The Ultimate Ranking of Assassin's Creed's Jaw-Dropping Parkour Mechanics

The Assassin's Creed franchise burst onto the gaming scene as a launch title for the PlayStation 3, introducing an innovative parkour system that promised expansive exploration. Surprisingly, the first game is now almost 16 years old, and since then, a total of thirteen sequels, including Assassin's Creed Mirage, have continued its legacy. Today, the franchise stands as one of the most recognizable in the gaming industry and serves as the flagship series for renowned developer Ubisoft.

While the series has undergone significant changes in its combat systems and its relationship with historical events and locations, one aspect has remained consistent throughout every installment - the protagonist's exceptional skill in parkour. Each member of the Creed, regardless of the era they originate from, navigates their surroundings by scaling buildings and plunging into haystacks below. However, it is worth noting that not all parkour systems within the franchise are created equal.

10 Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

Platform(s) Stadia, PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series SReleased November 10, 2020Developer(s) UbisoftGenre(s) RPG, Action

Assassin's Creed Valhalla, the third installment in the RPG Trilogy, maintains the familiar parkour mechanics seen in Origins and Odyssey. These games adopted a "climb anything" approach, heavily influenced by Breath of the Wild, which prioritizes player freedom over intricate climbing systems.

However, Assassin's Creed Valhalla faces a challenge in terms of exploration. The game predominantly takes place in the expansive open fields of 9th-century England, lacking substantial opportunities for climbing. Even in major cities, the buildings are relatively small, only two to three stories high, and fail to deliver the verticality found in previous entries of the series.

9 Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s) PC, PS3, Xbox 360Released November 14, 2007Developer(s) Ubisoft MontrealGenre(s) Open-World, Stealth, Action

The first game in the franchise generated immense anticipation due to its captivating historical setting and intriguing science fiction narrative. However, the gameplay itself, although enjoyable, left much to be desired, resulting in an overall unrefined experience.

The combat mechanics were excessively simplistic, easily mastered within a short span of time. Similarly, while the parkour aspect was initially groundbreaking, it ultimately felt limited. While it was undeniably exhilarating to traverse from sprinting through the streets to scaling vertical walls in order to reach rooftops, the exploration element lacked depth and failed to truly captivate players.

8 Assassin's Creed Origins & Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Platform(s) PS4, Xbox One, Switch, PC, StadiaReleased October 15, 2018Developer(s) Ubisoft QuebecGenre(s) Action RPG, Open-World

The other two entries in the RPG Trilogy, unlike Assassin's Creed Valhalla, successfully addressed its greatest flaw. While the "climb anything" mechanic remained, devoid of any challenge, these two games provided players with captivating structures to scale.

However, in comparison to the exhilarating climbing experiences of earlier Assassin's Creed games, the parkour systems in these entries fell short. Scaling the Great Pyramids as Bayek or conquering a colossal statue of Athena as Kassandra/Alexios undeniably offered an adrenaline rush. Although the novelty eventually wore off, there were still awe-inspiring moments throughout the later stages of the game, unique to the Assassin's Creed universe.

7 Assassin's Creed 3 & Assassin's Creed: Liberation

Assassin's Creed 3

Platform(s) PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Switch, Wii U, PC, StadiaReleased October 30, 2012Developer(s) Ubisoft MontrealGenre(s) Action, Open-World

The franchise's journey to the Americas had its ups and downs. The missions in these entries, especially in Assassin's Creed 3, were lackluster. However, the parkour mechanics were a significant improvement compared to previous games.

A notable change in Assassin's Creed 3 was Connor's ability to seamlessly parkour across natural elements. Suddenly, trees, rocks, and cliffs became exciting playgrounds instead of frustrating obstacles. While not every element of these games was captivating, there was a thrill in charging through the Frontier as Connor or the Louisiana bayou as Aveline, and launching surprise attacks on Redcoat groups from above the trees.

