6 best games like Assassin’s Creed to play in 2024, from Spider-Man to Sekiro
From swashbuckling adventures on the high seas to leading the revolutionary charge in Victorian London, the Assassin’s Creed games have been there and done it all, so I've selected some of the best alternatives to offer up a bit of change.
Assassin’s Creed games are renowned for their sprawling open worlds, historical anchors, and fluid stealthy assassinations that have helped build and refine the stealth genre, so my choices reflect similar values that you can pick up and play right now.
How I chose the best games like Assassin's Creed
Assassin's Creed is a bit of an institution within gaming and one of the most influential franchises of the last 20 years, dictating the formula for many open-world games since. I've tried to find games that are sintered by this influence but with a unique flavour or twist on the format popularised by Ubisoft.
Great games like Assassin’s Creed
6 - Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Click to enlargeMiddle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor key features & details
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
- Release date: 2014
- Key features:
- Lord of the Rings setting
- Unique Nemesis System
- Stealth is key
Few games define the PS4 era quite like Shadow of Mordor. By taking the Lord of the Rings and transforming it into an open-world stealth and assassination game like Assassin’s Creed, it expanded on the already intricate lore.
Utilising the now iconic Nemesis System, enemies would remember what you did to them before, or how you stealthily slew their cohorts, making them even more dangerous by the time you faced them. This added consideration emphasised the gravitas of your actions, something Assassin’s Creed does in the reactions of significant characters to their impending deaths.
5 - Marvel’s Spider-Man
Click to enlargeMarvel’s Spider-Man key features & details
- Platforms: PS4, PS5
- Release date: 2018
- Key features:
- Web-slinging action
- In-depth story and characters
- Start of a great series
While Spider-Man may be synonymous with using his webs to stick his enemies to walls, he can also use them for some stealthy takedowns. There’s nothing more satisfying than descending from the ceiling to pull your enemies up and stick them to the ceiling. If only there was a way to do that in Assassin’s Creed.
Along with the sprawling skyline of New York City as your playground, Spider-Man is absolutely one of the best games like Assassin’s Creed because of its fluid traversal of the world you’re in. You have to embrace it and its characteristics if you’re going to master the game and its mechanics.
4 - Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice
Click to enlargeSekiro: Shadows Die Twice key features & details
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One
- Release date: 2019
- Key features:
- Soulslike by FromSoftware
- Unique and brutal combat
- Stunning visuals
From stealthy assassinations from balconies to grappling from rooftop to rooftop to get a vantage point, Sekiro has all the stealth, and twice the brutality, making it one of the best games like Assassin’s Creed.
While Sekiro relies more on the environmental storytelling of a traditional FromSoftware title and embraces its Soulslike mechanics, it is an intricately crafted title that may even rival the stealth of even the best games like Assassin’s Creed.
3 - Horizon Forbidden West
Click to enlargeHorizon Forbidden West key features & details
- Platforms: PC, PS4, PS5
- Release date: 2022
- Key features:
- Sequel to an acclaimed game
- Haptic feedback on PS5
- Massive open world that blends technology with nature
If you're looking to swap notorious enemies for mechanical menaces, Horizon Forbidden West can help you out there. A sequel to Horizon Zero Dawn, Forbidden West continues Aloy's story with all the open-world action you will have come to expect from the series.
The real comparison to Assassin's Creed here is the way you need to formulate your approach to tackling your targets. You could take a stealthy approach for maximum initial damage, or go in loud and risk being spotted. Whatever your route, the mechanical world is your oyster.
2 - Batman: Arkham Knight
Click to enlargeBatman: Arkham Knight key features & details
- Platforms: PC, PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
- Release date: 2015
- Key features:
- Concludes Arkham Series
- Open world rife for exploration
- Batmobile
Despite being a somewhat contentious final entry from the Arkham series, Batman: Arkham Knight is most certainly a game that will satisfy those looking to explore the rain-soaked streets of Gotham in the throes of an invasion by The Scarecrow.
The Arkham and Assassin’s Creed series have always had a penchant for taking down enemies from a great height. Whether you’re diving down from the heavens to break some faces as Batman, or going in for the kill as one of the many Assassins, laying a beatdown on a thug never felt so good.
What is the best game like Assassin’s Creed?
1 - Ghost of Tsushima
Click to enlargeGhost of Tsushima key features & details
- Platforms: PS4, PS5
- Release date: 2020
- Key features:
- Assassin’s Creed-like stealth and combat
- Large open-world
- Inspired by Japanese culture and mythology
If there is any game like Assassin’s Creed that you should be playing in 2023, it’s Ghost of Tsushima. When initially released, it was largely described as being like the Assassin’s Creed game that finally made it to Japan.
Placing stealth at the forefront of your exploration in its in-depth open world will have you navigating it in unique and exciting ways to find the best angle that will prevent you from getting caught out. And with an expanded version for PS5, there is plenty more to dive into.
While whisperings of an Assassin’s Creed game set in Japan have been on the horizon for quite some time, for now, playing Ghost of Tsushima is the best Assassin’s Creed-like experience you will have in the meantime, and will make a great next game after Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
There are some of our picks for the best games like Assassin’s Creed that you should be playing this year. With these added to your backlog, you’ll have plenty of open worlds to explore and stealthy plays to make.
For more games to explore, be sure to check out our lists homepage, where you'll find guides like our list of best games like Armored Core, if you’re ready to change things up and embrace some mecha mastery.
