Assassin's Creed: Every Mainline Story Length, Ranked By HowLongToBeat (2024)

Assassin's Creed has been around for almost 16 years and has been through significant changes as the developers at Ubisoft strive to keep it relevant in an increasingly demanding industry. Despite the occasional tumultuousness, the world they have created in Assassin's Creed draws players back year after year.

Ubisoft recently released information related to the length of the upcoming installment to the Assassin's Creed series, Assassin's Creed Mirage, stating that it should take players around 20–25 hours to complete the story, and an average of about 30 hours to complete every bit of content in the game fully. HowLongToBeat is one of the best online resources for tracking average game runtimes, with everything from the original game to Mirage running the gamut of how long players can expect to finish the main story.

Updated on August 26, 2024, by Antonio Samson: There have been multiple entries into the Assassin's Creed franchise, each evolving from its predecessor. With Assassin's Creed: Shadows releasing soon, fans may want to check out some previous entries depending on their length. This article was updated to include more information and to meet CBR's editorial and formatting standards.

13 Assassin's Creed Rogue Was a Smaller Side Installment

A Templar's Perspective on a Naval Adventure

Assassin's Creed Rogue was released in 2014 alongside Assassin's Creed Unity, becoming the seventh major installment in the Assassin's Creed series. Rogue takes place between the events of Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag and Assassin's Creed II I. Like Black Flag, it includes naval exploration and combat. The title was also the first Assassin's Creed game to let players be a Templar.

When it comes to story length, AC Rogue is the shortest in the series at around 10.5 hours, which is also where a lot of the game's criticism was targeted. That being said, the naval adventure includes nearly 30 hours of extra content to keep players busy. Most completionists can expect to finish the game in around 40 hours. However, with such a concise story, Rogue is the shortest game in the series.

12 Assassin's Creed: Revelations Brings Ezio's Story to a Close

The Final Chapter of the Ezio Trilogy

Assassin's Creed: Revelations is the fourth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series. It was released in 2011 as the concluding game in the "Ezio Trilogy," a trilogy of games involving one of the series' most popular protagonists, Ezio Auditore. Revelations received favorable reviews from critics, but couldn't compete with its predecessor, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. This entry brings the story of both Ezio and Altair to a close while continuing the modern-day story with Desmond.

According to HowLongToBeat, Revelations' story takes players an average of 12.5 hours to complete, making it one of the shortest games in the AC series. However, completing and collecting everything in the game should take upwards of 34.5 hours — not including time spent in multiplayer, which can add dozens of extra hours.

Assassin's Creed Revelations

In Assassin's Creed Revelations, you will control master assassin Ezio Auditore, who walks in the footsteps of the legendary mentor Altair, on a journey of discovery and revelation.

Action

Open-World

Franchise

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s)

PS4 , PS3 , Xbox One , Xbox 360 , Switch , PC

Released

November 15, 2011

Developer(s)

Ubisoft Montreal

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

havok

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Language, Mild Sexual Themes, Violence

Mode

11 Assassin's Creed Laid the Series' Groundwork

The Origins of Stealth and Parkour in Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed is the first installment in the Assassin's Creed series and was released in 2007 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. While it was initially well-received, its combat, parkour, and exploration mechanics are significantly dated at this point, making it a memorable but difficult-to-revisit entry in the series.

The main story of Assassin's Creed only takes players around 15 hours, according to HowLongToBeat, but a completionist playthrough of the game will more than double that. There are countless collectibles to find throughout the game, including the elusive and controversial flags that are now considered an almost pointless venture, since there's no reward for collecting them all.

10 Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Remains a Franchise Landmark

The Highest-Rated Entry and Introduction of Multiplayer

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is currently the highest-rated Assassin's Creed title on Metacritic. The story focuses on Ezio rebuilding the Brotherhood in Rome which has been taken over by the Templars. Considered by a large portion of the AC fan base to be the best game in the series, its only competitor may be Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag. Released in 2010, Brotherhood is the third major installment in the AC series, the second game in the "Ezio Trilogy," and the first game in the franchise to include multiplayer.

Like the original Assassin's Creed, Brotherhood's story takes most players around 15 hours to complete. Apart from the story, however, players have numerous opportunities to engage in optional content, including recruiting assassins, gathering various collectibles, and renovating Rome. Completing everything the game has to offer has taken players an average of around 43 hours, making it the longest of the "Ezio Trilogy."

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood

Ezio returns in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood as he struggles against the powerful Templar Order . Defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there will require not only strength, but leadership, as Ezio commands an entire Brotherhood that will rally to his side.

