Moments of Brilliance can't overcome a less-than compelling story and cumbersome controls.
The moment you start the game, you are dropped into a science lab with a young woman and a couple of scientists. The story is convoluted to say the least and not very interesting. Once you get into Italy, the story actually gets pretty interesting. You are Etzio, son of an Italian banker. The first few hours are basically fetch quests but after a while, you learn assassination and stealth techniques. After several hours though, the story gets much less compelling. The characters are interesting, but the story just isn't very compelling to keep you interested for very long.
Gameplay at first glance is tight. Free-running is absolutely breathtaking as you dash across rooftops and climb walls. Your first few hours are exhilarating as you scramble up ledges and roofs. Controls while exploring actually work well, for the most part. Hold down right trigger and A buttons to sprint on ground and free-run. It actually is quite an unique experience, one you will likely have never experienced before unless you played the first game in the series.
The world that the game takes place in is beautiful. The visuals drip with atmosphere as you explore the city of Florence and the surrounding countryside. Lighting is beautiful and textures are for the most part, high quality. The downside is that the facial models aren't that hot and some textures pop into view. Music sets the tone nicely, although there isn't enough of it, and voices of the characters including Etzio are well done.
Not all is well in Italy though. The story, as mentioned earlier, isn't all that compelling, making it a chore to play through the game. It's hard to want to play if you don't really care about what happens next in the story.
The biggest issue in Assassins Creed 2 are the controls. While free-running and just exploring the well crafted world works fine, the tombs don't. Basically, you have a very linear path in which you have to follow to find a tomb. The problem is there is only one way to get to the tomb, and often the controls will ruin your chances to get there.
Here's what happens. You try to climb a ledge and grab it. You try to climb, character doesn't move so you try to adjust the controls to move in another direction. You drop and die. Or you try to climb onto something. Instead, you swing in another direction and fall to your death. Personally, I have repeatatly had to deal with these issues on the first tomb puzzle. It took me a couple of hours to just get past that one tomb. I threw my controller down in frustration several times, which really sucks the fun out of the game. Ubisoft Montreal really needed to give the controls more attention so these frustrating moments would become non-existent.
It's clear that Ubisoft Montreal loved making this game. You can sense it as you dash across the rooftops listening to crowds watch you perform these daring acts of acrobatic flight. But the controls, especially when it comes to being precise, like in the tombs or in a chase sequence, really bring down the game substantially. Combine this with a less than compelling story and what you get is a game that doesn't come close to living up to the hype Ubisoft promised. That said, there is potential in the franchise. If Ubisoft can build a better story, and get the control quirks worked out, Assassins Creed 3 could very well be an amazing experience.
Verdict- Rent
Despite moments of brilliance, Assassins Creed 2 falls victim to lousy controls. Yet, those brilliant moments are still worth experiencing, just don't expect precise control.
Visuals- 9
Audio- 8
Gameplay- 7.5
Controls- 5.5
Replay- 6.5
Multiplayer- N/A
Final Score- 7.0