Perhaps one of the most prolific franchises in gaming history, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed series has been a staple of the open-world action genre since it debuted in 2007. What started as stealth game originally meant to be a spiritual successor to Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time has now evolved into a franchise of expansive, hundred-hour-long RPGs.

Although the series has its ups and downs, Assassin's Creed is mostly a critical success. To celebrate the release of Assassin's Creed Valhalla, this is where the previous games stand on Metacritic, based on reviews for whichever platform has the most critic feedback.

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 11. Assassin's Creed Unity - 72/100

Easily the most hated game in the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Unity suffered from both being a disappointing debut for the next console generation as well as for being a buggy mess. While not a terrible game by any means, Assassin's Creed Unity ultimately felt like more of the same, and returning to a contained city environment after having the entire Caribbean at players' disposal the previous year felt like a huge step backwards.

Still, critics didn’t entirely write Unity off. There’s still some value to be had in Ubisoft’s admirable recreation of revolution-era Paris and the ever-reliable Assassin’s Creed gameplay (assuming, of course, players didn’t encounter one of the dozens of game breaking bugs).

10. Assassin's Creed Rogue - 72/100

Considered underrated by many (especially Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag die-hards), critics weren’t exactly impressed with Assassin’s Creed Rogue, the “old-gen” counterpart to Unity. Many praised the game for its setting and bold decision to let players control a templar for a change, but others found its recycling of assets from Black Flag and Assassin’s Creed II to be stale and uninspired. Plus, the confusing move to release it as a last-gen only game to please players who had yet to own a next-gen console showed a lack of confidence in both Rogue and Unity.

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9. Assassin's Creed Syndicate - 76/100

Only a marginal improvement from Unity, Assassin’s Creed Syndicate once again felt like more of the same. Players were treated to driveable carriages (the franchise's first foray into vehicles), updated combat and a lot less bugs, but everything else was hardly spectacular. Some of the decisions were admirable (the addition of a playable female protagonist and a stunning Victorian-age London), but for the most part, critics and fans alike both agreed the series was in need of a heftier overhaul.

8. Assassin's Creed: Revelations - 80/100

An image from Assassin's Creed: Revelations.

Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, the final entry in the beloved Ezio trilogy, was the franchise's first brush with a misstep. While critics were mostly satisfied with the game as a conclusion to that chapter of the franchise, they felt like many of the ideas -- namely the confusing addition of a tower defense minigame -- could’ve used some more fleshing out.

This was also the point where critics began to get tired of the Assassin’s Creed formula, as the limitations of the franchise began to show. Luckily, the series went on to bolder settings and locations.

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7. Assassin's Creed - 81/100

Credit where credit is due, Assassin's Creed is the game that started it all. It introduced players to Desmond, the Animus and the classic assassin gameplay, and built a solid foundation for the following titles to build off. However, even at the time, critics were quick to point out the clunkiness of the gameplay (by today’s standards the game is all but unplayable). Still, it worked well as a proof of concept and it launched over a decade of games that improved on its formula.

6. Assassin's Creed Origins - 81/100

After two years of treading water and then a full year off, Assassin's Creed returned with a bang with Assassin's Creed Origins. Not only were players reunited with the Black Flag team and finally given the chance to be an assassin in ancient Egypt, but the game was the first taste of the complete overhaul in gameplay and world design. Critics praised Origins as a step in the right direction, while still taking issue with the repetitive nature of the gameplay and absence of stealth, the iconic mechanic of the series.

5. Assassin's Creed Odyssey - 83/100

While many see this as the best game in the series, critics were slightly more hesitant to fall in love with Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. This game combines all of the best elements of Black Flag and Origins, and adds in a healthy helping of Skyrim, The Witcher 3 and even a bit of Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor.

Ultimately, critics thought that this was perhaps a bit too much of a good thing. While there were a lot of great ideas, there was just too much going on. Unless players had a hundred hours to spare, Odyssey was perhaps not the most respectful of their time, as it kept introducing new concepts over 20 hours into the game. Still, if toned down a bit, Odyssey feels like it could be the beginning of an incredible new era for the franchise.

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4. Assassin's Creed III - 84/100

Assassin's Creed III is just inches away from true greatness. It's the first entry that let players explore the wilderness and it also was the first game set outside of the Mediterranean. Gamers take control of Connor, a key player in the American Revolution, as he navigates his way through New York, Boston and the surrounding areas.

Critics were largely impressed with the story, scope and recreation of 1700s America, but slightly let down by the awkward pacing and underwritten protagonist. The sheer size of the world may feel a bit underutilized as well, but Assassin's Creed III remains arguably the most essential step forward in the series’ history.

3. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag - 88/100

An gameplay screenshot of a player holding a sword in Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag.

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is a near perfect realization of what this franchise could be in its early years. Fun stealth missions? Check. Beautiful world to explore? Check. Fun, lighthearted, swashbuckling adventure? Check.

Critics were wowed by Black Flag, with many dubbing it the best game since Assassin’s Creed II. It was a groundbreaking game in its own right -- the ability to jump in a ship and sail anywhere in the Caribbean still feels groundbreaking, even all these years later. The only issue? It barely felt like an Assassin’s Creed game and could have easily been its own thing.

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2. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood - 89/100

A fan favorite entry, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood expanded everything that made Assassin's Creed II so great. What it lacked in new scenery or gameplay, it made up for with an exciting story, multiplayer and some solid innovation that made it feel fresh, even when it launched only a short year after Assassin's Creed II. This was the first game that started the yearly tradition of Assassin's Creed games, and certainly didn’t leave critics upset with the idea.

1. Assassin's Creed II - 91/100

Assassins Creed 2 Venice

Assassin's Creed may have started the franchise, but Assassin's Creed II is when the series came into its own. It kicked off the iconic Ezio trilogy, refined the gameplay and immediately solidified the series’ place in gaming legend.

Not only did Assassin's Creed II create the template for the rest of the series, but it created a template that other open-world games are still using to this day. Critics were head over heels for II when it released, calling it one of the best sequels ever released as well as the best game of 2009. To this day, Assassin’s Creed II is considered one of the defining games in video game history.

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