Assassin's Creed 2 Review

Written by Anchorman Mazda Monday, 25 January 2010 21:24

I’m not one to deviate from the racing genre much when it comes to the games I purchase, but after all the hype surrounding the launch of Assassin’s Creed 2, and then the subsequent praise from the gamers, I found it difficult to not look into it myself. So I asked Saint Nicholas to bring a copy and that he did. Now all that begs to be answered is, after what was a repetitive but still interesting Assassin’s Creed, does this sequel deliver above its predecessor or does it fall victim to the hidden blade?

Assassin’s Creed 2 starts off immediately where Assassin’s Creed left off, and it isn’t long until you learn who the next ancestor is going to be this time around. Much like in the first game, you play as two characters, the first , Desmond Miles (but only briefly throughout the game) and the second, his ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The setting is fifteenth century Italy and the first thing you notice when you play the game is just how more colourful and inviting this world seems compared to the gritty one of Assassin’s Creed. Quite soon into the story, the Auditore family is stricken with tragedy and thus begins the foundation for the game, and also, an emotional connection that the players establishes with Ezio, something which we failed to have with Altair.

One thing you notice within the first few hours is how much has been improved upon from the first game to its sequel. In all honesty, there seems to be little which I could fault with Assassin’s Creed 2 that wouldn’t be seen as nit-picking. The game features the same, yet more fluid free-running system and the combat system has been reworked too. Not only are the high-profile combat moves simplified and also more useful, but it all seems much more consistent as well. One problem I had in Assassin’s Creed was that the fighting felt a little sluggish, but in AC2, it all feels lighter and not as frustrating.

The list of weapons has also become significantly increased, featuring two hidden blades, more throwing knives, a combination of swords and also new additions like the hidden pistol and smoke bomb – all of which makes for  always unique and constantly engaging battles.

Another new addition to the franchise has been the implementation of an economic system. Unlike Assassin’s Creed, this game offers the player a wide range of items, weapons, and upgrades which adds a further element of strategy. Throughout Assassin’s Creed 2, you’ll had to decide whether to upgrade the family villa through town refurbishments and the purchase of art and weaponry, or spend money on upgrading Ezio’s armour and abilities to increase his maximum health and skills in combat. While the latter meant he can last longer in fights, the former increases the family income which can be used for further spending, so this all had to be taken into consideration to ensure that a healthy mix was maintained. The system is facilitated through multiple stalls and stores throughout each city, using the local currency, the ‘florin’.

Graphically-speaking Assassin’s Creed 2 also delivers upon the first in all areas. As mentioned, you’ll notice is just how much more vibrant the locations look. The cities include Venice, Romagna, Florence and a few others, each with their own distinct feel and look. While some locations feature examples of beautiful architecture, others are much older villages surrounded by swampland, and this comes together to provide greater variety, which wasn’t exactly obvious in the first game, where all three cities looked essentially the same.

The overall level of detail has also been improved, from the clothing of the civilians to the costumes of Ezio and the guards, as well as all the buildings, streets and surrounding scenery which further makes for that enticing and engaging experience that Assassin’s Creed 2 is built on.

All this aside though, the area that we see the most improvements from Assassin’s Creed to Assassin’s Creed 2 is the dramatic shift in the number of tasks and possibilities available to the player through the game. In Assassin’s Creed, every assassination followed the same premise – climb some viewpoints, save some citizens, eavesdrop on a conversation then use scholars to enter a guarded area and assassinate your target. In AC2 however, it couldn’t be more opposite with the direction and options available being just staggering.

The game is split into two sections, much like the first in having the main memories (assassination targets) and the secondary ones (synchronise with viewpoints and save citizens), but this time around, the main memories refer to the storyline while the secondary memories include things from collecting feathers, to beating up cheating partners around the city and much more. The storyline varies too with missions including assassinating a particular target, to learning a new ability or helping running errands around the city – all of which never leaves you feeling like you’re doing the same menial task over and over again.

In the end, Assassin’s Creed 2 is one of the few games which can be called a ‘true sequel’. Everything about it, from the graphics, to the gameplay to the storyline shows evidence that the developers at Ubisoft Montreal have taken the feedback from Assassin’s Creed and used it to make a truly great sequel. I’m not someone to enjoy games like this, but Assassin’s Creed 2 is something unique. It’s extremely accessible and never ceases to provide an immersive, enjoyable and always interesting gaming experience. One of the greatest games of last year and definitely one all gamers should add to their library.

Rating: 90 out of 100

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