling and has many surprises. While an Assassin's Creed game set during the American Revolution sounded amazing, the delivered goods fell far short of the hype.
Reasons for this are that the story was overwritten, and the opening tutorials seem to drag on before players are finally set loose in the world. More complaints were raised regarding a host of bugs that are still present. On top of that, the new fighting and health systems are not easily understood and naval battles are not incorporated into the multiplayer. However, the fans love the Colonial America setting and the leaping, stalking and killing mechanics are still satisfying to this day. In the end, the baggage that Assassin’s Creed III carries disqualifies it from being able to contend with the best in the series.
3. Assassin's Creed: Freedom Cry
No doubt about it, the heart of Freedom Cry is eye-candy.
Even if Freedom Cry is the DLC for Black Flag, it is considered a standalone release. The story presents the life of the assassin Adewale, Edward Kenway’s former quartermaster. Upon finding himself shipwrecked on the island of Saint-Domingue, Adewale, a former slave, attempts to incite rebellion amongst the slaves he encounters so that they might be free men.
Embracing a general view, Freedom Cry’s gameplay is similar to Black Flag’s although it introduces additional elements to combat, weapons included. The game shines thanks to powerful storytelling, fleshed-out characters, and gorgeous environments. The downside to Freedom Cry is that the missions are somewhat tasteless and exploration is restricted to a bare minimum.
2. Assassin's Creed: Liberation
There is nothing sexier than a female assassin.
Liberation takes place at the same time as Connor's story and introduces us to the only female protagonist from the series, Aveline de Grandpré. Not only is Liberation a video game released in the world as we know it; the plot involves Abstergo releasing a video game called Liberation that is propaganda working in favor of the Templars. The historical setting of the game takes place between 1765 and 1780, from the period between the end of the French and the beginning of the Indian War, until the American Revolution.
Liberation’s primary gameplay is based on Aveline's three main branches, or disguises: Assassin, Lady, and Slave. These guises grant her mobility that she otherwise would not have due to the unique skillsets she has access to within each persona. As far as features go, Liberation doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The only aspects worthy of mentioning are that the HD version has updated graphics and some new missions.
Fans of the franchise will certainly have a hard time finding joy in Liberation’s short, simplistic missions and subpar voice acting. The only drawing factor of Liberation is the disguise system, which can’t be found in any other Assassin’s Creed title.
1. Assassin's Creed: Unity
Clearly there is disagreement regarding who should be executed.
Assassin’s Creed Unity is a next-generation-only version that was also developed for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. In Unity, the action takes place during the French Revolution and the main character is the French assassin named Arno Dorian. It is Arno’s noble intent to curtail the Templars’ threatening imposition on Paris. As the story unfolds, Arno comes to learn that the cards are stacked against him.
Unity introduces a new and exciting feature, the parkour system, which allows Arno to descend from high buildings with relative ease. This version also introduces a more intimate multiplayer experience that encourages cooperation since players must fulfill complementary roles in combat.
The fact that a city as beautiful as Paris and a historically charged point in time are not delved into is a major downside of Unity. It feels as though the story and the main characters have no personality and the cooperative mode could benefit from more optimization. Furthermore, the stealth and parkour mechanics are not seen as strong points due to countless bugs.
There is plenty of good to be found in that the historical locations within virtual-Paris look splendid and secondary characters are unique (such as Napoleon, de Sade and Robespierre). Overall, drawbacks such as poor optimization, combat glitches, micro-transactions, and a campaign lacking depth are too much to recover from.
The first Assassin's Creed isn’t ridden with any game-breaking flaws, yet is too linear to boast about its achievements. On the other hand, it appears that many of the recent installments suffer from serious cases of tunnel vision. It would seem that in their pursuit of highly dynamic gameplay, the developers have overshot the sweet spot that requires games to possess a perfect blend of traditional concepts and bleeding-edge innovation.
This concludes our 10 best Assassin's Creed games, ranked best to worst. How would you rank these titles? Which features or gameplay aspects keep you coming back to Assassin's Creed? As time goes on there will surely be new candidates for this leaderboard; it will be exciting to see what features those games boast.
