What Assassins Creed Games Should I Play

What Assassin’s Creed Games Should I Play?

So, you want to jump into the world of Assassin’s Creed, huh? That’s awesome! It’s a series packed with history, adventure, and cool characters. But with so many games, it can feel a bit like trying to find a hidden treasure without a map. Don’t worry, we’re here to guide you! We’ll explore each era, figure out what makes each game special, and help you decide which Assassin’s Creed game is the perfect fit for you.

Starting at the Very Beginning: Assassin’s Creed (2007)

Let’s start where it all began, with the very first Assassin’s Creed. This game is set during the Third Crusade, and you play as Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad. Altaïr is a member of the Assassin Brotherhood, a secret group fighting for freedom and peace. This game is important because it introduces the basic gameplay that many other games in the series build upon. It also shows you the very beginnings of the long conflict between the Assassins and the Templars, their age-old rivals.

What Makes This Game Special?

• Parkour Pioneer: The movement system, especially the climbing and free-running, was revolutionary at the time. It let you climb almost any building and explore the cities in a new way.
• Historical Setting: The cities of Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus are recreated in a beautiful and detailed way. You will feel like you’re really walking the streets during the Third Crusade.
• Simple Story: The narrative is straightforward, focused on taking out key Templar figures. This makes it easy to understand and gets you into the heart of the Assassin and Templar conflict.

Who is This Game For?

This game is a great choice if you want to see how the series started and you don’t mind a bit older game design. If you value historical detail and like the core stealth mechanics of the series, this is a great place to start.

The Renaissance Era: Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations

Now, let’s journey to Italy and the Renaissance era! Assassin’s Creed II introduces us to Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a charming and skillful Assassin. Ezio’s story continues in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, set in Rome, and then concludes in Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, where he travels to Constantinople. These three games are often considered a high point in the series.

Assassin’s Creed II

Assassin’s Creed II is bigger and better than the first in almost every way. Ezio’s story is a powerful tale of revenge and the fight against the Templars. Italy is beautifully rendered with places like Florence, Venice, and Tuscany to explore. There are plenty of new activities, side missions, and weapons, making this game very engaging.

Highlights of Assassin’s Creed II

• Compelling Characters: Ezio is a great protagonist, and you’ll see him grow and develop from a young man to a master assassin.
• Rich Story: The story is very dramatic and engaging, with many twists and turns.
• More To Do: There are more mission types, collectibles, and side activities. The world feels much more alive and interactive.

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood takes place in Rome and continues Ezio’s story. This time, you can recruit and manage a team of assassins to help you in your mission. You expand your influence and rebuild Rome, making it an important strategic part of the game.

Key Features of Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

• Assassin Recruits: You can train and send out new recruits on missions, adding a management layer to the gameplay.
• Rebuilding Rome: You can restore the city and gain more resources and perks.
• Multiplayer: This game introduced multiplayer, a unique experience for the series which allowed players to test their skills against other real players.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations

In Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, Ezio travels to Constantinople, where he looks for a lost artifact of the past. He interacts with Altaïr’s past and continues to develop the game’s wider mythology. This game provides a satisfying end to Ezio’s story while giving more depth to the world.

Why Revelations is worth playing?

• End of Ezio’s Arc: It wraps up Ezio’s story well and brings some closure to his character.
• New Gameplay Mechanics: There are new tools and abilities that Ezio uses, which add more options for gameplay.
• Altaïr’s Memories: You will also play through scenes of Altaïr’s life, connecting it back to the first game.

Who should play these games?

If you are looking for a story-rich experience with a lot of character depth, these games are fantastic. They build upon the original’s mechanics and are often thought of as the pinnacle of the series by many fans. They offer a great balance of story, stealth, and open-world exploration.

A New Frontier: Assassin’s Creed III and Beyond

After the Renaissance, the series moves to other eras and introduces new protagonists. Assassin’s Creed III takes us to the American Revolution, while others explore different parts of the world.

Assassin’s Creed III

Assassin’s Creed III places you in the role of Connor, a half-Mohawk, half-British assassin. The game explores the American Revolutionary War and its conflicts. It introduces some new mechanics and settings while moving away from the previous gameplay.

What is unique about Assassin’s Creed III?

• Frontier Setting: Explore vast wild areas and engage in hunting and other nature-based activities.
• Naval Combat: You can also sail and engage in sea battles, which is a major addition to the gameplay.
• Revolutionary War Setting: Experience the events of the American Revolution from a unique perspective.

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag takes a different turn, putting you in the role of Edward Kenway, a pirate turned assassin. The game is set in the Caribbean and focuses heavily on naval exploration and combat. This was a big change for the series, making it more open and adventure-focused.

