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Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is the strongest all-around pick in this ranking, while Assassin’s Creed II remains the series’ defining character story. This is a subjective order of the 14 original mainline games, from the 2007 original through Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It excludes spin-offs, mobile and VR releases, the 2.5D Chronicles games, standalone expansions, remasters and remakes—including Black Flag Resynced. “Every” can mean different things in a franchise with more than 18 games; this narrower scope makes the entries comparable.
How this Assassin’s Creed ranking works
The order weighs stealth and parkour, story and protagonist, historical setting, combat and mission variety, exploration, pacing and technical friction. Those qualities do not matter equally to every player: a focused stealth adventure and a huge RPG-style world are different kinds of experience. The ranking is an editorial judgment, not a critic-score list or an objective consensus.
The series has changed substantially. Early entries center on stealth, parkour and planned assassinations; Origins reworked the formula with more open combat, climbing across surfaces and an eagle companion, helping lead toward larger RPG-oriented worlds. Ubisoft’s release-order guide traces those shifts. A separate Metacritic ranking published March 18, 2025 covers 14 original mainline titles by critic Metascore, but it is a score-based comparison rather than this editorial order, and it predates Black Flag Resynced.
Assassin’s Creed games ranked from worst to best
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14. Assassin’s Creed (2007)
Altaïr’s story establishes the series’ central appeal: investigate a target, learn about them, then carry out an assassination in a historical city. Its deliberate setup is foundational, but repeated mission patterns make the original harder to recommend than later entries.
#1 Best Overall
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Assassin's Creed The Ezio Collection - Nintendo Switch Standard Edition- Learn the ways of the Assassins and seek vengeance for the betrayal of your family
- Journey through 15th-century Renaissance Italy and become the most legendary leader of the Brotherhood, then embark on a final quest of discovery as you learn the truth about the Creed
- Includes enhanced features for the Nintendo Switch system, such as HD Rumble and more
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13. Assassin’s Creed III
Connor’s story unfolds during the American Revolution, giving the game a strong historical frame and a distinctive frontier setting. Its ambitious scope and combat have appeal, but the pacing and uneven balance between story sections keep it from the upper tier.
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12. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Its Viking-era world offers a great deal to explore, but the scale can work against momentum. Players who want a long RPG adventure may welcome the volume; those looking for a tighter assassination-focused story may find it overextended.
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11. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Ancient Greece is a vivid backdrop for a sprawling role-playing adventure, with exploration and combat at the center. Its size is a strength for players who want a long journey, but the RPG emphasis moves it further from the compact stealth-and-assassination structure that defines the early games.
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Assassin's Creed The Ezio Collection - PlayStation 4- Play through three of the greatest entries in the acclaimed Assassin’s Creed series, featuring the franchise’s most iconic hero, Ezio Auditore.
- Immerse yourself in three classic adventures featuring enhanced visuals on the current generation of consoles.
- Experience every moment in legendary Assassin Ezio’s epic journey from a young nobleman to fearless leader of the Brotherhood of Assassins.
- Explore deeper into Ezio’s incredible saga with two bonus short films that go beyond the trilogy.
- Make history across 80 hours of gameplay including three complete games and all single-player add-on content previously released.
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10. Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Victorian London gives this entry a sharply recognizable setting, and its twin protagonists add variety to the campaign. It is an approachable city adventure, though its mission and combat rhythms do not leave as strong an impression as the series’ best entries.
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9. Assassin’s Creed Mirage
Mirage makes a more focused return to stealth and city-based play than the enormous RPG entries. That narrower scope suits players who miss careful infiltration, though it offers less breadth than the biggest worlds in the franchise.
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8. Assassin’s Creed Revelations
Ezio’s final chapter brings his character arc together and connects it to Altaïr’s legacy. The emotional payoff is its biggest strength; it is most rewarding after playing the earlier Ezio games rather than as a first entry.
Rank #3
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Assassin's Creed: The Rebel Collection - Nintendo Switch- Includes both Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed Rogue, plus all single-player DLC.
- Become the most feared pirate in the Caribbean in Assassin’s Creed IV Black Flag. Take part in an award-winning naval experience and explore a massive open world.
- Become the ultimate assassin hunter in Assassin’s Creed Rogue, and play as a Templar for the first time in franchise history.
- Additional bonus content: Black Beard: The Lost Journal (pp. 1– 55) and Assassin’s Creed: Awakening Volumes 1 & 2.
- Experience enhanced features like handheld mode, HD Rumble, a touch screen interface, and motion control aiming.
