Ranking every Assassin’s Creed game from worst to best

Assassin’s Creed is one of the most popular franchises from Ubisoft. The series lets you take the role of an assassin using advanced tech like Animus to jump into globetrotting historical adventures where you will encounter several iconic historical figures. The action-packed combat and fantastic storytelling of the series across several years are worth admiring. With the brand-new Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Assassin’s Creed Infinity on the horizon, we take a look at some of the best Assassin’s Creed games in the series so far.

Assassin’s Creed games ranked from worst to best

12. Assassin’s Creed Rogue

Assassin’s Creed Rogue was a unique game in the franchise, allowing you to play as an enemy Templar rather than being a part of the Assassin’s guild. The naval battles in Black Flag were also expanded and improved in Rogue, which was quite exciting at the time. However, the game seemed pretty rushed with many game-breaking bugs at launch. Besides technical issues, the main campaign of Rogue seems extremely long and somewhat boring after a point. The best part of the game was that it let you destroy the Assassin’s guilds and kill Assassins without turning you into a complete villain.

Pros

• Unique Templar-themed story

Cons

11. Assassin’s Creed III

Assassin’s Creed III takes place during the 18th century American Revolution, which was a completely new setting after Revelations. Prior games in the franchise were largely set in Europe. The game launched with the new Anvil engine, which gave a huge boost in graphics at the time. The open-world of Assassin’s Creed 3 was much bigger compared to previous games, with natural foliage and fauna for hiding. However, the mission designs were quite subpar, which significantly affected the entire gameplay experience.

Pros

• American setting
• Great combat and parkour

Cons

10. Assassin’s Creed Unity

Assassin’s Creed Unity is set during the French Revolution, with a major chunk of the story being explored in a beautiful recreation of Paris. Just like Rogue, Unity launched with several bugs, which felt pretty disappointing at the time with new generation of consoles. However, the franchise introduced co-op gameplay with up to 4 players, making the game much more fun. Co-op gameplay is missing in modern Assassin’s Creed titles, which would be a great addition. Besides these, the story of Unity isn’t as interesting compared to other games in the series.

Pros

• Co-op support
• Great recreation of Paris

Cons

9. Assassin’s Creed Revelations

Assassin’s Creed Revelation allowed players to play as Desmond, Altair, and Ezio. However, the lackluster story held it back quite a bit. The game had a fun and unique hook blade attachment, which worked similar to a grapple gun. The hook blade was attached to your assassin’s blade and it helped you reach different spots vertically. It can also pull enemies closer for quick assassination. Besides these, Revelation had a vibrant world and an amazing soundtrack.

Pros

• Hookblade
• Great open world

Cons

• Main story could be better

8. Assassin’s Creed

Assassin’s Creed began Ubisoft’s successful franchise back in 2007 and it is still extremely popular. The game was pretty impressive for its time, although the combat and graphics may not hold up now. The series began with Altair, an assassin on a mission to further the cause of his secret order and uncover the mystery behind the Apple of Eden. The game was set in the 12th century Holy Land, with locations like Acre, Jerusalem, and Damascus.

Pros

• Kicked off the franchise
• Impressive mechanics at the time

Cons

• Lack of freedom in assassinations

7. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate took place in Victorian London, where players could take on the mantle of Jacob Fyre or Evie Fyre to free London from Templars. The game also had a grappling hook that allowed players to quickly climb large buildings as well as brass knuckles for combat. Speaking about the combat, it seemed quite repetitive throughout the game, which may be a deal breaker for some players. Besides these, the game also launched with technical glitches that may have affected many players at the time.

Pros

• Grappling hook
• Fun setting

Cons

6. Assassin’s Creed II

The Assassin’s Creed sequel launched two years after the original, and hardcore fans still love it to this day. The game was set in Renaissance Italy where you play as Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The game improved upon several aspects of the original, with stealth assassinations becoming the main focus on the franchise. Besides these, Assassin’s Creed II introduced dual hidden blades as well as a new disarm mechanic, which made the game even more fun. The sequel set up globetrotting adventures for the franchise in years to come.

Pros

• Great story
• Cool protagonist

Cons

5. Assassin’s Creed Origins

With Assassin’s Creed Origins, the series started going in a different direction with its roots established in previous storylines. Origins turned the stealth-focused action-adventure title you expected from the franchise to a beautiful story-driven open-world RPG. The game is set in ancient Egypt under the rule of Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII. Playing as Bayek, you need to restore peace and protect the people around you. One of the most annoying parts of Origins is the XP grind that restricts you from continuously exploring the main quest.

Pros

• New direction for the franchise
• Huge open world and great story

Cons

• XP grind restricts main quest progress

4. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla further improved the formula established in Origins and Odyssey. Just like Odyssey, you can pick the gender of your protagonist and go on an adventure in a beautiful Viking era British open world. The game tries to balance new and old elements of the franchise, with a distinct gameplay loop of forming alliances and upgrading your settlement. However, the underwhelming story of Valhalla truly holds back what could have been an incredible entry.

Pros

• Beautiful open world
• Revamped combat

Cons

3. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

Brotherhood was the successor to Assassin’s Creed 2 and it takes place in the same Renaissance Italy setting. The most special mechanic of Brotherhood was the ability to recruit other assassins and send them on different missions. Along with this, you were able to summon recruited assassins to assist you in combat. The game also introduced the series’ first online multiplayer experience, where players could parkour across rooftops and try to eliminate each other.

Pros

• Online multiplayer
• Great open world

Cons

2. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Staying true to its name, Odyssey is a massive game filled with a lot of content. You play as a mercenary in the midst of a war between Sparta and Athens. The game’s story evolves based on the dialogue options you pick, which will give you a different ending every time you play. Besides these, you will also encounter various mythical creatures and large animals that make up for great boss fights. Besides the tedious XP grind, Odyssey is truly one of the best games to recommend to new players.

Pros

• Huge open world
• A lot of content to explore

Cons

• XP grind restricts main quest progress

1. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Black Flag was a welcome departure from the series’ established formula of stealth-focused assassinations. The game takes place in the high seas on the 18th century where you play as a pirate assassin. Black Flag is known for its naval combat and fun whale harpooning experience, alongside its exciting story. The naval battles of Black Flag became so popular that Ubisoft added them to future games like Odyssey and Valhalla.

Pros

• Fun ship battles
• Beautiful open world

Cons