Summary
There are so many long-running franchises in gaming, but few have managed to remain atop the industry, with every release being a major moment, in the way thatAssassin’s Creedhas over the past twenty years. There have been over ten highly successful entries in the mainline franchise, but those aren’t the only games released under the banner of this beloved history-exploring series.
From trying their hand at iOS ventures and handheld games to expansion games linked to mainline entries, Ubisoft have put their mind to stretching theAssassin’s Creedfranchise far and wide. The success ofspin-off gamesin the franchise has varied wildly, as has the quality of the games themselves.
The first everAssassin’s Creedspin-off game wasAltair Chronicles. Itfeatured the original assassin himselfon a hunt for an ancient artifact known only as The Chalice. Taking place in a few different Middle Eastern cities,Altair Chroniclesshared much of the setting and story themes as the firstAssassin’s Creedgame but lacked a little bit of the same flair and execution.
Given this game was an experiment, as it was the first attempt at a handheldAssassin’s Creedgame, there were always going to be a few teething problems forAltair Chronicles. There were still plenty of stealthy assassinations and fun combat for players, but the lack of an open world was a real shame that detracted something from this initial foray into a spin-off from the series.
Another handheld effort from early in the franchise’s history,Bloodlinesisn’t a main entry in the franchise, but it does feature some key history for lore lovers.Bloodlinesis actually a rare thing in the series, a direct sequel to a gamewhich kept the story intact; in this case the firstAssassin’s Creed. Once again featuring Altair,Bloodlinesfollowed him as he traveled to Cyprus, taking on the Templars and getting to know Maria, his future wife.
The fact that Maria Thorpe remains a Templar agent when he reacquaints himself with her inBloodlineshelps to make for an excellent story which held up a game that was attempting, somewhat successfully, to make the most out of the PSP’s controls. With this entry managing to keep the open-world aspects as well as good combat and missions, it remains a more fondly looked upon spin-off.
6Assassin’s Creed Identity
A Fascinating Ezio-Focused Adventure
There are few spin-off games across any gaming franchise which are best known for their story. However,Assassin’s Creed Identityputs a real emphasis on this element, making it stand out from the pack. Set during a fan-favorite time period, that of Ezio Auditore, the game takes place in Italy concurrently with the events ofAssassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
The story, from the perspective of an assassin named Lo Sparviero, is about weakening Templar control, as well as a conflict between the Assassins and a group called the Crows, who are capable of mimicking assassin techniques. This made for a great story, familiar gameplay, and an expansion on a beloved era fromAssassin’s Creed’shistory, which ironically speaks to thechanges in the franchise’s own identityover the years that followed.
Although it is one of the more forgotten spin-off games in the series,Recollectionwas a truly fun and unique idea from Ubisoft. Part collectable card game, part real-time strategy, and definitely a game set within the world ofAssassin’s Creed, Recollectionwas an iPad game which nobody expected to deliver as much as it did.
Providing plenty of extras, like concept art collections from all the four entries which had been released at that time, and a huge pool of cards making the game genuinely unpredictable and interesting to replay,Recollectionremains a great game, although it isn’t as widely available as it once was.
4Assassin’s Creed 2: Discovery
Ezio’s Fun Side-Scrolling Adventure
Although some other spin-off games in the franchise suffered from not having an open-world format,Assassin’s Creed 2: Discoverymanaged to tell a great story and not compromise the narrative of Ezio’s journey in the main games, all within the confines of a side-scrolling perspective.
Between the events of different sequences inAssassin’s Creed 2,Discoveryfeatures Ezio going on a journey to help the Assassin Order in Spain as they fight against the Templars, trying to eradicate them under the guise of the Spanish Inquisition. This story was good enough for a full game but fits nicely into a shorter side-scrolling adventure available on iOS and the Nintendo DS. In spite of the gameplay being a bit simpler, the game was effective, the combat was fun, and the story elevated it by bringing another great Ezio narrative to life.
3Assassin’s Creed Chronicles
The Trilogy Across History
Not just one game, but a collection of three different games,Assassin’s Creed Chroniclesstuck with the style ofDiscoverytotell great narratives in shorter side-scrolling games. Set across China, India, and Russia respectively, these three entries tell great short stories about assassins across the world, in countries where the full games might not tread.
Chronicles: Russiatold of an aged assassin chasing down a Precursor box in the early 20th Century, following the October Revolution.Chronicles: Indiatook place during the Anglo-Sikh Wars, following an assassin trying to stop Templars from locating more Precursor sites.Chronicles: Chinatook place in the 16th Century and featured Shao Jun, who returns home to China to fight the Eight Tiger Templar group after having trained under Ezio Auditore. These stories were all individually excellent, their protagonists have appeared in various novels and short films, and they’vebecome an important and beloved part ofAssassin’s Creed’shistory.
Liberationwas another spin-off early in the franchise that took place around the events ofAssassin’s Creed 3,and was not without its controversies. This entry introduced the first female protagonist in the series, Aveline de Grandpre, who took on the Templars, and nearly became one, in mid-18th Century New Orleans.
A great character, Aveline starts life as part of the elite class in the French Colony but has been secretly helping to free slaves for years before she takes on a larger role with the assassins. After removing several prominent Templars and their control from the colony, Aveline discovers her stepmother has secretly been grooming her to become a Templar, and she rebels against this and kills her. This story helped make it clear thatLiberationwas a level up from many of the other spin-offs the franchise had seen up to that point.
Almost everyAssassin’s Creedgame up to and includingBlack Flagreceived a spin-off game of some sort. However, narratively-speaking,Freedom Crywas an absolute sensationthat remains one of the most beloved and bravest games in the series to date.
Following Adewale, a freed slave turned assassin who served with Edward Kenway, the story picks up in the Caribbean where he is attempting to end slavery in the region by taking on the Templars in control of the Slave Trade. He works with some liberated slaves in his efforts, and witnesses some true atrocities, which helped to makeFreedom Cryone of the most poignant video games of all time, and a truly great spin-off which featured much of the same great gameplay (and naval combat) asBlack Flag.
