Best Assassin's Creed Games

So much so wrong.

Friendly reminder that these games were ranked by readers, not staff. Address any complaints to the Push Square peasant masses.

Agree with most of the rankings. Only thing I would do is place AC origins first not fourth as I personally believe origins was the best an ac game could get and was very disappointed when they decided to bloat out the map and make skill system worse in subsequent games.

I have eight of these and have played precisely none of them. Send help.

If you were to rank the games for when they were first released, AC2 is the best. If ranking it based in 2020 when I replayed AC2, it would rank towards the bottom due to insanely clunky control scheme. Movement in Origins, Odysssey and Valhalla is much better. To anyone who thinks Valhalla is a great game, I'd like to know what type of green stuff you've been smoking lately... Great fighting engine with a boring and redundant open world...

Based list. Maybe I would rank ac3 better because of the cutscenes, decent online and Connor

Yeah not sure about this guys. A lot of games ranked low because the general public who haven’t actually played these games recently ‘think’ that they’re worse than they are. Assassin’s Creed 1 is a bad game. III is a good game. Unity is very fun now. Can’t believe people are voting based on public opinion about 10 years ago.

Unity was robbed!

I have 12 games from this franchise and black flag was most enjoyable

You know something is terribly amiss when @nessisonett is making sense!

I voted for the one I played and enjoyed most, probably like so many others. Very few have played them all. That's why polls like this are flawed.

The question PS should've posed is which AC is our favourite not which is the best. How are we supposed to fairly judge that without playing them all?

My favorite Assassin's Creed is the one where you climb on stuff and kill people.

@Enuo I must've missed that one. I played the one where they're loads of waypoints and you had to stand somewhere high up and look at the scenery

AC2 should not be no 1, its aged the most outside of the first game and is not so great now. Unity is way too low as well.

2 is by far the best and it's because of story. Black flag gets way to much praise. It was a terrible story and repetitive as hell. I think aside from the black flag nonsense, this should be about right although I'd put origins at 2 and move unity up and kick Valhalla to the bottom of the list. Game is trash but definitely the last ubisoft game I'll ever touch.

AC Unity is amazing. I replayed it recently on Series S with FPS boost and apart from a very few visual glitches it performed superbly. The parkour and weapon/tool systems in that game are sublime, by far the best of any AC game.

Like others have said, going back to AC2 now after playing the newer games feels like a chore to play. Ezio himself is cool and all but give me the sass of Kassandra any day.

Stick Unity and Rogue where Origins and Odyssey are and its almost perfect for the top 5! ACII may have some aged controls but there is no question it's still the best of the series. Awesome story, setting, characters, presentation, memorable assassination missions, and let's be honest Ezio is still one of the best protagonist in video game history.

Requiescat in pace newer AC games. Know your place!

Valhalla was my first AC game and I played the ***** out of it then went back for origins and odyssey. Enjoyed them all in different ways but Odyssey is the lowest of the three for me, with Valhalla edging it for the top spot probably because I really liked Eivor and the environments were a touch more diverse than the constant sand of Origins.

I’ll be going back now to play the older ones soon, apparently starting at 2 because the first doesn’t seem to be available for PS5/PS4 unless I’m mistaken?

Surprised to see Valhalla so high — seems like the furthest the series has gone from the consensus peak of ACII... an 80 hour Witcher-lite. Recency bias?

@nessisonett 1 is a very good game. It has a great story and I love the pure focus on Assassination, in fact, I think the prose work needs to come back and would make the big targets a lot better than the overwhelming here’s 5 options you see from a tower. I played it and consider it one of the best in the series with good reason. Unity post-patch is top notch though, so that’s been robbed big time.

@Jaz007 1 is just so repetitive though. The assassinations are indeed fantastic but having to do however many tailing, pickpocket, listening missions or whatever first is insanely boring. It’s very much a proof of concept for the series to come but it’s absolutely the worst in the series as every single mechanic was improved on as the years went by.

Unity higher ranked than Rogue!!
No chance!!

@Salt_AU which did you vote best?

@Texan_Survivor nostalgia will do that, the formula changed for a reason and it has revived the franchise like it or not

I can assure folks that while nostalgia certainly could have helped it was not the only reason for the top three. If that was the case AC1 would have been high up as well. Plus Origins and Odyssey got 4 and 5, it's not like they got review bombed or something.

II, Black Flag, and Brotherhood are just among the most liked in series. That's all there is to it.

@NoFaceBigFoot wait, do the controls get better? I've only played 2-4, I just thought it was AC's thing where the character handles like a drunk toddler.

Love this. Well done guys happy to say the list was pretty much about what I expected. Brotherhood, 2 and 4 being my favourites.

