Summary
TheAssassin’s Creedseries 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 bestAssassin’s Creedgames 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.
The firstAssassin’s Creedgame 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 hailAssassin’s Creed 2as 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.
WithAssassin’s Creed 2turning 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, withBrotherhoodbeing 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 makestealth 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.
Black Flagis one of the bestAssassin’s Creedgames ever made that has aged like a fine wine.Assassin’s Creed 3was slightly disappointing for some players, which is whythe success of Edward Kenway’s adventureswas more important than ever before.
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 fromAssassin’s Creed 3.
NotallAssassin’s Creedgameschanged the franchise for positive reasons. By the timeAssassin’s Creed Unitycame out, fans were tired of the annual release schedule, and it didn’t help thatUnitywas loaded with bugs at launch and became one of the worstAssassin’s Creedgames 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 sinceAssassin’s Creed Unityis hailed by many as an enjoyable game in the series once players weren’t irritated by a consistent stream of bugs.
Assassin’s Creed Syndicateis an excellent gamein the series, letting players explore Victorian London and introducing the first-ever female protagonist in the series. However,Syndicatealso suffered from the fallout ofUnity’s poor reception.
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.
AfterThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntbecame 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 tochange the identity ofAssassin’s Creedwith the launch ofOrigins.
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 theAssassin’s Creedseries became popular once again.
