Should You Play the Ezio Trilogy in Order? An Assassin‘s Creed Gamer‘s Perspective
As an avid Assassin‘s Creed gamer and Ezio fan who has replayed his saga multiple times, I strongly recommend playing Assassin‘s Creed II, Brotherhood and Revelations in sequential, chronological order for the optimal experience. Here‘s a comprehensive look at why.
Ezio‘s Story Arc Builds Over the Trilogy
Playing the games out of order does a disservice to witnessing Ezio Auditore da Firenze‘s incredible character growth across a lifetime as well as the progression of his assassin journey over decades:
- In AC II, we meet a 17-year-old oblivious Ezio, living a charmed life as a Florentine nobleman before his world is shattered after his father and brothers are wrongfully hanged. This sets him on a quest for vengeance where he discovers his assassin heritage and begins training.
- In Brotherhood, a hardened adult Ezio has evolved into a deadly assassin, mentoring his own recruits as he leads the Order to defeat the Borgia tyrants ruling Rome. We see him wrestle with difficult leadership decisions.
- In Revelations, a mature Ezio has become legendary within the Creed, on a personal voyage of reflection to explore Altaïr‘s history, while coming to terms with his life‘s purpose. This final redemption arc ties up his story poignantly.
Playing these games out of sequence would disrupt the impact of seeing Ezio mature from a reckless youth fueled by vengeance into a wise old assassin leader imparting his knowledge, before making peace with his past. It is difficult to fully appreciate without experiencing how his worldview changes across the years.
Renowned gaming site IGN [calls Ezio‘s trilogy](https://in.ign.com/assassins-creed-ezio-collection/125040/feature/celebrating-assassins-creed-iis– Ezio-one-of-the-most) "one of gaming‘s most compelling hero‘s journeys". Another review on GameRevolution states "We see Ezio evolve from a young man to middle age, gaining experience and skills while the world and characters change around him." These statements endorse playing the trilogy chronologically.
Ongoing Story Arcs Learn From Past Games
Several subplot threads and characters continue across the trilogy directly building off past games:
- Ezio‘s Love Interests: His ill-fated romance with Christina in AC II has repercussions that echo through Brotherhood and Revelations. He also becomes involved with Caterina Sforza in Brotherhood, meeting her again in Revelations.
- Modern Day Storyline: Playing chronologically allows better understanding of Desmond‘s role as he relives Ezio‘s memories and uncovers a key message for stopping the 2012 apocalypse.
- Support Characters: We‘re introduced to Leonardo Da Vinci in II, who becomes a recurrent confidant. Claudia Auditore‘s story arc spanning from troubled teenager to Madame of Roma matters more played sequentially.
Without context set up properly from past games, these events either lack appropriate background or will get unintentionally spoiled. For long-time fans, the nostalgic value also diminishes when played out of order.
Overall the trilogy feels like an epic saga when played chronologically versus feeling disjointed by playing out of sequence.
Gameplay and Setting Progression Across the Trilogy
Looking beyond narrative, the games also demonstrate logical gameplay and setting improvements that build off each other:
| Game | Setting | Key Gameplay/Controls Evolution | Average Playtime* |
|---|---|---|---|
| AC II | 15th century Renaissance Italy | Introduces parkour, dual hidden blades, Eagle Vision, hiring factions, Leonardo‘s inventions like flying machine | 37 hours |
| Brotherhood | Early 16th century Rome | Deepens many AC II features, adds assassin recruitment/training, crossbow, chain kills, horse combat | 29 hours |
| Revelations | Constantinople 1511 AD | Hookblade for mobility, bomb crafting, Mediterranean Defense mini-game, deeper faction system | 26 hours |
*Main story + extras via HowLongToBeat.com
The table above summarizes key improvements. Based on average reported playtimes, AC II offers the longest experience, followed by Brotherhood and then Revelations. So gameplay and world sizes reduce with latter entries. This means playing the shortest game in Revelations first would give lesser content.
Playing chronologically allows you to experience how the mechanics and universe expand, making the follow up games feel like proper sequels improving on past features versus seeming limited if played in reverse.
Why Risk It? Play Sequentially for the Safest Bet
Given the abundantly clear narrative and gameplay evidence above emphasizing the continuity across Ezio‘s trilogy, I strongly advocate playing the games in release order for both story immersion and gameplay progression.
While it‘s obviously possible to play these games out of order, why risk a subpar experience for your first playthroughs? You only enjoy something the first time once; make it count by playing sequentially. Reserve out-of-order replays only for subsequent playthroughs once you‘ve completed the trilogy.
Ultimately Assassin‘s Creed II, Brotherhood and Revelations recount one coherent dramatic saga spanning an incredible 60+ years of Ezio Auditore da Firenze‘s life. Don‘t dilute your enjoyment of this beloved epic by playing the chapters randomly. Live Ezio‘s chronicle In Tempo Reale (“In Real Time”) by playing the Ezio Collection sequentially.
Let me know in comments if you have any other insights on playing order for the Ezio trilogy!
