Review:: Assassin’s Creed II

My apathy for the original Assassin’s Creed made this one of the most questionable reviews I have done in a while. As much as I wanted it to be what the original should have been, a part of me had a feeling it was going to fail to provide like it’s predecessor. Hit the jump and see how Assassin’s Creed II proved me wrong in every way possible.

The original Assassin’s Creed was one of the bigger disappointments of this generation for me. As gorgeous as the title was and as innovative as the free running system was and still is, the lack of any type of interesting story and bogus mission structure made it a chore to progress. Finally, Assassin’s Creed II builds on everything the first did right and fixes everything wrong.

As the saga of Desmond Miles continues, it’s back to the animus to discover the story of Italian protagonist Ezio Auditore Di Firenze (Ezio Auditore of Florence). Right out of the gate it’s evident that the tale of Ezio will be much more interesting, and much more personal. Here marks the first major improvement on the series, a well written story. The tale of Ezio is one of family, vengeance, and most importantly revenge. Although seemingly cliche, a good amount of plot twists keep the story more than interesting throughout.

Presentation and authenticity are absolutely astounding. The amount of detail put into the title is near mind blowing, to the point where real life landmarks are obvious. Cities such as Rome, Florence, Tuscany, Venice, and more are all here to be explored and each is distinguishable from one another due solely to the layout of the city and the color pallet used in each. Each is a joy to run around in, and all play a very important part in telling the story. Going back to the color pallet, this is the second major improvement on the original. The first Assassin’s creed as finely rendered as it was, was quite bland. This is improved on ten-fold for the second time around, with a very vibrant and lively look. It only seems fitting for a place like Italy, and it shows.

As if the original didn’t look great from a technical standpoint, Assassin’s Creed II manages to improve making it one of the best looking titles of the year. Virtually invisible aliasing combined with the rare frame rate hiccup make it a surprisingly fluid, enjoyable experience. The animations are all very organic, adding to the sense of realism. Although it’s something Assassin’s Creed has always done right, it’s nice to see that Ubisoft took the time to improve on it even more. For those of you who really want a next gen experience graphics wise, this is one of those games.

The original Assassin’s Creed had pretty revolutionary gameplay. Although not perfect, the free running system in the first game was quite a spectacle when you first got your hands on it. Now it’s pretty evident that Ubisoft have improved on it but it’s still not all there. I’d say it’s at about 85% of what you’d want it to be. It usually works rather well and makes exploring the city an absolute delight, but it’s when things get serious is when it can tend to go wrong. I’ve had a few moments where I was chasing an enemy or escaping an angry mob and somehow I managed to run the complete wrong direction. I’ve jumped off buildings far too many times, and yes it does get frustrating. Still, it’s a mostly functional system that still performs as a whole.

Ezio Auditore is a complete badass. The way he goes about taking down any enemy in his way are both fun to perform, and an absolute blast to watch. This is all thanks to a more refined, yet ultimately satisfying combat system. There are more weapons this time around, and you can even take your enemies weapons and kill his friends. If that doesn’t sound humiliating I don’t know what does.  Targeting the correct enemy sometimes gets wonky, but it’s a lot to complain about when compared to how much fun combat is. Oh, and you’ll get dual hidden blades, a flying machine, and a freaking hidden gun all courtesy of Leonardo Da Vinci. Yes, it’s as awesome as it sounds.

As the game came to an end I was a little bit let down, but ultimately satisfied because I knew a sequel will hopefully wrap it all up. I”m obviously not going to tell you how it ends, but it’s a pretty good but wierd as hell ending. There are things to collect, and places to explore. Those who played the first will also enjoy allusions to one Altair, but you’ll find out how that works when you play it.

I couldn’t be happier with Assassin’s Creed II. It improves on the original in every way possible, and delivers and outstanding experience throughout. I cannot recommend this highly enough, especially to those like myself who were not exactly blown away with the first one. Although it’s not entirely what I was hoping for, I have no problem saying to go and buy it immediately or just add it to your Christmas list. You won’t want to miss this one.

9.2/10

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Secondary Comments – By Ian Ball

After playing the first Assassins Creed I was left with a sense of what might have been. The world was realistic and bustling with life, the entire framework was there for a masterpiece. However, it totally let itself down on the repetitive assassinations. Pickpocket, eaves drop, find a vantage point, stab in the neck and run away – repeat!

Assassins Creed 2 though is the game that delivers on the initial promise. It is the game the original should have been. Everything great from the first has been polished to perfection. Everything bad has been reworked and the repetition is virtually non existent.

The controls are slick, the free running & climbing elements feel more organic and fluid than say Infamous or Uncharted 2. The world looks stunning and it’s a place you will want to invest time in. I found myself exploring long after the main story was completed.

The immersion is helped no end by two key elements. Firstly, a fantastic story that is well paced and gripping throughout. Secondly, characters you actually care about and want to see succeed. These two factors on top of a superb game engine make for a real treat for gamers. Not to mention it’s pretty as a picture.

So get your passport out this holiday season and book a trip to Venice. The locals are dying to meet you!

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