Ubisoft introduced the Assassin’s Creed series in 2007 as a new take on the stealth genre. The franchise was created by Patrice Désilets, Jade Raymond, and Corey May. Assassin Creed’s core story revolves around a centuries-old struggle between the Assassins and the Templar Order, spanning a narrative from historic times to present-day.
The series covers multiple periods through exploring ancestor DNA from modern-day descendants of the titular assassin in each series. There are over 13 games in the series counting main entries and spin-offs, with more planned.
In this article we are listing the various versions of the game starting in order from older to newer.
Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles (2008)
Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles is a mobile-focused entry in the series. It was developed mainly for Nintendo DS, Android, and iOS smartphones. It is a prequel to the 2007 game that introduced the series to the world. Gameloft developed the game while Ubisoft handled publishing duties.
Altair’s Chronicles released in 2008 and featured the cities of Tyre and Aleppo alongside Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus.
Masyaf–the Assassin’s hideout featured in the first game–is not included in this mobile spin-off. The game is told from the perspective of Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad, the assassin protagonist of the first game.
Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines (2009)
Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines is a PlayStation Portable game that takes place between the events of Assassin’s Creed and Assassin’s Creed II. The game was released in 2009 and contained gameplay very similar to the first game.
The plot of the game begins shortly after the end of Assassin’s Creed when Altair learns of a plan for the remaining Templars to escape.
Players infiltrate a stronghold in Acre to stop the Templars once and for all. The game features some gameplay changes from the first game, including more techniques to assassinate targets.
The game featured some integration with Assassin’s Creed II on the PlayStation 3, with unlockable weapons and items.
Assassin’s Creed II (2009-2010)
Assassin’s Creed II is responsible for the series’ popularity among mainstream gamers. The game first released in 2009 and takes place in Renaissance Italy during the 15th and 16th century.
Players can explore Tuscany, Florence, Venice, and Forli as assassin Ezio Auditore. Ezio’s story of revenge against those who betrayed him captivated audiences and earned much critical acclaim for the game.
Assassin’s Creed II has sold over 9 million copies since it released. Ezio’s popularity as a character spawned a trilogy of games with him as the main character.
Desmond Miles still features in the modern-day portions of the game, though that plotline has less focus as the series progresses.
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood released in 2010 as a direct sequel to Assassin’s Creed II. Players once again assume the role of legendary assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze, now the leader of the assassins. Players must fight to restore the Assassin order to its former glory while destroying the Borgia family.
Brotherhood is the first Assassin’s Creed game to feature a multiplayer component, introduced as a Templar training program. The game also introduced Rome as an explorable location, giving Ezio freedom to explore several classic locations in the capital.
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations (2011)
Assassin’s Creed: Revelations debuted in 2011 as the fourth major installment in the series. It is a direct sequel to the events in Brotherhood and features the return of Altair to the series. Players assume the rule of an older and much wizened Ezio Auditore as he sets out on a journey to unlock Altair’s memories.
Players switch between Ezio and Altair in the city of Constantinople, with plenty of side missions along the way. The game wraps up Ezio’s story with a satisfying conclusion and paves the way for a new assassin protagonist.
Desmond’s modern-day storyline to avert the 2012 apocalypse predicted by the Mayans continues in Revelations, though with much less emphasis.
Assassin’s Creed III (2012)
Assassin’s Creed III debuted in 2012 and introduced an entirely new assassin and storyline for players to follow. The game is set in the 18th century shortly before the American Revolution begins and follows the progress of that struggle.
Players assume the role of half-English, half-Mohawk native Ratonhnhaké:ton, also known as Connor. Assassin’s Creed III is also the first game in the series where players can experience gameplay as a member of the Templar order.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (2013)
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the sixth major installment in the series and a prequel to Assassin’s Creed III. The game follows the story of Welsh pirate Edward Kenway, who is the grandfather of Connor and the father of Haytham Kenway. The story shows how Edward accidentally stumbles upon the conflict between the Assassins and Templars.
Black Flag introduced naval combat to the series, and its popularity has made it a series staple ever since. Players can explore Havana, Nassau, and Kingston, along with numerous smaller islands and locations of interest in the Caribbean.
The modern-day story portion of Black Flag is very muted, with Desmond not featuring at all. Instead, players can participate in a bit of modern-day pirating by infiltrating Abstergo offices.
Assassin’s Creed: Rogue (2014)
Assassin’s Creed: Rogue was released in 2014 and wrapped up the story first introduced in Assassin’s Creed III. The story is set in the mid-18th century and follows Shay Patrick Cormac, an Assassin-turned-Templar who hunts down his former brothers.
Rogue’s gameplay resembled that of Black Flag with a mixture of land-based and ship-based combat. The game received a mixed reception, but it is the first game in the series to star a Templar as the main playable character. Several new weapons were introduced for naval combat including oil slicks, puckle guns, and enemy boarding.
The game also featured an overhaul to the combat style, moving to a combat system similar to the Batman: Arkham series. Enemy attacks can be countered with proper timing, leading to more nuance in open combat.
Assassin’s Creed: Unity (2014)
Assassin’s Creed: Unity is the eighth major installment in the series and released in 2014. The game has ties to Assassin’s Creed Rogue, but it tells a standalone story during the French Revolution. Players assume the role of Arno Dorian, whose Assassin father is killed by Shay at the beginning of the game.
The Templar Grandmaster adopts Arno, but Arno soon finds himself blamed for the man’s death. Arno sets out to gain redemption by joining the Brotherhood of Assassins to rise through the ranks.
The backdrop of the French Revolution starts with Arno escaping during the Storming of the Bastille and contending with changing sentiments in the city. Unity also featured a co-operative multiplayer element.
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate (2015)
Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate is the ninth installment in the series, which released in 2015. The game is set in Victorian London and follows twin assassins, Jacob and Evie Frye, as they navigate the criminal underground.
Players can control both assassins throughout the game’s story, switching between them throughout the game.
The world of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate featured all of Victorian London and its seven boroughs. Gang rivalries are intended to reflect the struggle of power changing hands in the London underground and present multiple side-quest opportunities.
Evie Frye is also the first playable female protagonist introduced in the series. A train that moves through the city serves as the player’s main base as they navigate London.
Assassin’s Creed: Origins (2017)
After taking a break from the Assassin’s Creed series in 2015, Ubisoft came back strong in 2017 with the release of Assassin’s Creed: Origins. The game is a prequel to the entire series and takes place during the Ptolemaic rule of Egypt.
Players assume the role of a Medjay named Bayek, who is introduced to the centuries-long conflict between Assassins and Templars.
Origins completely overhauled multiple systems in the game, drawing inspiration from games like Dark Souls and The Witcher 3. The result is that AC: Origins feels much more like a traditional RPG rather than a stealth action game.
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey (2018)
Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey was introduced in 2017 as the successor to Origins. The game is set in the year 431 BC and depicts the Peloponnesian War and the conflict of the Greek peninsula between Athens and Sparta.
Odyssey expanded on the role-playing elements introduced in Origins by introducing dialog options, branching quests, and multiple endings.
Players can choose the gender of the main character for the first time in the series, too. A notoriety system was also introduced in Odyssey, with mercenaries hunting down the player after committing crimes in public view.
Playable assassins Alexios or Kassandra are the descendants of Spartan king Leonidas. The broken spear players inherit can be upgraded to grant special skills during combat.
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