Is it perfect? Hardly. Is it one of the years most entertaining adventures? Undoubtedly.
2 years later, we finally get to play a real game. Assassins Creed 2 (hereby AC2) still packs the initial awe factor that we got in 2007, but this time, the joy doesn't fade so quickly. The missions types of the original have been scraped in favor of ... you won't believe this: A story! Amazing concept. And its a pretty interesting one at that. Its very exciting that DaVinci himself factors into the story of AC2, but that's could have easily seemed cliche. Having the Medici, one of histories most interesting families, featured prominently adds so much to the authentic feel AC2 has. From time to time its a little bit hammy, honestly at one point you hear the line "Its'a me, Mario!" and it sounds exactly like Mario 64... But for the most part, its a solid experience from start to finish.
... if you are willing to overlook a few things. Firstly, I hate the Animus concept... What does this series gain from being told from a perspective outside of where the game takes place? To me, it detracts from the whole experience. Still, it doesn't affect the game half as much as the camera can. While most of the time its fine, sometimes, especially during chases, it will flat out screw you over. There's nothing more frustrating than failing in a game from no fault of your own, and AC2 will push that button in a way that most recent releases have grown beyond.
And that's the thing about AC2: It would have been game of the year in 2007. Its fantastic, everyone should play it, but it doesn't show any real effort in the way that gamers have come to expect from 10/10, 5-star blockbuster games. Its a very promising effort, but the series still has a long way to go before it claims a 'Game of the Year' award.