Developed by Ubisoft, the first Assassin’s Creed was released in 2007 and took players back in time to the Third Crusade in the late 12th century. Since then, the mainline games have acted almost like they are virtual time machines transporting players back in time. Gamers are able to visit the Italian Renaissance, the Golden Age of Piracy, The French Revolution, Victorian London, Ancient Egypt, and Ancient Greece during momentous times in history. Even though the games are not historically accurate, they have been responsible for inspiring an interest in history for many gamers that they wouldn’t have otherwise had. In addition, the Assassin’s Creed games appeal to gamers that love history.
With so many incredibly recreated worlds the series sits at the top of the heap when it comes to history in gaming. However, let’s take a look at ten more historically set games that games should play.
10 Titan Quest
Titan Quest was first released for the PC in 2006. It would finally get a console release in 2018 on the Nintendo Switch, Xbox One, and the PlayStation 4. The game is set in Ancient Greece so it should help satisfy fans of Assassin’s Creed: Odyssey that are missing that game’s themes.
Titan Quest is a hack-and-slash action RPG with an ancient Grecian open-world setting to explore. The remaster has brought several visual and quality of life improvements to the game and the transition from the keyboard to the controller is a smooth one.
9 Broken Sword: Shadow Of The Templars
Broken Sword: Shadow of the Templars isn’t a historical game in the sense that it transports the players back in time - although, the game was made in 1996 so it could be considered a modern-day historical piece. It is, however, a point-and-click adventure game that gives players a lot of historical insight into the Knights Templar.
The Knights Templar, of course, are the main antagonists in the Assassin’s Creed series as they are in Broken Sword. Fans of that series that have a passing interest in the history of the Templars which this game delves very deeply into. Furthermore, it is suspected by fans that the game’s narrative was an influence on Dan Brown’s Davinci Code novel.
8 Sniper Elite 4
Sniper Elite 4 is a World War 2 based open-world action game that was released in 2017. It takes players back to 1943 Italy in the role of a sniper they are free to roam around the massive well-designed levels to plan their methods of attack.
Assassin’s Creed fans that enjoy exploring and sneaking around large historical landscapes will definitely get a kick out of arguably the best game in the series. The Assassin’s Creed games have yet to fully explore a World War setting beyond flashbacks but until then Sniper Elite 4 is a great alternative.
7 Sid Meier’s Pirates! (2004)
Sid Meier’s Pirates! was released in 2004 for the PC and was updated version of the 1987 original. Since then, the game has found its way on to the Xbox, PlayStation Portable, iOS, and the Nintendo Wii.
Developed by Firaxis Games Pirates is a strategy adventure game set in the Caribbean at around the same time as Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag. There’s a large emphasis on sailing, naval battles, trade and of course pirating. Furthermore, sword fights often break out when raiding ships or attacks on cities.
6 Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice was released in 2019 and was developed by Dark Souls developers FromSoftware. The game takes players back to the late 16th century Sengoku period Japan in the role of a Shinobi assassin/warrior named Wolf.
16th Century Japan is a time period that mainline Assassin’s Creed games have yet to tackle but Sekiro is a perfect alternative for fans. Although the game delves far more into the supernatural than any of the Assassin’s games do there’s a lot parallels in the way Wolf takes down his enemies in stealthy ways using a grapple rope etc.
5 The Saboteur
The Saboteur is a World War II open-world adventure game based in a 1940 German-occupied France. It was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2009. The player takes on the role of a former Irish racing car diver that helps the French resistance to liberate Paris.
The areas in Paris that are occupied by the Germans is colored in black and white while the liberated have their color returned to them. It’s a great experience and Assassin’s Creed: Unity briefly touched upon a 1944 occupied Paris and The Saboteur allows players to explore this time period at more length.
4 The Order 1886
Released in 2015, The Order 1886 is a PlayStation 4 exclusive developed by Ready at Dawn the same team that created the PSP titles God of War: Chains of Olympus and The Ghost of Sparta. It’s a third-person action shooter based in a steampunk Victorian setting with similar mechanics to the Gears of War series.
While it’s a very linear experience The Order 1886 is an entertaining and cinematic ride from start to finish. It has a similar visual style Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate and genuinely interesting premise and lore.
3 Ryse: Son Of Rome
Ryse: Son of Rome was originally an Xbox One exclusive that was released in 2013, it was later released in 2014 for the PC. It was developed by Crytek the same developers that created the Crysis series and just like that series Ryse has great visuals and fantastic production values.
The game is set in Ancient Rome and while it plays loose with historical accuracies fans of both Assassin’s Creed: Origins and Odyssey will enjoy this entry. It’s a linear and cinematic game but the combat shares some similarities to both Assassin’s Creed and the Batman: Arkham games.
2 Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter
Sherlock Holmes: The Devil’s Daughter was released on the PC, PlayStation 3 and the Xbox One in 2016. It’s a Victorian-era detective game based on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s iconic detective. The game’s setting is roughly set around the same time as Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate.
Its gameplay mechanic is set around exploring crime scenes, using deduction techniques, and investigating suspects. There are several side-quests in Syndicate that involve the main protagonists investigating crime scenes and interviewing suspects and witnesses for those that enjoyed this aspect The Devil’s Daughter is a great alternative.
1 Kingdom Come: Deliverance
Kingdom Come: Deliverance is an open-world RPG that was developed by Warhorse Studios released for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and the PC. It is set in the medieval Kingdom of Bohemia which was an Imperial State of the Holy Roman Empire.
Mechanically, the game looks and plays like The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim but in Deliverance, there are no magic or fantasy elements of any kind. It’s a medieval simulator where players need to keep an eye on their character’s well being as much as their health. Furthermore, it features some of the most complex and realistic sword fighting mechanics in gaming where timing is everything and one mistake can cost one their lives.