@Slippship Valhalla has more AC than Odyssey. It still doesn’t count as more than a kind of spin off, but let’s not praise odyssey while taking about AC here.

@Slippship Valhalla is absolutely an assassin's Creed game, I don't even like it much but that particular complaint is nonsense. It's as much ac as any game in the series, every major plot point ties back into established lore and it finally pushes forward the stagnant modern day.

@Slippship so if eivor randomly became a hidden one at the end then that would suddenly make the game assassins creed? The series is bigger than the assassin brotherhood, it's about a conflict pre dating the brotherhood. The isu are just as important to the series if not more and Valhalla explores them in more depth than ever.

It does a great job at filling in plot holes as well (why was bayek forgotten? How did the templars come to be as we see in AC1? What was up with fate of Atlantis?)

I could go on far more but for potential spoiler reasons I will not, it is an assassin's creed game despite the repetition.

yeah pretty much what i expected

@Slippship bro you shouldn't be surprised people respond to comments made on a public forum, the "It IsN't Ac" Thing is a complaint that gets parroted around without merit. Nothing I've said is an opinion, just facts... I don't care if you like the game or not (you apparently like it more than me) but Valhalla is an Assassins creed game no matter how you want to spin it, I've listed a ton of reasons for you already. (I could list more)

I don't know how you could play it and still say it isn't AC.

Gotta say, I mostly agree with the list. I've played every main AC game except Valhalla and AC2 is by far the best. You shouldn't rate games by todays standarts cause that way the new games will always be rated higher. Instead, look back at how good and impactful the game was when it came out. AC2 and the whole Ezio trilogy is the reason current games exist, it was the game that made it all happen.
On another hand, AC3, Rogue and AC1 were the worst games in my book. First one was just techically bad, the only good thing about it was the story. AC3 had the most boring stort and characters of all these games. The mechanics were good, but it never got me into it. Rogue felt like the worse version of Black Flag and nothing else.
Unity, however, gets way too much crap. It had a bad launch but was fixed after it and overall was one of the better games in the series.

@nessisonett I disagree. I think missing Assassination prep (though it could have been more varied) and the way they changed the combat got worse after the first game (Brotherhood, I’m looking you with that awful kill-chaining system). There were a lot of other good things improved for sure, but later games were also not as good on key areas.

@Texan_Survivor Its mainly due to people who haven't played AC2 in years thinking its still a great game. Its great for its time yes but Unity is AC2 perfected, granted the story and characters aren't great but gameplay and world wise Unity is the ultimate "classic" AC game.

Still sales wise show the "Ancient" Trilogy are popular and were a wise direction. What people forget is by Unity/Syndicate they were all complaining the series had got stale and they wanted change, Ubi done just that with Origin what breathed new life into the series. Odyssey perfected what Origin done and Valhalla is serving as that cross gen Black Flag type game where the new next gen only AC is being made and switching up the formula.

This list is completely wrong, too bad I missed the vote

@WallyWest Couldn't have said it any better. I played the games in the following order Origins>Rogue>1>ezio trilogy>Odyssey and I can't understand how some still think the older ac games are anywhere as good as the newer ones. Rogue's the only one I mostly see favorably because of its change in pov halfway through.

Everybody really wearing rose-tinted glasses for the earlier AC games. I played through the entire series over the last 2 years and, at least by today’s standards, everything before Unity feels like hot garbage. The traversal system is absolutely infuriating and the combat is either

A. One-hit-kill or
B. Parry and then one-hit-kill.

The dialog is also cringier than 90% of modern games. The overall concepts of hunting down a target and deciding how to kill them are pretty good, or they would be if there was anything dynamic about them.

The only thing good about ACIV is the ship combat, but that gets repetitive after the first few hours.

TLDR: I used to like the early AC games, but then Origins came out and I realized how terrible they actually are (Unity feels like a decent middle-ground). People should play AC2/4, then go play Origins/Odyssey/Valhalla.

Edit: Based on other comments in this thread, I feel I should also say this:

My opinion really shouldn’t matter to anyone but me, just like your opinions really shouldn’t matter to me. What’s really important is that we all play games and at least we have this in common, which is pretty cool. If my dumb comments, which are dumb and ultimately unimportant, have offended you, just go kill some stuff in a game and pretend it’s me. You’re all the good guys in my book.

had them all still not started the last two and need to start few of the other with these games you certainly get you moneys worth if collect all the view points chest and other bits and bobs

Ezio, miss you pal!
The ezio trilogy, 4 and origins would top my list. Unity and 3 just below them. Odyssey, liberation and syndicate right at the bottom. Haven’t played Valhalla yet, kind of want to but it sounds way too bloated.
It’s the only mainline entry I haven’t played (odyssey is the only one I never finished which is why I’m hesitant with this one)

@Shstrick 👏well said at the end there

Well done fellow pushsquare voters, the best game won imo…

The story, mission variety and set pieces of AC2 hasn’t been replicated anywhere near as well in following games.

