Video Games: Assassin's Creed Rankings

Well after a year long marathon of playing all the Assassins Creed games I finally finished up with the most recent release of Valhalla. I began this project in the fall of 2019 with a goal to play thru all the games in the franchise, (15 games since I had already played the first Assassin's Creed in 2011). After going thru many historical phases, (all of which have been captured in this blog) I have now come to an end of this gaming project. The Assassin's Creed gaming franchise stimulated my historical fascination and even more so reignited my enjoyment of video games. 

Before I began this gaming phase back in the fall of 2019, I really wasn't that much of an avid gamer. Sure I owned an Xbox 360 and Xbox One, but the only game I've really played the past 10 years is FIFA. I first discovered the Assassin's Creed game back in the winter of 2011-2012, when I bought Gabriel's Xbox 360 from him. I remember really enjoying the historical setting of the game, in the middle east during the Crusades. I wanted to buy the 2nd game as soon as it came out, however life just took precedence and I lost track of it all. From that point on my gaming mostly consisted of buying FIFA every other year for the Xbox Console. I think I bought the Xbox One on a Black Friday in 2016 or 2017. Even still however I hardly got much use out of until this past year. 

I intend to make another post regarding my history of video games and my all time favorite ones. I should mention that as a kid in the early 1990s I was very much an avid gamer just like everyone my age in those days. I was raised with the Super NES and all the Mario games, and wasted no time to buy the new Nintendo 64 with my brother Philip. I can say right now that playing Zelda Ocarina of Time, was without question my favorite gaming experience. That game was no doubt a game changer for me, and had an incredible open world experience similar to Assassin's Creed. After years playing the Nintendo 64, I remember upgrading to the GameCube in my later years of high school. However by the time I hit college, I began to lose interest in video gaming. I'd say it was about the time the Wii was released in 2006 that I hardly gamed at all.

So with that brief history in mind I shall once again reiterate that discovering the Assassin's Creed game has rekindled my enjoyment of video games. It's a modern day form of recreation, that can be shared individually or with others. This digital gaming experience is engaging, challenging, interactive, and enjoying. It's no doubt a much more invigorating experience than vegging on the couch and watching TV or Movies. With video games you are essentially controlling the story thru physical and mental interaction. It's also very liberating to control a character and visualize his movement as if it were your own. With each of the Assassins' Creed games I was able to escape from reality and get lost within a virtual historical universe. Having free reign is what I especially enjoyed about this game series, and hope to later find similar open-world gaming formats. 

In this ranking of the Assassins' Creed games, I want to look back at all the games in the series I've played. I'll just briefly touch upon the highs and lows and will include my more detailed reviews that are provided in this blog. I truly enjoyed all 16 games in the series, however there were obviously some better than others, and I'll provide reasons why so. All the games shared common themes of the assassins' brotherhood within a historical setting. As an avid enthusiast of history this is what I especially enjoyed and I would consider these games without question the best historical games. 

16. Assassin's Creed Liberation 

• Historical Setting: French and Indian War 1765-1777 (New Orleans)
• When I played it: Sept 2020
  
• 
  Release Date: Oct 2012
• Assassin: Aveline de Grandpre
• Unique Game Features: Ability to change character's persona from slave, lady, to assassin
• The Good: Full Immersion into the city of New Orleans, changing character's wardrobe/persona, exploring the bayou 
• The Not-so-Good: Many glitches, not a very inspiring setting or story
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed Liberation

15. Assassin's Creed India

• Historical Setting: Colonial India 1840s (Sikh Empire, India)
  
• When I played it: September 2020
• Release Date: January 2016
• Assassin: Arbaaz Mir
• Unique Game Features: Side scroller, aruval sword, chakram, and new sharp shooting tasks 
• The Good: Incredible backdrop of imperial India, 
• The Not-so-Good: Not combat friendly, quite difficult
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed India
• The Nest Historical Studies: Colonial Age of India
• India Phase: Watched Life of Pi and other documentaries pertaining to India; ate Indian food

