Assassin's Creed II

There was a lot of hype concerning Assassins Creed 2. Along with some concerns; was it just more of the same? Would they fix up some of the problem areas? Could you actually swim?

I'm critical of games and movies. Very much so. So believe me when I say 'Get this, and don't look back.'
Assassins Creed was a good game with fun elements and some really great moments, let down by a few flaws and some slightly grating missions.
Its offspring is not only two in number, but twice as good.

*GAMEPLAY*
--------

The most important part for one an all. And the answer from the get go is; Yes. It is far superior to gameplay in Assassins Creed 1. Gone are the rinse-repeat missions, leading up to the actual assasination. Gone are the clunkier elements of the combat system. Experience an evironment where anything and everything can be used to your advantage. Experience combat where its not a matter of if you will defeat your enemies, but in what manner you bring about their inevitable demises.

*Combat*

Combat, first, as that had a few major flaws. The hidden blade is now a proper weapon in its own right. You can attack with it and, glory be, you can BLOCK with it. Counter kills are every bit as lethal and one-shot-kill as they ever were, with less frustration.

Fists too recieve a major upgrade. You can, if your fancy takes you, punch opponents into the floor. Also, while unarmed and grabbing an opponent, you can now lay three hits on them out of a choise of headbutt, knee and punch.
The best part of the upgraded unarmed combat is the ability to disarm guards. This is especially useful on two of the new enemy classes; Brutes and Seekers. These nasties are armed with two handed weapons and spears, respectively, and can be rather lethal. Disarming them not only robs them of their attack power, but also lets you use the special moves that come with the weapons. Also, the counter-kills for those two weapons, though they lose you the weapon, are very, very satisfying.

*Enemies*

The enemies themselves are more varied as well. Gone are the days of Guard 1, Guard 2, Guard 3, Italy sports its own army of foes for you to cut through. The basic armed soldiers are still there, ranging from basic Militia, through to armed Man-At-Arms, to the armoured and painful Elite units. Then come the specialists, all of whom require some extra attention in a fight; Brutes, Seekers and Agiles. These chaps add a whole new dynamic to every fight, as the Brutes and Seekers each have different special moves, and the Agiles are more than capable of outpacing you in free-running.

Not only is the combat more dynamic, but the guards are smarter too. No more blending in with a group of monks, despite being heavily armed. No more sitting on a bench and the guards magically losing sight of you. The seekers use their spears to prod about in haystacks, and guards will check the people on benches. Later on, of course, you pick up some moves that swiftly (and permanantly) put an end to such nosey individuals.

*Blending*

On the subject of blending in, there is a new system involved, notoriety. A bar around the symbol net to your health fills up as you perform illegal or noteworthy actions. When that bar is full, you are now Notorious. Guards will start top take notice of you, and react immediately to any wayward behaviour. They also poke around in haystacks more. By tearing down wanted posters, bribing heralds, or simply killing off the officials who give the orders, you can lower your status back to Incognito.

Blending itself is much easier, and much more believable. Simply stand in the middle of a group of citizens, go with the flow, and you are just another person. Nice and easy.

*Missions*
The missions are all very well done. The beat-up and delivery type missions have now been made sub-missions that you can choose to pick up or leave be as you choose. The actual game quests are much slicker than the clunky feel of the original, and the progression is smooth and seamless.

*Economy*
Thats right, this time around you get pocket money. Money can be aquired in various ways, all of them fairly easy and self-explanatory. You can use money to buy medicine (which you carry with you and use when needed to restore health), new weapons, new armour which adds to your health bar, and other things. No need to be poor but awesome, right? Rich and awesome is a win/win situation.

*STORY*
-------

The story progresses well from the last game, and goes much deeper. Especially if you hunt down all the clues and extras. No more random flag collecting, the collections are all tied neatly into the story. There are only about three or four incident where we are brought back to the present day, rather than the past, and the modenr sequences are all well done and serve a purpose. If you're like me, and really liked the plot laid in AC1, then 2 should have you on the edge of your seat.

*GRAPHICS*
----------

AC1 was very nice graphically from the get go. 2 has probably improved, but its so slick and smooth that its hard to know where to start. Needless to say, the attention to detail is breathtaking. As someone who has been to Venice, standing in front of the Doges palace was one of those 'ohmigod' moments that make this game so darn good.

So, what are you waiting for? Click buy, already! If you like swash and buckle, sneaking and stabbing, awesome vistas or just pure epic, this game will treat you well.

