A series that has seen everything from sci-fi conspiracies to pirate warfare,Assassin’s Creedisn’t exactly the simplest franchise to jump into. With over a dozen mainline titles spanning multiple time periods, game mechanics and even genre shifts, figuring out where to start can be overwhelming.
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Some entries focus on stealth, while others lean into open-world RPG mechanics. But for players looking to experience Assassin’s Creed without getting lost in its extensive lore or complex systems, these games provide the best entry points.
7Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
The Ezio Era at Its Peak
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
Few protagonists in gaming have left an impact quite like Ezio Auditore. Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood builds upon everything Assassin’s Creed II introduced while refining the gameplay to near perfection. Rome becomes the ultimate playground, packed with rooftop chases, hidden passageways and enemy strongholds that can be taken down with strategic precision.
Despite being a sequel, Brotherhood remains beginner-friendly. Its refined combat system introduces counterattacks and chain kills that make engagements smoother, while the introduction of recruitable assassins allows players to call in reinforcements at will. The open-ended mission structure also means newcomers won’t feel restricted, with side content that expands naturally rather than overwhelming the player.
6Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
London’s Underworld Awaits
Assassin’s Creed Syndicate
Industrial Revolution London might lack the exotic allure of past settings, but Assassin’s Creed Syndicate makes up for it with its dynamic duo of protagonists, Evie and Jacob Frye. The game modernizes parkour by allowing faster vertical traversal, and with the introduction of the grappling hook, moving across rooftops has never felt smoother.
Combat, while still rooted in counters and timing, shifts toward a faster-paced brawling system, making it easy to pick up. The RPG elements that later entries would fully embrace are minimal here and the ability to swap between two characters with distinct playstyles ensures a variety of approaches. For newcomers, Syndicate offers a taste of the franchise’s newer direction while keeping one foot in the past.
5Assassin’s Creed Mirage
A Return to the Shadows
Assassin’s Creed: Mirage
The modern Assassin’s Creed series lean heavily into RPG mechanics, but despite releasing amidst them, Mirage strips it all back to the basics. Taking place in 9th-century Baghdad, it’s a deliberate return to the franchise’s stealth-focused roots, with an emphasis on parkour, assassinations and planning rather than brute-force combat.
Its smalleropen worldmakes it a more digestible experience, avoiding the bloat that the RPG entries suffered from. With a clear target-based mission structure and a protagonist, Basim, who isn’t weighed down by years of franchise lore, Mirage is an accessible way to experience classic Assassin’s Creed without feeling outdated.
4Assassin’s Creed Unity
A Rough Gem Worth Revisiting
Assassin’s Creed Unity
No game in the franchise had a rockier start than Assassin’s Creed Unity. Plagued with game-breaking bugs at launch, it became infamous for its technical issues. But after years of patches, Unity is now one of the most visually-stunning and fluid Assassin’s Creed experiences available.
Set during the French Revolution, it features one of the most intricately-designed open worlds in the series. Paris is densely-packed with explorable interiors, bustling streets and seamless parkour that allows for precise movement. The story operates largely in isolation from the wider Assassin’s Creed narrative, making it easy for newcomers to jump in without needing background knowledge.
The revamped combat requires actual skill rather than just counterattacks, offering a challenge without being punishing. And whilemultiplayer co-opwas a major selling point, the single-player campaign alone is worth experiencing.
3Assassin’s Creed Origins
The Birth of a New Creed
Assassin’s Creed Origins
With Assassin’s Creed Origins, Ubisoft redefined the series, shifting it into full-fledged RPG territory. The combat system moved away from counter-heavy mechanics to a hitbox-based approach, requiring players to dodge, parry and think strategically about each fight.
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Its open world, set in ancient Egypt, is one of the most breathtaking in the series, filled with secrets, hidden tombs and dynamic wildlife. The narrative, focusing on Bayek’s personal journey rather than the broader Assassin-Templar conflict, makes it easy for newcomers to follow without getting lost in franchise lore.
While the RPG systems are more involved than in past entries, Origins introduces them gradually, making them less overwhelming. The ability to approach objectives in multiple ways – whether through stealth, ranged combat, or direct confrontation – also makes it welcoming for different playstyles.
2Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
The Golden Age of Piracy
Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag
While Assassin’s Creed games have always dabbled in naval combat, Black Flag goes all in, turning players into the captain of their own ship. The open waters of the Caribbean serve as both a battleground and a means of exploration, with islands to discover, forts to siege and treasure to plunder.
As Edward Kenway, a pirate-turned-assassin, players experience a story that isn’t bogged down by franchise baggage. The stealth and parkour mechanics remain intact, but Black Flag shifts focus towardnaval battles, ship upgrades and open-ended gameplay.
For newcomers, it offers a different flavor of Assassin’s Creed – one that still retains the franchise’s core identity, but expands it in a way that feels fresh. Even those unwilling to play through the entire franchise can jump in and enjoy it as a standalone pirate adventure.
1Assassin’s Creed 2
The Gold Standard
Assassin’s Creed 2
If there’s one Assassin’s Creed game that defines the franchise, it’s Assassin’s Creed II. Taking place in Renaissance Italy, it refines every aspect of the original game while introducing one of the most beloved protagonists in gaming history, Ezio Auditore da Firenze.
The gameplay strikes the perfect balance between stealth, action and exploration. Missions encourage creativity, whether sneaking through Venetian canals or taking out enemies from the rooftops of Florence. The parkour system is intuitive, combat is satisfying without being overly-complex and the narrative is gripping without requiring prior knowledge.
Even years after its release, Assassin’s Creed II remains the definitive starting point for the series. It lays the groundwork for everything that followed while standing strong as a self-contained masterpiece. This is the Assassin’s Creed game that will make players fall in love with the series.
8 Most Underrated Assassin’s Creed Games
Assassin’s Creed games have always been popular, but these titles went by unnoticed when they were first released.
