5 things I want the Assassin's Creed series to do better

Assassin’s Creed Shadows came out earlier this year, and all things considered, it really wasn’t a bad game. Two steps forward, one step back, is still one step forward for the AC franchise. Regardless, it’s been 18 years of the franchise now, and despite its age and experience, there is so much missing from the series.

Whether it’s refusing to outright state how many copies they actually sold of their latest game and instead just using vague terms like ‘engagement’, or apparently planning nine Assassin’s Creed games by the time this decade is over, it’s tough to figure out just what exactly is going on over there at Ubisoft. That being said, there are some things I’d really prefer to see across the franchise going forward, irrespective of what entry comes along.

5

The acting performances haven’t been good in a while

Dhar Mann writing with halftime-commercial blocking

Let’s not sugarcoat it — Assassin’s Creed hasn’t had truly great voice acting or motion-captured performances in a while. Valhalla was fine, Mirage was passable, and the last time any voice acting in the franchise was impressive was Kassandra from Odyssey, which was 7 years ago. In AC Shadows, the acting still fails to cut it. From Naoe’s voice acting being wildly underwhelming and dragging down the cutscenes, to an overall lifeless, soulless feeling in the whole game.

Assassin’s Creed is supposed to make you feel something. Think of Ezio shouting in agony at the gallows. Think of Haytham’s chilling poise, or the layered conflict in Bayek’s grief as he screams for Khemu. None of that is present in the newer entries, and it’s killing the emotional stakes. Ubisoft has the resources to work with top-tier actors, but even those actors won’t be able to do much with a terribly-written script. It’s time to lean into performance and direction again, because if the story is going to matter, the performances need to do it justice. The problem is also the bloat — with a hundred different side quests padding up the map and runtime, you can’t expect each actor involved to give it their all for even the tiniest of side quests, which often get made after the main questlines are done.

Assassin’s Creed: Mirage

Released

October 12, 2023

ESRB

m

Developer(s)

Ubisoft Bordeaux

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

havok, anvilnext

Franchise

Assassin’s Creed

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Related

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4

Why doesn’t it feel like Assassins vs Templars anymore?

Please stop the euphemisms for the two clans, for starters

Source: Ubisoft

The entire foundation of Assassin’s Creed was built on a war between ideologies. The Assassins believe in freedom, while the Templars believe in control. Lately, however, that war has become nothing more than background dressing — barely acknowledged outside some email lore, or a reference to the league by some other name. It’s like zombie games or movies that become afraid to call the threat “zombies”, so they just resort to calling them “The League” or the “hidden ones”. I’m tired of just seeing run-of-the-mill bad guys, where the script just tells me “oh, hey, that guy’s a Templar, by the way”, just to make sure it remains an “Assassin’s Creed” experience.

Modern entries have gotten so caught up in historical sightseeing and mythological hijinks that they’ve forgotten what made the franchise tick. Bayek had a personal vendetta. Eivor didn’t even know she was an Assassin until the credits rolled. In Mirage, the conflict was more present, but it still lacked the ideological punch that made the Ezio and Desmond-era games so special. And if not that, the performances were just… mediocre.

We need a return to core themes. Assassins vs Templars isn’t just a plot device — it’s the heart of the franchise. Without that tension, the stakes feel hollow. It’s time Ubisoft remembered that hooded figures and hidden blades only mean something when there’s a belief system behind them worth fighting for.

Assassin’s Creed The Ezio Collection

Released

November 15, 2016

ESRB

M For Mature 17+ // Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Content, Strong Language

Developer(s)

Ubisoft

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

AnvilNext

Franchise

Assassin’s Creed

Related

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3

Connectedness with the Isu civilization is all over the place

Ubisoft is going to have to pick a lane with the Isu

As someone who’s been with the series since 2009, I like the Isu lore. I really do. That said, the problem isn’t the Isu themselves, but how disconnected everything feels. There’s no narrative thread pulling it all together. In one game, they’re mythological figures. In another, they’re silent relics. Sometimes they’re actual characters, and then sometimes they’re just voices on a USB stick. It’s confusing, even for long-time fans.

