5 Assassin's Creed Games That DESERVE a Remake
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VOICE OVER: Aaron Brown
WRITTEN BY: Caitlin Johnson
There are several entries in the "Assassin's Creed" franchise that would benefit from a remake. For this list, we'll be looking at games in Ubisoft's historical series that could use a new coat of paint and improved mechanics. Our list of "Assassin's Creed" games that deserve a remake includes “Assassin's Creed” (2007), “Assassin's Creed Rogue” (2014), “Assassin's Creed: Revelations” (2011), and more!
Welcome to MojoPlays! Today, we’re looking at the “Assassin’s Creed” games that deserve a remake. When will Ubisoft get on the remake train?
It did get a recent remaster in “The Ezio Collection”, but that remaster was definitely one of the laziest we’ve seen in recent years. A full remake, however, while not necessary before certain OTHER games get full remakes, would be absolutely incredible, you can’t deny. It would be great to go back to Italy with current-gen graphics and hardware, seeing Venice completely rebuilt with even bigger, more detailed monuments, and revisiting Il Duomo in Florence. There are some quality-of-life improvements a remake could provide, too, like changing the control scheme so it’s a little more like the latest entries. We know, the platforming controls are far more precise than people give them credit for, but wouldn’t you rather NOT suffer with the “Assassin Claw” all over again? A toggle between classic controls and the newer ones that don’t give you carpal tunnel would be the best of both worlds. As well as that, maybe the whole world could be recreated as one, contiguous map, instead of having to go back and forth from the fast travel stations to get around – though, this would allow players to reach late-game areas before making the necessary story progression, unless Ubisoft brings back the giant Animus walls that lock off sections of the map.
Though “Rogue” was recent enough, we do think that, further down the line, it could absolutely benefit from a remake. It did already get a next-gen remaster and is one of the few older titles that’s able to run at 60fps even in its original format, thanks to it having an unlocked framerate; but there was so much squandered potential in this entry. Even its biggest fans agree that it was too short, with little incentive to do anything other than blast through the main story, which wraps up in just ten hours or so. But, still, three enormous naval maps were created, not to mention returning to New York, as well as new naval mechanics that helped Shay battle the French up in the River Valley and Arctic Ocean. It got a next-gen remaster, sure, but “Rogue” was always limited by the platforms it was originally developed for. Imagine it fully remade, with meaningful side content, and an expanded story with greater character development and depth for everybody. Not to mention, another excuse to get back to that classic naval gameplay which – while it’s great fun in “Odyssey” – has never quite reached the lofty heights set by “Black Flag” again. And speaking of which, could a “Rogue” remake pave the way for “Black Flag” to come next? We’re not sure, as “Black Flag” is almost a perfect game, but “Rogue” certainly deserves a second chance.
It was redone in HD and put onto consoles thanks to it being one of the most popular titles ever released for the PS Vita, but what if Ubisoft decided to REALLY give Aveline her dues and recreate “Liberation” with the resources of a full, new entry in the series? Though lots of people skipped “Liberation”, it’s consistently popular with those who HAVE played it, following Aveline as she uncovers a Templar plot controlling Louisiana. The main New Orleans map would be stunning if it were rebuilt from the ground up, as would the bayou and the huge Mayan Temples. Imagine “Liberation” in a bayou as beautiful and detailed as Bayou Nwa was in “Red Dead II” – that’s the kind of thing we’d LOVE to see from a remake of “Liberation”. Plus, it would help bring the game to a new audience and truly make it a must-play for the series, instead of an entry so many people skip. A remake could make it longer, too, explaining character backstories more, and could spend more time exploring the fact vs fiction narrative Abstergo is using the game to push to its in-universe players. Not to mention, more complex missions and greater mission variety.
The black sheep of the franchise, “Revelations” is an odd game, to say the least, and has even fewer defenders than “Assassin’s Creed III”. Despite its short length and development cycle, “Revelations” managed to bring a few innovations to the series – even if those innovations were quickly forgotten. The Assassin Recruit system is at its best here, with Ezio working alongside his recruits in a series of two-part side missions that train them to follow in his footsteps. It also had its bomb-making system, and the hook blade, which was a lot of fun when it was properly integrated into the traversal – although, the less said about the tower defense, the better. These were all features that, with a little more time, could have made “Revelations” truly stand out from the others, AND ensured it had a lasting impact on the series, which it really didn’t. Again, it could benefit from a toggle between control styles, as well as perhaps ditching the Desmond platforming missions completely and just letting us access those stories. Purists may disagree, but why should we have to wait until the fourth game AND then beat a bunch of platforming minigames to get the backstory for the MAIN CHARACTER? And finally, Constantinople would be stunning reimagined for a newer hardware generation; we’d love to see it.
Fans have been desperate for a remake of the very first game in the series for years, and it’s not hard to see why – or why it’s DEFINITELY the most deserving of them all. The first game was revolutionary, and laid the foundations the entire series would go on to follow to varying degrees. But it’s rough going back to it now, despite still looking phenomenal and miles ahead of its time. The controls are an issue, even compared to “Assassin’s Creed II”, with Ubisoft taking the criticism of the first game thoroughly on board for the sequel. As well as that, Altaïr’s not the best protagonist in that first title. He gets plenty more development in “Revelations” and in the various spin-offs, so it would be nice to see that come through more in a potential remake. It could also incorporate those spin-offs, like “Altaïr’s Chronicles” for the DS and “Bloodlines” for PSP, into one main game that really gets to the heart of who Altaïr is. And you can’t say you wouldn’t love to revisit the Holy Land as one, huge map, able to freely ride between the three cities and Masyaf, recreated from the ground up. Even better if we get to also journey to the spin-off locations like Cyprus and Aleppo, both places we’ve never seen in the main series. Maybe there’s even a future where a remake of “Assassin’s Creed” comes packaged with “Revelations”, as an ”Altaïr Collection” this time.
