The Assassin’s Creed franchise is a force in the video game industry
So we got together to discuss each game's merits and help you choose where to begin.
Ubisoft has been putting out these hits for fifteen years. So, where do you start when there are twelve titles to choose from? If you get started with the most recent title, will you miss out?
Well, the answer is yes and no. While a lot of these games are good enough to stand on their own, knowing a bit about AC’s lore makes for an even better experience.
With that in mind, here’s my take on how the games stack up as entry points to the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed (2007)
Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3
The one that started it all.
In the original Assassin’s Creed, we are introduced to Desmond Miles, a modern member of the Assassins and, maybe more importantly: the animus.
This game, for obvious reasons, is a great place to start the franchise. You begin the game as Desmond but will play the role of an assassin during the crusades for most of the game. You’ll be introduced to the warring “Templar Order” and the “Assassin Brotherhood” and get a sense of what the world of AC is about.
That being said...
This game is just about old enough to get its driver's license. You'll be disappointed if you go into it expecting graphics on par with whatever new release you just played. Still, it could be the perfect place to start if you understand what you’re getting into.
Assassin’s Creed II (2009)
Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, OS X, Nintendo Switch
Enter: Ezio.
Against the backdrop of Renaissance-era Italy, we’re introduced to legendary assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze and begin his trilogy.
Don’t get me wrong, this game has a lot to enjoy, but Assassins Creed II is, for lack of a better word, old.
If you’re a renaissance history buff, you’ll be in heaven. I mean, you get to hang out with Leonardo DeVinci! But there just isn’t a good reason to make Assassins Creed II your starting point in the series.
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, OS X, Nintendo Switch
Ezio's second chapter.
Continuing Ezio’s trilogy, we get another solid entry in the Assassin’s Creed series. Here we are introduced to “apprentices” within the assassin brotherhood and enjoy the city of Rome.
Like its predecessor, old graphics make this a harder game to devote hundreds of hours to. Though a fine game, there’s not a good reason to begin your journey here.
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (2011)
Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, OS X, Nintendo Switch
Are you scared of heights?
Here marks the last time we see the legendary assassin Ezio as his trilogy comes to an end. If you’re playing for the story, this one isn’t bad at all; We follow Ezio on a journey to Constantinople to unlock a vault built by the protagonist of the original Assassin’s Creed.
Starting at this point wouldn’t be a bad choice, per se, but if you want to start with an Ezio story, Assassin’s Creed II is the better option.
Assassin’s Creed III (2012)
Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, OS X, Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Stadia
There's a patriot in all of us.
Full disclosure, this is the first installment of Assassin’s Creed that I, the writer of this article, have ever played.
Should it be the one you start with? Maybe, but probably not.
Assassins Creed III has one of the most interesting protagonists. The setting of revolutionary war era America is probably its best selling point. Still, nothing makes Assassin's Creed III stick out as “the one” to play.
Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag (2013)
Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, OS X, Nintendo Switch, Wii U, Stadia
Everybody wanted to be a pirate at some point in their life.
Our next entry, Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag, follows Edward Kenway as he and his shipmates search the Caribbean for loot.
Black Flag is an essential step in the franchise, being the first to offer a true “open world” experience. It is a beautifully made environment to explore.
It looks and plays pretty well, considering its release date. If you don’t mind the drawback of playing a slightly older game, Black Flag is one of the better entry points into this AC universe.
Assassin’s Creed: Rogue (2014)
Windows, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, OS X, Nintendo Switch, Stadia
Ever wanted to walk a mile in a Templar’s shoes?
In a surprising twist for the Assasin’s Creed series, Assasin’s Creed: Rogue follows Shay Patrick Cormac, an assassin who betrays the brotherhood and joins up with the Templars.
If there’s one thing that makes this whole series great, it’s historical immersion, and Rogue’s setting of America during the French-Indian war is no exception. I always enjoy playing the ones that are set within driving distance from me, as I can really feel myself there.
All in all, Rogue is a great game, and while I can’t think of a reason to start here, I can’t think of any not to either.
Assassin’s Creed: Unity (2014)
Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia
If you’ve been feeling like a revolutionary lately, consider skipping that rally and participating in the French Revolution instead!
This game got a mixed reception, to put it nicely. Unity's gameplay and visuals were strong, but fans felt divided by the plot. While Unity isn’t a game to write off completely, other installments are more worth your time.
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (2015)
Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia
It's "chewsday", innit?
Syndicate, Ubisoft’s entry into the franchise from 2015, feels a bit like their other franchise, Watchdogs.
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate features the most recent setting out of all the games in the franchise in Victorian-era London. This could be a plus for gamers who don’t have a huge interest in ancient history and would rather scale an apartment building than the great pyramids. It also means that gamers coming from more modern action games will get to play with weapons they are more accustomed to.
Would this be the first Assassin’s Creed game I play?
No.
But if you have an aversion to the old world, this is the one for you.
Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017)
Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia
A prequel that doesn't suck!
Origins, everything has one, Darth Vader, Bilbo Baggins, and even the Assassin Brotherhood.
If you hadn’t guessed by now, Assassins Creed: Origins is a prequel to all of the other games in the series. The game goes into the beginnings of the brotherhood and the Templars (back then known as the hidden ones and the order of the ancients) in ancient Egypt.
Origins is a natural starting point for the series, as it literally is the starting point. I would personally prefer to start elsewhere and come back for the origin story (wink wink), but I must emphasize that there’s nothing wrong with starting here.
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey
Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Nintendo Switch
Coming in at number two, we have Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey. Set against the gorgeous backdrop of ancient Greece, Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey follows your choice of either Kassandra or Alexios as they discover their identities during the Peloponnesian war.
While the graphics aren’t on par with Valhalla, the story and the world are hard to beat. Just kick back and enjoy a Mediterranean cruise sprinkled with a cyclops encounter here and there.
Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla (2020)
Windows, Xbox One, PlayStation 4, Stadia, Xbox Series S/X, PlayStation 5
Two axes are better than one.
In the twelfth installation of the Assassin’s Creed series, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla follows Eivor as she makes a name for herself by conquering England in the middle ages.
This game delves into the fascinating history of Norse mythology and spiritualism, the concepts of loyalty and revenge, and is an absolute blast to play. While a bit overwhelming at first, the open world is breathtaking and truly impressive; the immersion into this world makes it my favorite game of the series.
I’m a console gamer (I acknowledge the PC master race, but I’m set in my ways!), so the ability to play at 60 FPS is big for me; I also believe that playing the most recent installment with the best graphics is the best way to start your journey into this behemoth of a franchise.
