The Assassin’s Creed series has mastered the art of stealth, melee combat, and parkour mechanics, even though the most recent entries don’t feature as much of the latter as we like. These games like Assassin’s Creed might scratch that itch.
The series certainly isn’t short of games – there are 12 mainline titles and 17 spin-offs if you were wondering. However, if your Assassin’s Creed itch hasn’t been scratched after you’ve somehow managed to complete them all or simply played through those worth finishing, there’s a lot of other games that might satisfy your craving.
Whether you’re after more assassins, sneaky antics, or a huge open world to explore, here are 10 games like Assassin’s Creed.
Games Like Assassin’s Creed
10. Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor
Developer: Monolith Productions, IUGO
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS3, Xbox One, Xbox 360
Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor takes place between J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings, and it is set solely in Mordor in the fictional world of Middle-earth.
Both Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and its sequel, Middle-earth: Shadow of War, share a lot of similarities with the Assassin’s Creed games.
In fact, the similarities were so glaring that Shadow of Mordor was not only criticized for its strong resemblance to Assassin’s Creed in both gameplay and design, but it was also accused of flat-out stealing code and animations from Assassin’s Creed 2.
These claims turned out to be false, fortunately, as Shadow of Mordor is great in its own right. The game features a combination of melee combat and stealth, both of which work very similar to Assassin’s Creed, as well as satisfying parkour mechanics.
You play as a ranger called Tailon who, after losing his mortal life, wife, and son at the hands of Sauron’s forces, becomes possessed by a wraith. Now a revenant, he makes it his duty to avenge his loved ones’ murders.
Players can make use of a range of wraith abilities and three different weapons that can be equipped with various runes for additional effects. There is also a Nemesis system that increases the power of random enemies after they’ve defeated you in battle.
It might not seem like a big deal, but this system alone makes Shadow of Mordor worth playing – it’s fantastic. Enemies will even duel each other to gain promotions, as well as remember past battles with the player, which allows them to develop strengths and weaknesses.
9. Ghost of Tsushima
Developer: Sucker Punch Productions
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform(s): PS4, PS5
Boasting a vibrant and stunning open world, fluid hack-and-slash combat, and sneaky stealth gameplay, Ghost of Tsushima is a lot like a classic Assassin’s Creed game set in feudal Japan.
The game takes place in 1274 on Tsushima Island and follows Jin Sakai, the last heir to Clan Sakai. The Mongols have invaded the island, spreading chaos and ruin in their wake.
It’s up to you to clear the lands of them for good by all means necessary, even if that involves going against your samurai honor. Your primary weapon is your trusty katana, but you can wield bows for long-ranged battles too.
You have access to a wide range of gadgets, including smoke bombs, kunai, and poison darts, allowing for sneak attacks that are reminiscent of those from Assassin’s Creed. Abilities in the game also work similarly to the latter.
As you progress and increase your power, you’ll unlock additional skills and samurai techniques in the form of a skill tree to help you in your adventure.
Ghost of Tsushima’s open world is filled with activities and side quests to keep you occupied when you’re not pursuing the main story, such as exploring shrines, composing haiku, completing bamboo strikes, and even soaking in hot springs for some quiet reflection.
8. Watch Dogs
Developer: Ubisoft
Publisher: Ubisoft, Ubisoft Milan, Ubisoft Montreal
Platform(s): PC, PS3, PS4, PS5, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, Wii U, Stadia
Ubisoft’s other popular action-adventure series Watch Dogs has quite a bit in common with Assassin’s Creed in its design, gameplay mechanics, and setting. Both series center around player characters who are pros in stealth, agility, and sneak attacks.
In the original Watch Dogs, you play as Aidan Pierce, a hacker and vigilante who specializes in sabotaging computer security systems. After messing with the wrong people, his niece is murdered, prompting him to seek revenge and take down those responsible.
The game is set in a 2013 fictional version of the Chicagoland area and features an open world where you can complete main objectives and side missions. Gameplay focuses on stealth, puzzles, shooting, and driving.
