Finding a solid replacement for your favorite historical murder simulator is surprisingly tough. You'd think it would be easy. After all, the "Ubisoft Formula" is everywhere. Map icons, towers, stealth kills—every big-budget studio has borrowed these toys over the last fifteen years. But honestly? Most of them miss the mark because they focus on the wrong things. People searching for games like Assassin's Creed usually aren't just looking for a parkour mechanic or a hidden blade. They're looking for that specific feeling of being a tourist in a time period that no longer exists, wrapped in a blanket of high-stakes political intrigue.
It's about the atmosphere. It's about that weirdly satisfying loop of clearing a foggy map while feeling like a total badass.
If you’ve finished Shadows or finally cleared the massive map of Valhalla, you’re probably itching for that next historical fix. But don't just go out and buy any open-world game. You'll be disappointed. Some games have the climbing but no soul. Others have the history but the combat feels like hitting a brick wall with a pool noodle. Let's look at what actually scratches the itch.
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Ghost of Tsushima is the Assassin's Creed game Ubisoft didn't make
If we're being real, Sucker Punch basically out-Assassined Assassin’s Creed.
Ghost of Tsushima is the most obvious answer for anyone seeking games like Assassin's Creed, but it’s worth talking about why it works so well. It isn't just the katana or the stealth. It’s the "Wind" mechanic. Ubisoft games often feel like you’re staring at a GPS while driving through Paris or London. In Tsushima, the world itself guides you. The trees sway toward your objective. Birds lead you to secrets. It feels organic.
Jin Sakai’s journey from a rigid Samurai to a pragmatic "Ghost" mirrors the conflict Altaïr or Ezio faced. It’s that struggle between an old code and a necessary, darker path. Plus, the combat is significantly more precise than anything we saw in Odyssey. You aren't just chipping away at a massive health bar. If you're good with a blade, the fight is over in seconds. It rewards the "power fantasy" that early AC fans miss.
There is a nuance here, though. Tsushima is much more grounded. You won't find many "First Civilization" temples or wacky alien artifacts. It’s a tragedy. It’s beautiful. And honestly, the "Kurosawa Mode" makes it feel like you're playing a piece of cinema rather than just a video game.
The Witcher 3 and the "World-Building" Trap
People always recommend The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt when someone asks for games like Assassin's Creed. I have mixed feelings about that. On one hand, the world-building is the gold standard. If you liked the investigative side of the newer AC games—following tracks, solving mysteries in a village—Geralt is your guy.
But the movement? It’s clunky.
Geralt moves like a tank compared to Basim or Arno. You aren't going to be sprinting across rooftops in Novigrad. If the parkour is what you love about AC, The Witcher 3 might actually frustrate you. However, if you loved AC Origins because of the sense of place and the feeling that every side quest actually mattered, then CD Projekt Red’s masterpiece is mandatory. The "Bloody Baron" questline has more emotional depth than the last three AC games combined. It's a game about the dirt, the grime, and the politics of a world that doesn't want a hero.
Why Hitman is actually closer than you think
This is the "expert" take that usually surprises people. If you play Assassin's Creed for the "Social Stealth"—blending into crowds, using disguises, and planning the perfect hit—then the modern Hitman trilogy (World of Assassination) is actually your best bet.
Agent 47 is just a modern-day Assassin.
Think about it. You’re dropped into a massive, highly detailed location (a fashion show in Paris, a sun-drenched town in Italy, a skyscraper in Dubai). You have a target. You have dozens of ways to reach them. You can go in guns blazing, but the game shames you for it. The real joy is the "accidental" kill. It's the "Black Box" missions from Unity and Syndicate but perfected.
I've spent hours just walking around the Sapienza map in Hitman, not even doing the objective, just soaking in the architecture. That’s the AC DNA. It’s the "murder tourism" at its absolute peak.
Shadows of Mordor and the Nemesis System
We can't talk about games like Assassin's Creed without mentioning the Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War titles. Monolith Productions basically took the AC climbing and combat (and a bit of Batman: Arkham) and dropped it into Tolkien’s world.
The Nemesis System is the secret sauce.