Action

Adventure

Franchise

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s)

PS3 , PS4 , Xbox 360 , Xbox One , macOS , Switch

Released

November 16, 2010

Developer(s)

Ubisoft

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

havok, anvil

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Violence

Mode

9 Assassin's Creed Mirage is a Back-to-Basics Effort

A Return to Stealth and Concise Storytelling

With the most recent mainline Assassin's Creed installments opting to switch to open-world action RPGs, the recent Mirage tapped back into the series' roots. The game launched in October 2023 for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S and followed the assassin Basim Ibn Ishaq, (a supporting character introduced in Valhalla), as he fights alongside the Hidden Ones to restore freedom in Baghdad from the Order of the Ancients.

Assassin's Creed Mirage was initially intended as a DLC expansion to 2020's Valhalla but developed into its own, smaller standalone game. Though not groundbreaking, the game was generally well-received for returning to the stealth-action genre. Naturally, this means the game has a tighter runtime compared to Valhalla, Odyssey, and Origins. HowLongToBeat has a recorded average of 15.5 hours to finish the main story, which is more in line with most of the pre-Origins games. For completionists, the game could take upwards of 29 hours to finish.

8 Assassin's Creed III Was the First to Succeed the Ezio Trilogy

Revolutionary America Through the Eyes of an Assassin

Assassin's Creed III is the fifth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series, and while it's not a part of the "Ezio Trilogy," it is a direct sequel to 2011's Assassin's Creed: Revelations. AC III was released in 2012 for the PlayStation and Xbox 360 consoles and takes place in Colonial America during the time of the American Revolution.

The main narrative of Assassin's Creed III can take players a little over 16 hours to complete, while fully completing everything the game has to offer is closer to 55 hours. This makes AC III longer than every game that came before it, both in terms of story and optional content. In terms of the series, it's right in the middle when it comes to length.

7 Assassin's Creed Unity Was Where the Franchise Struggled Technically

A Rough Launch on Next-Gen Consoles

Assassin's Creed Unity was released alongside Assassin's Creed Rogue in 2014 as the eighth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series. It was developed to showcase the next generation of consoles but was unfortunately plagued by game-breaking technical issues. Despite its initial poor reception, however, it's since become one of the franchise's most underrated entries.

Players who follow Unity's story and ignore most of its extra content take around 17 hours to complete it, but the inclusion of a new skill tree system, organic street activities, world renovations, and more can add up to a total of almost 82 hours of total playtime to complete everything the game offers. Despite being the longest Assassin's Creed at the time, it received very little criticism for its abundance of content.

Assassin's Creed Unity

Assassin’s Creed Unity is the next-gen evolution of the blockbuster franchise powered by an all-new game engine. From the storming of the Bastille to the execution of King Louis XVI, experience the French Revolution as never before, and help the people of France carve an entirely new destiny.

Action

Open-World

Franchise

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Stadia

Released

November 11, 2014

Developer(s)

Ubisoft

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

AnvilNext 2.0

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol

Mode

6 Assassin's Creed Syndicate Was a Welcome Course Correction Following Unity

Victorian London and the Twin Assassins

Assassin's Creed Syndicate is the ninth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series, released in 2015 for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. It initially received favorable reviews, and the console versions were more polished than Unity. But the PC version which was released a month later met much greater criticism. The game focuses on two assassins, Jacob and Evie, a brother and sister duo.

Syndicate's narrative and characters are considered some of Assassin's Creed's best, so the 19 hours it takes to complete the main story are well spent. When they're not playing through the story, players can participate in a wealth of extra content, all of which totals up to around 57 hours of gameplay when all is said and done.

Assassin's Creed Syndicate

Set during the industrial revolution, play as twin assassins Jacob and Evie Frye who fight those who gain from the less privileged.

Action

Adventure

Franchise

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Stadia , Amazon Luna

Released

October 23, 2015

Developer(s)

Ubisoft

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

anvilnext

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood, Drug Reference, Strong Language, Violence

Mode

5 Assassin's Creed II Set a New Standard for the Franchise

Ezio Auditore's Journey Through Renaissance Italy

Assassin's Creed II is the first entry in the "Ezio Trilogy" and the second major installment in the Assassin's Creed series. Many consider AC II one of the best games in the franchise, but this is largely due to the amount of quality-of-life changes the game brought to the series after the first game, as well as the lovable character Ezio Auditore, who seeks revenge for the death of his father and bothers.

Assassin's Creed II's story clocks in at around 19 hours, making the length of its narrative closer to Mirage's than any other AC title. To fully complete the game, however, players can expect to spend around 36 hours, which is just a bit over the total length of the third game in the "Ezio Trilogy," Assassin's Creed Revelations.

4 Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag is an Exciting Pirate Adventure

Exploring the High Seas as a Pirate Assassin

Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was the first open-world game in the Assassin's Creed series, and serves as its sixth major installment. The story follows Edward Kenway, a pirate turned Assassin who travels the Caribbean during the Golden Age of Piracy. Black Flag is considered by many to be the best Assassin's Creed title in the franchise, even though it has a lower Metacritic score than both Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood.

