Assassin's Creed II improves every aspect of the original. The product is a near flawless gem that shouldn't be missed.
Difficulty: Overly Easy
Bottom Line: Despite the few complaints most gamers will have, this game is a real contender for game of the current generation.
Pros:
+ Gorgeous and expansive environments
+ Plenty of intense storylines to back up the action
+ Over 30 hours of content loaded gameplay (story is around 15-20 alone)
+ Refined controls allow player to move around in acrobatic fashion with little to no frustration
Cons:
- Repetitive missions
- Controls during climbing and ledge grabbing can be unresponsive or lagged
- Combat is too easy
- Boss battles/Assassinations are unmemorable
- Over the top voice acting
Ubisoft has raised the bar for acrobatic and stealth sandbox games with their latest installment of the Assassin's Creed series. There are few things a player will find as immersing and time consuming as free roam sandbox adventure games. Sandbox games allow you to progress at your own rate, but also get sidetracked if you spot or witness something that is momentarily more interesting than the current mission of the story. Assassin's Creed II excels at the ability to move in and out of the storyline and integrate the side quests without creating a huge disruption in the story and progression of the game.
Assassin's Creed II takes the sandbox genre a step further, adding a refined stealth aspect to the genre. This allows the player to stalk, kill, and escape by any means possible from a variety of enemies and corrupt political figures in Renaissance Italy. Escaping no longer just consists of running through the streets but also hiding in bales of hay, diving into water from bridges and buildings, blending in with crowds, or deliberately placing Ezio on a crowded bench among commoners. The only restriction of your means of escape is the creativity of the player.
The most satisfying part of the game is the act of killing. Sneaking up on unsuspecting enemies and listening to the quiet and succinct *snikt* of your hidden blade pierce the soft back or neck from behind is the most fulfilling moment achieved in the game. The guard will try to yell out, but you have already muffled his screams with your hand being placed over his mouth at the moment of impalement. Another overly satisfying moment that is available frequently in the game is the ability to kill multiple enemies with the hidden blades attached to each of your wrists. You can walk between two guards or enemies undetected and strike, extending your arms and attached blades into the throats of the naïve and unwary guards. As the other guards assault you, those stricken with vengeance will flounder around on the ground as they bleed out; yelling and gasping for their last breaths before becoming still in a pool of blood.
However, the killing is not for pleasure in the game; and holds great purpose in the grand scheme of the storyline. There is motive behind Ezio's spilling of blood, and rationalizing all of the homicides is for the purpose of staying motivated and focused. The second game picks up almost immediately after the first ends, with the assassins trying to escape the well-funded grips of the templars. Desmond (or whatever you decide his name should be in the beginning of the game) is the newest elite subject responsible for locating the Pieces of Eden through his ancestors' memories. First we saw Altair's memories in the crusades, and now we are treated to Ezio's life experiences in Renaissance Italy.
Desmond will plug himself into the Animus machine, reliving the experiences of Ezio and learning the story of his ancestors and their origins. This information and story of Desmond's ancestors will ultimately lead the assassins to the location of the Pieces of Eden in current times (or so they think). The Pieces of Eden are ancient artifacts believed to contain unimaginable powers that can give the upper hand to the assassins, effectively swinging the tides of war between the assassins and templars.
The shared or continuation of the story is one of the only similarities between AC and ACII. In fact, Assassin's Creed II is an excellent game that stands out from the crowded genre of sandbox games. More impressively, it improves on almost every aspect of the previous game's formula as well. Those unfamiliar with the series are not required to complete the first installment to fully enjoy the story and characters, as they are very well explained throughout the progression of the story. Assassin's Creed II is a self contained story and game, with mere allusions to the previous game that will enhance the experience for fans of the previous game. However, as mentioned before, it is not necessary to have completed Assassin's Creed to understand and fully enjoy this experience.
