Assassin's Creed Series Guide — Best Games Ranked & Where to Buy Cheap Keys

The Assassin's Creed franchise is one of gaming's most ambitious series, spanning over a dozen main entries across two millennia of history. From stealth-action roots to massive open-world RPGs, the series has constantly reinvented itself while keeping its core identity: parkour, hidden blades, and the eternal war between Assassins and Templars. This comprehensive guide helps you navigate every major entry, understand the sprawling timeline, and find the best prices on every Assassin's Creed game.

The Assassin's Creed Timeline — A Journey Through History

Each Assassin's Creed game drops you into a meticulously researched historical period. The series is famous for its attention to detail — architects and historians are consulted for every title. Here's where each game takes you, in chronological order of their historical settings:

• Ancient Greece (431 BC): Odyssey — The earliest setting, during the Peloponnesian War
• Ptolemaic Egypt (49 BC): Origins — The founding of the Brotherhood
• Baghdad (861 AD): Mirage — A return to stealth roots in the Islamic Golden Age
• Holy Land (1191 AD): Assassin's Creed — The Third Crusade and Altaïr's story
• Renaissance Italy (1476–1499): AC2, Brotherhood — Ezio's rise in Florence, Venice, and Rome
• Constantinople (1511): Revelations — The twilight of Ezio's journey
• Seven Years' War (1752–1760): Rogue — The Templar perspective in the North Atlantic
• American Revolution (1754–1783): AC3 — Connor's fight for freedom
• Caribbean (1715–1722): Black Flag — The golden age of piracy
• New Orleans (1765–1777): Liberation — Aveline's unique story
• French Revolution (1789): Unity — Paris in chaos
• Victorian London (1868): Syndicate — Industrial revolution and dual protagonists
• Viking Age (873 AD): Valhalla — Norse invasion of England
• Feudal Japan (1579): Shadows — The latest chapter

Best Assassin's Creed Games — Ranked and Reviewed

1. Assassin's Creed (2007) — Where It All Began

The original that launched the franchise. Assassin's Creed Director's Cut$6.26Buy Now

puts you in the robes of Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad during the Third Crusade in the Holy Land. While the gameplay feels dated by modern standards — the mission structure is repetitive and the open world is sparse compared to later entries — the parkour system, historical authenticity, and conspiracy-laden story laid the foundation for everything that followed. The Director's Cut includes additional investigation missions and a more challenging AI. Essential for understanding the Desmond Miles meta-story that runs through the first five games. Available at a budget price, it's the cheapest entry point into the series.

2. Assassin's Creed II — The Fan Favorite

Still considered by many to be the peak of the series. Assassin's Creed 2$6.38Buy Now

introduces Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the most beloved protagonist in franchise history. Set in Renaissance Italy across Florence, Venice, San Gimignano, and Forlì, it massively expanded the original's scope with a full economy system (renovate shops, collect income), deeper combat with more weapon types, and a revenge story spanning decades of Ezio's life. The game's soundtrack by Jesper Kyd is still considered one of gaming's finest. For the complete Ezio experience, grab the Ezio Trilogy$18.24Buy Now which bundles AC2, Brotherhood, and Revelations at a better value than buying separately.

3. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood — The Refined Formula

Ezio's story continues in Rome. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood$6.73Buy Now

refines the AC2 formula and introduces one of the series' best features: recruiting and commanding your own brotherhood of assassins. Call them in to eliminate targets, create diversions, or rain arrows on guards — it's deeply satisfying. Rome is a stunning playground, and the Borgia tower meta-game of liberating districts gives a clear sense of progression. The multiplayer mode was also a surprise hit with its cat-and-mouse gameplay. One of the tightest, most focused entries in the franchise.

4. Assassin's Creed: Revelations — End of an Era

The emotional conclusion of Ezio's trilogy. Assassin's Creed Revelations Gold Edition takes an aging Ezio to 16th-century Constantinople, while also concluding Altaïr's story through flashback sequences. The hook blade adds speed and verticality to parkour, bomb crafting introduces tactical variety, and the den defense mini-game — while divisive — added a strategic layer. The emotional weight of closing two legendary assassins' journeys makes this a must-play for anyone invested in the characters. The Gold Edition includes the Lost Archive DLC that fills in critical story gaps.

