Are you seated? Do you have a glass of water? A hand to hold? This isn’t going to be easy to hear.
It won’t matter in the slightest because the damage is already done and the riled up are already riled, but I like Assassin’s Creed, even love it. I’ve played them all and have accrued many collector’s edition statues over the years. It’s with love in my heart that I say the games have always kinda sucked.
The concept was fun, there’s no doubt there – diving into history through the DNA of one’s ancestors, getting mixed up in a centuries-old battle, and climbing buildings to then leap off onto the unsuspecting head of some guy. It was fantastic. But let’s not pretend Desmond Miles was really that great or the modern-day narrative was anything special. ‘Assassin’s Creed fell off after Desmond was gone’ – my guy, it was never clinging on that tightly.
Here’s a quick note in case you missed it: I like Assassin’s Creed. I like Assassin’s Creed. I like Assassin’s Cree- gunshot
It’s a goofy series, always has been. Sure, Ezio Auditore had a stellar story told through a trilogy that remains a standout for this franchise, but the majority of complaints towards the series nowadays come from rose-tinted, self-gaslighting, Mandela Effect levels of misconception. It might not be great, but it didn’t fall from much higher.
Let’s take a look back: while people will shout from the rooftops that ‘modern’ Assassin’s Creed titles are bad, I can still hear the echoes of those same people shouting about Assassin’s Creed 3 13 years ago. Black Flag? Accused of not being a true AC game, 12 years ago. Unity? A mess, 11 years ago. Any of this ringing a bell?
The Series Is Good. But It’s Always Been Bad.
I loved all of these games as well, and plenty of people did – just not the ones that were shouting. Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla: those are games I enjoyed immensely, amidst the complaints. And now Shadows, a game that I have no strong urge to play, but I know I will at some point, and I also know I’ll enjoy it.
But Assassin’s Creed is no longer the pillar of gaming it once was in 2010, and it’s not going to be again. That’s fine. It’s good, and you can enjoy it, but if you don’t enjoy it, then don’t play it. Don’t shout, don’t convince yourself things were different, and don’t be racist. Just move on, and do whatever else. Literally anything else.
Before you spam me with that one clip from Shadows of that one NPC with that poorly acted voice line, I know. I’ve seen it. I’m not defending a bad game when it’s bad. I’m not defending Ubisoft – believe me. I’m not telling you to enjoy it. I’m just saying move on, because this series has always been silly, janky, and mostly mediocre, but it continues to be Assassin’s Creed nonetheless. You don’t have to like that, or pretend you ever did.