6 Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag & Assassin's Creed: Rogue

Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag

Platform(s) PC, PS3, PS4, Switch, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Wii UReleased October 29, 2013Developer(s) Ubisoft MontrealGenre(s) Action-Adventure, Open-World

The parkour systems in Assassin's Creed 3 and Assassin's Creed 4: Black Flag saw minimal changes, but Ubisoft introduced a new approach to how parkour interacts with the game world. Additionally, boats were added to the gameplay. Edward Kenway and Shay Cormac possess similar abilities as Connor and Aveline, but the protagonists in Black Flag and Rogue have the opportunity to explore more intriguing locations. Edward journeys to uncharted tropical islands and explores them akin to Nathan Drake, while Shay explores the cold regions of the Northern Hemisphere. The inclusion of boat combat seamlessly integrated with the parkour systems, leading to exhilarating pirate simulation moments.

5 Assassin's Creed 2 & Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Platform(s) PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One, macOS, SwitchReleased November 16, 2010Developer(s) UbisoftGenre(s) Action, Adventure

Assassin's Creed 2, released just two years after its predecessor, greatly enhanced the parkour mechanics of the game. In this installment, the main character Ezio showcased superior agility compared to Altair. Not only could he swim and navigate his way through tight spaces, but he could also effortlessly swing around corners using hanging pots and catapult himself to rooftops using rope lines.

The stunning city of Venice served as a captivating playground, with its intricate canals and densely packed buildings. Similarly, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood's depiction of Rome provided a similar immersive experience. While both games shared the same parkour systems, nothing compares to the exhilarating feeling of conquering the ancient Roman Coliseum and admiring the vast landscape that unfolds before you.

4 Assassin's Creed: Revelations

Assassin's Creed Revelations

$15 $20 Save $5Platform(s) PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Switch, PCReleased November 15, 2011Developer(s) Ubisoft MontrealGenre(s) Action, Open-World $15 at Amazon

In the conclusion of the "Ezio Trilogy," the legendary assassin, now in his old age, embarked on his final adventure in Constantinople. Despite the passing years, Ezio remained agile and skillful, equipping himself with a few additional tools to adapt to the new surroundings. One such tool was the hookblade.

With the hookblade, Ezio could effortlessly leap across the slightly wider streets of Constantinople and swiftly traverse large distances by latching onto ziplines. While this may have appeared to be a minor inclusion at first glance, it brought a refreshing element to Revelations' parkour mechanics, setting it apart from the rest of Ezio's trilogy.

3 Assassin's Creed: Mirage

Assassin's Creed: Mirage

Platform(s) PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series SReleased October 12, 2023Developer(s) Ubisoft BordeauxGenre(s) Action-Adventure

Ubisoft has responded to the criticisms of Valhalla by returning the Assassin's Creed franchise to its origins. Mirage harkens back to the days of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, offering a single major city to explore and a more intricate climbing system compared to the "RPG Trilogy." Furthermore, Mirage embraces a stealth-focused approach to gameplay, fulfilling the long-held desire of fans. The parkour and climbing mechanics in Mirage serve not only as means of traversing the game world but also as crucial elements for tracking and assassinating Basim's targets. Although the parkour may lack a sense of novelty, the nostalgic return to the franchise's roots provides a refreshing experience.

2 Assassin's Creed: Syndicate

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Platform(s) PS4, Xbox One, PC, Stadia, Amazon LunaReleased October 23, 2015Developer(s) UbisoftGenre(s) Action, Adventure

Syndicate, the franchise's most modern era, introduced a significant addition to the parkour system from Unity - a grapple gun. This tool was essential for the assassins in 1860s London, where the streets were widened to accommodate carriages.

However, this adjustment presented a drawback. The grapple gun was not a versatile tool for experimentation; it could only be used in specific situations. Its deployment lacked creativity, and players had to pause their movements to utilize it. As a result, the inclusion of the grapple gun significantly slowed down the parkour experience.

1 Assassin's Creed: Unity

Assassin's Creed Unity

Platform(s) PS4, Xbox One, PC, StadiaReleased November 11, 2014Developer(s) UbisoftGenre(s) Action, Open-World

Set in late 18th-century Paris, Assassin's Creed: Unity introduced a revamped parkour system to enhance players' agility. However, the game's release was plagued by bugs, overshadowing its innovation.

Unfortunately, Unity possesses the most exceptional parkour system among all the games in the franchise. Arno, the protagonist, surpasses other assassins in terms of quickness, with a designated button for effortless navigation up and down buildings. Paris' vibrant cityscape offers a wide range of animations for various traversal scenarios, allowing players to continually uncover new details about this immersive parkour system. In fact, numerous fans are eagerly pleading with Ubisoft to reintroduce it.