In AC, when you kill a Templar, they stay dead. In Shadow of Mordor, if an Orc captain kills you, he gets promoted. He remembers you. Next time you see him, he’ll mock you for dying. This creates a personal vendetta that the AC series has always lacked. It makes the world feel alive in a way that goes beyond just having a lot of NPCs walking around. It’s a dynamic hierarchy that you are constantly dismantling.
Dishonored and the Art of the Vertical Map
If you’re the type of player who spends 90% of your time on the rooftops, Dishonored is your next stop. It’s not open-world in the way Valhalla is. It’s "wide-linear." You have specific levels, but those levels are incredibly dense.
Corvo Attano is, for all intents and purposes, a supernatural Assassin.
The "Blink" ability is the best movement mechanic in gaming history. Period. It allows for a level of verticality that makes AC’s climbing feel slow and tedious. You can finish the entire game without killing a single person, or you can turn the city into a bloodbath. The choice actually changes the world—the "Chaos" system ensures that your actions have visible consequences, like more plague rats and more guards in later levels.
It’s dark. It’s "Whalepunk." It’s brilliant.
Horizon Zero Dawn: The Modern Map-Clearer
For the fans of the "RPG-era" of Assassin's Creed (Origins, Odyssey, Valhalla), Horizon Zero Dawn and Forbidden West are the natural successors.
- The Loop: You find a Tallneck (it’s a literal tower), you climb it, and the map reveals itself.
- The Combat: It’s tactical. You're stripping parts off robotic dinosaurs with a bow.
- The Story: Like AC, it’s a "precursor" story. You’re uncovering what happened to an ancient civilization that had advanced technology.
Aloy is a great protagonist, but the world is the star. Hunting a Thunderjaw feels like a boss fight from Odyssey, but the mechanics are much deeper. You aren't just mashing light and heavy attacks. You have to use traps, different ammo types, and stealth to survive.
A Note on Saboteur: The Forgotten Classic
If you can find a copy, The Saboteur (2009) is the cult classic "Assassin's Creed clone" that everyone forgot. It’s set in Nazi-occupied Paris during WWII.
The coolest part? The world starts in black and white.
As you liberate districts of Paris by blowing up fuel depots and assassinating generals, color literally bleeds back into the world. It’s a visual representation of hope. It has climbing, stealth, and a very "Ezio-era" feel, despite having machine guns and race cars. It’s a bit janky by 2026 standards, but the atmosphere is unmatched.
Addressing the "Ubisoft Fatigue"
Let's be honest for a second. Sometimes when people look for games like Assassin's Creed, they're actually looking for something that isn't made by Ubisoft because they're tired of the bloat. We call it "map fatigue."
The industry shifted around 2017. Before that, every game wanted to be AC. Now, games are trying to be Elden Ring. But Elden Ring is basically Assassin's Creed without the hand-holding. There are no quest markers. There are no checklists. You just... explore.
For some AC fans, that’s terrifying. For others, it’s the breath of fresh air they didn't know they needed. If you loved the sense of discovery in AC1 back in 2007, Elden Ring might actually be the closest thing to that feeling today, even if the gameplay is significantly harder.
Actionable Next Steps for your Next Adventure
Don't just pick a game based on the box art. Think about what specific part of the AC experience you want to replicate.
- If you want historical accuracy and swordplay: Get Ghost of Tsushima. It’s the closest "one-to-one" experience you'll find.
- If you want to feel like a calculated predator: Go with Hitman: World of Assassination. It rewards patience and creativity over reflexes.
- If you want a massive RPG world with great writing: Choose The Witcher 3. Just be prepared for the fact that you won't be doing much parkour.
- If you want tight, vertical stealth: Play Dishonored. It’s a smaller world but much more "reactive" to your choices.
- If you want a sci-fi spin on the "Ancient Mystery" trope: Start Horizon Zero Dawn.
The "Assassin" genre has evolved. You don't need a white hood to feel like a blade in the crowd anymore. Sometimes, the best version of the game you're looking for is hiding under a different name entirely. Check out the digital stores; most of these titles are frequently on sale because they’ve been out for a few years, making them a much better value than a $70 new release.