Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection

Though this compilation doesn't offer anything radically new if you've beaten the included games, this collection presents three solid stealth-action games for newcomers. Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection brings the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 4 games Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, and Assassin's Creed Revelations to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch, along with the relevant short films Assassin's Creed Lineage and Assassin's Creed Embers. On the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, this adds some slight graphical enhancements over the original releases, extended gameplay in the form previously released solo downloadable content (DLC), and some movies you may not have seen. The Nintendo Switch version adds portability to the equation, giving you the chance to take Ezio's adventures on the road, and adds minor touchscreen support. This comes at a price though, with a small dip in visual fidelity and a massive download size that guarantees the need for a decent sized microSD card for storage. No matter which version you get, this might not be worth getting if you've already played these games. If you haven't, though, this compilation presents what's arguably the strongest three games in this series. Cast as the titular Ezio Auditore da Firenze, you get to see what it was like to be a member of a secret society of assassins back in the 15th and 16th centuries -- which is why you do a lot of running, jumping, and climbing as you track and ultimately kill your target, all of which actions are driven by an intriguing sci-fi story that connects to modern times in a curious way.

Players have to use a variety of sneaky skills to locate and then get close to their targets, skills that come in handy as you try to then get away before anyone can get revenge on you. It's also just fun to sneakily pick people's pockets or climb to the top of the tallest structure in town so you can enjoy the view. That said, these games can get redundant, especially if you play them back to back, and there are times when your enemies act like idiots. Still, if you enjoy being sneaky and would like to do it back before indoor plumbing, the three games in the Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection form an intriguing trilogy that melds history and sci-fi with some challenging action.