Customer Reviews

Assassin's Creed II - Platinum Hits edition

5 star:		(230)
4 star:		(84)
3 star:		(20)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Assassins Creed 2 - Circa 2009

GOOD:
- A good story mixes elements of historical fiction and a Sci-Fi epic.
- Really impressive graphics and first-rate animations, that looks just as good as games like Uncharted 2 on PS3 and Gears of War 2 on 360.
- The game world is even bigger then the last one (it really rivals games like Fallout 3) also IF taking a horse across the land still takes too long some times don't worry there are warp points now as well.
- In the first Assassin's Creed there was about 5 different mission types (chase someone, pickpocket someone, save someone from getting beat up, spy on targets, and then stealth kill, ect) in Assassin's Creed 2 there is like 15 different mission types now from all out battles, trailing a targets, beating up unfaithful husbands and lots of different types of stealth killing also all the old types in Assassins Creed 1 are here as well.
- You have a better opportunity to be a more cunning assassin now due to newer weapons, techniques, and skills.
- You can now swim, no more letting water be your foe heck you can even drive gondolas if you wanted.
- like the first title this one has great sound track too that mixes music of the era during the clam points of the game and more modern type of music during the chase points of the game.

BAD:
- Some small problems from the first are still there - although they are a lot more minor now like some times roof top running (parkour) can be a tad sloppy in a tense situations and you'll get killed (small camera problems). (I didn't really see this in my play through but some people have told me it happens so I am letting you know here)
- Losing that cool sword: you have the ability to disarm enemies and kill them with their own weapons now (this never gets old) - BUT - you also drop you own original sword in the process making you having to dig among the bodies to find it again and hope it's not lost. ::UPDATE:: I put this wrong it seems, you never lose your weapons when doing a disarm attack (it yes it never gets old); you only seem to lose your weapon when a stronger enemy (usually a knight in a suit of armor) knocks it outta your hand, and this is still a bit rare. Then you would have to find your weapon though or pick up a new one later.
- Too much Money? When you first start the game money is a bit hard to come by and weapons/armor are pretty expensive, while this can be a bit frustrating at first it builds gameplay and gives you goals outside of the missions to work towards. Now after you play for few hours and missions give you better pay and you fully upgrade your villa/town (this will automatically give you tons of free money; sorta like owning property in Fable 2 or GTA: Vice City) money becomes a non issue. Then getting paid at the end of missions seems pointless as well as doing Templar Secret location missions, which while fun, the entire point is to find a treasure room for yet more now pointless money. Anyways a few hours into the game and the in-game economy is broken to the point were you feel they should have done like Assassins Creed 1 and never had in-game money and just give you all your weapons/items based on mission progress.

IF IT FITS YOUR TASTE:
- A Stealth/action game set during the late 15th century and early 16th Italian Renaissance. You play as a man who becomes an Assassin in order to carry out revenge of his family.
- You spend more time in the Animus and less time as Desmond over all.
- The control is broken down mainly into two areas of gameplay there is a passive action and an aggressive action to almost everything you can do in the game. For example you can lightly tap people to move out of your way while walking down crowed the street (hold the B button to do this) or shove people as you run down that same street (hold the R button and the B button to do this). This duality applies to all your actions and it becomes necessary because during the game you must be able to move freely between these two states (passive and aggressive) to run and then hide from people the out to get you as well as to sneak up on and kill your victims.
- You can now hire help like as body guards to protect with you might or street-walkers to use their bodies to distract armed guards.
- Lot of what you will be doing is climbing and jumping from buildings this plays similar to the Prince of Persia games also made by ubisoft (the sands of time series). Although in this game the controls are more streamlined and user friendly as you can climb way more effectively as well as more realistically (even more then the first game).
- In the first game most of the gameplay is not so much assassinating people but gathering Intel on your targets. This game retains some of that but expands on the concept so much you'll never think you're doing busy work (like the first) and you have a lot more big kill targets as well.
- Combat has been refined by adding things like hammers, clubs, smoke bombs, and the hidden (now dual) assassin blades of course, plus you can steal enemies' weapons and use it against them too. The combat has a bit more over all intelligent flow from the first game, although it builds on that idea.
- Mix up you clothing colors by buy buying dyes for you outfit (in colors like red, green, and black) as well as unlocking new capes for your character. Also buy things like health potions, poisons, new weapons, new armor, and even treasure maps and famous paintings for your villa.
- You even get a villa (which is basically works like a small personal town) which you can upgrade by renting out space to local store owners and then getting goods (the main house seems to be the only place you can swap weapons and armor apparently).

