Assassin’s Creed: Every Game, Ranked By How Long They Take To Beat

Highlights

• Assassin’s Creed
  games span various eras in history, thrilling fans with rich lore and engaging gameplay experiences.
• The franchise’s diverse titles cater to different playstyles, from short but intense adventures to lengthy, immersive narratives.
• Assassin’s Creed
  remains a beloved series, offering a mix of traditional stealth action and new RPG elements for players to enjoy.

Often, video game franchises outlive their expiry and span for several games longer than they should. Assassin’s Creed is not one of those, despite being a series consisting of countless games. Assassin’s Creed is indeed a phenomenal franchise, and fans are always eagerly waiting for the next installment.

The following completion estimates are based on the Main Story tallies from howlongtobeat.com. The Assassin’s Creed games are now more prolonged and more immersive than ever before. Exploring eras from world history to combat the Templars, or whatever form they might take, is gaming at its peak.

Updated on June 21, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: The Assassin’s Creed series has been through its fair share of ups and downs, but there’s no denying that fans have a soft spot for a series that they consider to be a fascinating way for players to explore historical locations with a present-world storyline that is pretty engaging. The world-building and lore of the Assassin’s Creed series are huge reasons why players can’t get enough of these games, with the vast majority of these titles not really overstaying their welcome. The trilogy of RPG-heavy Assassin’s Creed games may be a bit too long for most people’s tastes, but this is just a drop in the ocean when it comes to the numerous Assassin’s Creed titles and their reasonable runtimes.

23 Assassin’s Creed Freedom Cry

4 Hours

Gamers will be in for a short but very special treat as they join Adéwalé in an escape from captivity. Perhaps there is no Assassin more worthy of the Order than this one, who understands, at a painfully personal level, that freedom is not merely a philosophical idea.

The game is the shortest in the series because it was originally scheduled to be DLC for Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, but with a unique protagonist, Ubisoft and gamers agreed that, though short, it deserved to be its own game.

22 Assassin’s Creed: Altair’s Chronicles

5 Hours

Many people haven’t tried out Altair’s Chronicles, an Assassin’s Creed game on the Nintendo DS that was surprisingly engaging in its own right. This game made the most of the hardware it was on, using a 2D sidescrolling format along with the ingenious use of the DS touchscreen to make it a great game for fans to check out.

The game features Altair in a leading role, which is apparent given the game’s title. Fans of this protagonist who want to explore another adventure with him should definitely check out Altair’s Chronicles, which is still an engaging game to play through, even if it may feel dated at times.

21 Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India

5.5 Hours

The Assassin’s Creed series isn’t really known for experimenting, so the Chronicles trilogy was a pleasant surprise indeed. The shift to 2.5D environments with classic Assassin’s Creed gameplay is a blast.

It helps that the series tackles various environments around the world that haven’t been explored in these games before. This includes Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: India, which is a great game in its own right and clocks in at just shy of 6 hours.

20 Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines

6 Hours

The Assassin’s Creed series has experimented with its fair share of portable titles, with Assassin’s Creed: Bloodlines easily being their most ambitious title by far in this context. This game serves as a direct sequel to the first title and is a great game to check out for fans of the series who want to experience another adventure with Altair.

The game may be pretty simple nowadays, given the modern standards of Assassin’s Creed titles, but there’s no denying that it has its fair share of draws that make it worth checking out for fans of the series. Playing this game can be pretty challenging in modern times, but fans of Assassin’s Creed who have the means to check out this underrated title should definitely do so.

19 Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: China

6 Hours

Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One

Released: 2015-04-21

Developer(s): Climax Studios

The first game in the Assassin’s Creed Chronicles series was set in China and is a ton of fun to play through. Players follow Shao Jun and the trials she faces as one of the last members of the Chinese Brotherhood of Assassins.

As is the case with most of the Assassin’s Creed Chronicles games, the 2.5D gameplay of the series is quite fun indeed. It’s surprising to see just how well the gameplay of the Assassin’s Creed series fits within these restrictions.

18 Assassin’s Creed Chronicles: Russia

6.5 Hours

Platform(s): PC, PS4, PS Vita, Xbox One

Released: 2016-02-09

Developer(s): Climax Studios

The final game in the Assassin’s Creed Chronicles series takes place in Russia. The game is set in 1918, which is a setting that’s quite a blast to explore.

Players control Nikolai Orelov as he strives to complete one last mission for the Order before fleeing the country with his family. It’s a harrowing and brilliant tale, although the gameplay of the series might get pretty stale by this point.

17 Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation

8 Hours

For a spinoff, it’s amazing to see just how much work has been put into Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation. It might not do a lot to innovate upon the gameplay of the series, but it’s still fun to play through regardless.

Assassin’s Creed 3: Liberation is a fun romp, although it might be limited by its identity as a spinoff. This reflects in its runtime too, which isn’t really all that impressive either.

16 Assassin’s Creed Rogue

10.5 Hours

Assassin’s Creed Rogue is the second-shortest game in Assassin’s Creed mainline history. It was released after Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, and it incorporates ship-based combat like its predecessor. The length is misleading, as the main character Shay Cormac kills some very significant characters in the Assassin’s Creed universe.

Although not as highly acclaimed as other installments, completionists will find around 40 hours of engaging content. It’s worth noting that an Xbox One and PlayStation 4 remaster of the game are available for purchase.’

15 Assassin’s Creed Revelations

12.5 Hours

The final game in the Ezio Auditore da Firenze trilogy comes to an end in this epic journey. The game focuses on Ezio’s adventure as he follows his mentor, Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad.

