7. Assassin’s Creed III (2012)
They called it Assassin’s Creed III, despite there having already been like five games before it if you count mobile titles and spin-offs. But the three in the name helped signal this was a big departure from what came before. AC III was slicker, more open, more modern, and featured improved controls and parkour. It was also the last game until Origins to feature a big focus on the modern-day narrative, wrapping up the Desmond story which started back in the first game.
AC III had problems, like an overly long intro and a lot of stuff on the map, a problem that would grow even worse in later games. But for all its problems I still love AC III. The setting was one of the strongest parts of the game. Getting to interact with historical figures from America’s past and explore the snowy woods of the U.S. east coast was nice. And that opening bait-and-switch caught me off guard.