14. Assassin's Creed Russia

• Historical Setting: Russian Revolution 1917 (Moscow, Russia)
• When I played it: Nov 2020
• 
  Release Date: Feb 2016
• Assassin: Nikolai Orelov
• Unique Game Features: Side scroller, stealth combat, rifle, and mechanical winch
• The Good: More rifle shooting/sniping features, great story pertaining to rescue of Anastasia
• The Not-so-Good: Not combat friendly, very difficult (was the most difficult AC game for me)
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed Russia
• The Nest Historical Studies: Final years of the Romonav Dynasty
• Russian Phase: Watched Doctor Zhivago, Reds, and documenatries pertaining to the Romanvos 

13. Assassin's Creed China

• Historical Setting: Imperial China 1526 AD (Forbidden City, Macau, Nan'an)
• When I played it: May 2020
• 
  Release Date: April 2015
• Assassin: Shao Jun
• Unique Game Features: Side Scroller, stealth gameplay, sword and ninja throwing star  
• The Good: Incredible backdrop of Imperial China, great soundtrack, awesome assassin
• The Not-so-Good: Pure stealth, not combat friendly
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed China
• The Nest Historical Studies: Empire of Japan, Second Sino Chinese War, The Pacific War, Imperial China, Xinhai Revolution, Chinese Civil War, Chinese Culture
• Chinese Phase: Watched Empire of the Sun and many other movies, shows, documentaries of Chinese history; ate Chinese food

12. Assassin's Creed Rogue

• Historical Setting: French and Indian War 1750-1760 (North Atlantic, Hudson River, New York City)
• 
  When I played it: July 2020
• Release Date: Nov 2014
• Assassin: Shay Patrick Cormac
• Unique Game Features: Open Naval combat and exploration, New York City gang wars, stalkers, playing as a templar instead of an assassin
• The Good: Exploring the colonial settlements throughout New England and Canada; the sea shanties, ship upgrades
• The Not-so-Good: Major glitches and flaws that required restart
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed Rogue
• The Nest Historical Studies: Colonial Age of the United States, Witchcraft during the Colonial Age, French and Indian War
• My Colonial Phase: Watched The New World, The Salem Witch Trials, The Last of the Mohicans; Read Scarlett Letter and The Crucible 

11. Assassin's Creed 

• Historical Setting: The Third Crusade 1191 AD (Damascus, Acre, Jerusalem) 
• When I played it: Jan-Feb 2012
  
• 
  Release Date: Nov 2007
• Assassin: Altair 
• Unique Game Features: Stealth, climbing, interrogation, pickpocketing, eavesdropping, open combat, horse-riding
• The Good: Open world map of the middle east with famous cities such as Damascus and Jerusalem; Horse riding in between cities; the historical setting of Christianity, Muslims, and the Crusades
• The Not-so-Good: The loading preface and the present day Animus story
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed
• The Nest Historical Studies: Early Spread of Christianity, The Crusades, The Inquisitions, The Renaissance, The Reformation, European Wars of Religion
• Crusades Phase: Watched the Kingdom of Heaven and various documentaries

10. Assassin's Creed Revelations 

• Historical Setting: Ottoman Empire 1511 AD (Constantinople) 
• When I played it: April 2020
• 
  Release Date: Nov 2011
• Assassin: Ezio Auditore
• Unique Game Features: Bombmaking, the hook blade, enemy assassins
• The Good: The colorful map and architecture of Constantinople, climbing landmarks such as the Haggia Sophia and the Galata Tower, the historical premise of the rise of the Ottoman Empire
• The Not-so-Good: Den battle tactics
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed Revelations
• The Nest Historical Studies: Rise and Fall of Ottoman Empire, The Arab Revolt
• My Turkish Phase: Watched Mata Hari, Aladdin, and Lawrence of Arabia

9. Assassin's Creed Origins

• Historical Setting: Ptolemaic Egypt 49-43 BC (Alexandria, Memphis, Giza) 
• When I played it: Nov 2019-Jan 2020
• 
  Release Date: Oct 2017
• Assassin: Bayek and Aya of Siwa
• Unique Game Features: New combat skills, character upgrades, eagle vision, naval missions 
• The Good: The enormous map of Egypt, climbing architectural wonders such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Lighthouse of Alexandria, Bayek's illusive fighting ability
• The Not-so-Good: 
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed Origins
• The Nest Historical Studies: Ancient Egypt, Egyptian Mythology
• My Egyptian Phase: Watched Ten Commandments, Cleopatra, and various documentaries about Egypt

