15. Assassin’s Creed (2007)
The original that started this whole franchise. At the time it was an impressive game, boasting big crowds and lots of historical details. Today in 2023 it feels empty and barren, but there’s still a lot to like about this first game in the series. The modern-day narrative feels more connected and interesting than in later games, the mystery of Abstergo and The Templars was genuinely intriguing and the social stealth systems (hiding in a crowd) felt fresh and different.
Today, going back to Assassin’s Creed is hard. The controls are stiff, the combat is boring, and Altair feels underdeveloped as a character compared to later protagonists. Still, the basic elements of the franchise are still here and still work. The hidden blades, climbing big towers, assassinations, and weird conspiracy theory-inspired storytelling is all here. It’s just the whole package hasn’t aged nearly as well as other games in the franchise.
