Assassin’s Creed, the 2007 game, is set during the Third Crusade.
The game’s historical storyline takes place mainly in 1191, when Altaïr Ibn-La’Ahad carries out missions in cities including Masyaf, Jerusalem, Acre, and Damascus. The Third Crusade was a military campaign involving several European rulers and forces opposed to Saladin, the sultan who controlled Jerusalem after its capture in 1187.
Assassin’s Creed presents a fictional conflict between the Assassins and Templars within this real historical setting. Several historical figures appear, including Saladin and Richard the Lionheart, but the central conspiracy and Altaïr’s activities are fictionalized. The game therefore uses the period as a backdrop rather than attempting to reproduce every event exactly.
The Third Crusade is sometimes confused with the later Crusades because the series visits many different historical eras. Assassin’s Creed II moves to Renaissance Italy, while Assassin’s Creed III is set largely during the American Revolution.