If you don't remember Rogue, I don't blame you. It's the lowest-rated AC game in history for a reason.
AC Rogue is set just before the events of AC3, also in Colonial America, but this time from the perspective of a Templar. It's actually quite an interesting development for the franchise, at least as far as storytelling goes, but very few fans wanted to return to this setting after we had just received Black Flag and had been exploring the more luscious surroundings of the Caribbean.
Perhaps if it had been released directly after AC3 it would have been better-received and more fondly remembered, but it's very hard to shake the feeling that this game was retrograde. Especially since it was basically the old-gen offering for PS3/Xbox 360, released exactly when Unity was brought out for the PS4/Xbox One.
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AC Mirage may be looked back upon in the future as a better AC game, but to me at least, it feels like a stop gap. Something to keep the money rolling in while Ubisoft finish work on AC Infinity.
There's much to praise about the game (just read this review from the esteemed Faris Delalic), and it was probably important for the long-term health of the franchise that we had something new after three big RPG-style AC games. But like Rogue, it feels like an AC destined to be forgotten in the annals of AC history.
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Syndicate was a good AC game that came at the wrong time, and what a shame it was for all those who had been waiting for a London setting. The problem was quite simple: Fans were bored with the classic formula by 2015, we needed an evolution of the franchise at this point, not a reskin.
Interestingly, they will be returning to the two protagonist structure they used in AC Syndicate with the next game, set in Feudal Japan. And as with Syndicate, the male protagonist will be the brawn of the operation, while the female protagonist will give us the classic, stealthy gameplay we associate with older AC games.
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Unity is not as bad as everyone says, and I will die on that hill. Yes, it was the most poorly reviewed, and it still has the lowest metacritic score, but I saw the vision. And there are glimpses within the game when that vision is properly realized.
Don't get me wrong. It was probably right that the game received poor reviews on launch, because it was buggy as all hell, and the co-op mode really wasn't feasible for those who couldn't party up with a friend (it required a lot of co-ordination). But when those bugs were ironed out, and when you had a friend to play with, it was hugely satisfying to work together and synchronize assassinations from the Parisian rooftops. Definitely worth of tenth spot.
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I am also surprised by how low I have Odyssey; the environment of Ancient Greece is beautiful, and many of the RPG elements introduced in Origins are improved here. But, for me, it was the least impressive of this style of AC game, and neither the flow of the plot nor the writing felt strong enough to justify the dialogue choice mechanic.
In defense of Odyssey, it still holds up as a "good" AC game, and the armor and selection of weaponry was nothing short of badass (but the award for coolest single armor set still belongs to the Armor of Brutus from AC Brotherhood).
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Valhalla and Odyssey could easily be switched in the rankings; they are very similar games, at least within the context of the AC franchise. But I have a slight bias towards Valhalla, as someone from the UK who got to visit their hometown of "Croindene" (which also appears in the opening of Syndicate, but under the modern name, Croydon).
As with Odyssey, Valhalla could have been a shorter game and would have been just as good, but the story was solid, the landscapes were fun to explore, and the RPG elements were satisfying to engage with.
One note to those who haven't played Valhalla; If you are strictly looking for an assassin experience, this game is as far away from that as we've seen, with very little stealth and most combat being fought as an open melee. It is focused on vikings, after all.
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While we're on the topic of controversial opinions, let's just get the next one out of the way. Yes, I have AC3 all the way up in sixth place.
I know already that a few of you are going to mention in the comments how terrible Connor was as a protagonist, and how poor the environment of the American Frontier is for a game ostensibly about parkour. Both points are correct; Connor is hard to love, and the sprawling towns of Colonial America are not conducive to acrobatics.
However, AC3 does get a number of things right. For one, although you might dislike Connor, the story was consistent, and the Revolution makes for a great backdrop. They also made the wilderness far more enjoyable than it's been in almost any other AC game, which is an impressive feat and a huge development from what was basically just a horse riding path between cities. And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, without the important groundwork done by AC3 to develop naval combat, we wouldn't have AC Black Flag.
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My poor Ezio! But yes, sadly we can't rate Revelations much higher (sixth is still very impressive, considering this was Ezio's third game).
Revelations explores the end of Ezio's life, when he's living in Constantinople, and is at this point in his fifties. Yep, in his fifties. In fact, he is so old in this game that they had to give him a hook to be able to still make the bigger jumps. And for that reason, it was much more difficult to stay immersed; you can literally hear him heaving as he climbs.
The city was very engaging, and the new zip-line mechanic was surprisingly fun, but by this point most fans were ready to move on to a new time period and a new assassin.
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This might seem absurd to some, but I believe Origins played a crucial role for the franchise overall, earning it a few bonus points from me.
After Syndicate, when franchise fatigue seemed to peak, Ubisoft took a few years to develop Origins. With this game, they reimagined what Assassin's Creed could be.
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The second Ezio game takes us from his childhood home in Tuscany to Rome, marking the first time the game was set entirely in one location. However, Rome was so meticulously recreated that we didn't feel deprived by having only one city to explore.
Brotherhood brilliantly advanced Ezio's journey from a fledgling assassin to a master and mentor. Recruiting new assassins, watching them grow stronger, and calling on them when needed was deeply satisfying.
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You have to put respect on Altair's name, it's as simple as that.
Of course, the game developed and improved in the various sequels, but it was such a strong opening that it gave Ubisoft the incentive to keep going. It was also, more than any other AC game, an impressive step forward compared to competitors of the time.
Going back to the game now, it will feel very stripped back, because it was focused so completely on giving you the experience of being an assassin. But it did just that, and incredibly well. You had to do your research on each target, wait for the opportune moment to strike, then go in for the kill.
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Black Flag is testament to how great the team behind AC can be when they experiment. And while this game can feel like a spinoff given how separated the events of the plot are from the rest of the franchise, and how unique the combat and gameplay loop are, you still have to give it to them, they absolutely smashed it when it came to making a pirate version of AC.
If you haven't played it, AC Black Flag features the pirate captain Edward Kenway, as he explores the Caribbean Sea during the Golden Age of Piracy. It took the sailing mechanics from AC3, and then massively improved them by making ship boarding something you could do outside specific missions.
But it wasn't all a life at sea. Black Flag had a surprisingly strong variation of gameplay on land as well, from open brawls in rough taverns, to sneaking across plantations and outwitting the British. And that's not to mention the surprisingly enjoyable side-activities, like hunting and all the minigames.
The only bad thing I have to say about Black Flag is that it never got a direct sequel.
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Was it that obvious? Of course, it was.
Everybody knows Assassin's Creed II is the best AC game. Young Ezio, is the protagonist of the franchise, the story is by far one of the strongest, combat was varied while still retaining elements of stealth, and the narrow streets of Renaissance Italy felt purpose-built for parkour.
And who can forget the host of lovable side-characters, like uncle Mario, Leonardo da Vinci, and Cristina Vespucci, who all help young Ezio defeat the greatest villain in the franchise: Rodrigo Borgia (literally the Pope, who you fight in the Vatican as the final boss fight).
Yep, AC2 had it all.
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Assassin's Creed was mind-blowing in 2007. The freedom of movement was unparalleled, and it felt like it represented a genuine paradigm shift in video games. Over time, the formula naturally became less and less impressive, but what a journey Ubisoft have taken us on over the years.
Here is our ranking of all the Assassin's Creed games to date. And before you let us know about how great the spinoffs are, this is strictly a ranking of mainline AC games.
