Amazing
User Rating: 9 | Assassin's Creed II X360
Assassin's Creed II is the follow-up to Ubisoft's 2007 Assassin's Creed that attracted a mass audience if not unanimous critical acclaim. The sequel is an expansive and bloody romp through Renaissance Italy that plays up every popular aspect of the first installment while righting many of its flaws. The frame story is set in the 21st century, with player-controlled protagonist Desmond Miles escaping from Abstergo Industries with an employee, Lucy Stillman, after being forced to relive the genetic memories of ancestral assassin Altaïr ibn-La'Ahad through a machine known as the "Animus". After escaping from Abstergo, Desmond enters a device which is more advanced than the original Animus, the Animus 2.0, and relives the genetic memories of ancestral nobleman Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who lived during the Renaissance period of the late 15th and early 16th centuries in Italy. The player controls Ezio, who becomes an Assassin after his father and brothers are murdered by a traitor to their family. While controlling Ezio, the player can explore game renditions of Italian cities, regions, and landmarks in open world gameplay. There are still hiding places like bales of hay and roof gardens in Assassin's Creed II. They act as sort of "safe zones" that break a pursuers line of site. Ezio can even dive underwater for a limited time to hide from his enemies, but a more satisfying approach to dealing with foes is to divert them with hired help. Thieves, mercenaries and whores can be hired for a fee and directed at targets as living tools of distraction. Players can also toss money into a crowd to cause a small riot among the peasantry. This sandbox approach to stealth requires a bit of practice and it won't always result in success, but when it does come together, it's very rewarding. Even if you ignore the extras in Assassin's Creed II, the game is still a lengthy experience. The story alone lasts upwards of 18 hours and includes enough variety to be interesting throughout. Not every mission is equally as exciting. The assassinations are far more exhilarating than tailing a target or following an ally throughout a city. However, there are some missions that are both exciting and wildly different from the core gameplay. With more variety and a tighter focus, Assassin's Creed II gets the pacing just right.
