Why Assassin's Creed 2 and 3 Had the Best Writing the Series Has Ever Seen

One of the most memorable moments in the entire Assassin’s Creed series occurs early in Assassin’s Creed 3. Haytham Kenway, having assembled his team in the New World—or so the player believes—exhibits all the hallmarks of an Assassin: a hidden blade, charisma rivaling Ezio Auditore, and heroic actions like freeing Native Americans and battling British soldiers. The revelation that he is, in fact, a Templar, only comes with his utterance of the familiar phrase, "May the Father of Understanding guide us." This surprising twist perfectly embodies Assassin’s Creed’s untapped potential.

The first game introduced a compelling concept—locate, learn about, and eliminate targets—but fell short narratively. Both Altaïr and his targets lacked personality. Assassin’s Creed 2 improved things with the iconic Ezio, but its adversaries remained underdeveloped, notably Cesare Borgia in Brotherhood. Only in Assassin’s Creed 3, set during the American Revolution, did Ubisoft dedicate equal effort to developing both hunter and hunted. This created a natural narrative flow and achieved a balance of gameplay and story rarely matched since.

While the current RPG era enjoys widespread acclaim, many believe Assassin’s Creed is in decline. Explanations vary: unrealistic premises involving gods like Anubis and Fenrir; romance options; or, controversially, Assassin’s Creed: Shadows of Memories’ use of the real-world figure Yasuke. However, I argue the decline stems from the series' abandonment of character-driven storytelling, lost within sprawling open worlds.

Over time, Assassin’s Creed has incorporated RPG and live-service elements: dialogue trees, XP systems, loot boxes, microtransactions, and gear customization. But larger installments feel emptier, not just due to numerous side quests, but also in their storytelling. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, while boasting more content than Assassin’s Creed 2, often feels underdeveloped and wooden.

While player choice theoretically enhances immersion, lengthy scripts to accommodate multiple scenarios often lack polish compared to games with more focused interaction. The tightly-written scripts of the action-adventure era created sharply defined characters, unaffected by player-driven shifts in morality. Assassin’s Creed Odyssey’s expanded content often feels artificial, creating a stark contrast to the earlier games' immersive historical figures.

The Xbox 360/PS3 era produced some of gaming's finest writing. From Ezio's defiant "Do not follow me, or anyone else!" to Haytham's tragicomic final words to his son, Connor:

“Don't think I have any intention of caressing your cheek and saying I was wrong. I will not weep and wonder what might have been. I'm sure you understand. Still, I'm proud of you in a way. You have shown great conviction. Strength. Courage. All noble qualities. I should have killed you long ago.”

Modern games often rely on a simplistic Assassins vs. Templars dichotomy, while earlier entries explored the grey areas. In Assassin’s Creed 3, defeated Templars challenge Connor's beliefs. William Johnson suggests the Templars could have prevented genocide; Thomas Hickey criticizes the Assassins' mission; Benjamin Church emphasizes perspective; and the British perspective is presented. Haytham challenges Connor's faith in Washington, revealing Washington's role in burning Connor's village. The game ends with more questions than answers, strengthening the narrative.

The popularity of "Ezio’s Family" from Assassin’s Creed 2’s soundtrack highlights the PS3 era's focus on character-driven narratives. The melancholic music reflects Ezio's personal loss, rather than simply the Renaissance setting. While I appreciate the current generation's advancements in world-building and graphics, I hope the series will return to its roots, delivering focused, character-driven stories. Unfortunately, in today's market, that might not be considered "good business."