Photo credit: Ubisoft
If you are one of those asking, ‘Do the Assassin’s Creed games need to be played in order?’ The answer is an obvious yes. The reason is that besides the different locations, gameplay mechanics, and sometimes weapons, the games are very similar. Some stories are linked too. The action-packed game is full of blood and gore violence, and historical figures. This is one of the few series that will get you hooked right from the first title.
Since the first release in 2007, the game has seen 11 more releases with lots of DLCs (downloadable contents) and spin-offs. Assassin’s Creed is one of the most successful games developed by Ubisoft Montreal. The main series of the game was inspired by the novel Alamut by the Slovenian writer Vladimir Bartol. The story is based on a Middle East medieval Hashashin sect. However, it borrows some of the concepts from the Prince of Persia series.
As the name suggests, Assassin’s Creed game requires lots of stealth. It falls under the action-adventure stealth games. Set in an open world using a third-person perspective, you will play mostly as an Assassin hunting down Templar targets. Unlike other franchises, all Assassin’s Creed games are available for play on PC. Assassin’s creed is a successful franchise with over 155 million copies sold. This makes it Ubisoft’s best-selling franchise.
What country is Ubisoft from?
Ubisoft Entertainment SA is the brainchild of five brothers (the Guillemot brothers). Formerly, Ubi Soft Entertainment SA, the video game developer and publishing company has its headquarters in Montreuil-sous-Bois, France. However, the company has grown rapidly over the years that it now has facilities in over 20 countries. Some of its main studios are in Quebec City and Montreal, Canada. Up until 2014, Ubisoft Montreal was in charge of developing and publishing the Assassin’s Creed series. That responsibility has moved to Ubisoft Quebec.
Which Assassin’s Creed is the best?
Most fans of the Assassin’s Creed franchise agree that Assassin’s Creed II remains their all-time favorite. It is often easily included on the list of all-time best video games. The iconic protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze made his first appearance in this episode. However, the game is not without its problems including poor facial animation and unattractive voice acting. Nevertheless, the good far outweighs the bad. Assassin’s Creed II is a must-play for anyone making an entry into the franchise.
Can we play Assassin’s Creed on Android?
Mobile gamers often miss out on major titles. However, in February 2016, Ubisoft gave mobile gamers a taste of the franchise through Assassin’s Creed Identity. Inasmuch as this was the second in the action-adventure stealth game will come to mobile, it was the first with 360 degrees control. In this spinoff, the lead character had multiple identities—hence the name. The identities include Shadowblade, Trickster, and Berserker. There is a fourth identity, the Thief, which is only available through in-app purchase.
What is the order of the Assassin’s Creed games?
If you want to have an impressive experience playing and evolving with the Assassin’s Creed, we would suggest you play it in order of release. Also, playing the earlier games will definitely help you to get used to the stealth which seems to get harder as you move to newer releases.
Assassin’s Creed
Photo credit: Ubisoft
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release Date: November 13, 2007
Location: Holy Land (1191 – 1193)
Assassin’s Creed was an attention grabber right from the first release. The unique story was set in the Middle East medieval era. The main character Altair Ibn La-Ahad is the assassin—although more assassins will be introduced later in the franchise. In the very first release, Desmond Miles wakes up in one of Animus laboratory. Animus allows him to recreate and relive the memories of his ancestors. Desmond confronts the person that brought him to Animus but was blackmailed by Vidic. The only way to resolve it was by entering the Animus and taking up the life of Altair. This spirals into a powerful story leading to several target assassinations. In 2008, a spin-off was released titled “Assassin’s Creed Altair Chronicles”.
Assassin’s Creed II
Photo credit: Ubisoft
Platform: PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows (Windows version was released on March 6, 2010)
Release Date: November 17, 2009
Location: Italian Renaissance (1476 – 1500)
Building on the success of the first release, Ubisoft delivers what is still today regarded as the best in the franchise by fans. The second in this series is a continuation of the first story. It sees the introduction of Ezio Auditore da Firenze who would become the fan’s most likable protagonist. This time, Animus inserts Desmond into the memory of Ezio. After the handing of his father and brothers in the 15th century Renaissance, Ezio escapes the city for his uncle’s villa. To seek revenge, he teams up with Leonardo de Vinci who enhances some of his tools. Somehow, Ubisoft was able to sustain the tempo till the end. Two spin-offs will later emerge from the title in the same year namely “Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines” and “Assassin’s Creed Discovery”
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
Photo credit: Brotherhood
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows, Mac, OSX,
Release Date: November 16, 2010
Location: Rome (1500 – 1507)
Exactly a year after the second game, Ubisoft got fans into yet another frenzy with the continuation of Enzio’s story. The mechanics remained similar to what fans had become used to in Assassin’s Creed II. However, the developer switches up the excitement by adding a new management system. This allowed players to recruit killers that they can call in during combat. Desmond and the rest of the gang camp at the ruins of Villa Auditore away from the Templar. Subsequently, Desmond returns to his uncle. When his uncle dies, Ezio begins an almost impossible quest to restore Rome’s former glory. That will mean assassinating figureheads in Cesare’s organization. This game is always thrilling to play, every time.
