Well worth my wait for 2 years since the open ending of Assassins Creed.
They truly looked at this game as the masterpiece this time. They wanted to make it less repetitive and more adverse then the first of this intriguing religiously/politically controversial series. (if you beat the first one you know what I mean) After I've already been playing this year's other hits Borderlands, and Dragon Age: Origins, this is a splash of light for graphic design. It put the true definition of my HDTV to work with the brilliant colorful cities and countryside of the Italian Renascence.
You have all the same free roaming of the first game that held my attention for hours with a richer environment. Much nicer then the dust towns of the middle east. I as well as graphically there was much improvement on the crowd. by simply holding down the button that once made you blend with a praying pose, now you strut by as if in a hurry and nudge passersby while cutting loose there coin purse. You can blend with any group of persons standing, sitting or walking provided your near the center. There are hookers, thieves, mercs, and shops you can now utilize to advance your apparel and complete your missions.
There are side assassinations that have more back round to them then "ALTIR, I've been spotted because I'm a bad assassin." In fact as far as I've gotten you're the only assassin in the game. Not to say you don't meet some interesting partners, thieves, ect. In this game you have a hide out that serves purpose. You store your purchases there. So if you want to go down to that last armor you bought because it looks better, or that other dagger was faster and you prefer a war hammer to your sword. It's all waiting for you at your villa.
They added a night/day cycle. Turns out a day is 20min real time. That being said your villa is on a town that has been wrought with poverty and all but abandoned. The more you upgrade your little town the more it gives you as a residual income every day. There's a few catches, but I'm gaining close to $40,000 every 4 days. I don't even have anything to spend money on anymore, I need to progress more.
To sum it up, they took our suggestions at ubisoft and made one hell of a game yet again! If you're looking for a great RPG I say Dragon Age: Origins, it's worth the money even if it does seem like it was designed for the computer, and set on the console too. Want a shooter for competitive online play, Modern Warfare 2 improved on their online play from previous games A LOT. As I see it the most addictive longest lasting games out are Borderlands, and Assassins Creed 2. I can't put either of them down.
Have fun gaming, try and remember to have a life.. I know it's hard