Why Assassin’s Creed Is One of Gaming’s Most Confusing Franchises
Most gaming franchises move forward chronologically.
Assassin’s Creed does not.
One game takes players to Ancient Greece. The next might explore Renaissance Italy. Another jumps to the Golden Age of Piracy before moving into Victorian London or Viking England. Unlike most series, Assassin’s Creed constantly travels backward and forward through history, making it difficult for newcomers to know where they should begin.
This complexity has only increased as Ubisoft expanded the franchise. What started as a relatively straightforward story about Altaïr and the modern-day conflict between Assassins and Templars has evolved into a sprawling saga covering thousands of years of human history.
The good news is that there isn’t just one correct way to play Assassin’s Creed.
The better news is that some play orders are far more enjoyable than others.
Before diving into the timeline, it’s important to understand that historical chronology and gameplay progression are two very different things.
Should You Play Assassin’s Creed in Release Order or Chronological Order?
This is the question every new player eventually asks.
Technically, the earliest game in the historical timeline is Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. If you follow the franchise chronologically, that’s where your journey begins.
However, that doesn’t mean it’s the best starting point.
Odyssey features modern RPG systems, massive open-world exploration, advanced combat mechanics, and dozens of quality-of-life improvements that simply didn’t exist in earlier entries. Starting there and then jumping backward to the original Assassin’s Creed can feel like moving from a modern luxury car to a vehicle built nearly twenty years ago.
Release order offers a much smoother experience because players witness the franchise evolve naturally. The gameplay improvements feel exciting rather than restrictive, and the modern-day narrative becomes much easier to follow.
For first-time players, release order remains the strongest recommendation.
For returning fans, chronological order offers a fascinating way to experience the history of the Assassin-Templar conflict.
The Best Assassin’s Creed Play Order for New Players
For players entering the franchise in 2026, a curated experience often works better than attempting every game immediately.
The ideal path looks like this:
- Assassin’s Creed
- Assassin’s Creed II
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood
- Assassin’s Creed Revelations
- Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
- Assassin’s Creed Origins
- Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
- Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
- Assassin’s Creed Mirage
- Assassin’s Creed Shadows
This approach preserves the evolution of gameplay while ensuring players experience the franchise’s most important stories.
More importantly, it avoids fatigue. Completing every Assassin’s Creed game can easily require hundreds of hours. Focusing on the strongest entries allows newcomers to enjoy the best the franchise has to offer without feeling overwhelmed.
The Five Assassin’s Creed Games Every Gamer Should Play
Not every Assassin’s Creed game is essential.
These five titles represent the franchise at its absolute best.
Assassin’s Creed II
When people talk about the golden age of Assassin’s Creed, they usually start here.
Ezio Auditore remains one of gaming’s most beloved protagonists because players experience nearly every stage of his life. His journey begins as a reckless young nobleman and gradually transforms into one of the most respected Assassins in history.
The recreation of Renaissance Italy remains impressive even today. Florence, Venice, and Tuscany provide some of the franchise’s most memorable locations, while the combination of parkour, stealth, and storytelling established the blueprint that Assassin’s Creed would follow for years.
If there is one game that defines the classic Assassin’s Creed formula, it is Assassin’s Creed II.
Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag
Black Flag is the game that convinced many players they didn’t need to be Assassin’s Creed fans to love Assassin’s Creed.
At its core, Black Flag is an extraordinary pirate adventure. Naval exploration, ship combat, treasure hunting, island discovery, and Caribbean exploration create a sense of freedom rarely matched by other entries.
Edward Kenway’s journey also stands among the franchise’s strongest character arcs. Unlike many protagonists who begin as heroes, Edward starts as a selfish opportunist and gradually develops into a far more complex figure.
Even in 2026, Black Flag remains one of Ubisoft’s greatest achievements.
Assassin’s Creed Origins
Origins had an impossible job.
After years of criticism regarding franchise fatigue, Ubisoft needed to reinvent Assassin’s Creed without losing its identity.
Origins succeeded.
Ancient Egypt remains one of the most stunning worlds Ubisoft has ever created. The pyramids, deserts, cities, and temples feel genuinely alive. Bayek’s personal story provides emotional weight, while the introduction of RPG mechanics modernized the franchise for a new generation.
Most importantly, Origins tells the story of how the Assassin Brotherhood was formed, making it one of the most important games in franchise lore.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey
Few Assassin’s Creed games divide fans as much as Odyssey.
Some consider it the franchise’s best RPG.
Others argue it moved too far away from traditional Assassin gameplay.
Regardless of where players stand, Odyssey is impossible to ignore.