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
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Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: November 15, 2011
Location: Constantinople (1510 – 1524)
This is the third year in a row that fans would enjoy Assassin’s Creed title without a break. However, this chapter was also the emotional end of Ezio’s story. The setting dramatically shifts from Italy to Istanbul. Besides this, the gameplay mechanics remained the same. In this Installment, All three characters, Desmond, Ezio, and Altair travel to Constantinople where Enzio discovers an ancient artifact that can end the Templars forever. Meanwhile, in the current day, Desmond is trapped in Animus 2.0. His only chance of leaving the comatose state is to find a key memory in the Black Room. Fans would not have asked for a better ending to Enzio’s story.
Assassin’s Creed III
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Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows, Wii U, Nintendo Switch
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Location: American Revolution (1754 – 1783)
Set during the American Revolutionary War, Assassin’s Creed III takes the player on a sensational ride. This time, the player assumes the role of a Native American Ratonhnhake:ton. However, to blend into contemporary society, he adopts the alias Connor. In this episode, Connor’s father is the Templar Order’s Grand Master. As Desmond reenters the Animus, he experiences the life of Haytham Kenway briefly. However, as soon as Connor was born, the focus shifts to how he became an assassin. A spin-off from this title, “Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation” was later released in the same year.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
2Photo credit: Ubisoft
Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii U, Windows
Release Date: October 29, 2013
Location: Golden Age of Piracy – 18th century)
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is set many years before Assassin’s Creed III. In this installment, you’ll play Edward Kenway who happened to be the grandfather of the protagonist (Connor) from the previous game. The world is more open to exploring than its predecessors. After the death of Desmond, they take samples from his corpse which they use to access his memories using Animus’ cloud computing. The game spirals into action-packed stealth and assassinations. A spin-off titled “Assassin’s Creed: Pirates” was released later on in the same year.
Assassin’s Creed: Rogue
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Platform: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: November 11. 2014
Location: Golden Age of Piracy – 18th century
For fans, Assassin’s Creed: Rogue was an entirely new experience. The reason is that it was the first and only time in the franchise to date that fans would play as Templar rather than a killer. There were remarkable changes to the gameplay too including fine-tuning weapons like the grenade launcher. In this installment, Shay Patrick Cormac is recruited into the Colonial Brotherhood of Assassins. During his training, he meets with another assassin called Adewale. He learns from Adewale that a devastating earthquake has destroyed Port-au-Prince. Shay is commissioned to investigate the interest of the Templar in an artifact and manuscript linked to a temple in Port-au-Prince. To achieve his goal, he had to impersonate a Templar courier. On discovering the true harm of retrieving the manuscript, he goes rogue.
Assassin’s Creed: Unity
Photo credit: Ubisoft
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: November 11, 2014
Location: French Revolution (1776 – 1794)
Unity was released on the same date as Rogue. Unlike Rogue, Unity allows the player a greater level of character customization. Ubisoft also decided to test out their multiplayer option with this title. The icing would be the introduction of new weapons especially the Phantom Blade. In this installment, a Templar hides a book in a crypt before his assassination. A member of the modern-day Assassin Brotherhood, Bishop takes control of the memory. This episode captured the admiration of fans by its sublime introduction of love and affection. Unity had a spin-off titled “Assassin’s Creed Memories”.
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
Photo credit: Ubisoft
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: October 23, 2015
Location: Industrial Revolution – 1868
Besides being the next in the list of Assassin’s Creed games in order, Syndicate closely follows Unity in terms of location. It moves from the French revolution of the 1770s to the Industrial revolution. It is also the first in the history of the franchise to feature multiple protagonists. Evie, Jacob, and the Frye twins are all playable throughout the game. There was also the addition of new range and melee weapons. However, the developers decided to take a pause on the multiplayer aspect. The following year, Ubisoft released two spin-offs of this title; “Assassin’s Creed Chronicles” and “Assassin’s Creed Identity”.
