Assassin’s Creed has a rich history that stretches back almost twenty years. It started off life as a relatively humble undertaking, and by today, it’s a monumental franchise that boasts gargantuan open worlds and campaigns that can take hundreds of hours to fully complete. It’s no big secret that there have been many Assassin’s Creed games, but what order should they actually be in? In this guide, we’re putting all Assassin’s Creed games in order of both their release date and chronology.
Which Assassin’s Creed came first? Which one is the further back along the timeline? These are the questions that we’ll answer through this breakdown. It’s such a far-stretching series that it can often be confusing to know where to get started, and it covers around 2500 years of history – which is a lot!
Without further ado, here’s the definitive list of all Assassin’s Creed games in order.
Let’s start with the dates that these games actually came out – it’s the easiest way to break them down, as Ubisoft tended to follow an almost annual release pattern. Each new year, we’d get a new Assassin’s Creed game. That concept has changed of late, as you’ll see below. If you’re trying to answer ‘What Assassin’s Creed game should I play first’, then maybe it’s best to start at the top of this list.
Credit: Ubisoft
The original Assassin’s Creed game transported players to the Holy Land as assassin Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad. Its focus on stealth gameplay essentially created a new genre of adventure game, with much of the formula still present in the series today. When looking at the Assassin’s Creed games in order of release, start here.
Credit: Ubisoft
Probably the best Assassin’s Creed game in the entire series, Assassin’s Creed II was a monumental leap forward from the original. Introducing Ezio Auditore in Renaissance Italy, arguably the series’ greatest protagonist, it brought a ton of variety to the gameplay, as well as one of the most engrossing narratives to date. In the full list of Assassin’s Creed games, this is top-tier stuff.
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is the middle game of the Ezio trilogy. This time set in Rome, it further iterated on everything its predecessor did well. No matter how many Assassin’s Creed games there are in the future, this will always be one of the most beloved.
Credit: Ubisoft
Ezio’s final game, Assassin’s Creed Revelations saw the legendary assassin head to Constantinople for one final adventure. While it’s a great game in its own right, a lack of innovation over 2 and Brotherhood meant that Revelations felt a little stale by the end. Still, it’s a worthy ending to a fantastic trilogy.
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed III brought a new protagonist into the fray: Connor Kenway. Set in the midst of the American Revolution, ACIII made big strides with the parkour and combat mechanics. In the full list of Assassin’s Creed games, it’s probably a little underrated at this point, but it remains a blast to go back and play.
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation began life as a PS Vita spin-off, before being released on PC and consoles. In Aveline de Grandpré, the series introduced its first female protagonist, and took some risks with more unique stealth mechanics unique to this game. For this alone, it’s worth revisiting in the modern day.
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is less an assassin game, and more a pirate simulator. Its naval gameplay remains the standard for the feature in any pirate game out there, and when looking at all Assassin’s Creed games in order, it stands out like a sore thumb in this regard. An incredible title, and Haytham Kenway is one of the series’ most interesting protagonists.
Credit: Ubisoft
Originally a DLC for Black Flag, Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry later received its own standalone release. Beyond a solid story with new protagonist Adéwalé at the helm, there’s not much new on offer here. In the list of Assassin’s Creed games, this is one of the very few “skips.”
Credit: Ubisoft
Did you love Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag? Yes? Then you’ll like Assassin’s Creed Rogue. This is more of the same swashbucking pirate adventures, and while it’s not exactly a unique experience, it’s still a ton of fun.
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Unity is a technical marvel. The game introduced new protagonist Arno Dorian, and was set in Paris during the French Revolution. With graphics remain stunning to this day, an entirely-new parkour system that is the best in the series to date, and co-op multiplayer missions, Assassin’s Creed Unity should’ve been a hit. However, it released extremely broken, and its reputation never recovered. A waste of potential, really.
Credit: Ubisoft
Set in Imperial China, Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China is a 2.5D side-scroller – a total change in direction from the rest of the franchise. Stealth remains the focus, else it wouldn’t belong on the list of Assassin’s Creed games. However, liking the rest of the series is no guarantee you’ll enjoy this one.
