Despite furiating controls, but most has been fixed, and the unique story and concept, makes the game worthwhile.
Story
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The game starts immediately after the ending of the first one. Desmond get's help from Lucy Stillman (one of the Abstergo scientists... or so you think) to escape from Abstergo Industries. Lucy takes Desmond to a secret hide out, with her and two fellow assassins (Rebecca and Shaun). They have their own version of the Animus and want Desmond to enter it again, to gain more clues on where to find the Piece of Eden.
This time, Desmond enters another ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze. A young man, whose father and brother are wrongly branded as traitors and executed, by a person close to the family. This causes Ezio to want revenge, and soon after, he becomes an Assassin, and uncovers the conspiracy behind his father and brothers death.
A lot happens in the story, which does make the game feel like one, long, epic quest. However the story also drags on at certain parts, and the game's decision to spend more time on Ezio, rather than Desmond, does mute some of the big interest from the first game. That being said, the characters are likeable, and there are some good moments to be enjoyed in the game, and it will still manage to create some interest, especially at the annoying ending. The concept however, still remain unique.
8.5
Gameplay
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The gameplay itself remains largely the same as the first game. It still takes place in a big open world, and you can essentially climb everywhere you want, and for this part, the controls are excellent. But the gameplay isn't the same as in the first one, as many additions has been added.
The missions are more involving this time around. Their longer, and consists of multiple parts (and before I go on, yes there's a lot of check points too). It can go from protecting, to killing, and so on, so you can't at say the game doesn't spot at least some variety. Outside of the story, there's side missions to complete, collectables (feathers, flags, treasures) that your actually get rewarded by, and hidden areas (Catacombs and caves that are expertly designed) that contains secret treasures and armor. There's also codex papers to find, which you can give to Leonardo Da Vinci in exchange for new weapons, and Glyphs by Subject 16, which are essentially clever puzzles that has you analyzing pictures, and much, much more. Finest example of puzzles, created in a video game.
You can also earn money, by stealing from people, completing missions or finding treasures. You can also rebuild shops, like blacksmiths (where you can buy new weapons and armor), art stores (buy paintings and maps) and doctors can help you replenish your health. You'll also get your own villa and town to manage as well, and while you have it, you can earn its value by buying paintings and the like.
The notoriety system from the first game has been improved as well. At last, the guards won't chase you if you just run or walk normally, but do enough crimes or murder soldiers, and they'll eventually come after you. You can still hide from them and tear down wanted posters to keep your notoriety down, but you can't walk around and pray anymore, so the dumb moment's from the first game has been completely eliminated. To make life easier, you can hire hookers and thieves to distract or help you in combat.
Combat has been improved as well. You can do counter attacks and disarm enemies, which do make things a little smoother. Sadly though, the combat itself is still too easy, as groups of guards will happily just stand around, waiting for their turn, and the damage they deal isn't really big either.
That's the least of the problems though. Like the story, the game drags on in the later stages, and the game just doesn't get any harder, especially when you get the option to dual assassinate people. There's a flying machine that Leonardo has that has been hyped up, but it's very... underwhelming, and is only used once (Two if you count DLC). And like the first game, despite the controls being excellent for exploring, it's imprecise and can easily have you do things you don't intend to (such as jumping when you want to climb). Plus they seem to have been made a little more complex with new options opening up when holding down R1. It's so imprecise at times, that I just gave up completely and didn't return until a few days later, it can be that bad, and it's horrible how it haven't been fixed. The economy is unbalanced too, as you'll quickly get your villas value to increase, your income quickly grows to a point where you earn more money than you can spend.
Another thing that really annoys me is that there are 13 sequences, but two of them have to be unlocked via DLC. Cheap move Ubi Soft... There are also a few moments, where the game requires you to press a button in order to continue the event. Why these has been included (it's not Quick Time events), is unknown and their all useless.
But the game still is fun, even if it might get boring around the end, but the (sometimes dragged on) story is worth it, and even after its 20 hour story is over, there's so much to collect and do, that you might even return to collect everything... even if you have to redstart due to trophy glitches.
8.0
Graphics
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The graphics are a bit of a mixed bag. The game is littered with several cities (Rome, Venice, etc.) and their all beautifully recreated, encouraging exploration. On the other hand, the shadows pops in when you get close to buildings and the characters look ugly up close. It can be a beautiful game, but also a rather crude looking game.
7.5
Sound
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The sound is excellent though, with amazing music from Jesper Kyd. The voice acting is solid too, with characters that actually has an Italian accent for once (And speak a little Italian once in a while). The ambience in the various cities is spot on as well, making it that much easier to immerse yourself in the game.
10
Overall
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AC2 fixes some of the problems from the original AC, but it also retains the annoying controls that I continue to hate with a passion. But the unique setting and story however makes it worthwhile to finish, and there is a lot of fun to be had in the game. If you loved the first one, you probably already bought this, but if you didn't like the first one, then there's nothing here that will make you a fan.