The scale is extraordinary. Ancient Greece feels vast, vibrant, and filled with opportunities for exploration. Naval combat returns, character customization reaches new heights, and the branching dialogue system introduces more player choice than previous entries.
For players who enjoy massive open-world RPGs, Odyssey remains one of Ubisoft’s most ambitious games.
Assassin’s Creed Shadows
For over a decade, fans repeatedly asked Ubisoft the same question:
“When will Assassin’s Creed go to Japan?”
Shadows finally delivered that answer.
By combining shinobi stealth, samurai combat, dynamic seasons, and one of the most requested historical settings in gaming, Shadows quickly became one of the franchise’s biggest releases.
The dual-protagonist structure offers two very different approaches to gameplay, allowing players to switch between stealth-focused infiltration and direct combat encounters.
For many modern players, Shadows represents the future of Assassin’s Creed.
Which Assassin’s Creed Has the Best Setting?
One of the franchise’s greatest strengths is its ability to transport players into historical periods rarely explored by other games.
Every fan has a favorite setting.
Ancient Greece offers breathtaking scale.
Ancient Egypt delivers unmatched atmosphere.
Renaissance Italy provides iconic architecture and history.
The Caribbean captures the fantasy of piracy.
Viking England embraces exploration and conquest.
Feudal Japan finally fulfills one of gaming’s longest-running requests.
The truth is that there is no objectively correct answer.
The best setting ultimately depends on what kind of adventure players want.
That’s one reason Assassin’s Creed continues thriving after nearly two decades.
Every game offers something different.
Why Assassin’s Creed Remains Relevant After Nearly 20 Years
Few franchises survive this long.
Even fewer remain commercially successful.
Assassin’s Creed continues thriving because Ubisoft consistently finds ways to reinvent the formula while preserving its core identity. The franchise balances historical tourism, stealth gameplay, exploration, combat, and storytelling in ways that few competitors can match.
Players don’t simply buy Assassin’s Creed games for the mechanics.
They buy them for the opportunity to experience places and eras that most games never explore.
Whether climbing the pyramids of Egypt, sailing through the Caribbean, walking the streets of Renaissance Italy, or infiltrating castles in Feudal Japan, every entry offers a unique historical adventure.
That combination remains difficult to replicate.
Which Assassin’s Creed Game Should You Play?
| Game | Setting | Best Feature | Difficulty | Best For |
| Assassin’s Creed II | Renaissance Italy | Story & Characters | Medium | New Players |
| Brotherhood | Rome | Assassin Management | Medium | Ezio Fans |
| Revelations | Constantinople | Ezio’s Conclusion | Medium | Story Lovers |
| Black Flag | Caribbean | Pirate Gameplay | Easy | Exploration Fans |
| Origins | Ancient Egypt | World Design | Medium | RPG Players |
| Odyssey | Ancient Greece | Scale & Freedom | Medium | Open-World Fans |
| Valhalla | Viking England | Exploration | Medium | Viking Enthusiasts |
| Mirage | Baghdad | Traditional Stealth | Medium | Classic AC Fans |
| Shadows | Feudal Japan | Shinobi Gameplay | Medium | Modern Players |
| Unity | French Revolution | Parkour | Medium | Movement Fans |
Final Verdict
The best way to play Assassin’s Creed depends entirely on what you want from the franchise.
If you’re a newcomer, release order remains the strongest option because it allows you to experience the evolution of gameplay, storytelling, and technology naturally. If you’re a longtime fan, chronological order offers a fascinating perspective on the Assassin-Templar conflict across history.
Regardless of where you start, a few games stand above the rest. Assassin’s Creed II, Black Flag, Origins, Odyssey, and Shadows represent some of the finest experiences the franchise has produced.
More than anything, Assassin’s Creed remains unique because it offers something few series can match: the opportunity to explore thousands of years of human history through the eyes of an Assassin.
FAQs
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is the earliest game in the historical timeline, taking place in Ancient Greece during 431 BCE.
Assassin’s Creed II remains one of the best starting points because it introduces the franchise’s core mechanics while telling one of its strongest stories.
Chronological order is excellent for returning fans, but release order is generally better for newcomers.
Many fans consider Assassin’s Creed II and the Ezio Trilogy to feature the strongest storytelling in the franchise.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Odyssey are among the largest entries in terms of world size and content.
Solid breakdown — the pacing notes match what I kept hitting in playtests. Worth adding: tracking drop odds against the latest update log saves a lot of wasted runs, since rates shift quietly between patches. I ended up keeping an independent fan tracker for exactly that.