Alongside its similar themes and gameplay, the Watch Dogs series contains various references to Assassin’s Creed. Ubisoft even confirmed that Assassin’s Creed Origins takes place in the same universe as the Watch Dogs series. The connection doesn’t end there, either.
For instance, Watch Dogs: Legion allows you to play as an assassin who’s the descendant of Jacob Frye, one of the player characters from Assassin’s Creed Syndicate. Additionally, in Black Flag, Abstergo Entertainment’s CEO Oliver Garneau meets Aiden Pearce from the first Watch Dogs.
7. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Developer: Nintendo Entertainment Planning & Development
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform(s): Switch, Wii U
While The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild doesn’t involve assassins, gory violence, or Hidden Blades, it still has a few similarities with Assassin’s Creed, especially the last three entries of the series which focus more on RPG elements and exploration.
Breath of the Wild takes place at the end of the Zelda timeline and follows Link during his journey to destroy Calamity Ganon and save Hyrule Kingdom.
The huge open world in Breath of the Wild will no doubt make fans of Assassin’s Creed Origins, Odyssey, and Valhalla feel right at home, alongside its RPG mechanics. There are a huge variety of puzzles to complete in Breath of the Wild, not unlike Assassin’s Creed games, such as the Glyphs in Assassin’s Creed 2, Papyrus Puzzles in Origins, and Fly Agaric in Valhalla.
However, that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of combat to get stuck in. You can equip a diverse selection of weapons, including spears, axes, swords, bows, and even tree branches. Link can also use abilities and runes from his Sheikah Slate to help him solve puzzles and defeat enemies.
6. Batman: Arkham Asylum
Developer: Rocksteady Studios
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Square Enix Europe, Eidos Interactive, Square Enix
Platform(s): PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Despite being an older title, Batman: Arkham Asylum still holds up pretty well. It’s a brilliant game (arguably the best in the entire Batman: Arkham series) and was heavily inspired by Assassin’s Creed 3’s combat system.
Set primarily on Arkham Island in the titular asylum, a fictional institution for criminally insane supervillains, you play as Batman, a superhero with expertise in the martial arts. Batman’s archenemy Joker has taken control of Arkham Asylum, trapping Batman inside with many of his former foes.
It’s up to Batman to stop the Joker and his plans to blow up Gotham City with hidden bombs.
The gameplay is a combination of melee combat, stealth, and puzzle-solving. Stealth works relatively similar to Eagle Vision in Assassin’s Creed as Batman can use Detective Mode to give him vision on enemy outlines and useful items. He also has many other gadgets to assist him during his quest such as Explosive Gel, the Batarang, and Batclaw.
Some missions can’t be completed without stealth, so if you enjoy being sneaky as much as being in the thick of the action, Arkham Asylum won’t disappoint.
5. Metal Solid V: The Phantom Pain
Developer: Kojima Productions
Publisher: Konami
Platform(s): PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, Xbox One
Another game that masters stealth is none other than Metal Gear. Although all of the games in the series are worth playing if you’re a fan of Assassin’s Creed (or just in general as they’re spectacular), Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain is perhaps the most similar to the latter.
You assume the role of Big Boss, the leader of a private military contractor as he journeys through 1984 versions of Afghanistan and Africa to take out the people responsible for destroying his forces and nearly taking his life.
Unlike previous entries in the franchise, The Phantom Pain features a large open world for players to traverse, alongside a vast array of side objectives and collectibles. Big Boss can use an assortment of tools to assist him on his quest, including a cardboard box to make it harder for foes to spot you and a cigar to increase the passage of time.
As you’d expect, stealth plays a large role in the game, but you can also dive into enemy outposts with all guns blazing if you’d prefer. You can develop various weapons and recruit several companions, allowing you to complete missions and pick off foes in numerous ways for a unique experience.
