5 best games like Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed is a long-running video game franchise from renowned developer Ubisoft. Despite going through some changes, the series remains one of the most popular IPs among the developer's broad range of titles and sees a release almost every other year. Most recently, Ubisoft revealed that the next game in the series would be a live-service game, although its release date was not mentioned.

A stealth series at heart, the Assassin's Creed games diverged from the single-minded action-adventure approach and leaped into the RPG genre with Assassin's Creed Origins in 2017. The most recent game in the series was Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, which was released in November 2020.

As no new Assassin's Creed game is due to be released anytime soon, fans of the series might be looking for something else to sink their teeth into. The good news for them is that several titles offer a similar experience and will scratch their stealth action-adventure itch. This article will list five games that are similar to Assassin's Creed.

Note: This article reflects the writer's opinion.

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5 games with the most similarity to Assassin's Creed

1) Immortals Fenyx Rising

For those looking to immerse themselves in a Ubisoft game, preferably one that plays similarly to the Assassin's Creed series, they should look no further than Immortals Fenyx Rising. The action-adventure game was Ubisoft’s take on something targeted at a younger audience and in a similar vein to Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild.

While many core aspects were directly lifted from Breath of the Wild, Immortals also bore many similarities to the RPG titles from the Assassin's Creed series, particularly with the combat system. The entire Greek setting was very much a less grounded take from Assassin's Creed Odyssey’s historical depiction.

Despite the likeness it shared with these games, Immortals Fenyx Rising still felt like a separate experience of its own. Depicting Greek mythology in a new way, players will get to meet many deities and heroes of old, while fighting iconic monsters from various legends.

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2) Dishonored 2

Fans who enjoy the older Assassin's Creed games and their focus on stealth will surely love the Dishonored series by Arkane Studios. These games are primarily stealth-based, although alternatives are available for those who enjoy a more direct approach. The best of these is Dishonored 2, which was released in November 2016.

In the game, players can either play as Corvo, the protagonist from the first game, or as his daughter, Emily. Both of them functionally work the same way, although each has access to different supernatural powers. These can give the player added abilities that can assist with their playstyle, depending on which powers they pick.

As stated before, stealth is not the only option in the game, although it is the most rewarding. Getting through a level without anyone ever realizing that anything is out of the ordinary is a delightful experience, one that stealth game fans will no doubt be used to.

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3) Ghost of Tsushima

Fans have been asking for an Assasin’s Creed game set in Japan for a long time now, although it seems that Ubisoft has other plans. However, developer Sucker Punch Productions might have been listening to these pleas when they were developing Ghost of Tsushima, as the game is exactly that.

Set in the historical period of 1274, the story revolves around the Mongol Invasion of Japan, after their conquest of South Korea. Protagonist Jin Sakai is a young samurai who must defend his homeland of Tsushima to the best of his abilities. He must choose whether to uphold his ideals as a samurai or disregard them to take on the role of the dishonorable Ghost.

What this means from a gameplay perspective is that Jin can take on enemies head-on like a warrior or attack from the shadows using stealth and deception like a ninja. Players can choose to play either of the two ways, depending on their preference, and will witness some phenomenal combat regardless of which path they take.

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4) Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain

Metal Gear Solid 5: The Phantom Pain was the final mainline entry into the Metal Gear series, so it was lucky that it ended on such a high note. The Phantom Pain is the ideal realization of a stealth game in an open-world setting that does not detract from the stealth experience and instead gives the player even more freedom.

This is a balance that the RPG titles in recent Assassin's Creed games have not quite been able to hit, as they play more into the role-playing element of it. In The Phantom Pain, players are tasked with completing various objectives across the map, which they can approach in a variety of ways that involve stealth.

Players have, at their disposal, several different gadgets and options to employ, such as a long-range sniper assist, distractions, non-lethal or lethal takedowns, as well as the iconic hiding in a box technique.

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5) Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice

FromSoftware took a stealth approach to the game Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, which followed Bloodborne and was released in March 2019. This is still the most unique title amongst the developer's recent games, as it focuses on a preset character, which the players could not customize.

Furthermore, the gameplay was drastically different from Dark Souls or Bloodborne and was certainly a fun change of pace. With fast-paced combat, stealth takedowns, and an emphasis on posture, veteran Soulsborne players had to unlearn a lot of their associated skills for this game. It was by no means an easy game, but a different game than most that existed at the time.

Fans of the Assassin's Creed series would prefer this Soulsborne title over others due to its reliance on stealth. However, the difficulty curve is steep, and unlike Ubisoft’s gentler series, this game from FromSoftware has no qualms about punishing the player harshly for their mistakes. Here, perseverance is the only path forward.