The 19 best Ubisoft games of the last 40 years – from Assassin’s Creed to ZombiU

GameCentral looks back through four decades of Ubisoft titles to celebrate the beleaguered video game publisher’s greatest achievements.

You don’t need to be an industry insider to know that things aren’t going particularly well at Ubisoft right now. In 2024, there was serious talk of Ubisoft selling itself wholesale to Tencent. That didn’t happen, but the Chinese giant did increase its investment in Ubisoft to help fund a new subsidiary co-owned by the two companies.

Less than a year later and things clearly haven’t improved, with Ubisoft cancelling six whole games, including the long absent Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time remake, and delaying seven others as part of another substantial overhaul.

Somehow, Ubisoft remains gung-ho about breaking into the live service games market (despite numerous failed attempts) and is doubling down on open world adventure games. That doesn’t sound like much of an overhaul when this has been Ubisoft’s strategy for years.

When combined with layoffs, resentment from its own employees that could lead to further departures, and a growing interest in using generative AI, it’s easy to feel bleak about Ubisoft’s future, especially in a time where even EA is getting bought out.

It’s a real shame since Ubisoft, for all its faults, is responsible for many incredible video games and has cultivated some genuine talent over the years. Don’t forget that former employees of the company went on to form Sandfall Interactive and release 2025 indie darling Clair Obscur: Expedition 33.

There’ll likely be more doom and gloom in Ubisoft’s future, so we want to reflect on better days and list off the company’s best output across its almost 40 year history (its anniversary is on March 28).

For this list, we’re limiting ourselves to one game per franchise and we’re also only including games made internally at Ubisoft. The company has a long history of publishing other developers’ work (including Capcom and Bethesda) and some Ubisoft properties, like The Settlers, weren’t always owned by the company, with their better entries coming beforehand.

Assassin’s Creed Shadows (2025)

It wouldn’t be a Ubisoft list without an Assassin’s Creed mention. It is the company’s biggest franchise for a reason, but picking its best entry isn’t so cut and dry as you may think.

Many would choose Assassin’s Creed 2 for its fantastic recreation of Renaissance era Italy and charismatic protagonist, even if the game hasn’t aged especially well, while others argue for pirate simulator Assassin’s Creed 4: Black Flag, which is supposed to be getting a full remake.

However, at the risk of being accused of recency bias, we’re giving the spot to Assassin’s Creed Shadows. It may be lacking in new ideas, but its dual protagonists are both a treat to play, offering different means of approaching combat, and its depiction of Japan is not only gorgeous but one of the series’ better open worlds to explore.

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora/Star Wars Outlaws (2023/2024)

We’re bunching these two together since they’re both recent open world games based on popular Disney movie franchises and while neither does anything especially unique, they’re fantastically entertaining and among Ubisoft’s best single-player outings in recent memory.

Avatar: Frontiers Of Pandora is another Far Cry game in all but name, but it’s a solid sci-fi tinged take on the formula and the setting of Pandora has been stunningly recreated. It’s certainly a vast improvement over the first Avatar game Ubisoft churned out and can be enjoyed even if you’re not that much of an Avatar fan.

If you can only pick one, though, our vote goes to Star Wars Outlaws, which has multiple, well-crafted open world environments to explore and an impressive degree of freedom in how you progress. It’s not without faults, with only so-so combat, but it’s easily one of the best Star Wars games of the modern era.

Beyond Good & Evil (2003)

We couldn’t not include Beyond Good & Evil on this list, so iconic has it become for Ubisoft. The game remains a cult classic for a reason and for all its foibles, there is an undeniably unique Gallic charm to it, that’s absent from most modern Ubisoft releases.

The open world may not be as impressive nowadays, but it was very ambitious for its time and still fun to explore thanks to the wonderfully bizarre setting. It also has an excellent protagonist in journalist Jade and its visuals hold up surprisingly well, especially in the 2024 remaster.

Not only has the sequel been delayed for years but it doesn’t seem to have anything in common with the original in terms of characters or gameplay, which is a shame as the first title is a welcome reminder of the days when Ubisoft was proud of its French heritage and didn’t try to pretend to be American all the time.

Child Of Light (2014)

In 2014, in-between making more Assassin’s Creeds and Tom Clancy games, Ubisoft Montréal got the rare opportunity to try its hand at a traditional role-playing game lovingly inspired by the likes of Final Fantasy; one you could easily mistake as coming from an indie studio.

Perhaps in another lifetime, if Ubisoft threw more weight and budget behind it, Child Of Light could’ve been the French role-player taking the industry by storm instead of Clair Obscur, thanks to its fantastic battle system and gorgeous, story book-esque presentation.

Ubisoft Montréal’s love for its work can be felt everywhere and it’s a genuine shame the studio has otherwise been focused only on Ubisoft’s core franchises.