4. Mad Max
Developer: Avalanche Studios Group, Mindscape, Gray Matter
Publisher: Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Mindscape
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One
Based on the action film series of the same name, Mad Max is about a former highway patrol officer called Max Rockastankay (better known as Mad Max). Although much of the game pivots around driving and vehicular combat, you’ll also be able to engage in stealth and free-flow combat.
The latter combines wrestling and boxing techniques, not dissimilar to Batman’s fighting style from the Arkham series, which, as mentioned earlier, was influenced by Assassin’s Creed 3’s combat system.
Mad Max takes place in a post-apocalyptic environment filled with canyons, deserts, and dilapidated wastelands. There is an emphasis on exploration as you’ll need to track down materials across the lands to upgrade your weapons, car, and Max himself.
Similar to recent Assassin’s Creed games, as you level up and earn more experience, you’ll unlock additional skills and upgrades to make your journey easier. In addition, you can choose between a stealth or aggressive playstyle when engaging enemies, much like Assassin’s Creed games.
3. Horizon Zero Dawn
Developer: Guerilla Games
Publisher: Sony Interactive Entertainment
Platform(s): PC, PS4
Horizon Zero Dawn bears a lot of resemblance to the Assassin’s Creed series as both boast fluid combat, smooth stealth and parkour mechanics, and vast exploration. You play as Aloy, a young hunter living in a post-apocalyptic world that has been taken over by machines.
Aloy’s primary weapons are spears and bows, allowing her to either get up and personal with her foes or deal lethal damage from afar. Combat is fun and hectic, just like in Assassin’s Creed.
If you prefer to stick to the shadows, Horizon Zero Dawn has you covered as Aloy can be just as threatening to her foes when they’re unaware of her presence. You can equip special equipment and unlock specific skills to go for a more deadly assassin route, allowing you to defeat enemies on the sly.
The game has a gripping story to follow, but there’s plenty of side objectives to keep you occupied during your playthrough like collectibles, challenges, and missions issued by NPCs that reward you with experience points and other goodies.
2. Aragami
Developer: Lince Works
Publisher: Lince Works, Merge Games, Maximum Games
Platform(s): PC, PS4, Xbox One, Switch
If you’re itching to play as another deadly assassin, Aragami will certainly satisfy your craving. Better yet, you play as an assassin with potent supernatural abilities so you can be the ultimate menace to your victims.
You play as Aragami, an undead assassin at war with an army of Light adepts known as Kaiho. There is no face-to-face combat as the game entirely revolves around stealth.
The aim of Aragami is to traverse to certain areas within the map to gather items or destroy obstacles so you can reach the chapter’s exit. Each level is filled with enemy patrols that you need to avoid and prevent becoming suspicious of your actions.
Although you can’t engage in fights with enemies, you can teleport between shadows, materialize weapons, turn invisible, and even summon a shadow dragon to avoid conflict and dispatch foes quietly.
1. Hitman 3
Developer: IO Interactive
Publisher: IO Interactive
Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X | S, Switch, Stadia
Like Assassin’s Creed, the Hitman series excel in all things sneak, but Hitman 3 from the World of Assassination Trilogy delivers everything you want and more in a stealth game. Hitman 2 was a pretty big step up from the first game in the reboot, dropping its episodic formula and linear levels for large sand-box areas.
However, Hitman 3 improved upon the former two titles, bringing more disguises, puzzles, gadgets, weapons (including a walking cane), and ridiculous ways to kill your unsuspecting victims.
You assume the role of an esteemed hitman called Agent 47, a genetically-engineered clone with superior intelligence and fitness. Although the game is not open world, the sandbox levels are still pretty big and teeming with life (and, consequently, witnesses to your murders and suspicious actions).
READ NEXT: 10 Games Like Animal Crossing You Should Play
Some of the coverage you find on Cultured Vultures contains affiliate links, which provide us with small commissions based on purchases made from visiting our site. We cover gaming news, movie reviews, wrestling and much more.