“Assassin’s Creed II” (2009)
It did get a recent remaster in “The Ezio Collection”, but that remaster was definitely one of the laziest we’ve seen in recent years. A full remake, however, while not necessary before certain OTHER games get full remakes, would be absolutely incredible, you can’t deny. It would be great to go back to Italy with current-gen graphics and hardware, seeing Venice completely rebuilt with even bigger, more detailed monuments, and revisiting Il Duomo in Florence. There are some quality-of-life improvements a remake could provide, too, like changing the control scheme so it’s a little more like the latest entries. We know, the platforming controls are far more precise than people give them credit for, but wouldn’t you rather NOT suffer with the “Assassin Claw” all over again? A toggle between classic controls and the newer ones that don’t give you carpal tunnel would be the best of both worlds. As well as that, maybe the whole world could be recreated as one, contiguous map, instead of having to go back and forth from the fast travel stations to get around – though, this would allow players to reach late-game areas before making the necessary story progression, unless Ubisoft brings back the giant Animus walls that lock off sections of the map.
“Assassin’s Creed Rogue” (2014)
Though “Rogue” was recent enough, we do think that, further down the line, it could absolutely benefit from a remake. It did already get a next-gen remaster and is one of the few older titles that’s able to run at 60fps even in its original format, thanks to it having an unlocked framerate; but there was so much squandered potential in this entry. Even its biggest fans agree that it was too short, with little incentive to do anything other than blast through the main story, which wraps up in just ten hours or so. But, still, three enormous naval maps were created, not to mention returning to New York, as well as new naval mechanics that helped Shay battle the French up in the River Valley and Arctic Ocean. It got a next-gen remaster, sure, but “Rogue” was always limited by the platforms it was originally developed for. Imagine it fully remade, with meaningful side content, and an expanded story with greater character development and depth for everybody. Not to mention, another excuse to get back to that classic naval gameplay which – while it’s great fun in “Odyssey” – has never quite reached the lofty heights set by “Black Flag” again. And speaking of which, could a “Rogue” remake pave the way for “Black Flag” to come next? We’re not sure, as “Black Flag” is almost a perfect game, but “Rogue” certainly deserves a second chance.
“Assassin’s Creed III: Liberation” (2012)
It was redone in HD and put onto consoles thanks to it being one of the most popular titles ever released for the PS Vita, but what if Ubisoft decided to REALLY give Aveline her dues and recreate “Liberation” with the resources of a full, new entry in the series? Though lots of people skipped “Liberation”, it’s consistently popular with those who HAVE played it, following Aveline as she uncovers a Templar plot controlling Louisiana. The main New Orleans map would be stunning if it were rebuilt from the ground up, as would the bayou and the huge Mayan Temples. Imagine “Liberation” in a bayou as beautiful and detailed as Bayou Nwa was in “Red Dead II” – that’s the kind of thing we’d LOVE to see from a remake of “Liberation”. Plus, it would help bring the game to a new audience and truly make it a must-play for the series, instead of an entry so many people skip. A remake could make it longer, too, explaining character backstories more, and could spend more time exploring the fact vs fiction narrative Abstergo is using the game to push to its in-universe players. Not to mention, more complex missions and greater mission variety.
“Assassin’s Creed: Revelations” (2011)
The black sheep of the franchise, “Revelations” is an odd game, to say the least, and has even fewer defenders than “Assassin’s Creed III”. Despite its short length and development cycle, “Revelations” managed to bring a few innovations to the series – even if those innovations were quickly forgotten. The Assassin Recruit system is at its best here, with Ezio working alongside his recruits in a series of two-part side missions that train them to follow in his footsteps. It also had its bomb-making system, and the hook blade, which was a lot of fun when it was properly integrated into the traversal – although, the less said about the tower defense, the better. These were all features that, with a little more time, could have made “Revelations” truly stand out from the others, AND ensured it had a lasting impact on the series, which it really didn’t. Again, it could benefit from a toggle between control styles, as well as perhaps ditching the Desmond platforming missions completely and just letting us access those stories. Purists may disagree, but why should we have to wait until the fourth game AND then beat a bunch of platforming minigames to get the backstory for the MAIN CHARACTER? And finally, Constantinople would be stunning reimagined for a newer hardware generation; we’d love to see it.
“Assassin’s Creed” (2007)
Fans have been desperate for a remake of the very first game in the series for years, and it’s not hard to see why – or why it’s DEFINITELY the most deserving of them all. The first game was revolutionary, and laid the foundations the entire series would go on to follow to varying degrees. But it’s rough going back to it now, despite still looking phenomenal and miles ahead of its time. The controls are an issue, even compared to “Assassin’s Creed II”, with Ubisoft taking the criticism of the first game thoroughly on board for the sequel. As well as that, Altaïr’s not the best protagonist in that first title. He gets plenty more development in “Revelations” and in the various spin-offs, so it would be nice to see that come through more in a potential remake. It could also incorporate those spin-offs, like “Altaïr’s Chronicles” for the DS and “Bloodlines” for PSP, into one main game that really gets to the heart of who Altaïr is. And you can’t say you wouldn’t love to revisit the Holy Land as one, huge map, able to freely ride between the three cities and Masyaf, recreated from the ground up. Even better if we get to also journey to the spin-off locations like Cyprus and Aleppo, both places we’ve never seen in the main series. Maybe there’s even a future where a remake of “Assassin’s Creed” comes packaged with “Revelations”, as an ”Altaïr Collection” this time.
