As a huge fan of the original Assassins Creed, I’m more than willing to admit that the game wasn’t perfect. But for what it was I loved it and up until now have been playing it on and off (killing random civilians is an AMAZING stress reliever). However it looks as though Assassins Creed 2 has set the bar higher in every respect and as much as I loved the first one, I doubt it will get much attention anymore.

Just admit it, as Flouncy as he looks, he could still kick your ass.

Story:

Assassins Creed 2 picks up right were the first game left off with unfortunate protagonist Desmond Miles remaining trapped in the hands of the Templars, rival group to the Assassins. However Desmond soon finds himself plucked from the sterile, pristine lab he has been shelled up in and is taken to an Assassin hideout (A very nice studio apartment). Well one thing leads to another and Desmond must step into the shoes of his Italian ancestor Ezio Auditore di Firenze (di Firenze meaning ‘of Florence’) to learn the ways of the Assassin for an upcoming showdown with the Templars. Ezio’s story is one of retribution and a fierce vendetta against a group of Templar related conspirators that killed his father and two brothers. Predominantly, the game takes place against Ezio’s lush Italian backdrop, however there are a few sequences involving Desmond, and even one involving Altair (the protagonist from the first game) to keep things fresh.

Ezio’s story can become very convoluted but overall I feel that the game illustrates a mastery in storytelling in that the story really does compel you forwards. And with over 200 missions (at least half being optional) there is certainly no lack of anything to do.

Hold up...that's not a bail of hay is it...

 

 

Gameplay:

Gameplay in Assassins Creed 2 has been given a full polish and is otherwise quite similar to its predecessor. Players take on a wider variety of missions this time around which combats the problem with repetition experienced in the last title.  Assassinations, rooftop races, courier missions and beating the snot out of cheating husbands are the most prevalent but there is also so many areas to explore that one can easily loose 2 or 3 hours in Ezio’s world without achieving anything substantial. The weapon system has also received an overhall, Ezio now has access to two hidden blades (in the Russian version I’m pretty sure he has 3, but this was censored everywhere else) and he can now use a range of melee weapons including swords, lances, daggers, hammers and axes, which gives the combat system excellent variety (even though it is largely the same as the first game). Players also have their own Villa which can be upgraded, which I strongly recommend because the better it is the more sweet, sweet profit Ezio makes and after a while you will be so rich you won’t be able to spend all of your money if you try.

In a nutshell the game is very similar in terms of gameplay to the first Assassins Creed, but most of the bugs have been ironed out and it is a much deeper, varied and overall fun experience. There is a sharp learning curve however and the sheer depth of the gameplay can be very daunting to newcomers so it probably isn’t a game you want to bust out for your Mum to play on an odd whim.

 

Ezio penetrates an old man with his long blade.

Presentation:

The only thing I don’t understand about this game is why so many people are bitching on forums and image boards about the visuals in this game. “This game am  lookan to similar to the first game hurr durr” or ” I am a total jackass who can’t appreciate production value or anything in a game unless is Fallout 3 brown and an FPS title” seem to be among the most common complaints (I may or may not be paraphrasing). The game is stunning. Granted the visuals aren’t on par with Uncharted 2 (sure to win most jizz inducing visuals of the year), but the sense of scale, and detail in the historical architecture is unrivalled. The cities are massive (even the smaller ones) and the crowd dynamics are amazing in that each individual random person in the game has a unique path to follow and the AI director is astounding (you could probably stalk someone if you wanted to). The sound is great and the voice acting is up there with the best. The soundtrack is great and sets the tone perfectly.

My only problem with the presentation is that up close, things get a lot less pretty, particularly faces and this could be what put so many people off of the game’s visuals. But I am a fan of games, not graphics, and this is certainly a title to get behind.

 

I would highly recommend Assassins Creed 2. Sure the story can get a bit confusing and the visuals aren’t always top-notch, but the gameplay is first-rate. Stay away if you hated the first game, but otherwise I’m not too sure why you are reading this and not sinking your hidden blade deep into Templar neck. And no, that wasn’t some sort of convoluted sexual innuendo.

Overall:  9.5 out of 10: Brilliant, worthy of Game of the Year.

Get on the bandwagon.