Ranking the Assassin’s Creed Games from Worst to Best

We’re just two days away from the release of Assassin’s Creed Origins, and to keep Assassin’s Creed week rolling here at LoadingXP, we’re ranking the nine main games in the series from worst to best. Challenging? Yes. Impossible…eh. Maybe.

No lie. This was tough.

After almost a decade of Assassin’s Creed games, with one releasing like clockwork every year, this franchise has been a staple for players all over the world. There haven’t been in-your-face drastic changes to the series over the years in terms of gameplay, which has us wondering if Ubisoft has been living by the “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” mantra since 2007. Aside from this, each Assassin’s Creed game has been solid in its own right, but there are some (see: #5-#1) that remind us why we love the series so much. Check out the list below, and then let us know how the games rank for you.

*This list only reflects the Assassin’s Creed games released on PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, and PC).*

9. Assassin’s Creed Unity (2014)

Despite the fact creating female characters was apparently too much of a hassle for Ubisoft, our experience with Assassin’s Creed Unity was so unmemorable it had no choice but to make the bottom of this list. It suffered from severe technical glitches at launch and just never recovered the deeper we got into the game. Finally, interest was lost.

8. Assassin’s Creed Revelations (2011) 

Revelations is the final game in the Ezio trilogy and let’s just say it was definitely time to wrap it up. Revelations nicely closes out Altair’s storyline, but we are still left with many questions about Ezio. The game also gives us more information about Desmond Miles, the modern-day protagonist of the series- information which did nothing (if anything) to move the series forward as a whole, and seven years later we’re still sitting here trying to figure out what New York has to do with anything.

7. Assassin’s Creed Rogue (2013)

Or what we like to call Black Flag Lite.   

6. Assassin’s Creed (2007)

It’s pretty good when the first game in a series isn’t the worst. Usually the second installment is when a series really finds its stride, but the first Assassin’s Creed came out strong, with a unique story and also had a memorable protagonist in Altair. While the gameplay suffered from some serious repetition (how many times did we really need to gallop between Damascus and Jerusalem?), this first game set an excellent foundation which allowed the rest of the series to grow and improve.

5. Assassin’s Creed 3 (2012)

The opening sequence of AC3 blew us away. This was the first introduction to naval combat in the series, and it quickly became one of the best elements of any AC title. AC3 came on the heels of Ezio’s trilogy which players had been accustomed to since 2009. Though Ezio was a great character, it was nice to see the series finally breathe some fresh air without him. The wilderness landscape of The American Revolution felt massive, and it was a nice change of pace from the densely-packed towns of the Italian Renaissance.

4. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood (2010)

Brotherhood was a great follow-up to Assassin’s Creed II. Ubisoft succeeded in keeping true to everything players loved about the first two games, while incorporating gameplay mechanics that would shift the series in a new direction. This time around, the game really focused on the life and work of the assassins and slowly pulled away from the Templar storyline that was practically being hammered into us in the first two games. We actually got to command our assassin brothers (and sisters!) and have them to do our bidding in other regions as they fought to claim the territory.

3. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (2015)

Somewhere between Rogue and Unity, we began to tire of this series. That’s not to say we were completely done with it, but the “been there, done that” attitude was getting stronger. So imagine our surprise when Syndicate was released a year after Unity, and not only was it good, but it left a big enough impression where it’s now making the top three on this list. Syndicate was set in Dickens’ London, an atmospheric city exploding with things to do; and the game was also, for lack of a better word, downright fun. It was the only one in the series where we felt compelled to actually deviate from the storyline and explore. Syndicate revitalized the series in a way that wasn’t expected.

2. Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag (2013)

Black Flag was overwhelming in the best possible way. Naval combat was significantly improved, and Ubisoft made it clear that pirates and assassins’s go together almost as well (if not better) than peanut butter and jelly. If you’re allergic to peanut butter, we apologize. Looking back on it now, it felt like Ubisoft actually wanted to make a pirate game and then mid-way through thought, wait, isn’t this supposed to be Assassin’s Creed? Whatever the case, it was a great change of pace for the series, so we’ll take it, matey.

1. Assassin’s Creed II (2009)

Assassin’s Creed II is peak Assassin’s Creed. 

Ubisoft took all the potential and excitement from the first game and turned the volume all the way up, making it clear that this was definitely a series to watch (play?). Ezio was an excellent protagonist with enough charm and charisma that made him an instant favorite.

Nearly everything was improved upon in AC II– from the climbing to fighting to a far better map- and there was a lot more at stake in terms of assassinations. The fact it was all happening against the backdrop of the Italian Renaissance made it all the more fascinating and (dare I say it) educational.

Let us know how the Assassin’s Creed games rank for you. Check back to see where Assassin’s Creed Origins will land on this list when it releases on Friday October 27 for Xbox One, PS4, and PC.