Published on: 16/02/2022

The Best Assassin’s Creed Games in the Franchise

Assassin’s Creed first graced our platforms way back in 2007, and since then, it has become a household name. Over the years it’s turned into a multimedia franchise, boasting a movie, books, and more than a dozen major titles in the series. It’s the flagship franchise for Ubisoft, and it has a cult following of tens of millions of fans all around the world. With all that in mind, we’re here to determine which are the best Assassin’s Creed games in the franchise.

We’re looking at the top five Assassin’s Creed games in the history of the series. Read on to find out if your favourite title makes the list of the best Assassin’s Creed games ever made.

5. Assassin’s Creed Origins (2017) – 84%

According to Metacritic, Assassin’s Creed Origins secured an all-time high rating of 84%. As a turning point in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Origins was a somewhat confusing title for long-term fans of the franchise. It introduced an all-new combat, levelling, and exploration system, boasting action RPG mechanics and the biggest world we’d ever seen in an Assassin’s Creed title.

It was massive, and ultimately, quite well-received (once fans understood its purpose). This title was remarkably well written, featuring an incredible performance by Abubakar Salim, who voiced the powerful protagonist, Medjay Bayek of Siwa. At the core of Assassin’s Creed Origins was an emotional and immersive story, but for some, it was simply too big and too different of a game to fit smoothly into the Assassin’s Creed model.

While it’s far from being one of the worst-rated games of all time, it’s certainly not the best Assassin’s Creed game.

4. Assassin’s Creed 3 (2012) – 85%

Assassin’s Creed 3 was officially the final title to feature Desmond Miles as a playable character. We’d followed his journey since 2007, when he entered the world of gaming through Assassin’s Creed, the first title in the franchise. In Assassin’s Creed 3, players experienced the American Revolution, fighting through cities like Boston and New York.

However, it didn’t end there, as Assassin’s Creed 3 featured a ‘Homestead’ area – a location that the player could upgrade over time. It was something of a home base, and it provided the player with many side missions and quests to chase. Furthermore, Assassin’s Creed 3 came equipped with a tantalising story, complete with shocking twists, intense drama, and ultimately, an overwhelmingly superb ending to Desmond Miles’ story.

3. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (2018) – 86%

Launching the year after Assassin’s Creed Origins, Odyssey serves as the furthest point back through history we’ve ever experienced through Assassin’s Creed. At the core of Assassin’s Creed is the exploration of days gone by, and in Odyssey, we go further back than ever before. This action RPG epic was set in Ancient Greece, at the height of the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta.

It was a beautiful game on the surface, even if there were a few flaws hiding just below the outer layer. While the story was predictable, it was action-packed, and it provided a further opportunity for Ubisoft to push the action RPG mechanics first introduced in Assassin’s Creed Origins. As a game, Assassin’s Creed Odyssey was massive, immersive, and it offered players the most powerful protagonist ever featured in an Assassin’s Creed game.

It was also the first Assassin’s Creed title to offer players the choice between a male or female protagonist, with the latter being canonical.

2. Assassin’s Creed Black Flag (2013) – 88%

Black Flag was an ambitious experiment for Ubisoft. Firstly, it was the first game in the franchise to go further back along the Assassin’s Creed timeline. Up until that point, we’d only got closer to the present-day setting, but in Black Flag, we went further back past its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed 3.

Secondly, Black Flag is regarded as one of the best Assassin’s Creed games without really being one. In Black Flag, players assume the role of Edward Kenway, a sea-scouring pirate captain, paired up with the likes of the infamous Blackbeard. While there was something of an Assassin-related substory, it was second to Kenway’s adventures as a dangerous, epic pirate adventurer.

1. Assassin’s Creed II (2009) – 91%

This title sits at the top of the list of the best Assassin’s Creed games, without a shadow of a doubt. When Assassin’s Creed 2 launched in 2009, it expanded perfectly on the established story, and then some. It featured several amendments to the core formula that only improved the game, and it introduced Ezio Auditore da Firenze. This protagonist is widely considered to be one of the best gaming characters of all time.

Read also: Which Assassin’s Creed Games feature Ezio Auditore?

Set during the peak of the Italian Renaissance, Assassin’s Creed 2 offered a colourful and engaging contrast to the dull, drab environments of Assassin’s Creed. In fact, it was such a fantastic title that it went on to spawn two more major releases, and an animated short that capped off the life of Ezio Auditore da Firenze in a touching fashion.

So far, no Assassin has enjoyed the screentime that Ezio Auditore has – he’s a legend, and this is easily the best Assassin’s Creed game to ever exist.