Summary
TheAssassin’s Creedfranchise has been around for almost two decades at the time of writing this article, and during this time, several titles in different historical periods have been released. Whilenot every game has received a much-needed sequelto expand on a character’s story, the fun is still there, even if players can’t connect as much with the leading assassins as they did with Ezio throughout his trilogy.
SomeAssassin’s Creedgames focus on deliveringthe best gameplay experience possible, while others bet on their narrative a lot more to make up for any weaknesses in game mechanics. Here are theworstAssassin’s Creedgames for newcomers. This list will not focus on quality, but rather on those titles that are the most inaccessible or complex for those getting into the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed 3is, by no means, the best installment in the franchise, as it lacked some depth with some of its characters. And while the story revolving aroundthe American Revolution and its historical figureswas interesting, there was some room for improvement. Having said that, that’s not the reason why the game has made the list, but rather because it implemented new game mechanics that, while attractive to longtime fans, might be too much for newcomers.
The introduction of naval combat, for example, was a great idea by Ubisoft, but it might take some newcomers by surprise.
Assassin’s Creed Rogueis not themost popular title in the franchise. This isn’t necessarily because it’s bad, but rather because it had an underdeveloped story that paled in comparison to other narrative masterpieces throughout the franchise’s history. Serving as a bridge between previous titles and taking place slightly beforeAssassin’s Creed Unity, it can be easy for newcomers to be taken by surprise by certain elements they were never exposed to and characters they’ve never seen before.
Shay Patrick Cormac is a good leading character, but not as great or intricate as Ezio, Bayek, or Arno.
Assassin’s Creed Unityis a very fun title with a beautifully designed rendition of France during the French Revolution. However, the game’s innovative game mechanics and outstanding detail could not save it from the uproar that the buggy experience caused among players.
Although most of the bugs and game-breaking glitches have been addressed over the years, there may still be some left that can make the experience for newcomers less than pleasant. This can be considerably worsened byusing mods, so players who want to keep their playthrough as uneventful as possible might want to tread lightly.
Assassin’s Creed Originsis probably the most controversialAssassin’s Creedtitle to date, as it was the first installment to heavily deviate from the standard formula that made the franchise famous in order to dive into RPG territory. For the most part, the game delivers on what it promises and is actually quite fun to play.
However, newcomers who want to get the classicAssassin’s Creedexperience will want to start elsewhere. Starting with Altair’s story by completing the originalAssassin’s Creedis a great idea, even though the title’s mechanics are a bit clunky.
Ancient Greece is probably one of the most important periods in human history, as it had some of the most renowned philosophers to have ever existed, epic wars, and tons of literary works that are still studied today.Assassin’s Creed Odysseyfollows the formula thatAssassin’s Creed Originsestablished and builds on it significantly with new characters, a compelling story, and improved mechanics.
While it’s not recommended for newcomers to the franchise to start by playing the games in the post-RPG era, those who wish to do it will find a few challenges inAssassin’s Creed Odyssey. For players who’ve already completed the game a few times, there are some interestingways to shake up a second playthroughout there.
Years beforeAssassin’s Creed Valhallawas released, thousands of theAssassin’s Creedfranchise’s fans had already been asking for a game set in the Viking era. When it finally came out, some players loved it, while others criticized it for the downloadable content and some historical inaccuracies that took away from the game’s narrative.
The problem with newcomers having their firstAssassin’s Creedexperience withAssassin’s Creed Valhallais the same as with other titles in the post-RPG era. There are too many game mechanics, and the main focus isn’t solely on assassinating targets as it once used to be. This title is great fun and should be played by fans of the franchise, but probably not as a first point of contact with this universe. Players who’ve already completed this game once, might be interested infinding a few new ways to shake their second playthrough up.
The Ezio Trilogy is regarded by most longtime fans of theAssassin’s Creedfranchise as the best in its universe. Not only does it follow a character that players had three different installments to become familiar with, but it’s also set in Renaissance Italy and Constantinople, which are, to say the least, very interesting historical periods to explore.
Assassin’s Creed Revelationsis probably the worst game for newcomers to get started with. Not because it’s bad or because the narrative is lacking, but rather because it’s the final installment of the Ezio Trilogy. This title is one of themost immersive in theAssassin’s Creedfranchise, but since it continues Ezio’s story and also touches heavily on Altair’s, newcomers will be extremely confused by many of the events that take place throughout the narrative.
