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Games Coming Soon - Assassin's Creed II - Game Info

Release Date: 20/11/2009

Certificate: TBA

Genre: None

Synopsis

In a vast open world environment, the game invites players to incarnate Ezio, a privileged young noble in Renaissance Italy who‘s been betrayed by the rival ruling families of Italy.

Ezio‘s subsequent quest for vengeance plunges players into a captivating and epic story that offers more variety in missions, surprising and engaging new gameplay elements, diverse weapons and a profound character progression that will appeal to fans of the original Assassin‘s Creed as well as entice players new to the brand.

"Assassin's Creed II" Trailers (4)

"Assassin's Creed II" Features (7)

"Assassin's Creed II" Reviews (1)

Assassin's Creed II Review (text) - Games2c - 19/11/2009

Assassin‘s Creed II can be viewed in two ways. If you‘re new to the AC series then welcome to the single most beautifully crafted, story–driven, acrobatic adventure on the current crop of consoles. If you already played the first title then say hello to everything a good sequel should be – refining what has gone before whilst simultaneously delivering new depths of gameplay. Assassin‘s Creed II attempts to bring all that made the first title a great game to play and marry it with elements of gameplay that mark out the true modern day classics. It succeeds.

Renaissance Italy is the backdrop to all the free running, exploration, combat, stealth and puzzle solving. Players assume the role of Ezio Audituerre de Firenze; a young Italian noble who with the help of Leonardo da Vinci (no less) has to avenge the betrayal and execution of his father and brothers.

Historical Italy is only a strand of a narrative that stretches in multiple directions. Running parallel is the story of Desmond, a kidnapped bartender from the current day who in the beginning of the adventure is freed from his cell and, through the power of cutting edge technology, must relive the memories of his ancestral assassins. It may sound convoluted but it‘s not – think one part Matrix, two part‘s Da Vinci Code and pour it over some of the most stunning cityscapes and vistas we‘ve ever seen in a videogame. The result is the experience of playing through one world whilst all the time – either through visual ‘glitches‘ or voice overs – staying connected to a parallel location.

All of this is made possible through two vital ingredients: the visual splendour afforded to the gameworld, combined with the most impressively crafted story we‘ve seen since BioShock. The graphics and attention to character detail means that when in–game figures talk, they are afforded a full range of expressions. When combined with a tight script and professional acting, the characters really deliver the rare treat of presenting an engaging drama in videogame form. You care about the protagonists because so much effort has been poured into making them seem so lifelike.

But all the talking is for nothing if the action can‘t follow suit; and once again here‘s where the game shines. The Free Running ethic from the first game is back and more polished than ever, meaning our hero can scale walls like a medieval Spiderman in better clothes. Scurrying up ramparts, hanging from stratospheric ledges and tiptoeing across high wires – the control system is so simple and intuitive (simply hold down the trigger whilst pressing the A button), that you‘ll sometimes just have to sit back and be amazed at the fluid animations as the in–game character scales incredibly detailed scenery.

Vertigo inducing climbs that would rival that likes of Crackdown are still common – resulting in swan dives into carts full of hay that deliver the kind of physical stomach churn you‘d get on a fairground attraction. It leaves the likes of Lara Croft looking distinctly pedestrian by comparison.

The missions are more varied and immediate than the first outing. Cash plays a greater role, with the ability to transform a new town resulting in generating revenues for additional weapons, outfits and medicines, just one of the engaging side quests that stray off the main path of political intrigue and revenge. Combat is equally diverse thanks to new moves, new weapons and new takedown tactics that add depth, without confusing the novice.

It‘s hard to find fault in this game; such is the effort that has been poured into every creative corner. Sure, the camera can sometimes fall into ‘catch–up‘ mode – but a contextual camera feature activated by pressing the left bumper button fixes that issue. And yes, some may say that at 18–20 hours the main story plods on at times, but how many occasions do gamers feel cheated with a six–hour campaign?

No, we must give full credit where it is not only due but hard earned. The two years since the first and second instalment of this ground breaking franchise have been well spent. Assassin‘s Creed II is a modern day masterpiece that should be enjoyed by all who care about what makes games great; setting a new standard for stealth action titles whilst delivering a story worthy of a Hollywood adaptation. Who knew history could be so cool?

Games2c rating: 10/10