Far Cry 3 (2012)

Another obvious pick, Far Cry 3 has pretty much defined the last 10+ years of the franchise, especially when it came to its villains. Pagan Min, Joseph Seed, and even Giancarlo Esposito’s Antón Castillo all owe a debt to Vaas Montenegro, who remains one of gaming’s best bad guys.

Far Cry 3 also has one of Ubisoft’s best open worlds, with the Rook Islands chock full of secrets to find and side activities to complete, which are worth doing not just for the rewards but also for the satisfying gunplay.

Speaking of, for as enjoyably violent as it can be, Far Cry 3 uses its violence to tell a surprisingly effective story, which also expertly integrates protagonist Jason’s dwindling sanity and, unlike a lot of other Ubisoft games, actually has something interesting to say.

Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter (2006)

Since Ubisoft has several sub-franchises with Tom Clancy’s name attached, you’re going to be seeing a few entries on this list. They may all be military shooters, but they fill different roles, with Ghost Recon focusing on larger, outdoor environments compared to Rainbow Six’s tighter, urban ones.

This lends itself well to Ubisoft’s obsession with massive open worlds, especially more recent titles like Ghost Recon: Wildlands, but if we had to pick the best entry, it’d be Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, which fans still remember fondly even 20 years later.

At the time, it was a huge step-up for the series, thanks to its enhanced tactical combat, improved squad controls, some genuinely smart enemy AI, and its then cutting edge graphics. It’s not readily available nowadays, but if you ever want to track down an old copy, make sure it’s the Xbox 360 version.

Mario + Rabbids: Sparks Of Hope (2017/2022)

It’s still rather shocking that the famously protective Nintendo lent its Super Mario characters to Ubisoft for a bizarre XCOM-like strategy game crossover with the annoyingly loud Rabbids mascots. Even more shocking is that it became one of the Nintendo Switch’s best games.

Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle straddles the perfect line between instantly approachable for newbies but deep and challenging enough for strategy fans, with new surprises around every corner. The sequel, Sparks Of Hope, is even better, with far more to do outside of battles and vastly improved combat systems.

It’s tragic that there’ll probably never be a third game, since not only does Ubisoft consider Sparks Of Hope a sales flop, but creative director Davide Soliani left the company in 2024 and co-founded Day 4 Night Studios, where he’s co-directing a parody platformer called Bradley The Badger.

Might & Magic: Clash Of Heroes (2009)

Admittedly, neither the original Might & Magic: Clash Of Heroes nor its 2023 remaster were made in-house at Ubisoft. However, we’re breaking one of our rules for the list since not only did Ubisoft own the generically named Might & Magic franchise at the time of this game’s release, but this is also one of the best puzzle games ever made.

A unique blend of match-three puzzle solving and role-playing strategy gameplay, Clash Of Heroes may look simplistic at first, but anyone who’s played it knows it’s far deeper than that. The meaty campaign alone will keep you plenty busy and even once you’ve exhausted that, there’s online multiplayer.

Streets Of Rage 4 developer Dotemu did a fantastic job with the remaster and while it’s high difficulty can be off-putting, it’s a shame there’s no demo so you can get a feel for it before committing.

Peter Jackson’s King Kong: The Official Game Of The Movie (2005)

Yes, that is its full name. Nowadays, you don’t get direct video game adaptations of movies, but instead original experiences like Bethesda’s Indiana Jones game or skins in a Call Of Duty or Fortnite game.

Back in the day, nearly every movie got turned into a video game, most of which were awful, but there were a handful of real gems that are remembered fondly. Ubisoft’s King Kong is one such example, with Peter Jackson himself heavily involved in its production, alongside director Michel Ancel – creator of Rayman and Beyond Good & Evil.

It’s technically two games in one, since some levels have you playing a first person shooter as Jack Brody, which uniquely lacked an aiming reticule or ammo count, forcing you to constantly adapt. The rest, of course, are third person brawler sections as Kong, letting you wrestle dinosaurs and other giant monsters.

Prince Of Persia: The Sands Of Time (2003)

Prince Of Persia fans must be feeling glum following the cancellation of The Sands Of Time remake. For many, this 3D reboot was their introduction to the series… and also its pinnacle.

With excellent controls, clever platforming and puzzle-solving, and a rewind mechanic for undoing fatal mistakes, it’s easy to overlook the slightly awkward camera controls and occasional difficulty spikes thanks to how cohesive it all is. It’s also a very important release for Ubisoft, since were it not for this game, the Assassin’s Creed series wouldn’t exist.

We also want to give special mention to Prince Of Persia: The Lost Crown. It may have little to do with the series, but it’s an excellent Metroidvania in its own right, with great combat, exploration, and boss fights.

Rainbow Six Siege (2015)

Younger fans may not know this, but the older Rainbow Six games leaned far more into the tactical aspects of the tactical shooter genre, requiring careful mission planning before any hint of any action.

