Assassin’s Creed II is what the original Assassin’s Creed should have been. With the inner workings of an engine already in place and two years to work with, the developers were able to produce a game that proves the potential of the series. AC2 successfully builds on the formula that was established in the first game and manages to improve upon what worked and fix most of what didn’t. The story picks up where the original left off, with Desmond Miles (and some new allies) on the run from the Templars. But this time he’s going back into the Animus willingly to re-live the memories of another ancestor, an Assassin named Ezio Auditore, in order to brush up on the Assassin skills that he’ll need for the battle ahead. Ezio’s story takes place in 15th century Renaissance Italy, primarily in the cities of Florence, Forli, and Venice.

The environments are, as usual, the most interesting element in the game. The sheer scope of the cities and all of the activity going on within is amazing. Just exploring the city, climbing buildings, etc is pretty fun in and of itself, but what you actually get to do in those cities is what elevates AC2 so far above its predecessor. The missions are no longer a series of boring identical tasks cranked out of some tedium factory. Instead, there is a huge variety of mission types and new game mechanics to go along with them. You now have the ability to blend into crowds at will, hire groups to assist you, and much more. Another welcome change is the addition of a “notoriety” system, where you gain notoriety by performing suspicious or illegal actions. Guards will typically only attack you on sight if your notoriety is high or if they see you doing something illegal. This is a huge and most welcome change from the first game, where you’d end up being attacked for the most ridiculous of things (you know... atrocities such as walking too fast). Combat is also improved from the first game. Although it’s still ultimately really easy, it remains fun due to the sheer variety of things you can do (there are lots of different weapons to try and a whole series of new techniques).

In addition to the main quest, there is also a ton of other stuff to do. Dozens of optional side missions are available, as well as a series of levels that take place in unique environments that utilize the free-running and platforming elements of the game to great effect (think Prince of Persia style tombs). There is also a “home base” Villa area that you can spend time upgrading and exploring if you wish. Doing so awards you with income that can be used to buy further improvements, more weapons, paintings, etc. This can potentially add hours of playtime and is completely optional. Such is the scope of this game. Perhaps my favorite “extra” bit this game offers is a sub-quest dubbed "The Truth". Hidden throughout the environments are glyphs that grant access to a series of puzzles, that when solved, unlock tiny portions of a mysterious video (which, when fully decoded, truly expands the mythology underlying the whole series).

What really makes all of these elements come together so well is the main character of Ezio. He is just a likeable guy and is fun to play as. It’s really as simple as that. All in all, it’s hard to ask much more from a sequel. While yes, there are still some flaws here and there, there was nothing that ruined the experience for me to any large degree. Maybe part of it is just how leaps-and-bounds better AC2 is than AC1 that it’s easy to be more forgiving of any blemishes. I suppose that could be it. But then again, it could just simply be that a good game is a good game... I’m inclined to think that’s probably the case here.

Grade: A-

Note: I don’t recommend playing any of the Assassin’s Creed games unless you have an Xbox360 controller (or equivalent-featured gamepad). The AC games have complicated control schemes and were clearly designed with controllers in mind, so proceed with mouse/keyboard at your own risk.

Assassin’s Creed II is what the original Assassin’s Creed should have been. With the inner workings of an engine already in place and two years to work with, the developers were able to produce a game that proves the potential of the series. AC2 successfully builds on the formula that was established in the first game and manages to improve upon what worked and fix most of what didn’t. The story picks up where the original left off, with Desmond Miles (and some new allies) on the run from the Templars. But this time he’s going back into the Animus willingly to re-live the memories of another ancestor, an Assassin named Ezio Auditore, in order to brush up on the Assassin skills that he’ll need for the battle ahead. Ezio’s story takes place in 15th century Renaissance Italy, primarily in the cities of Florence, Forli, and Venice. The environments are, as usual, the most interesting element in the game. The sheer scope of the cities and all of the activity going on within is amazing. Just exploring the city, climbing buildings, etc is pretty fun in and of itself, but what you actually get to do in those cities is what elevates AC2 so far above its predecessor. The missions are no longer a series of boring identical tasks cranked out of some tedium factory. Instead, there is a huge variety of mission types and new game mechanics to go along with them. You now have the ability to blend into crowds at will, hire groups to assist you, and much more. Another welcome change is the addition of a “notoriety” system, where you gain notoriety by performing suspicious or illegal actions. Guards will typically only attack you on sight if your notoriety is high or if they see you doing something illegal. This is a huge and most welcome change from the first game, where you’d end up being attacked for the most ridiculous of things (you know... atrocities such as walking too fast). Combat is also improved from the first game. Although it’s still ultimately really easy, it remains fun due to the sheer variety of things you can do (there are lots of different weapons to try and a whole series of new techniques). In addition to the main quest, there is also a ton of other stuff to do. Dozens of optional side missions are available, as well as a series of levels that take place in unique environments that utilize the free-running and platforming elements of the game to great effect (think Prince of Persia style tombs). There is also a “home base” Villa area that you can spend time upgrading and exploring if you wish. Doing so awards you with income that can be used to buy further improvements, more weapons, paintings, etc. This can potentially add hours of playtime and is completely optional. Such is the scope of this game. Perhaps my favorite “extra” bit this game offers is a sub-quest dubbed "The Truth". Hidden throughout the environments are glyphs that grant access to a series of puzzles, that when solved, unlock tiny portions of a mysterious video (which, when fully decoded, truly expands the mythology underlying the whole series). What really makes all of these elements come together so well is the main character of Ezio. He is just a likeable guy and is fun to play as. It’s really as simple as that. All in all, it’s hard to ask much more from a sequel. While yes, there are still some flaws here and there, there was nothing that ruined the experience for me to any large degree. Maybe part of it is just how leaps-and-bounds better AC2 is than AC1 that it’s easy to be more forgiving of any blemishes. I suppose that could be it. But then again, it could just simply be that a good game is a good game... I’m inclined to think that’s probably the case here. Grade: A- Note: I don’t recommend playing any of the Assassin’s Creed games unless you have an Xbox360 controller (or equivalent-featured gamepad). The AC games have complicated control schemes and were clearly designed with controllers in mind, so proceed with mouse/keyboard at your own risk.