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

One of the most unforgettable moments in the entire Assassin’s Creed series occurs early in Assassin’s Creed 3, when Haytham Kenway completes his mission to assemble a group of assassins in the New World. Or so the player is led to believe. Haytham, equipped with a hidden blade and exuding the same charisma as the beloved Ezio Auditore, has up to this point played the role of a hero, liberating Native Americans from prison and confronting British redcoats. It's only when he utters the iconic phrase, "May the Father of Understanding guide us," that the shocking truth is revealed: we've been following the Templars, the sworn enemies of the Assassins.

This twist exemplifies the pinnacle of Assassin’s Creed’s storytelling potential. The original game introduced a compelling concept—hunt, understand, and eliminate your targets—but lacked depth in its narrative, with both protagonist Altaïr and his targets lacking personality. Assassin’s Creed 2 improved upon this by introducing the iconic Ezio, yet it failed to give the same attention to his adversaries, with Cesare Borgia in Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood being notably underdeveloped. It was not until Assassin’s Creed 3, set during the American Revolution, that Ubisoft truly fleshed out both the hunter and the hunted. This approach created a seamless narrative flow from setup to payoff, striking a delicate balance between gameplay and story that has yet to be replicated in subsequent titles.

While the current RPG-focused era of the series has been generally well-received, there's a consensus among players and critics that Assassin’s Creed is experiencing a decline. The reasons for this are debated, with some pointing to the increasingly fantastical elements, such as battles against mythological figures like Anubis and Fenrir. Others criticize the introduction of diverse romance options or the use of historical figures like Yasuke in Assassin’s Creed Shadows. However, I believe the true cause of this decline is the series' shift away from character-driven storytelling, which has become overshadowed by expansive sandbox elements.

Over time, Assassin’s Creed has expanded its original action-adventure formula with RPG and live service elements, including dialogue trees, XP-based leveling systems, loot boxes, microtransactions, and gear customization. Yet, as the games have grown larger, they've begun to feel more hollow, not only in terms of repetitive side missions but also in their storytelling. While a game like Assassin’s Creed Odyssey offers more content than Assassin’s Creed 2, much of it feels less polished and immersive. The extensive dialogue options, meant to enhance immersion, often result in scripts that lack the finesse of the more focused narratives of the series' earlier action-adventure era, where characters were sharply defined and not diluted by the need to cater to multiple player choices.

This shift has unfortunately broken the immersion, making it evident that players are interacting with computer-generated characters rather than complex historical figures. This is a stark contrast to the Xbox 360/PS3 era, which, in my opinion, produced some of the finest writing in gaming. From Ezio’s passionate declaration, "Do not follow me, or anyone else!" after defeating Savonarola, to Haytham's tragicomic soliloquy upon being killed by 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."*

The writing in the series has also suffered in other ways. While modern games often simplify the narrative to a clear-cut dichotomy of Assassins = good and Templars = bad, earlier games explored the blurred lines between the two factions. In Assassin’s Creed 3, each defeated Templar challenges Connor's beliefs, with William Johnson suggesting the Templars could have prevented the Native American genocide, Thomas Hickey questioning the Assassins' mission, and Benjamin Church arguing that perspective shapes reality. Haytham himself attempts to undermine Connor's faith in George Washington, asserting that the new nation will be as despotic as the monarchy it replaced—a claim validated when it's revealed that Washington, not Charles Lee, ordered the burning of Connor's village. By the game's end, players are left with more questions than answers, making the story more compelling.

Reflecting on the franchise's history, it's clear why "Ezio’s Family" from the Assassin’s Creed 2 soundtrack became the series' official theme. The PS3-era games, especially Assassin’s Creed 2 and Assassin’s Creed 3, were fundamentally character-driven experiences. The melancholic guitar strings of "Ezio’s Family" were meant to evoke Ezio's personal loss rather than the game's setting. While I appreciate the expansive worldbuilding and graphical advancements of the current Assassin’s Creed games, I hope the franchise will one day return to its roots, delivering the focused, character-driven stories that originally captivated me. However, in today's market, dominated by expansive sandboxes and live service ambitions, such a return might not align with "good business" practices.