Ever since the first Assassin’s Creed title came out in 2007, there have been a total of 12 Assassin’s Creed games, and that’s only from the main series. This discounts the plethora of games for handheld devices, which are still canon to the overall story, but ultimately regarded as outside of the “main” series.

For a while, the gameplay of an Assassin’s Creed game has remained stagnant. When Assassin’s Creed Origins was released in 2017, the system of the series changed ever so slightly, yet was still a bit familiar. There are certain principles that you must keep in mind when playing an Assassin’s Creed game. Knowing these things will keep your expectations in check and maximize your enjoyment.

10 Not Paying Attention To The Side Quests

All Assassin’s Creed games come with an abundance of side quests. Doing these will not only reward you with awesome items, but will also highly expand the game’s story. In a lot of cases, an arc, a certain plot point, or even the ending will make more sense if you complete specific side quests.

Outside of that, it will just make the game as a whole more worthwhile to finish. After all, the side quests are part of what the whole game offers to you.

9 Neglecting The “Present Day” Story

Although it is far from the reason why people play an Assassin’s Creed game, the flow of the story in the present day is just as important as the one set in the past. This is most especially true with the earlier Assassin’s Creed games. In fact, Desmond Miles, one of the most iconic Assassin’s Creed characters, is the protagonist of the present-day story.

The later games have taken the “present-day” story down a notch, but with the ending of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, it seems Ubisoft has decided to once again give this section of the game importance.

8 Expecting Comprehensive Parkour In The Newer Games

One of the biggest qualms a lot of the fans of the older games have with the newer Assassin’s Creed games is how downplayed the parkour mechanic is now. Unlike the very first Assassin’s Creed games, where freerunning is essentially the game’s main traversal system, the newer games simply allow you to climb things with the left stick while holding a single button.

While not necessarily a mistake, not managing your expectations of this aspect of the newer games will simply disappoint you.

7 Worrying Too Much About The Lore

Considering how many Assassin’s Creed games there are now, it may seem overwhelming getting into one title if you haven’t played a single Assassin’s Creed game yet. This will not hinder your enjoyment of the game at all. Of course, it helps greatly knowing the lore of this series, but each game’s story is very individualistic that it almost won’t matter. After all, each game is set at different points in time throughout our history.

This will only alter how you’ll perceive the “present-day” story, but that’s just at least 5 to 10% of the whole game.

6 Not Climbing Synchronization Points As Soon As Possible

One of the most common mistakes newcomers make when playing an Assassin’s Creed game is failing to synchronize as soon as they encounter synchronization points. The synchronization points in every single Assassin’s Creed game don’t only function as a fast travel point, but they’ll also reveal most of the activities and collectibles you’ll be able to participate in and collect in a certain area.

As soon as you encounter a synchronization point, take the time to climb and reach the top to synchronize. The map will become more comprehensive, which will ultimately benefit your exploration.

5 Playing Immediately On The Hardest Difficulty

The difficulty of an Assassin’s Creed game is nothing to write home about. It runs fairly smoothly and any gamer, whether casual or die-hard, will be able to finish the game without any major setbacks. Those who enjoy arduous games may be tempted to play their first playthrough at the highest difficulty. It is highly advisable that you do not do this.

First of all, that’s not the point of an Assassin’s Creed game. These games are about experiencing a narrative and exploring a significant time period in history. If you really want to be challenged, do so on your next playthrough. It’s best to play the first one at a casual pace.

4 Not Using The “Eagle Vision” Mechanic Often

Aside from the parkour and assassinations, the Assassin’s Creed series has another very well-known mechanic: the Eagle Vision. The Eagle Vision essentially allows you to peer through solid objects to find items, anticipate enemies, or literally see things from a bird’s eye view.

The Eagle Vision is highly useful in many aspects, not just in combat. It helps with exploration, traversal, and even planning how you approach specific missions.

3 Disregarding Stealth

The stealth mechanic of an Assassin’s Creed game may have toned down with the last three main games, but it still comes up every once in a while in specific missions. In the earlier games, however, you’ll find that perfecting the game’s stealth mechanic is just as handy as mastering the combat mechanic.

Some missions will absolutely demand a stealthy approach. Choosing to power through head-on can mean certain death or incredible challenge. If you want to be fully immersed, make sure you learn how to exercise a stealthy approach when the game demands it.

2 Choosing Cosmetics Over Performance

In every single Assassin’s Creed game, you are given the liberty to choose how the main character will look via outfit customization. In some cases, this is nothing more than cosmetic options. However, in a lot of these games, some armor sets are going to be better than others.

In most of these games, certain places and the final levels are going to offer an extra bit of challenge. For this, you are going to want to equip the best sets you can.

1 Not Exploring The World

The landscape of an Assassin’s Creed game may have undergone an overhaul, but its exploration system is still somewhat similar. In any Assassin’s Creed game, the player is encouraged to explore the world of the game as much as they can. This may seem intense considering how massive the world is in newer games, but it is going to be incredibly worthwhile and rewarding.

The Assassin’s Creed franchise has owned its open-world RPG element and it expects its players to accept this as well. Through exploration, you’ll be able to discover and experience most of what the game is capable of giving. This is where a lot of these games shine.

NEXT: The 10 Most Beautiful Locations Throughout Assassin’s Creed