15 Best Ubisoft Video Games Of The 2000s

6. Assassin's Creed II

While the original Assassin's Creed introduced a bevy of new ideas, it wasn't quite the full package that many expected. The core mechanics were there, but just about everything else, from characters, setting, and plot were all lacking.

Fortunately, Assassin's Creed II was a step up in every conceivable way. Moving forward in time to the Italian Renaissance and opting to tell a much more ambitious plot that spanned decades, the sequel cast players as Ezio Auditore and chronicled his rise to the top of the Assassin's Brotherhood.

Unlike the original game though, which dealt with lofty sci-fi tropes and mythical good-versus-evil tales, this follow up filtered all of these elements through a deeply personal story, and it paid off in spades.

Likewise, not only was the narrative a huge step up, but the gameplay itself had been refined to a tee, made even better thanks to the introduction of brand new mission types and activities. It was such an impressive evolution that it became the franchise's unwavering formula for years, but that hasn't stopped AC 2 from still being a rewarding sandbox game to jump back into today.