Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles (2008). Play online

Summary

Assassin's Creed: Altaïr's Chronicles (often just called Altair's Chronicles) drops you into a fully rendered 3D world from a third‑person view, blending the series’ classic hack‑and‑slash combat with stealth assassinations and fluid parkour. You’ll master an arsenal of eleven weapons – five swords, several daggers, bombs, a cross‑bow and even a grappling hook – stitching together fast combo attacks and strategic blocks, then use collected orbs to upgrade Altaïr’s health and weapon strength. Though it doesn’t feature the series’ open‑world roaming, the game still feels expansive as you sprint across four Crusader‑era cities.

The DS version leans into the handheld’s unique controls, letting you use the stylus for pickpocket mini‑games and other precise interactions, while three selectable difficulty settings keep the experience fresh for newcomers and series veterans alike. It’s a tight, action‑platforming adventure that captures the Assassin’s Creed vibe in a portable package.

Storyline

Assassin's Creed: Altair's Chronicles opens in 1190, amid the Third Crusade, when Master Assassin Altaïr Ibn‑La’Ahad arrives in a besieged Aleppo. Templar forces under Lord Basilisk scour the city, but Altaïr repels them with a sword given by a dying Assassin.

Tasked by the Mentor of the Levantine Assassins, Altaïr must locate the Chalice, an artifact said to unite the warring factions. He learns the Chalice lies in the Temple of the Sand and that three keys are required to enter.

The first key is earned in Damascus from a circus dancer named Fajera. In Tyre he assassinates the twisted hospital head Roland Napule for the second key, and in Jerusalem he infiltrates a royal party to kill Basilisk and claim the third. A map to the temple is seized after killing the Templar "Master".

Inside the temple the chest is empty; Basilisk reveals the Chalice is actually a woman, Adha. After battles in Acre, Tyre and Jerusalem, Altaïr defeats Basilisk but the Templars flee with Adha, prompting him to vow to find her.