@Salt_AU interesting, thanks

Great work, team. I've played all the AC games but it wasn't until origins that I fell in love with them. I do think they outstay their welcome, though, as most Ubisoft games do. My top 3 is Odyssey, Origins and Valhalla.
I would love see a list of top AC protagonists. Kassandra for the win!

Odyssey is the best of them for me, because of the combat, story, Greek settings and mythos, and the way you can approach strongholds (that neither Origins nor Valhalla managed to make that fun). "Spartan" kicking unaware enemies from the high walls into the chasms below never gets old. Assassinating an enemy while running, taking no damage after jumping from a mountain top instead of having to spend 3-4 minutes on each slow descent... very nice and fun additions.
While many consider AC4 to be the best of the series, for me Odyssey provides the most entertaining gameplay... that's why it's the only one i played and finished 3 times top to bottom.

Fun poll. Please do more. Makes for interesting conversation. Oh for me Odyssey was my favorite that I played however I didn't finish valhalla yet so we will see

Interesting. Personally, Unity and Rogue are the franchise low point for me. France with no French people and an underdeveloped Irishman who can't pronounce Galway.

@Texan_Survivor "Notice how the Top 3 is entirely constituted of games with the old formula of the franchise."

Except the next three follow the new approach and ship-centric Black Flag was perhaps the beginning of the tedious "this isn't Assassin's Creed" every darn release.

People who voted that AC3, Unity and Syndicate are worse than origin, oddyssey and valhalla are what is wrong in this industry.

Bruh, did those who voted not play the games?
Hahaha jk, we all got different opinions although y'all are very wrong.

These rankings are basically what I expected.

It's a shame my personal fav Syndicate is in eighth but I'm not surprised.

@themightyant Whoops! I think I've given him the wrong name purely out of spite for his awful attempt at an Irish accent.

😂 for me the original trilogy all the rest can go.
the first game set the plot all mighty amazing one but end of the 3rd game killed it. i dont rate the latest games Ubisoft got lazy and decided to be like E.A
same game last 3 games just a different skin. BORING you lost me as a fan.
Ubisoft wrecked splinter cell to.

Christ, people are really broken up about Unity which, mind you, is not bad... A majority of those who claimed Unity was the worst AC game to every come out were likely people who were disappointed from the hype train that surrounded it. Also, it most certainly isn't bad by any standard now.

The only Correction this list needs is switching ranks 1 and 2, Black Flag is unassailable. I understand the reasoning behind giving first to ACII, but while keeping everything that made that game so impressive Black Flag added unrivaled swashbuckling and all the worlds ocean exploration along with a great RPG element, not to mention an amazing DLC where we all rejoiced in the satisfaction of murdering slave owners in droves. Oh and also, sea shanties yall, sea shanties.

As a massive defender of the first Assassin's Creed, I've long since accepted that I'm in the minority and people aren't usually going to rank it highly.

But for crying out loud, can people stop ranking it beneath Revelations already?! Revelations is hot garbage that I think only gets a pass for being part of the Ezio trilogy...the worst part by far, of course.

@Jaz007 It seems like such an unpopular opinion, so I'm glad to see someone else on board. AC1 is to me the best. It has its flaws with the repetitive and shallow quests to track the target, but it's the only AX game, not even 2, that REALLY made the big assassination feel like a big assassination complete with scoping, planning, stalking, and finally brazenly attacking before having to run like the wind once they're into you.

The other ac games felt like action adventures with some stealth missions. The new ones are brawlers. 3 didn't really even have stealth in a meaningful way. 4 wasn't even the same gene. But 1 feels like the medieval, stylized version of what Hitman is: a puzzle like open plot to assassinate a contract target. I'd love a real proper sequel. Origin came closest. I suspect that was all Jades design since it all vanished when she left.

@art_of_the_kill agreed on both counts, AC1 is the best. We're not the minority we're just the only ones with a memory. And revelations was just awful and incoherent. I wanted more Altair. He got robbed. But no .. That game wasn't the way.

I cannot argue with ACII. This one I'll remember into my old age, and some of AC Origins. The rest are solid experiences, but no where as good as II.

