Assassin’s Creed was once one of the greatest gaming franchises ever. From sneaky rooftop assassinations to hidden historical secrets, the early games had a perfect mix of open-world exploration and sci-fi mystery.
But something changed after Assassin’s Creed III—specifically, after Desmond Miles died. Since then, the series has lost its identity, turning into something that barely resembles what made it special in the first place.
So, did Assassin’s Creed die with Desmond Miles? Let’s break it down.
1. The Modern-Day Storyline Was Actually Interesting
Back in the early days of Assassin’s Creed, the Animus wasn’t just a plot device—it was part of a larger sci-fi conspiracy thriller. Desmond Miles wasn’t just some random guy; he was the key to unlocking the war between Assassins and Templars in the present day.
AC1: Introduced Desmond, Abstergo, and the concept of reliving genetic memories.
AC2/Brotherhood/Revelations: Showed Desmond learning to be an Assassin, teasing a bigger war in the real world.
AC3: Built up to Desmond sacrificing himself to stop the apocalypse, ending his story on a cliffhanger.
The setup was perfect—Desmond’s death was supposed to lead into something bigger, like a modern-day Assassin’s Creed game where players finally fought Templars in real-time.
Instead? Ubisoft killed Desmond and threw the entire modern-day plot in the trash.
2. Every Modern-Day Story After Desmond Was a Mess
Once Desmond was gone, Ubisoft had no idea what to do with the present-day story.
AC Black Flag: You’re… a nameless first-person Abstergo employee? Okay, weird.
AC Unity & Syndicate: The modern-day story barely exists—just a few cutscenes.
AC Origins/Odyssey/Valhalla: Now you’re Layla Hassan, a character nobody really connects with, jumping through historical memories for vague reasons.
It feels like Ubisoft never recovered from Desmond’s death—they clearly didn’t know what to do next, so they slowly removed the modern-day elements that made the series unique.
And without that connection to the present? The historical stories feel disconnected and aimless.
3. The Series Shifted from Assassins vs. Templars to “Open-World RPG”
The original games had a clear premise:✅ You’re an Assassin.✅ You hunt down Templars.✅ You use stealth, parkour, and hidden blades.
Now?
Assassin’s Creed Origins: You’re basically a warrior, not an Assassin.
Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: You’re a Greek demigod with superpowers.
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla: You’re a Viking raider who barely does anything sneaky.
The stealth-focused gameplay that made AC special was pushed aside for RPG elements like loot grinding, skill trees, and dialogue choices. These aren’t bad mechanics on their own, but they don’t feel like Assassin’s Creed anymore.
4. The Animus Feels Less Important Than Ever
In the Desmond era, the Animus was more than just a plot device—it had limitations, risks, and consequences.
If Desmond stayed in the Animus too long, he suffered from the Bleeding Effect (hallucinations, merging memories).
Escaping from Abstergo, hiding from Templars—it felt like a real-world mystery thriller.
The historical sequences had meaning because they were connected to the modern war between Assassins and Templars.
Now? The Animus is basically just a fancy time-travel machine with zero stakes.
There’s no real reason for Layla to be jumping into these memories.
The Bleeding Effect doesn’t matter anymore.
The Animus feels like an afterthought—just a way to justify the historical setting.
Without the modern-day tension, the historical sections feel isolated instead of part of a bigger narrative.
5. The Games Became Too Bloated
Remember when Assassin’s Creed games were focused experiences? The older games had strong stories, unique mechanics, and tight world design.
Now? Ubisoft just keeps making the worlds bigger—but bigger isn’t always better.
Odyssey & Valhalla take over 100 hours to complete.
Every game has tons of filler side content that barely connects to the main story.
XP grinding and loot systems feel like they were designed for microtransactions.
Instead of immersive, well-paced Assassin stories, we get open-world RPGs that feel more like Ubisoft checklists.
...And honestly? It’s exhausting.
6. Ubisoft Refuses to Commit to a Single Direction
The biggest issue with modern Assassin’s Creed? Ubisoft doesn’t seem to know what it wants the series to be.
They keep adding RPG mechanics but still call it Assassin’s Creed.
They keep teasing modern-day stories but barely follow through.
Every game feels like a soft reboot, changing mechanics, tone, and focus.
At this point, AC doesn’t feel like a cohesive franchise—it feels like a collection of random historical RPGs with the Assassin’s Creed name slapped on them.
7. Assassin’s Creed Needs a Reboot (Or a True Sequel to Desmond’s Story)
So what’s the solution? If Ubisoft really wants Assassin’s Creed to feel special again, they need to go back to what made it great:
Bring back the modern-day story in a meaningful way—make it feel important again.
Focus on actual Assassins and Templars—not just “historical warriors.”
Make stealth a priority again—hidden blades, rooftop escapes, blending into crowds.
Tighten the open world—bigger doesn’t always mean better.
If the franchise keeps going the way it is, Assassin’s Creed will just become another generic open-world RPG instead of the unique, conspiracy-driven adventure it used to be.
Final Verdict: Assassin’s Creed Lost Its Identity Without Desmond
Was Desmond Miles a perfect protagonist? No. But his story gave Assassin’s Creed a clear direction and purpose.
Once Ubisoft ended his arc, the series became aimless, constantly reinventing itself but never feeling quite right.
So yeah, I’d say Assassin’s Creed died with Desmond Miles.
What are your thoughts?
Comments