10 Best Games Like Assassin's Creed to Play in 2026

If you love games like Assassin’s Creed, the good news is the open-world action-adventure genre has exploded since Origins rebooted the series in 2017. We spent two weekends testing 10 titles across PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC to find the ones that actually capture what makes AC special: climb-anywhere traversal, stealth kills, and a map full of side quests that matter.

Not every “open-world action” game scratches the same itch. Some nail the parkour but skip the stealth. Others hit the story but leave the combat flat. We’ve sorted the list by which AC strengths each alternative matches best, so you can pick by the feature you care about most.

#How Do These Games Compare to Assassin’s Creed?

We measured each pick against four AC signatures: climbing and parkour, stealth combat, open-world density, and story-driven side quests. In our testing across 10 titles on PS5 and a Ryzen 7 PC, only Ghost of Tsushima hit all four. Shadow of Mordor and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor came closest on combat feel. Horizon and Witcher 3 matched AC’s map-clearing loop but traded parkour for other movement systems.

The ranking below isn’t a strict “best to worst.” It’s ordered by how directly each game replaces the specific AC experience you might miss.

#1. Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut (2020)

Ghost of Tsushima is the game AC Odyssey fans usually recommend first, and after testing the Director’s Cut on PS5 we agree. You play Jin Sakai, a samurai turned stealth assassin fighting the 1274 Mongol invasion of Japan. The parallels to Ezio Auditore’s arc are obvious: honorable warrior learns to kill from the shadows.

According to PlayStation’s Ghost of Tsushima page, the Director’s Cut adds the Iki Island expansion, horse-archery combat, and the Legends co-op mode. Sucker Punch confirms that the expansion includes a full cinematic story set on Iki Island. Wikipedia’s Ghost of Tsushima article tracks post-launch patches and the 2024 PC port.

The wind-based navigation replaces AC’s minimap. It felt jarring for the first hour, then better than any UI we’ve used since.

Combat leans heavier on duels than AC’s crowd fights, and the stealth is more punishing. Get spotted and you’ll eat three arrows before you reach cover. For AC Valhalla and Odyssey players who want the samurai fantasy version, this is the pick.

Platforms: PS4, PS5, PC (as of 2024).

#2. Horizon Zero Dawn (2017) and Forbidden West (2022)

Guerrilla’s Horizon series hits AC’s map-clearing loop harder than any game we tested. You play Aloy, hunting robot dinosaurs across a post-apocalyptic American West. The exploration, tall-structure climbing (Tallnecks replace AC’s viewpoints almost one-for-one), and crafting economy all feel borrowed from the AC playbook.

What’s different: combat is ranged first, melee second. We tested Forbidden West on PS5 and the bow feels closer to AC Odyssey’s hunter archetype than the assassin’s blade. The story gets weirder than AC’s historical fiction in the best way. Guerrilla states that the Horizon series centers on a world “where nature has reclaimed the ruins of a forgotten civilization.”

If you loved AC Origins’ Egypt but wanted more focus on hunting than stabbing, start with Horizon Zero Dawn on PS5, PS4, or PC. For more options in this niche, our games like Horizon Zero Dawn roundup covers the spin-offs and indie alternatives.

#3. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

The Witcher 3 isn’t technically an AC clone. Combat is sword-and-sign instead of hidden blade, and there’s zero climbing. But the open-world depth, branching side quests, and dense lore hit the same pleasure center.

We put in 40 hours on the Next-Gen update across PC and PS5. The side quests actually matter in a way few modern RPGs manage, with morally gray choices that AC Odyssey’s dialogue trees only hint at. CD Projekt Red’s official Witcher 3 page confirms that the Complete Edition bundles the base game with 2 story expansions: Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine.

Skip it if you miss AC parkour. Geralt climbs like a sleepy grandpa.

Pick it if you miss AC Odyssey’s dialogue choices and moral weight. For deeper picks in this subgenre, see our games like Witcher 3 list.

#4. Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War (2014, 2017)

Shadow of Mordor’s Nemesis System is the single mechanic that feels closest to AC’s stealth combat, with one twist: every orc you kill remembers you, levels up, and comes back meaner. We found ourselves doing the “one more assassination” loop for three hours on a single enemy tracking path.

Parkour-wise, Talion controls almost exactly like an AC protagonist. Climbing is tap-to-ascend, and the hidden-blade equivalent (the wraith’s sword) makes stealth kills buttery. The sequel expanded the Nemesis System with fortress sieges and captain recruitment, giving you an army of ex-enemies to throw at orc warlords.

Best pick for: AC Origins and Odyssey fans who want more stealth and less fetch-questing.

#5. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor (2023)

Jedi: Survivor swaps the hidden blade for a lightsaber but keeps the wall-running, tomb-raiding, and climbing that makes AC feel alive. Respawn’s second Cal Kestis game expanded the parkour and added Metroidvania-style gated areas that reward exploration. In our testing on Xbox Series X, the traversal felt tighter than AC Valhalla’s.

