Assassin's Creed II Story
The story has had some of the biggest improvements thus far. For those not familiar with the game's story, the player is a 20th century character by the name of Desmond Miles. Desmond has been kidnapped by the modern-day face of the world-controlling Knights Templar, and is forced to relive the memory of his ancestors, stored within his DNA, via a machine called the Animus, which forces Desmond to relive his ancestor's lives.
Having escaped from his sci-fi loving captors, Desmond plugs back into the Animus controlled by his new assassin friends. Instead of going to the Holy Land, the setting of the first game, Desmond is transported to 15th century Renaissance Florence. There, Desmond's ancestor, the hot-headed Ezio Auditore da Firenze, embarks on the road to becoming an assassin.
While not giving away more than the basic premise, this game does a much better job of integrating the world of Desmond's memories with his own 20th century situation. Recurring characters from the first game are more defined, while new characters, such as the protagonist Ezio, are better defined and overall more likable. While the first game's hero, Altaïr Ibn la-Ahad, is both stoic and unknowable, Ezio's story and personality draws players in.
Villains, too, have more interesting personalities in A.C. II. Many of the villain's of this game are not too deeply drawn due to the fact that multiple assassinations occur during the game, thus limiting face time; however, compared to the first game this aspect at least offers a stronger motivation for seeing the dastardly deeds punished.
Assassin's Creed II Improved Gameplay
The main assassinations are longer than in the previous game. As Zero Punctuation commented on it's review the first game, "Faffing About Creed" was not as catchy a title, but better described the breakdown of time spent on side quests compared to the assassinations. The extened time spent on the game's eponymous killings alone makes the game worth picking up for a spin.
The implementation of a monetary system brings with it the customization of your character, which is a refreshing change from the first game, where the weapons changed little, and any upgrades were given only as the game progressed past certain checkpoints. While these are not limitless, a little goes a long way in keeping gameplay, especially special move cut scenes with various weapons, fresh and interesting for its 20 or so hours of gameplay.
How Ubisoft's Improved Setting and Atmosphere
The cities were a great part of Assassin's Creed I, though they were not particularly diverse. The Italian cities of Assassin's Creed II are more colorful than their Jerusalem Crusade-era counterparts, giving all the cities a more living feel. The detail work is masterfully done on the buildings as well as the expressions on Ezio's face.
The score, which can be heard in small part here, is invigorating. Alternating between mellow to bombastic depending on the player's current actions, it moves along with the story and gameplay superbly. The game's acting is improved dramatically, too, with characters speaking in appropriate Florentine accents, and even injecting the occasional humorous line, lightening the tone considerably.
Issues to Assassin's Creed 2
The game, while excellent in many ways, is not without fault. Controls can still be unreliable, causing players to send Ezio hurtling off buildings to land uncomfortably on the ground below. The game's b-story in present day, while better integrated to the overall plot, may be too heavy on the science fiction for some players.
The missions are better paced than in the first game, but repetition makes Assassin's Creed II feel sluggish. The game's AI still suffers from the daftness of the first game, and players looking for a challenge may end up disappointed that the game doesn't deliver on difficulty. These problems, while always present, aren't enough to destroy the game as a whole.
Overall, Assassin's Creed II delivers on much of the promise from the first game. It's story and setting has improved vastly, and while gameplay improvements have been made, it seems that parts of the prequel's model made it back in without correction. The game's improvements are enough to warrant playing, and is definitely a step up for a series with big potential.
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