Black Flag's story isn't the longest in the series, but it's longer than every early installment and a few that came after it. Playing nothing but the story itself takes around 23.5 hours, whereas completing everything the game has to offer should take players an average of almost 63 hours, making it longer than Syndicate but much shorter than Unity.

3 Assassin's Creed Origins Was the Series' Journey into Action RPGs

The Evolution of the Franchise Begins in Ancient Egypt

Assassin's Creed Origins was the first of the "new wave" of Assassin's Creed games — a series of games in which Ubisoft attempted to reinvent the franchise by drastically altering its formula. As the tenth major installment in the series, Origins became a guinea pig for Ubisoft's new approach to the Assassin's Creed franchise. The story takes place before the creation of the Assassin's Brotherhood and Templar Organization. This ultimately paid off and led to the development of Assassin's Creed Odyssey, one of the series' most popular titles.

Origins' story is longer than any AC game that came before it, clocking in at around 30 hours. However, the world is filled with extra activities, including collectibles, side missions, a sizable skill tree, and a gladiatorial arena. Completing everything Origins has to offer has been shown to take just over 87 hours, according to HowLongToBeat.

Assassin's Creed Origins

A prequel to the Assassin's Creed Franchise set in Egypt from 48 BC where Bayek, a Medjay, begins the foundation of the Assassin's Brotherhood.

Action RPG

Open-World

Franchise

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , PC , Stadia

Released

December 15, 2020

Developer(s)

Ubisoft

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

AnvilNext 2.0

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Drug Reference, Intense Violence, Nudity, Sexual Content, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol

Mode

2 Assassin's Creed Odyssey Expanded Upon Origins' Scope

A Massive World and RPG Elements in Ancient Greece

Like Assassin's Creed II was to Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed Odyssey was Ubisoft's answer to Assassin's Creed Origins' biggest problems. Released as the eleventh major installment in the Assassin's Creed series, Odyssey successfully transformed the franchise from a stealth series to a role-playing series by polishing and advancing the systems that Origins set into motion.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey's story, like Assassin's Creed Syndicate, can be played with either a male or female character and takes approximately 45.5 hours to complete. That being said, Odyssey is host to the largest world in the series. Odyssey's massive world lets players spend upwards of 149 hours to complete everything the game has to offer in terms of main content and extras. This effectively makes Odyssey the longest game in the series — for completionists, at least.

Assassin's Creed Odyssey

Set in 431 BC during the Pelopenesian War, play as either a male or female mercenary as you embark on your own epic odyssey to become a legendary Spartan hero in a world where every choice matters.

Action RPG

Open-World

Franchise

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s)

PS4 , Xbox One , Switch , PC , Stadia

Released

October 15, 2018

Developer(s)

Ubisoft Quebec

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

anvilnext

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Sexual Themes, Strong Language

Mode

1 Assassin's Creed Valhalla Featured an Overwhelming Story (60.5 Hours)

Viking Conquests and the Longest Main Story in the Series

Assassin's Creed Valhalla is the twelfth major installment in the Assassin's Creed series and the first game in the franchise to receive six separate DLC packs to continue the story. While Valhalla's initial critical reception was very positive, the game's massive size gradually grew to be too overwhelming for many players, resulting in a completion rate of lower than 20%.

Valhalla has the longest story in the entire Assassin's Creed series, clocking in at around 61 hours for most players. It focuses on Eivor, the reincarnation of Odin, an ancient Isu during the Viking age. On top of that, Valhalla has more collectibles than any other game in the series, resulting in a full completion time of about 148 hours, which makes it the longest game in the series to beat.

8 Images

8 Images

Assassin's Creed Valhalla

England in the age of the Vikings is a fractured nation of petty lords and warring kingdoms. Beneath the chaos lies a rich and untamed land waiting for a new conqueror. Will it be you?

RPG

Action

Systems

OpenCritic Reviews

Top Critic Rating:83/100 Critics Recommend:91%

Franchise

Assassin's Creed

Platform(s)

Stadia , PC , PS4 , PS5 , Xbox One , Xbox Series X , Xbox Series S

Released

November 10, 2020

Developer(s)

Ubisoft

Publisher(s)

Ubisoft

Engine

Ubisoft Anvil

ESRB

M for Mature: Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs and Alcohol

How Long To Beat

61 Hours

Mode

X|S Enhanced

yes

Metascore

84

PS Plus Availability

Extra & Premium

Steam Deck Compatibility

yes

How Long To Beat (Completionist Runs)

144 Hours

Cross Save

yes

Cross-Platform Play

Assassin's Creed Valhalla supports cross-progression between all platforms!