Assassin’s Creed: Origins
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Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: October 27, 2017
Location: Ancient Egypt (48 – 38 B.C.)
As the name suggests, this installment takes the story to the very beginning. Origins had major changes in both the gameplay and settings. Instead of the paired animation system, Origins introduced the hitboxes. This allows the player to use a single attack to impact damage on multiple enemies. This new combat dynamic is one of the things that excited fans the most. Going back to 49 BCE, you meet Khemu and Bayek. Eventually, they get abducted by masked men and taken to a vault in Amun’s Temple. Khemu accidentally killed his father in an attempt to make a rescue. Following the death of his father, Khemu decides to kill everyone responsible for his death.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Photo credit: Ubisoft
Platform: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Windows
Release Date: October 5, 2018
Location: Greece (431 B.C.)
Odyssey takes place close to 400 years before Origins. This time, the player has to choose between the Peloponnesian War and the Hellenic world. Also, the player has to choose between two mercenaries (Kassandra and Alexios) who are both descendants of King Leonidas. Once again, players had an open world to explore. The game begins with the battle of Thermopylae between the Persians and Spartans. After winning the battle, King Leonidas learns that the Spartans have found the mountain path. However, King Leonidas spear has been recovered in the present and the DNA from it allows the activation of Animus. Eventually, you start in the memory of the child Misthios. The story spirals into a battle for supremacy and survival. A spin-off “Assassin’s Creed Rebellion” was subsequently released in the same year.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Photo credit: Ubisoft
Platform: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Luna, Stadia, Windows
Release Date: November 10, 2020
Location: Viking Age – 873
Valhalla has been a success in every sense and it’s thanks to the launch of the franchise on the new PlayStation 5 gaming console. Perhaps, this was the first time that fans of the franchise had to wait for 2 years without a main title or a spin-off. In this installment, the player takes the alias of Eivor. The fearless Viking and warrior has the duty of leading his clan from Norway’s icy desolate environment to lush farmlands of England’s 9th century.
To achieve your goal, you need to fight fierce battles using advanced RPG mechanics and form alliances with other leaders. This installment allows the player to customize their settlement by building structures that are upgradable. Also, you’ll get to unlock quests and features by constructing a blacksmith, a barrack, a tattoo parlor, and more. Perhaps, following the tradition of Ubisoft, fans may get a spin-off from this one.
In what order should you play Assassin’s Creed?
Assassin’s Creed game is not like any other franchise. The stories go back and forth in terms of location. Therefore, when you talk about playing Assassin’s Creed game in order, there are two angles to approach it from. It’s either you play the game in the order of release or you play the game in the other of setting/location—this is particularly important if you love stories that flow chronologically. So, if you want to play Assassin’s Creed in order of location, the right order would be;
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey (Greece – 431 B.C.)
- Assassin’s Creed Origins (Ancient Egypt – 48-38 B.C)
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla (Viking Age – 873)
- Assassin’s Creed (Holy Land – 1191-1193)
- Assassin’s Creed II (Italian Renaissance -1476-1500)
- Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (Rome – 1500-1507)
- Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (Constantinople – 1510-1524)
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Golden Age of Piracy – 18th century)
- Assassin’s Creed Rogue (Seven Years’ War – 18th century)
- Assassin’s Creed III (American Revolution – 1754-1783)
- Assassin’s Creed Unity (French Revolution – 1776–1794)
- Assassin’s Creed Syndicate (Industrial Revolution -1868)
Will there be another Assassin’s Creed game?
Photo credit: Ubisoft
According to information available on Screenrant, there will be two paid expansions of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla in 2021. Also, credible sources say the title of the upcoming expansions will be “The Siege of Paris” and “Wrath of the Druids”. The timeline for the release is in March and June. However, there are indications that the two-year release plan of Assassin’s Creed will be the new norm.
Wrath of Druids which is scheduled for March will follow the story of Halfdan’s return to Ireland and his subsequent death at the hands of Irish druids. All these happened before Eivor’s alliance with the King of Dublin. Siege of Paris will be made available in early June, before the E3 event. Here, Eivor assists Rollo in the siege, eventually making allies with French Nobles to get rid of Charles the Fat.
Conclusion
Obviously, many fans were already struggling with burnout from the franchise due to repetitiveness. However, with the launch of next-gen gaming consoles, developers can maximize the experience for players. For now, it appears fans will have to get used to the new two-year release timeline. Ubisoft seems to have struggled with trying to keep up with the yearly release. In the past, the urge to keep the franchise rolling led to releases with faceless character models and technical issues. While this may seem a hard adjustment for some fans, hopefully, subsequent releases will be worth the wait.