Back in AC II and Brotherhood, every glyph, every piece of Isu lore felt like part of a greater puzzle. Now, it’s all scattershot. The myth-heavy approach in Odyssey and Valhalla turned ancient science fiction into fantasy, and while that’s fun in bursts, it makes the lore feel optional instead of integral.

I want a story that feels like it’s moving forward. I want the Isu to matter again, not just as background exposition, but as active players in the world’s fate. Give us characters, stakes, and god, a reason to care. Because if the next six years of games are going to keep expanding the lore, then please make it actually mean something.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows

Released

March 20, 2025

ESRB

Mature 17+ // Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Language

Developer(s)

Ubisoft Quebec

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

AnvilNext

Franchise

Assassin’s Creed

Number of Players

1

Related

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2

Modern day Assassin’s Creed barely exists anymore

The Animus is more than just a tool to sell more AC games

What happened to the present-day narrative? Once upon a time, it was the glue that held everything together. Desmond’s story, at the very least, was definitely leading to a modern-day AC game where all his skills, learned from his ancestors, would come together. Now? It’s a checkbox. Something that shows up for ten minutes before fading into irrelevance. Valhalla made some strides with Layla and the Isu simulation stuff, but even that was more cryptic than compelling. Then, Mirage barely acknowledged it, and Assassin’s Creed Shadows just… forgot it?

Desmond’s arc worked because it was consistent, emotional, and tied directly into the historical storyline. The modern-day missions weren’t just flavor — they were essential. These days, the Animus is just a loading screen excuse. The world outside the memories used to feel urgent. Now it feels like Ubisoft can’t decide what to do with it.

If you’re planning six more games, you need a strong spine. The modern-day arc should be that. Whether it’s a new protagonist or the continuation of Desmond’s legacy through The Reader, give us something that makes the future matter. The Animus is a powerful narrative tool rather than a way to get players to buy your previous games, Ubisoft. Please don’t let it go to waste.

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla

Released

November 10, 2020

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

Developer(s)

Ubisoft

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

Ubisoft Anvil

Cross-Platform Play

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla supports cross-progression between all platforms!

Cross Save

yes

Franchise

Assassin’s Creed

Related

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1

It’s a pipe dream, but I’d really want Desmond back in some way

I’m willing to suspend disbelief forever for him to come back

I know it’s unlikely. I know it might require some narrative gymnastics. But hear me out — Desmond Miles was the emotional core of this franchise. He was us. His death in AC III was abrupt, and the fallout never really delivered. Ubisoft has since tiptoed around his legacy, but never fully embraced it.

And yet — he’s not gone. He exists as The Reader in Valhalla’s Isu arc. That alone opens up so many possibilities. Maybe he becomes a guide, or gets a digital body. Maybe he’s reconstructed through some Isu tech. Whatever it is, just give us closure. Or better yet, a new beginning.

This isn’t about nostalgia. It’s about honoring the foundation. Desmond was our anchor. Bringing him back in some meaningful way would tie the franchise together, restore emotional continuity, and give long-time fans something to believe in again. You want the next six years of Assassin’s Creed to matter? Start by bringing back the guy who made us care in the first place.

Assassin’s Creed III

Released

October 30, 2012

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language

Developer(s)

Ubisoft Montreal

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

anvilnext, havok

Multiplayer

Online Multiplayer

Franchise

Assassin’s Creed

Related

Hey Ubisoft, can we just get Desmond back in Assassin’s Creed?

Desmond Miles deserves more than a footnote. It’s time for Assassin’s Creed to bring him back — and make it matter.

There’s no point to any of this without a heart

Assassin’s Creed isn’t just a franchise — it’s a legacy. But a legacy needs maintenance. It needs care, direction, and a willingness to remember what made it special to begin with. These next six years are an opportunity — a chance to do things right. To bring back the weight of belief systems clashing, to make modern-day arcs matter again, and yeah, maybe to give a certain bartender the closure he deserves. Ubisoft has mapped out the future. All I’m asking is that they give it heart.