5. Assassin's Creed III Remastered — The American Revolution

Connor Kenway's story gets a visual overhaul. Assassin's Creed 3 Remastered enhances the original 2012 game with improved lighting, higher-resolution textures, and refined gameplay mechanics. Set during the American Revolution, you fight alongside historical figures like George Washington while navigating the morally gray conflict between Assassins and Templars — and the even grayer conflict of a half-Mohawk, half-British man caught between two worlds. The remaster also includes the Tyranny of King Washington DLC (an alternate-history what-if story) and Assassin's Creed Liberation HD. The naval combat that would later define Black Flag was born here.

6. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag — Pirate Fantasy Fulfilled

The game that made everyone want to be a pirate. Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag puts you in the boots of Edward Kenway, a pirate caught between the Assassin-Templar conflict in the Caribbean's golden age of piracy. The seamless transition from ship to shore, the massive open ocean filled with islands, forts, and secrets, and the shanty-singing crew make this one of the most purely fun entries in the series. You don't need to care about Assassins and Templars — just sail the seas, plunder ships, and upgrade the Jackdaw. The underwater diving sections and whaling add variety, and the present-day story finally does something interesting.

7. Assassin's Creed: Rogue — The Dark Horse

The series' most underrated entry. Assassin's Creed Rogue$9.84Buy Now

flips the script by letting you play as Shay Cormac, an Assassin-turned-Templar hunting his former brothers during the Seven Years' War. It bridges the gap between Black Flag and AC3 both narratively and mechanically, featuring naval combat in the icy North Atlantic (complete with icebergs and freezing water). River valleys, New York City, and the frozen North Atlantic provide variety, and the story's moral ambiguity is more interesting than most AC plots. Often overlooked because it launched alongside Unity on last-gen consoles, but highly regarded by those who actually play it.

8. Assassin's Creed: Unity — Paris Reborn

The visual showcase that aged well. Assassin's Creed Unity$12.07Buy Now

launched with notorious technical issues, but after years of patches, it's now one of the most visually impressive entries in the series. Revolutionary Paris is stunning — the crowd density (thousands of NPCs on screen), interior detail (explore 1:1 scale buildings), and parkour animations (the smoothest in the series) are unmatched. The co-op heist missions are genuinely excellent with friends. Combat was reworked to be more deliberate and challenging than the counter-kill sprees of earlier games. A proper showcase of what a dedicated current-gen Assassin's Creed could be — well worth revisiting.

9. Assassin's Creed: Syndicate — Victorian Duo

Victorian London and dual protagonists. Assassin's Creed Syndicate lets you switch between Jacob and Evie Frye — Jacob favors brawling, Evie excels at stealth. The grappling hook (a wrist-mounted rope launcher) adds welcome vertical speed to traversal, zipping you up Big Ben and across wide streets instantly. The lighter, more playful tone is a welcome change after Unity's self-seriousness, and the carriage combat, gang warfare system, and historical figures like Charles Darwin and Charles Dickens add charm. One of the last classic-style AC games before the RPG transformation.

10. Assassin's Creed: Liberation HD — Aveline's Story

A standalone side story set in 18th-century New Orleans. Assassin's Creed Liberation HD$7.17Buy Now

features Aveline de Grandpré, the first female protagonist in the series. The persona system — where Aveline switches between lady, slave, and assassin disguises, each with different social permissions and gameplay styles — is a unique mechanic not found in any other AC game. Though smaller in scope (originally a PS Vita title), it's an important part of the series' history and representation.

The RPG Era — A New Assassin's Creed

Starting with Origins in 2017, the series transformed into full open-world action RPGs. Gone are the counter-kill combat and linear storytelling. In their place: level-gated regions, damage numbers, loot rarity (common to legendary), branching dialogue, and romance options. Maps ballooned to absurd sizes (Odyssey's Greece is one of the biggest open worlds ever), and completionist playthroughs easily exceed 150 hours. This era is divisive: RPG fans love the scale and systems; classic fans miss the focused stealth and parkour. Here's every RPG-era game:

Assassin's Creed: Origins — The Brotherhood Begins

The game that reinvented the series. Assassin's Creed Origins takes you to Ptolemaic Egypt — a stunning open world of deserts, oases, the Nile delta, and cities like Alexandria and Memphis. You play as Bayek of Siwa, a Medjay (protector) whose personal tragedy leads to the formation of the Hidden Ones — the precursor to the Assassin Brotherhood. The combat is hitbox-based and deliberate rather than animation-paired. Senu, your eagle companion, lets you scout from above. Discovery Tour mode turns the game into a living museum of ancient Egypt. One of the best settings in the series and a strong first step into the RPG formula.