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7. Assassin’s Creed Rogue
Rogue’s Templar protagonist gives the familiar conflict a useful change in perspective. Its premise distinguishes it from the other entries, even as its overall experience feels closer to an extension of the established formula than a major reinvention.
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6. Assassin’s Creed Unity
Unity’s Paris and its parkour changes make moving through the city a central pleasure. It is a strong choice for players who value dense urban traversal and stealth, although its technical friction can detract from that otherwise compelling foundation.
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5. Assassin’s Creed Shadows
Shadows is the 14th mainline title in the 2025 Metacritic ranking. Its place here reflects the series’ continued ability to make a historical setting the heart of an adventure, while the overall order still depends on whether a player prefers modern RPG scale or older stealth-focused design.
Rank #4
Assassins Creed The Ezio Collection (PS4)- Live Ezio's complete life story:Play as Ezio, the most celebrated and iconic Assassin in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Join him on his journey from a young man to the most legendary leader of the Assassin Brotherhood. Follow him in his final quest for discovery and revelation through all single-player campaigns and single-player add-on content from the three collected games
- Enhanced for the new generation:Experience these three classics with greater hardware capabilities and processing power, bringing the stories and immersion to life with enhanced graphics and post-processing techniques.
- Exciting game content and bonus films:Learn more about Ezio's life with the complete Assassin's Creed Lineage and Assassin's Creed Embers short films included.
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4. Assassin’s Creed Origins
Ancient Egypt provides a striking world, and Bayek gives the story a grounded emotional center. More importantly, Origins is the series’ major design pivot: its open combat and RPG elements reshaped the franchise. That shift is a strength for players who want exploration and character progression, but it changes the feel of the older stealth formula.
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3. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
Brotherhood builds on Ezio’s story in Renaissance Rome and makes the city and its Assassin network feel closely connected. Its focused setting, satisfying progression and memorable protagonist make it one of the most complete expressions of the classic formula.
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2. Assassin’s Creed II
Ezio’s journey through Renaissance Italy gives the series its most beloved coming-of-age story. The historical cities, character development and clear progression make it an excellent starting point for players curious about the older games, even if its mechanics show their age beside later releases.
Best Value
Assassins Creed The Ezio Collection (Xbox One)- Live Ezio's complete life story:Play as Ezio, the most celebrated and iconic Assassin in the Assassin's Creed franchise. Join him on his journey from a young man to the most legendary leader of the Assassin Brotherhood. Follow him in his final quest for discovery and revelation through all single-player campaigns and single-player add-on content from the three collected games
- Enhanced for the new generation:Experience these three classics with greater hardware capabilities and processing power, bringing the stories and immersion to life with enhanced graphics and post-processing techniques.
- Exciting game content and bonus films:Learn more about Ezio's life with the complete Assassin's Creed Lineage and Assassin's Creed Embers short films included.
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1. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Edward Kenway’s Caribbean adventure earns the top spot by combining a strong protagonist and setting with naval exploration and combat. Its shift from city rooftops to open water gives it a distinct identity without losing the series’ historical-adventure appeal. Ubisoft’s franchise guide identifies its naval combat as a defining addition.
Which Assassin’s Creed should you play?
- For the best all-around adventure: Black Flag balances character, setting and exploration.
- For story and character: start with Assassin’s Creed II, then continue through Brotherhood and Revelations for Ezio’s full arc.
- For stealth and parkour: try Unity for city traversal or Mirage for a more focused stealth direction.
- For a large RPG world: choose Origins for Ancient Egypt and the series’ design pivot, or Odyssey and Valhalla if sheer scale is the priority.
Where Black Flag Resynced fits
Black Flag Resynced is a remake, not one of the 14 original mainline releases ranked above. TechRadar’s 2026 guide identifies it as a remake returning to Edward Kenway and Caribbean naval combat and reports a July 9, 2026 release date. The ranking keeps the original Black Flag separate; a remake should be judged as its own release rather than silently substituted for the original. See the TechRadar guide for its current framing.
Why other rankings may look different
A critic-score ranking answers a different question from a preference-based list. Metacritic’s March 18, 2025 ranking orders 14 original mainline games by Metascore, using the platform with the most critic reviews for each title; it excludes spin-offs, remasters, mobile-only games and VR. Meanwhile, GamesRadar+ ranks 24 entries and includes spin-offs, an approach that changes what qualifies for the list. Neither ordering is a universal verdict: compare the Metacritic ranking and GamesRadar+ list with the scope and priorities you care about.
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