Based on a unique premise, Assassin’s Creed successfully combines historical fiction and action-adventure to create a series of pulpy extravaganzas. Although the franchise has had its ups and downs, it’s continued to push boundaries, taking players into increasingly enveloping and engaging scenarios. Recent entries have taken players further into the past than ever before, and while opinions differ on its recent direction, the series has never strayed too long from providing fun and engaging titles.
Assassin’s Creed has never shied away from exploring new ideas and epochs, constantly evolving along with the industry and always offering something new that keeps critics satisfied and audiences in anticipation. Although frequent changes in gameplay and new directions in lore has caused concern for some series fans regarding the future direction of the franchise, no matter where the franchise heads in the future, it will have a strong legacy behind it.
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Assassin’s Creed: Altaïr’s Chronicles
Released In 2008
With awkward controls on the Nintendo DS and more emphasis on stealth that makes it feel more akin to Prince Of Persia than Assassin’s Creed, Altaïr’s Chronicles was a poor first attempt at a handheld AC that landed a measly 58 on Metacritic. While it is impressive that Ubisoft was able to put an open world into a DS cartridge, it is clearly a rushed product.
The biggest issue it faced with players was its length; it can be beaten completely in four to five hours. Even for an early Assassin’s Creed, that is way too short. Sadly, it also suffered from a flaw that the very first Assassin’s Creed had: the overrated protagonist Altaïr is not that interesting of a character.
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Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia
Released in 2016
The spin-off series of Assassin’s Creed was never universally beloved, but Chronicles did provide a unique 2.5D side-scrolling experience. However, fans were displeased with the copy-paste style of many Assassin’s Creed subseries entries, along with its general departure from the usual series formula.
The highlight of Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia came in the form of its 1918 Russian setting, an era more technologically advanced than the franchise has ever explored. The World War I setting was refreshing, and the main character was interesting, but with a 61 on Metacritic, it still amounted to little more than an average clone of the first Chronicles game.
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Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines
Released In 2009
Altair made his return to the series with Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines on the PlayStation Portable, one of only a few AC games made for handheld consoles. The gameplay was a step backward for the series – particularly since Assassin’s Creed 2 had recently released as a superior sequel to the original game and set a new standard for the franchise. While it was praised for giving Altaïr a proper return in a better story than Altaïr’s Chronicles, it only achieved a 63 on Metacritic.
Despite the impressively large map for a handheld title, the comparably unpolished and choppy gameplay made Bloodlines an unappealing alternative to the console games. A lot of this was due to the limitations of the PSP, a common problem with the system’s games.
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Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India
Released in 2016
Continuing from the first Chronicles, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India continues to explore unique settings, this time showcasing the beauty of 19th-century India during the Anglo-Sikh Wars. Many praised the visuals of India, but, like Chronicles: Russia, the sequel just does not do anything to innovate the spin-off series.
Despite its lack of innovation, those who enjoyed the inaugural Chronicles game will likely enjoy its follow-up despite its mediocre 64 on Metacritic. Although it may not be an Assassin’s Creed spinoff worth playing for everyone, fans interested in a more challenging experience can find one in Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India.
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Assassin’s Creed 2: Discovery
Released In 2009
Ezio Auditore da Firenze finally got his chance to shine in a handheld title with Assassin’s Creed 2: Discovery. As such, the game received praise for continuing the legacy of one of the most beloved main characters of the whole franchise and managing to improve upon the formula. Released for the Nintendo DS, its side-scrolling gameplay was different from the open-world, 3D stealth of the main series, but still presented an entertaining experience.
Unfortunately, Discovery doesn’t quite manage to be anything beyond solid, showcased by the 69 it received on Metacritic. Like Altaïr’s Chronicles, the game is far too short and largely comes across as a watered-down clone of Prince Of Persia, with worse level design and awkward controls, albeit with a decent story that takes place after the events of Assassin’s Creed 2‘s DLC.
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Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China
Released In 2015
The first of the Chronicles spin-offs is definitely the best, taking players to one of the most perfect Assassin’s Creed settings for the first time: Ming Dynasty China. The main protagonist, Shao Jun, has the credit of being one of the franchise’s first playable female Assassins. The character was also praised due to her more grounded story and respectable portrayal of an Asian character.
A more straightforward side-scrolling action/stealth game, Chronicles: China is a refreshing break from the open-world vastness of the main titles. The game’s average score of a 69 on Metacritic showcases its limitations, but the title could have been a lot worse. There’s no reason for hardcore Assassin’s Creed fans to not give Chronicles: China a chance.
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Assassins Creed 3: Liberation
Released In 2012
Despite its title making it sound like DLC for Assassin’s Creed 3, Liberation is actually a spin-off developed exclusively for the new – at the time – PlayStation Vita. When it comes to the Vita, Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation is often considered a must-have game for Sony’s most recent handheld console.
It keeps the typical open-world gameplay that Assassin’s Creed is known for and, despite some slowdown, manages to hold up reasonably against its console counterparts. It is praised for replicating the Assassin’s Creed 3 gameplay while introducing the first female Assassin and a unique new location. However, critics disliked its barebones story, balancing it out at a 70 on Metacritic. Liberation was so beloved – relative to the other side games, at least – that it even got an HD remake for two different generations of consoles.
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Assassin’s Creed Unity
Released In 2014
2014 was not a good year for Assassin’s Creed. Both releases received the lowest scores of any console games in the entire franchise, with Assassin’s Creed: Unity achieving a score of 71 on Metacritic. The plot is set during the French Revolution and centers on Arno Victor Dorian’s efforts to expose the true powers behind the revolution. It’s a setup AC fans had been hoping to see for some time, but it was marred with shortcomings.
Often considered the worst Assassin’s Creed, Unity drew criticism centered on the game’s small scope and numerous technical issues, which included notorious bugs, rampant glitches, poor graphics, and performance and connectivity issues. Although patches improved the game, it never reached the heights of prior titles due to its rough launch. That being said, it’s established a cult following over time, largely thanks to a particularly stylish parkour system.
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Assassin’s Creed Rogue (2014)
Released In 2014
The first of two games released in 2014, Assassin’s Creed: Rogue‘s final mission actually serves as the prologue for Unity. Set during the Seven Years’ War, Rogue follows Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin turned Templar, in his efforts to hunt down and kill members of the Brotherhood who betrayed him.
With a weighted average of 72, Rogue holds a “mixed or average reviews” grade on Metacritic. Praise went to the primary twist of playing as an Assassin’s Creed Templar instead of an Assassin, as well as the complexity of the titular character. The game, however, failed to innovate or deliver a sailing experience as strong as Black Flag, and featured a generally predictable plot. While it avoided the disastrous launch of Assassin’s Creed Unity at the same time, it was also the less ambitious title of the two, and it’s failed to win the same fan base over the years.
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Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Released In 2015
Things improved somewhat in 2015, though the franchise remained at a low point with Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate. With a Metacritic score of 76, firmly set in the “mixed or average reviews” camp, Syndicate follows twin Assassins Jacob and Evie Frye’s attempts to take back their city – Victorian London – from Templar control.
Syndicate offered an improvement on Unity and Rogue, with particular praise going to the plot, graphics, and missions. Many considered it a return to form for the franchise, although the repetitiveness of the gameplay acted as a strong downside. Syndicate made significant changes to AC‘s combat style, which, while fresh, were not universally well-received.
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