As video games gained in popularity over the years, their budgets grew and with that came the introduction of the cinematic trailer. These trailers, similar to a movie trailer, tease aspects of the game in appealing ways.
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As most know, the Assassin’s Creed franchise has taken significant advantage of these breathtaking cinematic trailers. Since the release of the first game back in 2007, almost all of their games have come with at least one, if not two or three, cinematic reveals to build hype. Over that 13-year span, Assassin’s Creed games have featured some of the best trailers in the business.
10 Assassin’s Creed
The first cinematic trailer of the franchise didn’t have the benefits of today’s CGI, but that didn’t take away from its greatness.
The original trailer gave players the perfect taste of what they could expect from not just the game, but the franchise as a whole. Introducing the legendary assassin Altaïr, the trailer showcased the grace and stealth that would come to define the Assassin Brotherhood. While it doesn’t have the aesthetic sharpness of some of the newer trailers, it still deserves its fair share of recognition, especially considering it would inspire so many incredible trailers moving forward.
9 Assassin’s Creed II
The very next game in the franchise’s pipeline, Assassin’s Creed II introduced players to brand new assassin, Ezio Auditore, while also setting up its new location of Renaissance Italy. The trailer did an absolutely fantastic job in generating excitement, with a much cleaner animation than the trailer of the previous game.
Set at the party that would come to play a major part in the game, players get their first look at Ezio along with a small teaser of the story and one of the game’s newest weapons, the hidden pistol. All in all, it wasn’t the most exciting or memorable of the Assassin’s Creed trailers, but it was certainly a solid effort that properly teased a new era for the franchise.
8 Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate
When it comes to new settings, there are few that have garnered as much as hype as Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate‘s. The trailer for the game beautifully showcased Victorian London, highlighting the industrial feel that defined that era. From the smokestack factories to the lumbering locomotives, players got a taste of exactly what the game’s setting had to offer.
It also gave a great introduction to the newest assassin, Jacob Frye, despite not showing his sister Evie alongside him. To go along with fantastic music, the trailer teases some of the game’s most notable elements including carriage-riding and the grappling hook.
7 Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag
Assassin’s Creed: Black Flag was another game that dominated in terms of collecting hype for its new setting. Fans were overjoyed with the fact that they were going to get to play as a pirate-assassin in the Caribbean of the 18th century. Like plenty of Assassin’s Creed games, however, Black Flag‘s announcement came in the form of more than one cinematic trailer.
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Each trailer brings something to the table with their own individualistic styles, but the best has to be the one featuring the legendary pirate, Blackbeard. His telling of the story of this mysterious and deadly pirate, who obviously turns out to be Edward Kenway, sends chills up your spine and makes you want to dive into the game that much more. It was such a brilliantly creative way to present the game, its setting, and its new assassin in a way that played on fans’ desires to delve into this new world of pirates.
6 Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla
Most recently, Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla delivered another beautiful trailer. To go along with its flashes of breathtaking scenery and insanely human moments with the typically violent Vikings, there are some absolutely incredible combat moments.
From the moment they arrive on the ships, shielding themselves from flaming arrows to the protagonist Eivor finishing a much larger enemy with the hidden blade, every moment of this final sequence is great. It even gives a sense of how Norse mythology will play into the game. One of the coolest aspects of the trailer, however, is that you can view it with the protagonist in either the choosable male or female version of the character.
5 Assassin’s Creed: Origins
Probably one of the more underrated trailers in the Assassin’s Creed catalog is the main trailer for Assassin’s Creed: Origins. It gives such unbelievable looks at the scenes across ancient Egypt, with some outstanding transitions to keep you engaged.
Much like the last trailer, the final fight sequence steals the show and gives players their best look at the latest in the line of assassins, Bayek. The combat is so unique and creative that it’s impossible not to marvel over it. It’s such an enthralling introduction to a much-wanted time period and the new deadly elegant assassin to go along with it.
4 Assassin’s Creed: Unity
Assassin’s Creed: Unity may not necessarily be the most memorable game in the franchise’s lineage, but it came with several brilliant trailers that kept expectations high and fans excited.
The primary trailer is similar to that of Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate in the way it uses music to lead the way, with nonstop action going on beneath it. What is a bit strange about the trailer is it pays no specific attention to the game’s main assassin, Arno Dorian, but instead keeps the focus on the assassin’s inciting fire in the French Revolution.
3 Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood
The first of the true trailer masterpieces comes from the third game in the franchise and arguably one of the best: Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
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From start to finish the trailer is perfect. As a carriage holding the infamous Pope Rodrigo Borgia and his son Cesare, the game’s primary antagonist, travels through Rome, Ezio and his band of assassins stalk the convoy and wait to take action. The trailer gets so much better as Ezio makes his way through the crowd, his companions taking out the guards with ease. Ending on a very climactic note, the trailer truly left plenty to be desired heading into the game’s release.
2 Assassin’s Creed III
Like plenty of trailers before, the Assassin’s Creed III trailer features very little dialogue and lets the action and combat do the talking.
The action in this one really couldn’t be better. Protagonist Connor charging a group of British soldiers might be one of the coolest sequences in Assassin’s Creed history. The music synced up to him tearing through Red Coats is absolutely perfect and gives players a great look at the new assassin and his beautiful tomahawk ax. The quick glimpse at George Washington was the perfect finish to the trailer, helping to hype the setting even more.
1 Assassin’s Creed: Revelations
It doesn’t feel bold to say that the trailer for Assassin’s Creed: Revelations might be one of the best video game cinematic trailers of all time. The music choice is truly superb and once again, the way the combat flows alongside it is magnificent.
In case seeing an older version of Ezio wasn’t incredible enough, they set the odds against him entirely and fans got to watch him tear through soldiers with some of the cleanest moves you’ll ever see from an assassin. Hands down, the best part of the trailer sees Ezio deploy his dual hidden blades in perfect harmony with the music. Lastly, every fan’s jaw dropped after seeing the glimpses of a ghostly Altaïr, with the cliffhanger serving as the ultimate cherry on top.
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