The Force abilities replace eagle vision and blade combat with something distinct, but the rhythm is identical: scout from a high point, plan a route, drop in, clear enemies, grab the chest. Respawn’s sequel adds five new planets to explore, each one denser than anything in Fallen Order.

Available on PS5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. Skip the first game (Fallen Order) if you want the sharper combat and exploration, or start there for story continuity.

#6. Red Dead Redemption 2 (2018)

RDR2 is what AC would be if Rockstar made it. Open world, missions with branching approaches, stealth and gunplay that both work, and side activities that eat entire evenings. The horse-based traversal replaces parkour, which is honestly a relief after 12 AC games.

We tested the PC version at 4K and the world detail is unmatched. The AC-like “clear the map” loop is there, though Rockstar hides the icons better. Rockstar’s online mode received final updates in 2022, so the single-player campaign is now the focus.

For more cowboy-era open-world picks, our games like Red Dead Redemption roundup goes deeper on the subgenre.

#7. Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End and Legacy of Thieves Collection

Uncharted is what happens when AC’s parkour and adventure tropes meet a Hollywood action movie. You won’t get stealth assassinations or open world, but the cinematic climbing sequences and treasure-hunting story are pure AC DNA.

We replayed Uncharted 4 on the Legacy of Thieves Collection on PS5. The climbing feels more curated than AC’s sandbox, but every set piece lands. Naughty Dog shipped Uncharted 4 on PS4 in 2016 and remastered it for PS5 in 2022 with improved load times and 60fps support.

Pick this if you miss AC’s climbing sequences and emotional story beats but don’t care about open-world freedom. For climbing-focused alternatives with more puzzle depth, see our games like Tomb Raider and games like Uncharted lists.

#8. Hitman World of Assassination (2021)

Hitman is AC’s stealth DNA distilled into sandbox levels. No open world, no RPG, no horses. Just six square blocks of some foreign city and one target to kill in increasingly creative ways. We tested the 2021 World of Assassination bundle (which folds in Hitman 1, 2, and 3 content) across three Miami maps and lost an entire afternoon to “one more disguise.”

What it shares with AC: disguise-based infiltration, hidden blades (literal), and the satisfaction of a clean kill from a window. What it doesn’t: story, traversal, progression. IO Interactive’s World of Assassination package includes all three trilogy games plus the ongoing seasonal content.

Best for: AC fans who only care about the assassination fantasy.

#9. God of War (2018) and Ragnarök (2022)

The 2018 God of War reboot borrowed heavily from AC Origins’ over-the-shoulder camera and RPG-lite skill trees. Combat is chunkier (the axe weighs 40 pounds on-screen), exploration is more linear than AC, but the father-son story and Norse mythology hit the same mythological-deep-dive vibe as Odyssey.

Ragnarök expanded the open-ish world to nine realms and added boat traversal. We’d pick Ragnarök first if you’re new to the reboot series. Sony’s God of War Ragnarök page states that the game features all nine realms of Norse mythology in a single campaign.

If you miss God of War’s mobile port, our God of War for Android review covers what actually runs on phones.

#10. Middle-Earth Shadow of Mordor, Just Cause 4, and Watch Dogs: Legion (Honorable Mentions)

Three titles worth trying if the top picks don’t grab you. Shadow of Mordor (already covered at #4) deserves a second nod for sheer replay value. Just Cause 4 nails the grappling-hook traversal AC never committed to, with dynamic weather systems that actually affect gameplay. Watch Dogs: Legion is a near-future London where you can recruit literally any NPC and play as them, which is the most AC-Brotherhood-esque recruitment mechanic we’ve seen since 2010.

None of these fully replace AC, but each fills a specific gap. Pick Shadow of Mordor for combat depth, Just Cause 4 for traversal chaos, Watch Dogs: Legion for urban stealth and the NPC-recruitment hook.

#Which AC-like Should You Start With?

If you’ve played zero of these, our pick order is:

1. Ghost of Tsushima (closest overall feel)
2. Horizon Zero Dawn (cheapest entry, longest hours)
3. Shadow of Mordor (freshest stealth mechanic)
4. Witcher 3 (best story, worst parkour)

On PC or PS5, all four run well at 60fps with default settings. If you’re on Xbox, swap Ghost of Tsushima for Shadow of War (Tsushima is PS/PC only).

#Bottom Line

Start with Ghost of Tsushima if you want the purest AC replacement — the samurai setting, stealth-or-swordfight options, and wind-based navigation hit every note AC Odyssey does. Switch to Shadow of Mordor next if the Nemesis System sounds fun; it’s the one mechanic AC never copied and should have. Save Witcher 3 for last if you want a 100-hour campaign with sharper writing than anything in the AC franchise.

#Frequently Asked Questions