Credit: Ubisoft
Following on from Unity, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate had a lot to make up for. Set in Victorian London, this game put you in the shoes of two protagonists – twins Jacob and Evie Frye. Overall, it was a solid effort, although the layout of London meant that parkour opporunities were massively reduced, making it feel like less of an Assassin’s Creed game than others.
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India takes place duirng the Anglo-Sikh wars and follows the previous Chronicles title in being a 2.5D side-scroller. If you like that one, you’ll like this. If you didn’t, you won’t – simple! When asking the question of how many Assassin’s Creed games are there, it’s all too easy to forget the Chronicles games.
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia is the standard Chronicles 2.5D formula, but set in Soviet Russia. What more could you need to know?
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Origins kicked off the series’ RPG era, introducing a much bigger open world than the franchise had ever seen before. Set in Ancient Egypt, it was much further in history than any in the list of Assassin’s Creed games had ever been. The result was fantastic. A fresh formula, an engrossing story, and Bayek of Siwa, one of the most captivating characters the franchise has ever introduced. A triumph, and one of the best open-world games ever made.
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey transports players to Ancient Greece to play as one of two misthios, Kassandra or Alexios. It combines the RPG gameplay of Origins with the naval gameplay of Black Flag, as you sail across the Greek islands. While it may not have much assassin-based content, it’s a remarkable game in its own right. When looking at the Assassin’s Creed games in order, don’t sleep on Odyssey.
Credit: Ubisoft
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is the most recent RPG game in the series. You play as Eivor, a Viking attempting to establish a new clan in England. Despite following the same formula as Origins and Odyssey, there’s something not quite as captivating about this entry.
Credit: Ubisoft
A return to the roots of the series, Assassin’s Creed Mirage ditches the RPG mechanics of newer releases for an adventure that puts the focus on stealth once again. Basim Ibn Ishaq is the protagonist here, a returning character from Valhalla. Mirage does a great job of capturing what players loved about the early Assassin’s Creed games, even if it feels a little on the short side.
To recap, that’s:
So, that’s when the games were released according to our timeline, but what about the Assassin’s Creed timeline? Out of all Assassin’s Creed games, which one is the furthest back in history, and which is the most modern? Let’s find out.
Okay, so we’ve touched upon this question, but let’s shed a little more light on it. When it comes to the ‘first’ Assassin’s Creed game you should play, there’s an eternal debate. Should you play the first game in the Assassin’s Creed timeline, or the first game ever released? It makes more sense to play Assassin’s Creed (2007) first, as it offers up the best introduction to the series, the universe, and what it all means.
But with that being said, jumping into Assassin’s Creed Odyssey without any prior knowledge of the franchise won’t kill you. It’s an enjoyable game in its own right, and if there’s one thing that the Assassin’s Creed series does well, it’s scene setting. There’s a great suite of teams producing these games within Ubisoft’s many studios, and they’re all experts at crafting a monumental and immersive story.
Read More: Is Assassin's Creed Odyssey Good?
In each Assassin’s Creed game, there’s a learning curve in terms of skill and historic knowledge. Personally, I cannot name a single Assassin’s Creed game that a brand-new player will struggle to understand within a relatively short window. Sure, if you start with Assassin’s Creed III, you won’t really understand the story thus far or pick up on the nuances of the series, but you’ll enjoy it as a game in its own right.
Image Credit: Ubisoft
Once upon a time, Assassin’s Creed was a tough series because of the way it was designed. It was heavily reliant on absolute stealth, and even being seen by a guard could cost you an entire mission. It was difficult, but it was also rewarding when you managed to complete a tough sequence.
Typically, the series is considered to be slightly easier these days. There are difficulty levels that can be tweaked, and players no longer need to rely on complete stealth to finish their objectives up – and even if they do, it’s much easier now, thanks to smarter AI and better in-game controls and physics. As Assassin’s Creed has adopted an RPG-based model these days, players can effectively become whatever character they so desire, so it’s also easier to tailor the game to suit your own abilities as a gamer.
So, that’s our breakdown of all Assassin’s Creed games in order. Where are you going to start first? The tougher but short older games, or the modern-day, gargantuan adventures?
Read More: Which Assassin’s Creed is Multiplayer?
For more Assassin’s Creed news, check out the rest of our site.
LOL
CS2
Dota 2
Valorant
Fortnite
Call of Duty
Mobile Games
Gaming