The most improved upon aspect of the game is the variety and detail of the locations of the game. The environments are stunning, and rival the best of any game to date. The ornate detail and superb execution show Ubisoft invested a lot of time and talented people to create such a realistic and gorgeous set of environments. As the time of day shifts, the environments will react accordingly. From night to day, dusk to dawn, and rain to shine; each of the inhabitants and animals will act as they do in similar real life conditions. Building lights will go on, rain coats and climate precautions taken, or animals hiding under trees and awnings. While not as epic in nature as some of the games boasting raw wilderness, Assassin's Creed II is without doubt the most gorgeous replication of a city and locale to date.
The player is treated to overwhelming and expansive environmental views throughout the game. The most remarkable of these views come during the synchronization of the lookout points. Ezio will crouch at the pinnacle of a building and a swooping 360 view will show the player the entire environment as far as the eyes can see. There is no pop-up or tearing present in these views or during gameplay in the environments, which is especially impressive when you consider the sheer size of each of the five areas for Ezio to explore. From Florence to Venice, mountain villas to mountain passes, and countryside in between the game boasts a diverse set of locations similar to those within the borders of Italy itself.
As the player progresses through the gorgeous environments, they will notice one glaring flaw about the game. Players looking for a challenge of skill will undoubtedly be dissatisfied with Assassin's Creed II's difficulty. The game has one difficulty option, which would be described as "Childishly Easy." Most players will find themselves dying more from falling off buildings or missing leaps along the rooftop than from enemies' arrows, spears, or swords. In fact, any gamer with any type of gaming credibility should not perish at the hands of an enemy unless chasing one of the combat oriented trophies in the game.
Despite the game being excessively easy, the AI is quite clever. They will not walk by your hiding spot if you did not pass through there long ago. They will stab stacks of hay with spears and look around in groups to see if they can locate you. They will also chase you across the rooftops and through alleys until you apply some deft wit to lose them. If you choose, instead of running you can turn and fight the guards in a good old fashioned street duel. While the game is not catered toward using brute force, it is always an option.
Armed with a superb variety of weapons, Ezio can choose any combination of weapons already purchased. Those weapons not in use are stored in the family's villa and can be selected at any time by simply returning and choosing to have Ezio add them to his current inventory. At any given time Ezio will have a primary weapon available such as a sword, mace, war-hammer, falchion, or scimitar. He will also carry a dagger, set of concealed blades and multiple throwing accessories to complete the missions assigned to him or torment the guards and corrupt politicians in Renaissance Italy.
The most interesting aspect of the combat system is the ability for enemies to knock your primary weapon from your hand. This will require you to choose another weapon in your arsenal to use or disarm an enemy using a counter attack to re-arm yourself. Outside of this dynamic element and the final strike animations, the combat is overly simplified and mostly unsatisfying unless you are performing stealth assassinations.
Players will undoubtedly become more absorbed in moving around the environments and exploring than completing the missions in Assassin's Creed II. Accompanying the superb environments and gameplay are some of the best sound effects in any game to date. From the clashing of steel to the "pitter-patter" of Ezio's footsteps on the ceramic roof tiles, all of the sounds are believable and don't appear to be synthesized. Crashing into bales of hay from 200 feet above the ground and the sound of targets lamenting as their last breaths are taken provide sounds as immersive as the environments' visuals. With so much attention to the sounds of the game, the score is superbly orchestrated albeit relatively passive. This passive voice or approach allows you to you hear all of the detail added to the game along with the environmental noises that would be experienced in present day Italy.
Assassin's Creed II makes you yearn for two things: the ability to visit Renaissance Italy; and the ability to be one of the world's greatest assassins. While most people will never experience either, Ubisoft appears to have provided a time traveling elixir in the form of this game. It will satisfy even the most mature of palates, while appealing to the masses.
While the game does not reek of polish or perfection, it does enough right to keep the player engaged and controls of movement frustration to a minimum. If the series continues to refine and progress at the current rate, the third installment could well be remembered as one of the finest games of all time. However, for now most players will be more than happy to sink the 30-40 hours required to fully complete the game and still feel that the price of admission was a bargain for the experience received.