Highlights
- Each Assassin's Creed game has its own allure and is worth playing despite the lack of innovation in gameplay.
- Combat in the series can often be too easy, allowing players to mindlessly button-mash and enjoy flashy animations.
- While some games in the series have challenging aspects, overall, the combat lacks any substantial challenge.
Assassin's Creed is one of the biggest franchises in gaming, spawning a wealth of titles that have made the games a household name for many. While the series is criticized by many fans for repeating the same gameplay loop over and over again, there's no denying that each Assassin's Creed game has a certain allure to it that makes them worth playing despite the lack of innovation.
The games feature amazing set pieces and pulse-pounding combat, although there are times when the combat in this series can be so easy that players just mindlessly button-mash while enjoying some fancy animations in the process. These games are certainly enjoyable in their own right, even if the combat lacks any form of challenge.
7 Assassin's Creed
The first ever Assassin's Creed was a landmark release, with Ubisoft forming this new IP from Prince of Persia's ashes to make for a great combination of parkour and action. It helped that the addition of historical landmarks and a story revolving around two ancient factions whose memories were accessed in the modern age made for a great plot in its own right.
The combat in this game was pretty simple, with players having to wait for the perfect moment to counter an attack before killing most foes off without any issues. In many ways, the only way Assassin's Creed was hard stemmed from the lack of options players had in a simple combat system that has evolved by leaps and bounds since its inception.
6 Assassin's Creed 3
The third game in the Assassin's Creed series felt like a mixed bag for many fans, in no small part because of the issues the title had on launch. The Ezio Trilogy was pretty engaging in its own right, but there were many who felt that Revelations didn't do much to innovate the core gameplay of the series, and the same complaints resounded for the third mainline entry in the series.
Connor is a pretty great protagonist, and the focus on hunting and exploring new environments never seen before in an Assassin's Creed game still makes for a fun time. The combat itself is pretty engaging, but the immense focus on counters means that most enemies will have no chance against a player patient enough to pick and choose their openings.
5 Assassin's Creed Syndicate
Most people would assume that Syndicate's combat is extremely challenging, especially since the game has levels that prevent players from exploring certain sections of the map until a fair ways into the game. However, these levels are just meant to push players toward a certain path and aren't really indicative of the combat's actual challenge.
When players get into combat against regular foes, they'll realize just how simple things can be. While Syndicate definitely has some flashy combat, the challenge is almost non-existent. The only way that players can really challenge themselves is by trying to fight in a high-level area, which becomes hard because of the enemies being health sponges with high attack damage.
4 Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag is considered by many to be one of the best games in the series, and it's easy to see why this is the case. The story of Edward Kenway, as he turned from a privateer into a member of the Assassin Order, is a riveting one that is full to the brim with its fair share of twists and turns.
The combat in this game definitely makes players feel awesome... even with all the odds stacked up in their favor. The sheer number of resources that players can utilize in battle against their enemies makes for a great time, even if the foes themselves are nothing more than standing pincushions just waiting to be sliced and diced by the protagonist.
3 Assassin's Creed Rogue
Assassin's Creed Rogue is a game that many fans forget about, which is a shame since the story's setup itself is extremely unique. The idea of playing as an Assassin who decided to defect to the Templars makes for a breath of fresh air in a series that showed this conflict in a binary light almost all the time.
However, the game is a poster child for how it failed to innovate and just emulated its predecessor's success. Rogue's naval battles were the only challenging aspect in a game where combat was as braindead as they come. Players had to put almost no thought into wiping their enemies out, which is a shame.
2 Assassin's Creed 2
While the first Assassin's Creed game was pretty engaging in its own right, the sequel took things up a notch. Not only did it feature one of the most iconic protagonists in gaming history, but the title also did a great job of fleshing out the lore and history of the franchise as well. It helped that Renaissance Italy was a tantalizing period in history that this game did justice by and then some.
The game may not have aged that well (especially with its easy combat), but there's something truly great about uncovering the title's story and enjoying Ezio's transformation from an innocent youth into a competent member of the Assassins. Their eternal conflict against the Templars manifests in some amazing moments as Ezio seeks revenge while shedding some light on this rivalry in the process.
1 Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
If players thought that Assassin's Creed 2 was easy, then Brotherhood took it to a whole new level. In a bid to make combat as cathartic as possible, players could initiate a streak of kills and annihilate their opposition the moment they managed to land a fatal blow on a single foe in a group.
Suffice it to say, this made combat pretty easy... although that didn't stop things from escalating if a bunch of tougher enemies entered the fray. However, for the most part, players will barely encounter a game over in Brotherhood, making it the easiest Assassin's Creed game of all time.