Key features of Black Flag

• Pirate Life: The game is all about exploring the Caribbean and building up your ship and crew.
• Naval Combat: Sea battles are a core part of the game, and you will be spending a lot of time on your ship.
• Open World: The world is very large and open, allowing you to explore many islands and hidden locations.

Assassin’s Creed Rogue

Assassin’s Creed Rogue tells the story of Shay Cormac, an Assassin who becomes a Templar. This game flips the script, letting you play from the Templar perspective and fight against the Assassins. The gameplay is very similar to Black Flag but with some new elements.

Why is Rogue Different?

• Templar Storyline: Play as a Templar for the first time, giving a different perspective on the conflict.
• Naval Combat: Similar naval gameplay to Black Flag, but with new ships and weapons.
• Setting: The game takes place in the North Atlantic, offering new and varied locations to explore.

Assassin’s Creed Unity

Assassin’s Creed Unity is set during the French Revolution, and it focuses on stealth and co-op missions. You play as Arno Dorian, an Assassin who is trying to clear his name and get revenge. The game has some of the most advanced parkour mechanics in the series, making movement smooth and fun.

Main features of Unity

• French Revolution Setting: Explore the city of Paris during the revolution with detailed locations.
• Co-op Missions: This game allows you to play missions with other players, adding a new way to enjoy the game.
• Advanced Parkour: Improved parkour system that makes movement more fluent.

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate takes place in Victorian London. You will play as twins, Jacob and Evie Frye. They are working to free London from the Templars. The game features gang warfare and introduces new movement options such as ziplines.

Features of Syndicate

• Twin Protagonists: Play as both Jacob and Evie, each with their own set of skills and missions.
• Victorian London: Explore the city of London during the industrial revolution.
• Gang Warfare: Take over territories and build your gang, adding to the gameplay.

Who should play these games?

These games are great if you like the historical setting and enjoy different types of gameplay. If you enjoy naval exploration and pirating, Black Flag is for you. If you want a more traditional assassin experience but with a different point of view, try Rogue. And if you prefer stealth gameplay with co-op, Unity is a solid option. Finally, if you want to play a game in industrial revolution era, try Syndicate.

The RPG Era: Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla

In recent years, the Assassin’s Creed series has shifted towards more RPG (role-playing game) elements. This means you’ll find more character development, skill trees, gear customization, and choices that affect the story. These games are massive in scale and offer much to do.

Assassin’s Creed Origins

Assassin’s Creed Origins takes you to ancient Egypt and tells the story of Bayek and his wife, Aya. They are the founders of what would become the Assassin Brotherhood. The game features a very big open world to explore and changes to combat and gameplay.

Why play Origins?

• Ancient Egypt Setting: Explore a beautiful and detailed recreation of ancient Egypt.
• New Combat System: The combat system has been completely changed with new weapons and abilities.
• RPG elements: This is the first game in the series that truly goes the RPG direction with a leveling and gear system.

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is set in ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War. You’ll play as either Alexios or Kassandra, mercenaries with ties to the Assassin Order. The world is huge and filled with quests and adventures, making it a massive game with lots to do.

Key Highlights of Odyssey

• Ancient Greece Setting: Explore a vast open world based on ancient Greece.
• Choice-Driven Narrative: The game lets you make choices that affect how the story plays out.
• Ship Combat: Naval combat returns with some new features and upgrades.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla takes you to the Viking Age, where you play as Eivor, a Viking raider leading their clan to England. The game is big and open, allowing you to explore and participate in raids. Valhalla adds settlement building to the mix and provides a deep narrative.

Why is Valhalla Different

• Viking Setting: Explore England and Norway during the Viking Age.
• Settlement Building: Build up your settlement and affect the world around you.
• Raid Mechanics: Lead your clan on raids across the English countryside.

Who should play these games?

If you like bigger open-world games with a lot of things to do and RPG elements, these games are perfect for you. Origins is excellent if you like the setting of ancient Egypt. If you like ancient Greece and choice-driven narratives, Odyssey is your best bet. Finally, if you enjoy Viking culture and like settlement building, Valhalla is the one to play.

What about the other Games?

There are some other Assassin’s Creed games as well, but they often play differently or focus on certain aspects of the series. Games like Assassin’s Creed Liberation and Assassin’s Creed Chronicles series also exist and can be explored further after playing these main entries.

So, which one to choose? It depends what you are looking for! Consider your favorite eras of history, preferred gameplay style (stealth, action, RPG) and the kind of story you enjoy to pick your starting point. Don’t worry too much about playing in order, you can jump into any of these games and still understand the core concepts and storyline. The most important thing is that you have fun exploring the world of the Assassin’s Creed!