Best Assasin's Creed

Video Games
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So I’m completely new to Assassin’s Creed and I’d like to know how these games are, possibly buy the best ones of this franchise. My question is:

What are the best Assassin’s Creed titles? Or is it so that they are ALL good? Are there titles I should rather avoid? And is this the right game for me? (Just to confirm, because I guess it is. I like action games and/or shooters. I don’t like open-world games, but if it happens to be open-world I could look past it if the rest of the game is awesome…)

I have a PS3 and plan on buying a PS4 at the end of 2017. Anyway, even though these titles probably will be (or are) on PS4, I don’t really want to wait for a full year…

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It depends on the person. There’s a lot of consensus that the first AC, while good, lacks the polish of the later games. But it is amazing for it’s time. There is also general consensus that AC II is great, including Brotherhood and Revelations (PS3 and now also ported to PS4). Some people enjoy the first AC II and are less so fans of Revelations, but my personal take is that Brotherhood and Revelations are my favourite because The main character, Ezio, grows more appealing to me as he ages. Old man Ezio in Revelations is my favourite.

The rest of the game get mixed reviews:

AC III (PS3): a lot of people hate this game. Personally I think it’s one of the best. From it’s very thoughtful portrayal of indigenous culture to the fascinating ways you take part in the American Revolution, to the new found exploration of the wilderness, it ranks as one of my all time favourites. It can be buggy, but every AC has its bugs, especially from AC III on, but patches solve most of that.

AC III: Liberty (PS Vita & PS3): originally for Vita, and later ported to PS3, Liberty is the first with a woman as the protagonist. It’s a decent game that is bogged down by some interesting ideas that simply don’t work out that well. Its worth playing if you enjoy the series but it might leave you feeling less than satisfied with the overall mechanics and story.

AC: Black Flag (PS3 & PS4): sailing and pirating in this game is phenomenal. However the assassination component takes a major hit. The battle system was simplified to the point of being near broken. Counters and combos are easily interrupted by nearby NPCs, and even when combat works correctly it’s quite boring. I loved the sailing and exploration aspects of this game but don’t expect the most engaging story. It is by far the weakest AC in that respect.

AC: Rogue (PS3): a sequel of sorts to Black Flag for PS3. I haven’t played it yet but I hear mixed things. You play an Assassin turned Templar in this one which might be an interesting narration be switch.

AC: Unity (PS4): another I haven’t played yet. It was exceptionally buggy at launch, infuriating a lot of gamers. It’s since been patched and I know many people who consider it one of their favourites. It’s the first true next gen AC and takes advantage of the increased capabilities of the new systems. Things I’ve heard include: combat is much improved, navigation and cloning is much more fluid, retiring to the city is welcome with free climbing working much better in their game. It supposedly also has an excellent story.

AC Syndicate (PS4) another of my personal favourites. Syndicate fixes a lot of what was wrong with AC in previous instalments. Combat is much improved. Free running and climbing is a joy (thank you Ubisoft for the grappling hook). The story is excellent, especially additional DLC. And it’s the first with dual Assassin protagonists, and one is a woman which is most welcome. Evie and Jacob are excellent, with each having a specific focus or specialty (stealth and brawling respectively). Also London is fantastic to navigate and the Victorian setting allows for some superb side quests (solving murders anyone?).

I enjoy the AC series quite a lot, and even though I have a couple left to play, I feel comfortable recommending the rest of the games in the series to you. I’d say play them in order so that you get the full impact of the gradually building narrative.

Enjoy!

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Honestly I thought Assassin’s Creed 1 was a bad game, to me, it was boring. Assassin’s Creed 2 on the other hand is one of the better games I ever played.

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It’s definitely the one that’s aged the worst. It has some mechanics that are quite frustrating if you play it after playing any of the other AC games.

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Actually I played it before 2 and quit right after I visited Damascus. I came back and beat it, though it really is a 5/10 for me.

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Thanks so much for taking the time for this great detailed reply. This I will definitely keep in mind when I’m going to decide which AC I would like to get first

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I hope it is helpful. Obviously a lot of it comes down to personal preferences and taste. You might have very different experiences when it comes to playing the other games. Overall, I do think there are very few bad Assassin’s Creed games. At worst they are still fun to play. At best they are excellent games with great stories, characters and mechanics. Regardless of what you play next, I hope you enjoy yourself.

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Having played all the Assassin’s Creed games except AC Syndicate, I can easily recommend playing all of them.

But to be more specific:

AC1 was so long ago, That I don’t remember if it was good or bad. Really can’t say anything about this one.

AC2, Brotherhood and Revelations are must play. If you can get the The Ezio Collection, even better. I would honestly wait for your PS4 because the games are old and the enhanced graphics might make the experience more enjaoyable.

AC3 is PS3 only, so you ca start with that one for now. I really enjoyed it despite the critics about the game. It introduces naval combat that is in the two other titles.

AC4 :Black Flag is great also, but don’t play for the story. Its all about pirates and boats. I played on PS4, no idea how the game is on PS3 from a graphics perspective.

AC : Rogue (PS3 only) I am just finishing up right now. The Story of Shay, an Assassin turned Templar, is one of the best AC narratives, in my book. Its not Ezio quality but its definitely 2nd best. Its the only game that looks at the game from the Templar perspective.

AC : Unity. I played this 1 year after released, so I had no problems at all. I liked the characters and story. My only issue with this game is the INSANE amount of collectibles compared to other titles in the series. Play it for the story and move on otherwise it will ruin the experience somewhat.

AC Syndicate (PS4) is the only one I haven’t played. But I hear good things.

RECAP

I would say starts with AC3, AC4 and AC Rogue, since you have a PS3 already. The increase in graphics of AC Black Flag for PS4 is probably not really that big a deal and you can get that series of games done while you wait for your PS4.

Then Play the Ezio collection(PS4), then Unity(PS4) and Syndicate(PS4).

Assassins Creed 1 has no trophy support, so if that is something you care for, keep that in mind. AC1 is pretty much on it own, unless you consider the PSP game Bloodlines, which is in the same period, which I have not played. I would skip this one.

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Thank you very much for this detailed info. I can’t wait until I can play my first Assassin’s Creed in the future. I’ll still have to wait a while though, I need to save money first to get those titles, but that’s fine. There are a lot of games I have in my backlog still. I’m planning to begin with the Uncharted games next week, another series I think I’ll enjoy a lot

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Nice breakdown. I cant do anything but agree with you on all points.

Grab Syndicate when you can. It’s quite a lot of fun and easily on of my favourites in the series.