For reference, Altaïr was the protagonist of the first Assassin’s Creed game. For those wanting to gain insight into integral characters of the franchise, Assassin’s Creed Revelations is a must-play. It will take players, on average, 12.5 hours to complete the main story.

14 Assassin’s Creed

15 Hours

This next entry brings us to the first Assassin’s Creed game ever made. Many will criticize the game for its stagnant player movements and repetitiveness, yet it laid the framework for later Assassin’s Creed games.

Inspired by Prince of Persia, which is a spiritual predecessor, we’re glad Ubisoft didn’t give up on this IP. It takes 15 hours to beat the original Assassin’s Creed, and it offers less value for completionists compared to other games in the series.

13 Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood

15 Hours

The second installment of the Ezio Auditore da Firenze trilogy deserves recognition for being an overall solid game. The story focuses on the Templars, who essentially plot to take over the world. They believe that humanity is inherently corrupt and that only they can bring balance to the world.

Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood takes players, on average, around 16 hours to beat the main campaign. It’s shorter than most Assassin’s Creed games but well worth a playthrough.

12 Assassin’s Creed Mirage

15.5 Hours

The fact that Assassin’s Creed Mirage finally went back to the series’ roots after it dabbled way too much in massive worlds and RPG-esque design was a source of great relief for many. Sure, Mirage may not be perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but players who don’t mind the corners this game cuts will have a great time with what’s on offer here.

Mirage is a pretty short game where quests can be tackled in any order. Unfortunately, the lackadaisical nature of the writing leads to plot threads becoming rather muddled and disconnected from the main, which isn’t really all that satisfying.

11 Assassin’s Creed 3

16.5 Hours

Assassin’s Creed 3 scored above-average reviews when it was released in 2012. Like many of the games from the Assassin’s Creed franchise, Assassin’s Creed 3 was eventually remastered. The game’s stealth-based combat is awe-inspiring.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see this game remade years from now. Set during the American Revolution, completing Assassin’s Creed 3 takes players 16 hours on average as they take down British occupiers and some critical templar targets among them.

10 Assassin’s Creed Unity

17 Hours

Assassin’s Creed Unity took a unique spin on the Assassin’s Creed franchise by introducing online co-op. This open-world game may have remarkable gameplay, but numerous glitches prevent the game from reaching its potential.

This game will take players around 17 hours to beat. With the help of friends, however, players might be able to beat the game in a mere 12 hours. A second player also alleviates the recurring issue of female characters not getting enough screen time in Assassin’s Creed games.

9 Assassin’s Creed Syndicate

19 Hours

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate is set in the Victorian era in London. Players experience a sense of realism as they delve into its immersive world that looks like something straight out of a Charles Dickens book. The Jack the Ripper DLC adds so much to the original game and is well worth the purchase. Being able to play as a male and a female was a nice turn for the franchise and offered variety to the gameplay thanks to the characters’ different movesets.

8 Assassin’s Creed 2

19 Hours

Released in 2009, Assassin’s Creed 2 is widely considered the best Assassin’s Creed game for its polished and dynamic gameplay, and it didn’t hurt to have the intriguing and beloved Ezio as a protagonist, either.

It takes approximately 19 hours to beat the game’s campaign. Its story includes historical figures, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Pope Alexander VI. Small nuances like being able to collect income from the Villa Auditore, a familial home, make Assassin’s Creed 2 stand out in the best way possible.

7 Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag

23.5 Hours

Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag was a launch game for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It was a groundbreaking achievement for the scale of its world. The campaign has a few dull following missions, like many of the Assassin’s Creed games, yet it has a little something for everyone.

Fighting jaguars and crocodiles or a notorious group of pirates as the dynamic Edward Kenway makes the game well worth the playthrough. Completing this game will take around 24 hours, even if fewer filler sections could’ve appropriately shortened its length.

6 Assassin’s Creed Origins

30 Hours

As the first game of the “new” format, Assassin’s Creed Origins proved to gamers that a 30-hour-long campaign is not too long for Assassin’s Creed. The game contains real-world locations like the Great Pyramid of Giza, but it provides a glimpse into how they might have appeared in ancient Egypt.

Many players had issues with the RPG elements of Assassin’s Creed Origins, but there’s no denying that the game revitalized the series in a much-needed reimagining of what an Assassin’s Creed game really is. Origins set the template for later titles in the series to follow, which was either a source of celebration or disappointment for fans.

5 Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection

36.5 Hours

The lack of stringent third-party restrictions on the Switch has compelled many developers to launch ports of their established titles on this console, and Ubisoft is no exception to this rule. They’ve released The Rebel Collection on the Switch, which features ports of Black Flag and Rogue, two games that fans love, especially when it comes to Edward Kenway’s adventures.

Both games feature a decent runtime that can be expanded considerably if players complete all the side content present here. The collection itself stakes a claim for being one of the longest Assassin’s Creed games around, even if it qualifies for the same on a technicality. While Rogue didn’t make as much of an impression as Black Flag, that shouldn’t stop players from enjoying this title if more Assassin’s Creed is what they’re after.

4 Assassin’s Creed: Pirates

40 Hours

Platform(s): Android, iOS

Released: 2013-12-05

Developer(s): Ubisoft Paris

It was clear that Ubisoft developed a winning formula when it came to naval traversal and combat in games like Black Flag. Players loved engaging in sea battles and exploring the world as a pirate, so it was logical for the company to release a mobile-only Assassin’s Creed game that would double down on the whole concept of piracy.

Players control an up-and-coming pirate by the name of Alonzo Batilla, building up a crew and exploring the Caribbean on their ship as they complete various story missions and side activities. The naval combat was the title’s highlight and was just engaging enough for players to spend forty or so hours completing everything this mobile title had to offer.