8. Assassin's Creed Unity

• Historical Setting: French Revolution 1789-1794 (Paris, Versailles France)
  
• When I played it: April 2020-May 2020
• 
  Release Date: Nov 2014
• Assassin: Arno Victor Dorian
• Unique Game Features: Multiplayer co-op missions, missions set during the Belle Époque and WWII, the phantom blade, lockpicking 
• The Good: The incredibly detailed and historical map of Paris set during the French Revolution, the architecture, the Dead Kings expansion
• The Not-so-Good: Minor glitches
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed Unity
• The Nest Historical Studies: Final Years of Marie Antoinette
• French Revolution Phase: Watched the movies Marie Antoinette and Les Misérables

7. Assassin's Creed Syndicate 

• Historical Setting: Victorian/Industrial Age 1850-1860s (London, England)
• When I played it: October 2020-Novemeber 2020
• 
  Release Date: October 2015
• Assassin: Jacob and Evie Frye
• Unique Game Features: Two assassin's to manage, the grapplehook, gang wars, historical missions, character upgrades, riding carriages as opposed to horses
• The Good: Incredibly detailed map of London, many architectural wonders, using the grapplehook, the soundtrack, liberating factories, historical interactions with Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Florence Nightengale, Alexander Graham Bell, and Queen Victoria
• The Not-so-Good: Climbing up-and-down buildings 
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed Syndicate
• The Nest Historical Studies: Urban Study of London
• Industrial English Phase: Watched Sherlock Holmes; read various Charles Dickens books including David Copperfield and A Christmas Carol 

6. Assassin's Creed 2

• Historical Setting: Italian Renaissance 1476-1499 (Florence, Venice, Tuscany, Forli) 
  
• When I played it: March 2020
• 
  Release Date: Nov 2009
• Assassin: Ezio Auditore
• Unique Game Features: Renovations in fortification of Moneriggioni, gondola access, collect renaissance paintings, recruiting courtesans, thieves, and mercenaries
• The Good: The soundtrack, the map and architecture of Vencie and Florence, interacting with historical figures such as Leonardo di Vinci, Niccolo Machiavelli, and Rodrigo Borgia.
• The Not-so-Good: Swimming in water, instant desynchronization upon detection
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed 2
• The Nest Historical Studies: The House of Borgia
• Italian Renaissance Phase: Watched The Borgia and The Medici TV series

5. Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

• Historical Setting: Golden Age of Piracy 1715 (Havana, Kingston, Nassau) 
• When I played it: June 2020-July 2020
  
• Release Date: Oct 2013
• Assassin: Edward Kenway
• Unique Game Features: Open Naval Combat and exploration, pirating boats, the sea shanties, bar fights, the smoke bomb, berserker darts 
• The Good: Large map of the Caribbean islands, interacting with famous pirates such as Blackbeard and Bartholomew Roberts, exploring native civilizations
• The Not-so-Good: Not much urban or architectural wonders
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag
• The Nest Historical Studies: Golden Age of Piracy, Age of Exploration
• My Pirate Phase: Watched Pirates of the Caribbean, Peter Pan, documentaries, ate frequently at Long John Silvers, read books on the history of pirates. 

4. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

• Historical Setting: Italian Renaissance 1490-1510 (Rome, Italy)
• When I played it: March 2020
  
• Release Date: Nov 2010
• Assassin: Ezio Auditore
• Unique Game Features: Call upon brotherhood, manage assassin network, renovate buildings and landmarks in Rome, win back territories controlled by the Borgia
• The Good: The soundtrack, the map of Rome, city upgrades, the historical story pertaining to the corrupt Pope Alexander and his son Cesare Borgia 
• The Not-so-Good: Swimming in the water
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood
• The Nest Historical Studies: The House of Borgia
• My Italian Renaissance Phase: Watched The Borgia and The Medici TV series

3. Assassin's Creed 3

• Historical Setting: American Revolution 1754-1783 (Boston, New York City, New England)
• When I played it: July 2020-Aug 2020
• Release Date: Oct 2012
  