Unity gets a very unfair ride from most of the fanbase - broken at launch, but once patched and fixed it's one of the best looking and most fun of the series. Didn't like Syndicate one bit, I found the graphics a massive step down from Unity, the city felt empty, the missions were dull and repetitive, and I hated the main character Jacob. The only redeeming feature of Syndicate for me was Evie, and I wish we'd got her as the main character without that annoying brother of hers. Enjoyed Black Flag but I never understood the mega love it gets, its just a good game to me but not the best in the series by a long shot. Very much enjoyed Origins, and loved Bayek and the strong story moments, but I got very worn out and dejected slogging through the grind that is Odyssey, and I haven't gotten to Valhalla yet as I'm still burned out. The originals (Ezio games up to 3) are my personal favourites - yes they had their issues, but they were revolutionary for the time and very enjoyable. I just feel the series as a whole lost its way after 3.

@Shstrick I personally preferred the combat of the earlier games. For sure the mechanics were not fancy and quite simplistic, especially by more modern standards, but I enjoyed the realism (and satisfaction) of a one hit kill as it upped the stakes and made things feel grounded. I really don't enjoy the rpg like uber health bar of enemies with number 'stats' going down with each hit, and with enemies fighting furiously when they've taken 20 odd hits to the face with a mace or sword, just breaks any realism for me. But the recent games aren't going for a realistic vibe, I get that. They're more rpg level gated stat fests like warcraft or similar - some folks love that, but its not for me.

Unity was so underrated. Yeah it was riddled with bugs and glitches. I remember avoiding it like a plague. I finally gave it a try and honestly, it wasn't so bad, especially once the bugs and glitches were patched out. I mean, the game can still get glitchy at times but for the most part, I enjoyed my playthrough. One thing that I really love about Unity is the parkour, which IMO still has the best one among the franchise.

Its laughable AC2 is top when its so dated and hasn't aged well, its great for its time sure but its not a game i ever plan on playing again. Funny enough Unity perfects what AC2 was going for, Unity is easily the best "classic" AC what isn't Black Flag and it being so low is clearly from those what either played it at launch and never touched it again or never played it but think its awful because all they know is that image of a bug what was no where near as common as the internet thinks. Unity fully patched up is easily in the top 3 AC games and does everything what AC2 did (what isn't story or characters what is Unity's weak point) but better.

Weird. Odyssey should definitely be #14

Where are the AC missions from Watchdogs Legion on this list??

Crikey, this highlights how few I've played - and I consider myself as someone who likes the series.

Valhalla was a bore fest, by the way.

Horrendous ranking. Liberations is really good. Seems as though they just put all the smaller ones at the bottom. Unity so low as well, wow

@Powerplay94

I really enjoyed Origins, and Odyssey was good fun, but Valhalla did so much I didn't like and the story was painfully boring which was quite a feat considering the subject matter.

@FuriousMachine

Assassin's Creed, AC 2, Black Flag, Brotherhood and Revelations are the only other ones I've played. Had Syndicate sat in my PS3 collection untouched for an age.

I've tried w this series countless times. Black Flag has terrible missions, combat, and stealth. It practically plays itself. Like one bloated QTE.
...wait no that's every single one of these games besides the recent trilogy. Origins is neat. Egypt at night at 60fps 4K is great, and at least there's some reflexes required to play it. Oh, and you can crouch. Like a stealth game.
Edit: yeesh, sorry reading over this I sound like the worst. To be clear, I don't like the series, but mostly understand the appeal and don't think anyone is tEh Big duMb for liking it.

My favourite ones of the assassins creeds that I've played are black flag and origins alot of fun to be had

Black Flag is 1 and it's not close.

good list

my personal top is 2 , 3 , and 4

I have a physical copy of Black Flag 1st assassin's creed I bought great list and well put together.

@ShogunRok why isn't it mentioned that nowadays Unity is almost flawless because of the enormous effort Ubisoft has put into the game to fix all the initial bugs. Your site praises CDPR for fixing cyberpunk 2077 again and again, so please give Ubisoft the same credits here. It's definitely one of my favourite ac games.

I loved Odyssey, but Valhalla pretty much guaranteed I'll skip the next couple AC games. It wasn't a bad game, but it was just...so much, and not always in a good way.

Syndicate and Rogue WAY too low

@FuriousMachine

Odyssey is excellent if you want to live out those Clash of the Titans fantasies, but it is a massive game.

As an aside I found both Origins and Odyssey to be quite good chill out titles. Lots to do and see yet no pressure to do it all and all pretty straight forward. By comparison Valhalla seemed all over the shop and lacked any kind of identity. It didn't know whether it wanted to be an AC title, an RPG or survival game and unfortunately it failed on all counts. Beautiful to look at, but a dreary slogged to play.

Unity is the best AC game right after AC 2 and Brotherhood. After all the patching it is a gorgeous game with some of the best mechanics the series have had. Shame they didn't continue from that.

Way off base ranking IMO...

Ezio Trilogy
AC 3

All the rest you can Rank you like, I played none of that trash...