The best Assassin’s Creed game depends on which part of the fantasy interests you. Moving quietly through a dense city feels different from captaining a ship or shaping an RPG character across a large landscape. This is a preference-led shortlist of established entries, rather than a ranking of every release. It names the particular games being recommended so that collections, remasters and newer projects do not blur the choice.
Editorial illustration, not a game screenshot.
Which games should you start with?
- Assassin’s Creed II — Ezio’s introduction makes a useful starting point for the classic combination of city exploration, parkour and assassination missions. Choose it when you want a character-led historical adventure without beginning with the scale of the later RPG entries. Older movement and mission rules need patience.
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood — Rome gives the familiar urban formula a strong central setting, while recruiting allies extends the assassin fantasy beyond one character. It is the natural choice after enjoying Ezio’s first adventure rather than the cleanest standalone starting point. The story continues directly from Assassin’s Creed II.
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag — Sailing, sea battles and island exploration make the original Black Flag a strong choice for a pirate adventure. Pick it for the pleasure of traveling between places as much as completing the next main story assignment. Some mandatory stealth missions feel restrictive.
- Assassin’s Creed Origins — Egypt supports a broad exploration loop with equipment, combat progression and a strong central character. Choose it when you want the series’ RPG direction but still value a grounded personal story tying different regions together. Level requirements can redirect your route.
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey — Build choices and a large Greek world make this the pick for players who want an expansive action RPG. It suits someone happy to take side paths, develop equipment and treat the historical setting as a long-term playground. Its scale can become tiring.
Compare the shortlist
| Game | Best fit | Main compromise |
|---|---|---|
| Assassin’s Creed II | A classic series introduction | Older movement and mission rules need patience. |
| Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood | A focused urban continuation | The story continues directly from Assassin’s Creed II. |
| Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag | Sailing and naval combat | Some mandatory stealth missions feel restrictive. |
| Assassin’s Creed Origins | An RPG transition point | Level requirements can redirect your route. |
| Assassin’s Creed Odyssey | A large character-building RPG | Its scale can become tiring. |
Choose your next game. Comparison by play preference, not a numerical score.
Choose by movement, progression and story continuity
Decide what you want repeated. In the Ezio games, the recurring pleasure is learning a city and approaching a target. Black Flag makes sailing part of the everyday loop. Origins and Odyssey ask you to care more about levels, equipment and sustained exploration. A preferred setting helps, but those systems determine how the hours feel.
Start with Assassin’s Creed II before Brotherhood if Ezio’s character is the attraction. These games share continuity in a way that a broad franchise list can obscure. For Black Flag, this recommendation means the original Assassin’s Creed IV release; check the exact title and edition rather than assuming every later Black Flag product has identical content.
Before buying, compare the actual platform release and included content rather than assuming that a collection contains every game or expansion with a familiar name. In Origins and Odyssey, learn how equipment and levels influence a difficult encounter before repeatedly forcing the same approach. In the Ezio games, practicing movement across rooftops makes missions less frustrating. Black Flag is worth choosing because you enjoy sailing between objectives; if you only want a tightly paced assassination story, its sea travel may feel like an interruption instead of a reward.