Assassin's Creed: Odyssey — Greek Epic

The biggest Assassin's Creed ever made. Assassin's Creed Odyssey is set in ancient Greece during the Peloponnesian War, 400 years before Origins. You choose between Kassandra or Alexios (canonically, Kassandra is the protagonist) and sail the Aegean Sea, battling mythological creatures (Medusa, Cyclops, Minotaur), participating in massive conquest battles between Athens and Sparta, and uncovering a cult conspiracy. The RPG systems are full-blown here: dialogue choices, romance options, multiple endings, and a mercenary system that sends bounty hunters after you. The Fate of Atlantis DLC (included in the Season Pass) adds surreal mythological realms. It's massive — expect 80+ hours for main content, 150+ for completionists.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla — Viking Saga

The Norse invasion of England. Assassin's Creed Valhalla$10.27Buy Now

casts you as Eivor, a Viking raider leading their clan from Norway to the kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England. Settlement building (your Ravensthorpe grows as you invest resources), river raids, and the return of social stealth (cloak up between monks and blend past guards) give it a distinct feel from Odyssey. The skill tree is enormous (it looks like a constellation map), dual-wielding any two weapons is gloriously chaotic, and the Orlog dice mini-game is a genuine highlight. The Dawn of Ragnarok expansion adds Norse mythology on an epic scale. Also available on Steam — the Ubisoft Connect version if you prefer.

Assassin's Creed: Mirage — Back to Basics

A focused return to stealth. Assassin's Creed Mirage scales things way back from the bloated RPG entries. Set in 9th-century Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age, you play as Basim (a character introduced in Valhalla) as he rises from street thief to Hidden One. The city is dense and vertically designed for parkour, social stealth and tools (smoke bombs, throwing knives, blow darts) are back in focus, and the runtime is a tight 20–30 hours instead of 150. It's explicitly a love letter to the original Assassin's Creed, using the modern engine. Perfect for fans who miss the old formula.

Assassin's Creed: Shadows — Feudal Japan

Finally, the setting fans have begged for since 2007. Assassin's Creed Shadows$53.27Buy Now

delivers feudal Japan with two playable protagonists: Naoe, a shinobi who excels at stealth and parkour, and Yasuke, a samurai built for direct combat. The dual-protagonist system lets you approach missions your way — ghost through rooftops as Naoe or walk through the front gate as Yasuke. Dynamic seasons change the map (frozen lakes in winter, blooming foliage in spring), and the grappling hook returns for vertical exploration. It's the most technologically advanced AC yet, built exclusively for current-gen hardware.

Spinoffs Worth Your Time

Assassin's Creed Chronicles Trilogy

A trio of 2.5D side-scrolling stealth games set in China, India, and Russia. Chronicles: China$3.45Buy Now

stars Shao Jun (Ezio's student), India follows Arbaaz Mir during the Sikh Empire, and Russia features Nikolai Orelov in the aftermath of the October Revolution. Each has a distinct art style — China uses ink-brush watercolors, India employs vibrant Sikh-inspired colors, and Russia uses propaganda poster aesthetics. At budget prices, they're a unique palette cleanser between the massive main games.

Which Assassin's Creed Should You Play First?

There's no single correct answer — it depends on what you value:

• For the best classic AC experience: Start with Assassin's Creed II or grab the Ezio Trilogy. It's the purest form of what made the series beloved, and the prices are unbeatable.
• For modern RPG fans: Start with Origins and play the RPG trilogy (Origins → Odyssey → Valhalla) in order to see the systems evolve.
• For one perfect standalone game: Black Flag or Brotherhood — both don't require deep lore knowledge and deliver the best gameplay the series has to offer.
• For a tight, focused experience: Mirage respects your time and returns to the series' roots.
• For cutting-edge visuals and the most-requested setting: Shadows in feudal Japan.

Tips for Building Your AC Collection on a Budget

With so many entries, building an Assassin's Creed collection can get expensive. Here's how to do it smartly:

• Start with bundles: The Ezio Trilogy$18.24Buy Now gives you three of the best games for the price of one AAA title.
• Play by era: Classic era (AC1 through Syndicate) games are cheap now — you can buy 5+ games for under 50 EUR total on CDKeysIsland.
• RPG era on sale: Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla regularly see discounts. Wait for deal prices rather than buying at full price.
• Season Passes for completion: If you love a game, grab the Season Pass (Odyssey's Fate of Atlantis is essential), but start with the base game first to see if you like it.

Browse our full catalog for all Assassin's Creed deals, DLCs, and season passes at CDKeysIsland. Whether you're looking for classic stealth action or epic RPG adventures, there's an Assassin's Creed game waiting for you.

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