Best-rated Assassin's Creed installments. From Ezio's first adventure to Unity's mixed reception
Assassin's Creed: Shadows, the 14th main installment in the series, was released today. This is a good opportunity to see which installment was rated the best.
The first Assassin's Creed was released in November 2007, thereby launching one of the biggest series in the gaming industry. Almost 18 years have passed since then, and we have received 14 main installments, the latest of which - Assassin's Creed: Shadows - was released today.
So this is a good opportunity to look back and see which installments were rated the best. They were sorted according to the score obtained on Metacritic.
14. Assassin's Creed: Unity
AC: Unity is undoubtedly one of Ubisoft's biggest missteps. Even though the title brought significant changes to the series, such as a major overhaul of the combat system, and featured an impressive virtual Paris, it is remembered for its poor technical condition at launch. However, over time the problems have been fixed, and today players look at Arno Dorian's adventures much more warmly.
13. Assassin's Creed: Rogue
AC: Rogue was released on the same day as Unity, with the difference that it hit the older generation consoles. The game was notable for a main character who, due to certain events, joins the Templars. The gameplay scheme was almost the same as the previously released Black Flag, and in the end, the title turned out to be a wasted opportunity.
12. Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
AC: Syndicate takes the action to 19th-century London and was notable for featuring two playable characters, Jacob and Evie, allowing players to switch between them at will. From a gameplay perspective, the title didn't aim for any revolutions. Although it introduced minor improvements compared to the previous installment, it still struggled with many issues.
11. Assassin's Creed: Mirage
AC: Mirage, while regarded as one of the main entries, is noticeably smaller than the others. Ubisoft advertised the game as a return to the roots and a departure from RPG mechanics. It sounded good on paper, but ultimately the title met with mixed reception due to its overall mediocrity.
10. Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
AC: Valhalla is a huge success for Ubisoft, which has achieved the status of the fastest-selling game in the series, and in the first two months, it generated the highest revenue in the brand's history. The huge game set in 9th-century England is the most polished "RPG" installment, which, however, could tire with the same gameplay formula served for the third time.
9. Assassin's Creed: Revelations
AC: Revelations is the finale of the adventure of probably the most recognizable character of the series - Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The title takes us to 15th-century Constantinople, and although it was well-received, a slight fatigue was already visible with the third strikingly similar game in a row.
8. Assassin's Creed: Origins
AC: Origins was somewhat a new beginning for the entire series. Ubisoft stated that a major change was necessary, resulting in a product heavily marked by RPG elements, set in ancient Egypt. The decision was successful, and the new approach garnered much acclaim, although parkour, a fundamental aspect of the series, proved to be a significant drawback.
7. Assassin's Creed
The title that started it all, although initially it was being developed as a spin-off of the Prince of Persia series. At the time of its release, Assassin's Creed was a fairly fresh experience, which for the first time outlined the conflict between the Brotherhood of Assassins and the Order of the Templars. Although the title received positive reviews, the repetitiveness of the gameplay is very noticeable today.
6. Assassin's Creed: Shadows
The latest installment of the series, which finally took players to the long-awaited feudal Japan. Ubisoft has once again decided to include two playable characters in the game - Yasuke and Naoe - distinguished by different gameplay styles. Reviews says that, although the title is correct, it struggles with many shortcomings.
5. Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
AC: Odyssey is the second game with RPG elements released after Origins. The title takes us to ancient Greece and interestingly, it takes place long before the establishment of the Assassin's Order. The title clearly drew inspiration from, The Witcher 3, and although it was well-received, many people complained about the overly exaggerated size of the world.
4. Assassin's Creed III
After the end of the Ezio trilogy, Ubisoft made a leap forward and Assassin’s Creed III took us to the times of the American Revolution. Players take on the role of Connor - a Native American assassin who wants to take revenge on the English Templars for the murder of his family. The game brought a lot of freshness to the series, which was appreciated by critics. On the other hand, it offered very mediocre cities and contained a lot of bugs.
3. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
AC: Black Flag caused some confusion in the formula, focusing much more on the ship sailing mechanics, introduced in the third installment. The pirate atmosphere was greatly appreciated by reviewers and especially by players, who today have very fond memories of this installment. Rumors about the game remake have been circulating online for a while now.
2. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
AC: Brotherhood is the second installment of Ezio Auditore's adventures, which takes us to 16th-century Rome. The title didn't bring any groundbreaking changes to the gameplay, but it significantly improved the formula created for its predecessor. That was enough to gain recognition from both critics and players.
1. Assassin's Creed II
The top spot is not very surprising. Assassin's Creed II revolutionized the series and laid the foundation for the next installments. The title takes us to 15th-century Italy and, for the first time, introduces the young nobleman Ezio Auditore, whom players remember to this day. The sequel significantly expanded upon the formula developed in the first installment, improving it in almost every aspect.
Which game from the Assassin's Creed series is your favorite?
- Assassins's Creed: Shadows with one of the highest activity records in the series' history. Ubisoft's new game has one million players
- Assassin's Creed: Shadows boasts RDR 2-level attention to detail. On the other side are bugs and enemy AI
- First Assassin's Creed Shadows mods are here. One even removes ‘silly effects’