• Assassin: Connor 
• Unique Game Features: Frontier exploration, homestead renovations, hunting and crafting, the berserker darts
• The Good: Playing thru the story of the American Revolution, with maps of Boston and New York City; homestead stories, renovations, and customizations 
• The Not-so-Good: Basic fighting structure of attack, defend, and counter-attack 
• The Nest Game Review: Assassin's Creed III
• The Nest Historical Studies: Removal of Native Americans, Ben Franklin, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton
• My American Revolution Phase: Read Common Sense, Biography of Ben Franklin, 1776, watched Turn: Washington's Spies and Patriot

2. Assassins' Creed Valhalla

• Historical Setting: Viking Age 800 AD (Norway, England, Vinland)
• When I played it: Nov 2020-March 2021
• 
  Release Date: Nov 2020
• Assassin: Eivor
• Unique Game Features: Raiding parties, homestead renovations, character customizations,  
• The Good: Enormous map, great fighting, great climbing, great soundtrack, great story, great game
• The Not-so-Good: The game occasionally crashed and did not save for me
• The Nest Game Review: Valhalla
• The Nest Historical Studies: Norse Mythology
• My Viking Phase: Read the Poetic Edda, Norse Mythology, watched Vikings TV series and Thor

1. Assassin's Creed Odyssey

• Historical Setting: Peloponnesian War 430-420 BC (Greece)
• When I played it: Jan 2020-March 2020
  
• Release Date: Oct 2018
• Assassin: Alexios
• Unique Game Features: Naval Combat, open battles, fighting abilities, eagle vision, decision making, 
• The Good: The enormous map, the content, the graphics, the story, the soundtrack, the mythology
• The Not-so-Good:
• The Nest Game Review: Odyssey
• The Nest Historical Studies: Greek Gods of Olympus, Greek Gods of the Underworld
• My Greek Phase: Watched 300 and Troy; ate some gyros

Game Review: Assassin's Creed Valhalla

After 5 months of total Viking/Norse emersion, I have finally finished the latest release in the Assassin's Creed franchise of Valhalla. Since this was my last game to play in the series, I decided to really take my time and soak it all in. I'll later have a separate post regarding my year long Assassins' Creed project, but for now I want to give a full detailed review of Valhalla. This game was true to the series format, and very enjoyable from start to finish. I'd say alongside Odyssey it was my favorite in the series and probably the longest of which I played (I logged a total of 80 hours after finally calling it quits). This one was on my radar for over a year and definitely lived up to the hype.

I actually pre-ordered this game on Amazon and did not begin it until mid November, since I was still finishing up on Assassin's Creed Russia. Knowing the game was pertaining to the Viking Age, I loaded up on shows, movies, and books about Vikings and Norse Mythology. While this was actually not to be my first Viking Immersion (see Viking Age) it was by far my most in depth. I came away from this game learning so much about the historical age, yet even more so about their culture and pagan beliefs which we know today as Norse Mythology. The game of course is a fictional story however it is very much set in a historical era of Norway and England during late 800 AD.

The Story and Setting

The main protagonist in the game is Eivor whose parents are killed during a raid and is adopted by another family. Eivor grows into a strong warrior and leads raids and battles throughout Norway with his step-brother Sigurd. Their clan eventually decides to sail to England to conquer new territory and grow crops in warmer climates. They eventually establish a community in a fictional town called Ravensthorpe, where Sigurad's wife Randvi administers their raiding operation. Eivor and Sigurd travel all across England conquering territories such as Mercia, Wessex, Northumbria, and East Anglia. 

While the Raven clan mostly oppose the Anglo-Saxons, they also come into dispute with other warring Viking Clans, such as the Danes and the famous clans of Ragnar Lothbrok. Eivor interacts with several of Ragnar's sons such as Ivar the Boneless, Halfdan, and Ubba Ragnarsson. He also later allies with the viking leader Guthrum Jarl to aid him in the Great Heathen Army against the English King Alfred the Great. During this time Eivor also joins forces with the Organization of Hidden Ones (which are the precursors to the Assassin's Brotherhood) and eliminates their sworn enemies known as the Order of Ancient Ones (precursors to the Templars). 

