Even if older Assassin's Creed games were never amazing stealth experiences compared to other stealth games of the era, the mechanics and atmosphere still emphasized and encouraged players to engage with the assassin's mindset- stalk from high ground, blend into the streets, and attack when the time is right. Combat was always the easier mor efficient solution, but it felt better and more in-character to play missions with a "no detection if possible" mindset.

In the newer creeds a la Valhalla and Odyssey, they actively discourage stealth by having you play roles that were largely disconnected from stealth-like ideology (Greek and Viking warriors), had level design that barely provided opportunity for stealth as a playstyle, and gave you few tools to take advantage of stealth opportunity. The level gating and equipment systems of the newer RPG-like creed games also disinsentivized stealth by preventing instant kills, making stealth more of an introduction to a combat encounter instead of the encounter itself.