I bought an XBox 360 just so I could play this game, which appealed immediately to me when I saw the Lineage videos. My PC wouldn't have stood up to it, so you could say that I paid over £200 for the pleasure of paying it. It's totally worth it - this is the best game I have played in a long, long time. It helps that I love all things Italian and historical but I don't think it's necessary to be into that stuff to enjoy this.
The graphics are amazing, the storyline moves on fast and the combat mechanism is really effective and rewards practise. If you are a casual gamer, you can spend a month like I have done on this game doing all the side missions and honing your skills for a couple of hours a day. I like the fact that the game isn't too hard - from my point of view life is too short to be stumped on a particular bit of any game just because you can't execute a certain move in time or get from A to B before a door closes. There some challenging parts but nothing that's going to have you throwing the controller on the floor.
Ezio's character is explored in depth, there is a good variety of weapons (given it's the 16th century) and interplay with other characters. But the most impressive thing is the free-to-explore cities - particularly Florence and Venice, which are superbly rendered.
After starting this game, I went and bought AC1 with the intention of playing it through before continuing. I can understand the things about the first game that frustrated people - the inability to blend with general crowds, the silly journeys back to "base", the lack of economic element and the death if falling into water. Ubi has listened - this game cures all those niggles and gives a new credibility to this brand. I hope that sequences 12 and 13 are filled in by (preferably free) DCL and look forward to an AC3, as long as it is not set in World War Two.
Buy it - it's worth it.

I have been reading through many of the reviews submitted over the last few days and I feel that all those people who gave this game a 5 start rating have truly hit the nail on its perfectly formed head. Assassins Creed II is a sublime piece of modern gaming which I found hard to stop playing. However I did have my reservations about this second outing after playing the first instalment.

Now don't get me wrong! Assassins Creed was amazing, the story was wonderful and full of twists and turns and the game play was truly visionary, but the novelty did start to wane a few hours in as many others before me have mentioned, it did become tedious doing similar missions. It lacked a certain something.

Having played AC2 (and not just a demo) it took my reservations and gave them an al mighty kick out the window. I have not been so engrossed in a game since Fallout 3. It's a pleasure to find such depth and clarity, that shows those of us playing it that this was looked after during production and carefully crafted to give the player a fantastic experience and wanting more. So where to start?

Firstly, a grumble. Not about the game but rather about the reviews 1 stars. We are all entitled to an opinion and we do not all have the same tastes. This game does not deserve 1 star, by a mile. What I feel was required was time and patience, to see what an awesome experience this is. Then draw your conclusions to produce a fair and honest review. Placing a single star on something to cause minor anger amongst honest reviewers is not acceptable.

AC2 blends perfectly with the events of the first game. The story of the Templar's is still as strong as ever, with many a twist and turn thrown in for good measure. I particularly enjoyed how many of the characters stories and mission would lead to a much bigger and more complex outing for Ezio. This could easily be made into a film, that's how highly I regard the script and we all know, it would be an amazing film to watch. (Then again video games to movies is shaky ground)

Graphically... it's ridiculous. It is mouth-watering. Rich colour, smooth texture, fluid motion of Ezio and the people in the town. The free running parts are where the most fun is to be had and a marked improvement over AC1. I did at times find I would jump to a ledge I was not aiming for or I could not climb and would get stuck. Frustrating you might say in games but it never dented my enjoyment, it just spurred me on to get to the top of the building or jump across the Canals of Venice.

There is certainly more do to in AC2 with the introduction of money. There are a variety of ways to collect and many ways to spend it. Be it from tinting your clothes another colour or purchasing art to hang on walls. It's alot of fun.

In the 21st Century. Video Games have the production costs of most major Hollywood blockbusters, and can even outperform them at the box office. Having a good musical score can highlight the edge of failure or success. Get it wrong, and it doesn't matter how amazing it looks, the atmosphere is dead. Get it right, you get something that makes you feel personally connected. AC2 won an award for its soundtrack. Beating CODMW2. It was a smart choice.

Why 4 stars for fun then? Well originally I was going to do 5, but that was far to eager as I was still playing the game in Florence and had yet to visit the other cities. I chose 4 stars for a few minor reasons. I did feel that monotony did creep in when looking for treasure and codex pages, especially in Venice, which is HUGE! and some mission are very similar. I was a little cheesed of when there was no achievement for collecting so many treasure chest though or upgrading to your full potential as Ezio.

Not to end on a negative...So I won't! AC2 is by far one of the greatest games of the last 10 years. It ranks in the Pantheon of The Superb, alongside Zelda - Ocarina of Time, GoldenEye, Bioshock and dare I say Toejam and Earl. Own this game, There is plenty of replay value with hunting the treasure, the extra events and the DLC. Part 1 of the DLC you can fly Leonardo's flying machine for fun! What's not to enjoy? Part 2 I believe might allow you to enter the sector on the other side of Florence. Let's hope, pray that Ubisoft make AC3 the ultimate adventure. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is due out very soon so look forward to more flying jumps, escapes and incredible attack moves.