Assassin's Creed is one of the longest-running and enduring franchises in gaming today. The gameplay is primarily stealth-based similar to Metal Gear Solid with each entry taking place in a different period of world history. The player follows either a specific character or themself using a machine called the Animus that unlocks memories of their ancestors using their genetic profile.
Assassin's Creed is a thriving series evidenced by the fan's high ratings on IMDb of its sequels, downloadable content, and one movie adaptation. The series appears to draw inspiration from Tomb Raider and Uncharted which feature climbing as a primary means of exploring an environment and solving puzzles to advance the narrative in addition to combat.
Assassin's Creed Syndicate (2015) - 7.9
Twin siblings Jacob and Evie are among the last of the Assassins who struggle against the blight of the Templar's exploitation of the poor in mid-19th century London at the pinnacle of the Industrial Revolution.
In a franchise first, a player could choose their preferred gender when beginning the main campaign. Syndicate concluded a trilogy where the player was the instigator of the story instead of Desmond Miles, who completed the initial main Creed storyline with Assassin's Creed III.
Assassin's Creed (2007) - 8.0
Following a botched mission at Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem, Altair, an overzealous assassin is put on probation by his master, Al Mualim. His only chance for redemption is to eliminate a series of targets who supposedly know the location of the fabled Apple of Eden.
The franchise's original effort featured a defense-first combat system with a strong emphasis on stealth mechanics. Players can fast travel between three main cities and the Assassins' guild. In a unique twist, the game incorporated a false villain much like Bioshock.
Assassin's Creed III (2012) - 8.0
Connor Kenway is a Native American in pursuit of revenge when the Templar Order massacres his tribe. His exploits take him throughout New England and the Atlantic coast where he witnesses and participates in the most important historical events during the American Revolution.
The fifth entry in the series was the last of the original Desmond Miles line of Assassin's Creed games that focused on the battle between Miles and Abstergo Industries, the developer of animus technology. It was the first game to introduce naval combat as a side diversion.
Assassin's Creed Valhalla (2020) - 8.2
The player becomes Eivor (male or female), a fierce Viking warrior, who leads her clan to the shores of Great Britain following the breakout of civil war in Scandinavia. While seeking alliances and territory to claim, Eivor discovers conflict is brewing within her clan and will make decisions with lasting repercussions.
Valhalla is the most recent release in the franchise with Assassin's Creed Infinity unofficially releasing later this year. According to Ubisoft, it is a departure from past editions utilizing a live service platform incorporating multiplayer and perhaps several periods.
Assassin's Creed Revelations (2011) - 8.3
Sensing he has little time left, Ezio Auditore undertakes one last mission to Constantinople to uncover clues left behind by his ancestor, Altair from Assassin's Creed, to unlock an archive within the defunct fortress of the Assassins in Masyaf that contains the coveted Apple of Eden.
The conclusion of the Ezio trilogy features the first instance of dual playable characters in an Assassin's Creed chapter. John de Lancie (Q of Star Trek: The Next Generation) voices Desmond Miles' father, William, an antagonistic scientist seeking to unveil the final mysteries surrounding The Apple.
Assassin's Creed Origins (2017) - 8.5
True to its title, the Origins of the Assassin's order are explored as the player controls the first assassin stricken with grief following his son's death. Bayek and his wife Aya become caught in a power struggle between invading Roman armies and an Egyptian counter-revolution.
Following a two-year hiatus, Ubisoft revamped the series with tougher enemies and bigger maps to explore. The catch was mastering a new level-up system that locked out certain territories and missions until the player character is appropriately upgraded.
Assassin's Creed Odyssey (2018) - 8.6
Controlling one of two characters like Syndicate, the player's goal is to make contact with their missing family, investigate a mysterious cult, and become a legend of the Spartans in Ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War between the mighty city-states Sparta and Athens 500 years before the birth of Christ.
For the first time, the game's narrative relied heavily on the player's decisions that shape the story, historical events, and the environment around them, making it a true RPG. Odyssey utilized the concentrated upgrading system making side quests essential to advancing the main mission.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood (2010) - 8.8
Ezio Auditore continues his campaign against the Templar Order that has infiltrated the Vatican with Pope Rodrigo Borgia as the grandmaster. He plans to accomplish this by rebuilding the destitute city of Rome and reconstituting the brotherhood of assassins.
Picking up where Assassin's Creed II left off, Ezio is now able to recruit new members to the guild and utilize them as a team in the main mission or clandestinely elsewhere. The primary side quest is recovering several keys to unlock the Lair of Romulus containing a prized armor and the Dagger of Brutus.
Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag (2013) - 8.8
The player embodies themself on an Abstergo headquarters terminal as Edward Kenway, a pirate trained in the art of assassination. He commands a mighty vessel The Jackdaw traversing the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico in search of treasure, some of which is supernatural.
The game blends naval combat with the franchise's signature ground-based exploration where dozens of locales can be explored, legendary ships and outposts can be attacked for experience points and upgrades, in addition to straight-up plundering of random vessels at sea. Edward is the father of Haytham Kenway from Assassin's Creed III making it a prequel.
Assassin's Creed II (2009) - 9.1
Ezio Auditore is the son of a father executed for secretly being a member of the order of Assassins. Afterward, he begins a personal vendetta by traveling to various points in Renaissance-era Italy in search of the killers. He traces their allegiance back to the Vatican and the pontiff himself.
Much like the first Assassin's Creed game, there is a linear story told in "sequences" that periodically shifts back to modern times with Abstergo agents pursuing Desmond and his allies. Aside from collectibles and assassination contracts, there are few side activities.