Aside from the conquest of England there is also a great mythological component to this game which is made possible thru a dream world. Eivor visits his volva seer, known as Volka, who gives him a magical potion to enter into a deep trance. There are two main arcs in the dream world, set in the godly heaven of Asgard and the giant world of Jotunheimr. The setting of Asgard is very well done, and offers a very different visual then what was presented in the sci-fi superhero film of Thor. Instead we see a more accurate and ancient mythological setting, with its glorious architecture and landscapes. At the backdrop of both Asgard and Jotunheimr is the incredible massive tree of life known as Yggdrasil. Both worlds are truly awe-inspiring to explore and navigate. 

The Gameplay

The format of the gameplay is very much on par with Odyssey, maybe not as boat oriented but still plenty of seafaring freedom onboard the longship. The main maps of England and Norway are massive, my understanding even more so than Odyssey. Also there are additional worlds of Asgard, Joteunheimr, and Vinland with plenty of map to explore. This vast open world map is what I have always enjoyed most about the Assassin's Creed series. Valhalla offers sweeping landscapes of mountains, forests, rivers, lakes, and the rolling green hills of England. It also includes various landmarks such as Stonehedge and the Old Saint Paul's Cathedral in London. I especially enjoyed riding my horse, Prudence, through the vast hilly countryside of rural England.   

Also just like in Odyssey the game offers the player the choice to play with either a male or female protagonist. I chose the male version of Eivor, thinking it to be a bit more realistic however know very well that female warriors were also very common among the Vikings. The character goes thru skill upgrades throughout the game, just as in Origins and Odyssey. This is important to make sure your character is at the proper level of the quests or enemies you face. This is especially why I took my time in the game to do many side missions, hunt and loot for treasure, and constantly upgrade my gear. The more skill points Eivor has, the easier it is to take on quests and opponents. 

The fighting was also very similar to Origins and Odyssey with much more free reign combat compared to the earlier games where the only options were attack, defend, or counter-attack. The ability to dodge is often one of my favorite moves, however in this game it was hindered with a new stamina component. Eivor quickly became winded after a few dodges, compared to Bayek or Alexios' fighting mobility. He however processed a powerful attack and also had an arsenal of special abilities. I will say his special abilities were not as good as in Odyssey and the only one I really enjoyed was the axe throw. However although Alexios had better special abilities, the kill schematics in Valhalla were by far the most gory yet. There were times I would get quite blood-drunk when fighting thanks to the incredibly detailed graphics of big kills. 

The weaponry was probably not as vast as that of Odyssey and I believe this was due to the new blacksmith option. In the homestead, there is a likable blacksmith named Gunnar who will update your gear if you provide various metal resources. Eivor has the ability to wield two handed large weapons or carry two weapons at a time. This is a gameplayer's preference, and while I began with an axe and shield, I later purchased a massive two handed sword which I used for most of the game. I kept this weapon upgraded and found the more I used it the better I got with it. The game also offers an arsenal of bows, axes, flails, and shields. I did very much enjoy finding a high spot where I could easily snipe soldiers with my bow. 

Raiding towns, monasteries, and fortifications also had a very exhilarating feel to it in the game. Eivor had the ability to call upon his raiders which made for intense battle situations. The assistance of other Vikings was also necessary in order to break through doors and open giant chests. I definitely felt a bit of guilt raiding monasteries early in the game, however it's only a historical game, no different then pirates raiding merchant ships. Also all the fighting in the game was only against soldiers and killing citizens will quickly lead to desynchronization. The fortification battles also had a similar high octane style, where Eivor had to unlock gates and draw bridges in the midst of heavy fighting.   

I would say my favorite feature of the game, aside from it's free reign landscape, was the ability to upgrade my settlement. This feature was very similar to that of Assassin's Creed 3, where I establish a community and continue to build it with renovations and personal decorative touches. There are also many side quests pertaining to the characters within the Ravensthorpe community. Eivor actually develops a romantic relationship with various characters in the homestead including a hunter and a baker. However he mostly develops feelings for Sigurd's wife Randvi. Most the buildings in the homestead require resources from the world, such as the fishing hut, the museum, the tattoo hut, or the hunter huts. These buildings encourage treasure hunting throughout the vast map provided in the game. There is also a great hall within the homestead, that encourages feasts to raise morale and productivity.