The Assassin’s Creed titles are numerous, many of which have been major hits. In contrast, others set the franchise back a bit. So, which ones are the best, looking at the mainline games solely and not the spinoffs/mobile games/side stories? We’ll tell you.

#12 Assassin’s Creed: Rogue

We’ll be honest. If we included all the titles in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed: Rogue wouldn’t be at the bottom. But since we’re only doing the mainline games, it’s the natural pick for the bottom of the barrel.

You could argue that Assassin’s Creed: Rogue was doomed from the start, as this game came out during a busy point in the franchise’s history and got lost in the shuffle. Plus, it featured a story of an assassin becoming a Templar, which was nuanced, but not exactly what players wanted.

If you went back and played it now, you’d see that it wasn’t a terrible game, and it tied in other parts of Assassin’s Creed history. But it just doesn’t stack up to the others.

#11 Assassin’s Creed: Unity

In many ways, Assassin’s Creed: Unity proves that the game industry doesn’t learn from its mistakes. Why? Because despite being very hyped upon its launch, Assassin’s Creed: Unity had issues from the jump because it was a buggy mess.

This was when Ubisoft was almost desperate to crank out new titles in the line, which led to a lack of quality control.

That is a shame because the game was the first to introduce a 4-person co-op into the franchise. A feature that could’ve been great had it worked to full capacity. But it didn’t, and other issues led to Ubisoft being mocked heavily.

#10 Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate

Many considered Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate one of the “last straws” for the franchise. At this point in time, the franchise was struggling to stay relevant. The main story had long since gone stale, and changing eras wasn’t as appealing when the gameplay didn’t back it up.

The game put you in London during the Industrial Revolution. The rich and powerful were oppressing the weak, so a man named Jacob Frye, alongside his sister Evie would rise to stop them.

The game is notorious for its handling of Evie, who was meant to be a playable character throughout the game, if not the sole protagonist. But Ubisoft didn’t want that because “female leads don’t sell games.”

Add that to a dragging plot and familiar gameplay, and you can see why many don’t like to remember this title.

#9 Assassin’s Creed

It’s very telling that everyone remembers the origins, the actual roots, of the Assassin’s Creed franchise. Not just in its first game but in the very concept art that excited everyone from the moment it arrived.

The original Assassin’s Creed put you in the role of Altair, an assassin in the time of the Third Crusade. The holy land of Israel is being torn apart, and Altair must fight to keep it safe.

What made this game so revolutionary at the time was how it let Altair go around the three cities you had access to. You could run, jump, climb, fall into hay, and more. Plus, the blade and parry system was really unique for its time.

While it has been eclipsed by time, it’s not forgotten.

#8 Assassin’s Creed II

It’s only fair the first true sequel to the franchise comes after the original. After all, the first title set the table, and the second game let people have more fun with the meal.

The game takes place in Italy, where you meet the most famous protagonist in the series’ history via Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Ezio is a former noble who becomes an assassin after his family is betrayed.

While Altair was cool, Ezio was fun. As you’ll see soon, he had a style and flair that made him the longest-running protagonist in the mainline games.

Add to that; he was in Italy during the Renaissance, which allowed players to meet legends like Leonardo Da Vinci. The game set up many things to come, and it was fantastic.

#7 Assassin’s Creed III

Assassin’s Creed III will be known for certain things, but for us, it’ll be remembered for its legendary trailer featuring “Coming Home,” which punctuated how the game would be heading to the colonial United States during the time of the Revolutionary War.

While Assassin’s Creed III isn’t the best of the franchise, it’s not the worst. The improved graphics were excellent. Meeting multiple historical figures, and putting certain twists on them, was great. The homestead feature was born in this title. Plus, Conner was a pretty cool assassin who had a profound and twisting story.

It did feel bland at times, and traveling up and down the colonies wasn’t always fun. But overall, the game had quality.

#6 Assassin’s Creed Revelations

All good stories must come to an end, and Assassin’s Creed Revelations was that for the tales of Altair and Ezio Auditore.

These two protagonists were the backbone of the franchise, and yet, their time had finally come to a close. You play as both of them in intertwining stories featuring a much older Ezio needing to find truth in the footsteps of his mentor.

To get what he needs, Ezio heads to Constantinople, where the Templars are amassing power, and he must stop it to save the region.

Plus, the game’s multiplayer aspect was improved here, which was very fresh at the time.

#5 Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla

It might seem curious that the latest mainline title is only just making it into the top five of this list. But the reason for it is fair when you look at what the other four titles are ahead of it.

There’s nothing particularly wrong with Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla. The game finally delivered the experience players wanted by making them Vikings during their age of expansion. You took to new lands to try and make a homestead for your kin. You could pillage, do sieges on large castles, and so on.

The game’s DLC is excellent, including content that’ll make you the Allfather!

The only downside is that they took the open world REALLY far, and some people were overwhelmed by that.

#4 Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag

After reaching a particular climax in the story, the Ubisoft team decided to take a step back and look more into the gameplay side rather than advancing the plot. Enter Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. The title took you to the golden age of piracy, where you played Edward Kenway as he set to make a name for himself while also upholding the Brotherhood’s values.

The game was beloved due to how fun it was to play. You got to be a pirate that commanded his ship in large-scale naval conflicts! Plus, there was fun in just being a pirate and hanging out with Blackbeard!

Sadly, this was the “last gasp” before some of the lesser titles started to emerge.

#3 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood

You might be surprised that Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is so high on this list. It’s a game over ten years old, so it has some “mileage.”

But that’s the thing; classics never go out of style. The game puts you in the role of Ezio at his peak. Now, he is a legendary assassin who commands respect and leads the Brotherhood of Assassins.

To save the city of Rome, he must use that role to recruit, train, and lead assassins in the battle to overcome the challenges that await him. But be warned, those you recruit can fall in combat if you’re not careful.

Once you’re done with the main story, head to the multiplayer, where each of you can become a powerful assassin!

#2 Assassin’s Creed: Origins

Before Assassin’s Creed: Origins came out, the series as a whole was in a rut. The franchise had long since hit its crescendo, and Ubisoft wasn’t sure what to do next.

The answer was to take things back to the beginning, the very beginning. Assassin’s Creed: Origins put players in Egypt as they worked alongside the first assassins of the Brotherhood.

You’ll explore the lands of Egypt and even fight gods in some cases! The open world setting would set the tone for everything to come, and we should be grateful. Because now the franchise is back in the swing of things and making titles people are excited for.

#1 Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey

So, why is Odyssey the best of the bunch? Well, as they say, the previous game walked so that this one could run.

In the title, you play as either Alexios or Kassandra, an actual first for the franchise, as previous titles refused to let you be a female lead in full outside of the game Liberation. You can blame Ubisoft for that.

Either way, you’ll take on their quest for vengeance and explore the Greek islands at their peak. Even becoming a Spartan warrior and taking on fierce armies of foes.

Everything about this title was detailed, fun, in-depth, and meaningful. If you’re not having fun playing this game, you’re doing something wrong.