That’s not the case anymore and it’s unlikely the series will ever return to those days. Especially when Rainbow Six Siege, the 2015 multiplayer reboot, remains Ubisoft’s only real success in the live service market.

At launch, we considered it one of the best multiplayer experiences of the year, hampered chiefly by its steep asking price and lack of content. After its shift to free-to-play and numerous updates adding more gameplay modes, it’s a completely different beast and well worth jumping into nowadays.

Rayman Legends (2013)

We hope the recent rumblings of a Rayman Legends remake aren’t true. Not only is the game still widely available, it’s also one of the best non-Mario platformers you can play, with no real room for improvement even in terms of graphics.

The original Wii U version remains our ideal choice, since the Murfy sections work best on its GamePad, but that’s no reason not to play Rayman Legends on any other platform. Not when it’s littered with imaginative level design, as it constantly reinvents itself in a manner you usually only see in Nintendo’s work.

Rayman is supposed to be undergoing a revival after languishing in the Rabbids’ shadows for years (with his last appearance being in Sparks Of Hope’s DLC) and while everything so far points to both a remake and a re-release of the very first game, we hope this all leads to a Rayman Legends sequel from the Ubisoft Montpellier team.

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World: The Game (2010)

Long before Dotemu became known for its retro throwbacks to side-scrolling beat ‘em-ups, Ubisoft had a go at the genre with a game based on the Scott Pilgrim graphic novels, released to coincide with the live action movie.

Even if you’re not especially enamoured with the source material, any beat ‘em-up fan will love the gorgeous pixel art graphics and have a blast battling their way through Ramona’s evil exes, listening to the game’s excellent chiptune soundtrack while playing solo or co-op.

This used to be something of a hidden gem for Ubisoft, since it was delisted for years, only becoming available again in 2020. It’s now getting a follow-up, but not from Ubisoft, but Marvel Cosmic Invasion developer Tribute Games. Considering how much we loved that game, we think the sequel’s in safe hands.

South Park: The Fractured But Whole (2017)

After multiple failed attempts at a truly good licensed South Park game, Fallout: New Vegas studio Obsidian Entertainment, of all studios, wound up delivering with a surprisingly solid Paper Mario clone in South Park: The Stick Of Truth.

We’re not counting it for this list since Ubisoft only published it, but the sequel – The Fractured But Whole – was handled by Ubisoft San Francisco. And considering the studio had no experience with role-playing games, and needed to bring in new talent to make it, it’s an impressively worthy follow-up.

The superhero motif isn’t particularly well utilised, but the actual role-playing and turn-based combat (which is distinctly South Park flavoured in its comedy) is top notch. Sadly, Ubisoft San Francisco isn’t around anymore, having shut down in late 2024 after the failure of XDefiant.

Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory (2005)

When it comes to picking the best game in the stealth-focused Splinter Cell series from Ubisoft’s wider Tom Clancy catalogue, it’s a toss up between the second and third entries – Pandora’s Tomorrow and Chaos Theory.

The former kept everything that worked from the first game and introduced the Spies vs. Mercs asymmetric multiplayer that would become a series staple, but we’ve decided to give the spot to Chaos Theory.

It took greater steps to flesh out the Splinter Cell formula, with more tools and skills to work with, offering a degree of freedom to how violently you take out enemies. Ubisoft is still meant to be remaking the original game, but in the meantime, fans have a Netflix show they can watch.

The Division 2 (2019)

Let’s get one last Tom Clancy game on here. The Division was an effective and moreish action role-player disguised as a serviceable third person shooter that only truly became great once you reached the endgame and the online PvPvE.

The Division 2 is just more of the same, but its endgame is a step up and offers far more interesting missions to partake in. The apolitical storytelling is boring at best and offensive at worst, but if you can hold your nose through it, there’s a brilliant online multiplayer experience on the other side.

Ubisoft clearly struck gold with this because The Division 2 is still getting updates and no doubt has big plans for this year, since it marks The Division’s 10th anniversary. Developer Massive Entertainment is also working on The Division 3, but it’ll have to do it without executive producer Julian Gerighty.

ZombiU (2012)

The very first game Ubisoft ever released was a survival horror titled Zombi, for home computers. it was a straight knock-off of Dawn of the Dead but 2012’s ZombiU was much more original and pre-empted the modern obsession with roguelike games.

Initially a Wii U exclusive, ZombiU was a strong demonstration for the console’s unique features, particularly in how the GamePad was used, from real-time inventory management (which left you defenceless against zombies) to scanning objects and acting as a motion tracker.

It lost a little of that uniqueness when it was ported to other consoles (where it was known as just Zombi), but it still works perfectly well and retains the tense atmosphere and ruthless level of challenge. It’s honestly quite underappreciated when it comes to the survival horror genre, with its low sales resulting in Ubisoft cancelling plans for a sequel.

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