It started with a finger. Or rather, the lack of one. When Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad stepped onto the screen back in 2007, he wasn't just a digital character; he was the blueprint for nearly two decades of parkour, social stealth, and history-bending fiction. Most people think they know the series because they’ve climbed a few towers. Honestly, though? Most people are missing the weird, messy, and brilliant evolution that connects every single entry in the franchise.
The Rough Beginnings of All Assassins Creed Games
The first game was repetitive. There, I said it. You spent half your time eavesdropping on benches and the other half stabbing guards in Damascus. But it felt new. Ubisoft took a gamble on a "Social Stealth" mechanic that hasn't really been replicated since. You weren't hiding in shadows like Sam Fisher; you were hiding in plain sight among monks.
Then came Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
If Altaïr gave the series its bones, Ezio gave it a soul. Assassin’s Creed II changed everything. It took us to Renaissance Italy, introduced a young, cocky nobleman, and let us watch him grow into a weary Mentor over the span of three games: II, Brotherhood, and Revelations. This was the peak of the "Classic" era. It was also the moment Ubisoft realized they had a gold mine. They started churning them out. Every year. Every autumn. Without fail.
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When Things Got Complicated
By the time we hit Assassin’s Creed III, the fatigue was real. Connor Kenway was a polarizing protagonist—stoic, angry, and trapped in a Revolutionary War that felt a bit cramped compared to the sprawling hills of Tuscany. But then, almost by accident, the developers found something people actually liked: boats.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is arguably the best pirate game ever made, even if it’s a "bad" Assassin game. You spend more time singing sea shanties and hunting whales than you do worrying about the Templar-Assassin war. It shifted the focus from urban parkour to maritime exploration. It was a massive success, but it also signaled the beginning of a mid-life crisis for the brand.
Then came the disaster. Unity.
Paris was gorgeous. The parkour was—and still is—the most fluid in the entire series. But the bugs? They were legendary. Characters without skin. Floating eyeballs. It became a meme. Ubisoft followed it up with Syndicate, which took us to Victorian London and introduced a grappling hook. It was fun. It was polished. But it felt safe. The series was stalling. It needed a hard reboot.
The RPG Pivot and the "Bloat" Era
In 2017, everything changed again with Origins. Bayek of Siwa took us to Ancient Egypt, and suddenly, the game looked more like The Witcher 3 than a traditional stealth title. Levels mattered. Loot mattered. You couldn't just counter-kill your way through an entire army anymore.
Odyssey took this even further. It was massive. Like, "take a week off work just to see the map" massive. You played as a mercenary in Ancient Greece, and for the first time, you could choose your gender and your dialogue. It was a full-blown RPG. Some fans loved the scale; others missed the hidden blades and the white hoods.
Valhalla was the culmination of this trend. It was a Viking saga that felt endless. You weren't just an assassin; you were a conqueror. It sold incredibly well, but the feedback was clear: the games had become too big. They were exhausting. People started nostalgic-posting about the days of smaller, more focused cities.
Breaking Down the Full Chronology
Looking at the timeline of all Assassins Creed games is like trying to untangle a bowl of historical spaghetti. It doesn't move in a straight line.
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- The Ancient Trilogy: Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla. These are the RPGs. They deal with the "Hidden Ones" and the precursors to the formal Assassin Brotherhood.
- The Golden Age: II, Brotherhood, Revelations. The Ezio saga.
- The Kenway Saga: III, Black Flag, Rogue. This covers the Americas and the Seven Years' War.
- The Modern Spin-offs: Mirage was a deliberate attempt to go back to the roots—smaller map, focused stealth, and a shorter story. It was a love letter to the first game, set in 9th-century Baghdad.
People often forget about the "Chronicles" games or the handheld titles like Liberation. Those smaller entries actually hold a lot of the deep lore that die-hard fans obsess over. For instance, Rogue is the only time we really got to play as a Templar for a full game, showing that the "bad guys" often have a point.
Why the Animus Actually Matters
The Modern Day storyline is the most controversial part of the franchise. Most players just want to jump back into the past, but the story of Desmond Miles, and later Layla Hassan, provides the "why."
The Isu—or those who came before—are the sci-fi backbone of the series. They aren't gods; they're an advanced prehistoric civilization that created humans as a labor force. Every Piece of Eden, from the Apple to the Shroud, is just leftover tech from their era. Without this weird sci-fi layer, the games would just be historical simulators. The tension between the Assassins (who want free will) and the Templars (who want order) is a philosophical debate that has spanned thousands of years of human history.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Lore
A common misconception is that the Assassins are the "good guys." They aren't. They’re fanatics. They believe in total freedom, which often leads to chaos. The Templars believe in peace through control. If you play Assassin's Creed III or Rogue carefully, you realize both sides are flawed. Haytham Kenway, a Templar, is often more rational than his Assassin son.
This nuance is what keeps the series alive. It's not a superhero story. It's a tragedy about two secret societies destroying lives in the name of ideologies that might both be wrong.
Technical Milestones
Ubisoft has consistently pushed what’s possible with crowd density. Go back and look at the streets of Paris in Unity. Even a decade later, few games have managed to put that many individual NPCs on screen at once with that level of detail. The "Anvil" engine has undergone massive transformations to support the transition from the tight alleys of Florence to the vast oceans of the Caribbean and the rolling hills of England.
Actionable Insights for Players
If you’re looking to dive into the series now, don't try to play them all in order. You will burn out.
- For the Story: Play the Ezio Collection. It’s the emotional heart of the franchise.
- For the Gameplay: Assassin's Creed Unity has the best movement, despite its early reputation. Just make sure you play the patched version.
- For Exploration: Origins is the most atmospheric. Egypt feels alive in a way that later, larger maps struggled to replicate.
- For a Quick Fix: Mirage can be finished in 15-20 hours and gives you the "classic" feel without the 100-hour commitment.
The real magic of the series isn't in the combat or the parkour; it's the "Digital Tourism." Being able to walk through a 1:1 recreation of Notre Dame or climb the Great Sphinx is something no other franchise offers with this much historical research.
How to Approach the Franchise Today
Keep an eye on the "Infinity" platform. Ubisoft is shifting away from standalone boxed releases toward a hub where different "Periods" can be accessed. This means we might see shorter, experimental games alongside the massive RPGs.
To get the most out of the experience, stop using fast travel. The games are designed to be lived in. When you skip the travel, you find the random encounters, the environmental storytelling, and the small historical details that the developers spent years crafting. Turn off the HUD. Lean into the "Eagle Vision." That's when the games actually start to feel like the stealth fantasies they were always meant to be.