An improvement in time
The game starts off with Desmond waking up where the first game left off (apparently) and the 'real' world action kicks off with you escaping from your confines that were ever present in the first. It is not long before you meet up with a band of, well, rebels with an animus that coax out memories of Ezio Audtore. The motivation of the group isn't made completely clear.
While there are a few instances of 'real' world action the real fun is had inside the animus. The world is cleverly constrained, and it unlocks new areas and cities as the story progresses.
The mission structure is much improved over the original game, it is no longer a case of listen, stab, escape and repeat. There is a fair share of that but there are also missions that have you gliding over city rooftops on a Da Vinci prototype flying machine, freeing allies so there is no problem with repetitiveness.
Not only this but you have side missions which are deliver letters, race others across roof tops, Assassin Tombs add this all together and you have quite a lot to do. Some of the side missions are repetitive although the new in game economy gives you reason to tough it out a little longer than you may have previously.
You can now purchase armour, paintings for your home villa, and upgrades for your home town to increase your income. Really it doesn't add so much to the game and by the end your income will be far outweighing what you need to spend, but it's a nice addition for completists.
Aside from the mission the gameplay is excellent, the climbing movement is so easy to use and the animations of the climbing are fantastic, there are a few oddities such as jumping not going exactly where you want Ezio to. These moments are fairly few and far between though, but in some missions jumping to the wrong ledge could be the difference between success and failure.
Combat is still solid without being amazing. It very much falls on the easy side, with holding block then countering every sword thrust a viable way of getting through just bout every fight. That being said that tactic means you miss out on some of the more unique and exciting weapons. You of course have your hidden blades, that is a given, but as you progress you get poison blades, which can help you, smoke bombs to make quick escapes, and even a gun!
The game is just as impressive visually as the first; it can be just as awe inspiring staring out over the cities and various vistas. There were more than a few breath taking moments. There are a few graphical oddities appear in the 'real' world though, to the point that all the characters look strange, and quite frankly ugly. I'm not certain if this was to save time but it is really jarring to have this beautiful world inside the animus and then have such shoddy character models outside.
The voice acting is great, although the Italian accents are a little over done, all the motivations seem real and while I have never really warmed to the whole animus as a plot device, it works well enough. Special mention must go to Leonardo da Vinci, he is well voiced and well written, he seems to be the most complete character in the game, although Ezio is a strong protagonist also.
AC2 has improved on the original in almost every regard, it is an enjoyable ride from beginning to end. There is very little to complain about, it runs smoothly, controls well and is full of interesting characters and scenarios. If you didn't like the first, give this a go, it may just change your opinion of the series.