Assassin’s Creed is a franchise that not only offers some fantastic gameplay, the intrigue of visiting historical moments through a different lens really draws players in.
However, since we’re in 2024 and the Ubisoft series has been going since 2007 with new iterations on the way, there are a plethora of different games to choose from, potentially giving you choice paralysis.
To help you out with this, we’ve put together a simple top 5 list of the best Assassin’s Creed games you can play this year, so you can get stuck right into the best hidden blade action, leaving the somewhat lackluster entries for another day.
Best Assassin’s Creed games: A top 5 list
5. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood was the continuation of the ever-popular Ezio Auditore’s adventures, building on what was created in its predecessor – Assassin’s Creed 2.
Refinements to various systems was a great idea and because Ezio returns, the continuation of the story was certainly welcomed.
However, the playable space got smaller, constricting you to the areas in and around Rome rather than the multiple regions of 2.
One big addition that Brotherhood brought to the franchise though was multiplayer.
This offered up a hunter vs hunted scenario where you embody either Templars or Assassins, battling it out in the crowds of Rome.
While the days of the mode being populated are long gone, it’s definitely worth touching on since it was such a fantastic addition at the time.
4. Assassin’s Creed Origins
Assassin’s Creed Origins took the series to Egypt – a region that a lot of fans had been requesting due to the sheer amount of interesting history, unlocking the potential for a great AC game.
The main reason it makes the cut here is due to it completely revolutionizing the core gameplay, changing the usual stealthy affair into a real open world escapade.
This breathed new life into the slowly decaying elements that most were getting somewhat tired of, even breaking into the RPG genre with both looting and the overall feel of combat.
Bayek, the game’s protagonist, was interesting enough, and the story was well constructed overall, allowing you to learn even more about where it all began for the Brotherhood.
Looking back on it now in the current year, it’s an Assassin’s Creed game that you should definitely play, even if later entries build on most of the aspects introduced here.
3. Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
Similar to that of Origins, Odyssey heads to a much-wanted country and time period – Ancient Greece.
Before talking about the gameplay elements, the first thing we need to go over is the simply stunning visuals.
In our opinion, this is probably the most beautiful AC game out there with incredible vistas and varied terrain that just takes what Origins did to a whole new level.
It builds on the systems that were introduced in that game also, developing the role playing elements even more to make it an even more refined affair.
One particular introduction that sets it aside from its predecessor is the tweaks to notoriety system which turns you into the prey.
This is a small but significant change that just adds another dimension to the already solid foundations.
It’s also the first time in the series where you get a choice between the playable character – Alexios or Cassandra.
While the story doesn’t really change based on your choice, having the option was a key reason why more people entered the franchise with this game.
2. Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
Regarded by many as one of the best Assassin’s Creed games, Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag secures its place as our number 2 pick.
Being probably the most unique Assassin’s Creed experience, Black Flag takes you on the high seas as you pillage and plunder your way through the game, with less emphasis on the stealthy assassin mechanics.
This was a huge breath of fresh air at the time, opening up the world, allowing you to traverse both land and sea seamlessly, singing sea shanties as you go.
It basically takes what Assassin’s Creed 3 created, makes it a thousand times better and more fun in the process, creating a game that will make you explore for hours on end.
The core story lets it down slightly with some bland missions, but the fact you can just hop into a boat and hunt down a variety of sea creatures instead means you can just do what you’d like instead.
1. Assassin’s Creed 2
In our eyes, Assassin’s Creed 2 is the pinnacle of the franchise, and an absolute must play if you haven’t had the chance to do so already.
This second entry into the Assassin’s Creed series is marked as the place to begin due to the sheer amount of improvements over the original, coupled with the introduction of Ezio Auditore.
Ezio is touted as being the best protagonist throughout all of the games thanks to his interesting backstory in conjunction with the intriguing Italian Renaissance era, while also getting a number of interesting story beats started.
There’s a bunch of variety to the missions, improved combat, and much more that make the game infinitely better than the first.
New mechanics such as being able to manage your home base, allowing you to actually swim, and a plethora of great gear to earn, all come together to make it a more fun adventure.
It doesn’t have the sprawling open world like Odyssey or Origins but the various regions are plenty big enough and for the time, was enough to really wow players.
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