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

One of the most memorable moments in the entire *Assassin’s Creed* series unfolds early in *Assassin’s Creed III*. Haytham Kenway, having assembled his New World assassins (or so we think), embodies charisma reminiscent of Ezio Auditore. He rescues Native Americans, battles British redcoats—a true hero, or so it seems. Only his utterance of the Templar phrase, "May the Father of Understanding guide us," reveals the shocking truth: we've been following the Templars all along.

This masterful setup exemplifies *Assassin’s Creed’s* untapped potential. The first game introduced a compelling concept—locate, learn about, and eliminate targets—but fell short narratively, with Altaïr and his victims lacking depth. *Assassin’s Creed II* improved by introducing the iconic Ezio, but its adversaries remained underdeveloped, Cesare Borgia in *Brotherhood* being a prime example. *Assassin’s Creed III*, set during the American Revolution, finally achieved parity, fleshing out both hunter and hunted. This created a seamless narrative flow, achieving a balance of gameplay and story rarely matched since.

Despite the current RPG era's positive reception, widespread agreement points to a decline in the *Assassin’s Creed* franchise. The reasons are debated. Some cite increasingly fantastical premises (Anubis, Fenrir), others the romance options or, controversially, *Assassin’s Creed: Shadow’s* use of the real-world Yasuke. However, I argue the decline stems from the series’ abandonment of character-driven storytelling, lost within sprawling open worlds.

Over time, *Assassin’s Creed* has incorporated RPG and live-service elements: dialogue trees, XP systems, loot boxes, microtransactions, and gear customization. Yet, larger installments feel emptier, not only due to numerous fetch quests, but also in their storytelling. While *Assassin’s Creed Odyssey* boasts more content than *Assassin’s Creed II*, much feels underdeveloped and wooden. The expanded dialogue choices, intended to enhance immersion, often have the opposite effect. Lengthy scripts, accommodating multiple scenarios, lack the polish of earlier games with more limited interactions. The focused scripts of the action-adventure era allowed for sharply defined characters, unburdened by a structure demanding player-driven shifts in personality.

This breaks immersion, revealing the artificiality of the characters, unlike the Xbox 360/PS3 era, which featured some of gaming's finest writing. From Ezio's defiant "Do not follow me, or anyone else!" to Haytham's tragicomic death scene:

“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 has also suffered from a simplification of the Assassins/Templars dichotomy. Earlier games explored the moral ambiguity, while later games present a simplistic good vs. evil narrative. In *Assassin’s Creed III*, defeated Templars force Connor (and the player) to question their beliefs. William Johnson suggests the Templars could have prevented genocide. Thomas Hickey deems the Assassin's mission unrealistic. Benjamin Church claims it's "all a matter of perspective," highlighting the British perspective. Haytham challenges Connor's faith in Washington, predicting a despotic future, a claim validated when Washington's orders to burn Connor's village are revealed.

The game concludes with more questions than answers, strengthening the narrative.

The enduring popularity of "Ezio’s Family" from *Assassin’s Creed II* highlights the impact of character-driven storytelling. The PS3 era, especially *Assassin’s Creed II* and *III*, prioritized character-driven narratives. While I admire the current generation's world-building and graphics, I hope the franchise will return to its roots, delivering the focused narratives that initially captivated players. Unfortunately, in a market dominated by sprawling open worlds and live-service ambitions, this seems unlikely.