GAME ITS MOST ASSOCATED TOO:
- Assassins Creed (360/PS3/PC)
- Grand Theft Auto 4 (360/PS3)
- HitMan: Blood Money (360)
- Prince of Persia (Xbox/PS2)
- Metal Gear Solid 4 (PS3)

ADDITIONAL NOTES:
- Ezio the star of Assassins Creed 2 is related to Altaďr of the first game and Desmond is related to both of them
- Assassin's Creed: Lineage, a small set of mini movies (with real actors and CG effects) telling the story leading up to Assassins Creed 2 about Ezio's father (who was also an Assassin). These movies are made by Ubisoft and are found on the internet for free - so go see them.
- Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines (starting Altaďr of the first game) is a PSP game with Connectivity with the PS3 version of this game that can unlock six exclusive and unique weapons in Assassins Creed 2.
- The game skips chapters 12 and 13 - These chapters come in as two downloads for this game. One called The Battle of Forlì and the other called Bonfire of the Vanities. There is also a version of the download Bonfire of the Vanities which comes with the three bonus missions (more Templar Secret locations) previously only found on the limited edition version of Assassins Creed 2.
- At the start screen of Assassin Creed 2 (and also in Splinter Cell: Conviction) you'll see an option of something called Uplay. Uplay is a systems set up by Ubisoft to give players who unlock achievements/trophies in this game bounces for playing Assassins Creed 2. Some things you can unlock in Assassins Creed 2 are a theme for your Xbox 360 or PS3, more throwing knifes for your character, or even unlocking Altaďr's assassins robes from Assassins Creed 1 (which is really cool), and even a new secret assassins tomb under your villa/town.

I haven't finished this game yet, but I guess I better make my review before too many 1 star idiots show up and destroy the reputation of a brilliant game.

If you enjoyed the first game for the great story line and graphics, but found the game play to be a little repetitive and glitchy, you should definitely like this game. Ubisoft really managed to keep everything that was brilliant from the first game while fixing most of the issues and annoyances.

The scenery is still brilliant and the characters in the cut scenes look so realistic that sometimes it felt like I was watching a movie. The voice acting is also brilliantly done; both of these aspects really help suck you into the excellent story that this game gives.

The combat system is much improved from the first game; as soon as you get DaVinci to repair your "wrist blade" contraption, you can start stabing unsuspecting guards in the neck....even more fun than it sounds.

The game starts out a little slow; you'll be beating people up a lot, but you don't get any weapons for a little while. This is all part of building a great story though, so don't give up on it too early (the blood will come).

If you didn't play the first game, you might want to rent it or at least read an story overview online. The game presents a few back story cutscenes, but if you didn't play AC1, you might feel that the story is lacking a little. It is after all a continuation from the first game.

Game ratings:
Graphics: 10/10
Audio: 10/10
voice acting: 10/10
Combat System: 10/10
Controls: 9/10 (Sometimes I jump up on something when it's not what I intended; however, this is what allows you to scale building and run around so fast and easily, so it's an acceptable consequence. Once you get a good handle on the controls, this shouldn't be a big issue)

All in all, I think that this was the sequel I was hoping for and I'm eager to finish it and see where the story goes.

Don't usually review games this early in play, but I hate seeing 1 star reviews already bashing it and bringing down the rating. It's a shame to see such a great game with an overall 3.5 star rating.

14Dec2009
Update:

I've since finished playing this game and I have to say, "Wow"! It was just great all the way through, and kept me wanting more. My only gripe would be a little bit of a rehash for the repetitive game play people loathed in the first game. If you don't collect all of those codec's, it will make you before you can finish the game. Don't worry though; they'll give you a map that tells you where they are at least. I'm still a little disappointed that I have to collect them at all though; it's all too familiar with what I hated about the first game.

Despite the few repetitive monotonous game play tasks that surface, the game is most excellent. The story gets pretty crazy, but in a good way. Some things are explained, but many mysteries surface. Overall though, much better ending that the first game that didn't leave me feeling as confused and empty. It definitely should leave you wanting more; too bad I have to wait two years to finish the story...at least Mass Effect 2 will be coming out, and of course there's still COD.

One question though: In this game it's explained that you'll learn to become an assassin in real life from the simulation you go through. How is it that you didn't learn squat the in the first game? Apart from eagle vision that is. I thought it was a cool aspect to incorperate into the game, but it's never really explained how you didn't learn to fight from playing as Altier. Just wondering.

The first AC was a great game that suffered from overambition on the part of the developer. Even AC 1's most diehard fans will admit that there were some pretty deep flaws in the game. With AC 2, the developers have actually justified that ambition. AC 2 is exactly what a sequel should be: more things to do, an even deeper story, and more weapons and equipment. There are a lot of great additions to the game that give it a pseudo-rpg feel: you can buy weapons and armor, and also upgrade them, as well as visit doctors and buy medicine. The developers hit it spot on by choosing the Italian Renaissance. Theres no other game that will let you run pretty much freely through famous Italian cities at the height of their glory, much less meet Leonardo da Vinci. But hey, its just a game. Another thing is that the graphics are absolutely fantastic, and this is from someone who almost exclusively plays pc games. With all the great improvements in AC 2, I will have to put a word of warning: even with all the new additions, It plays pretty much exactly like the first game, and I have to say that if you didn't enjoy the first game, then there isnt much that can change your mind about this one. However, for fans of the series, this game really couldnt be any better.

Even with all the high profile games that came out this year and especially this fall, one that I seemed to want the most was Assassin's Creed II despite my hate/love with the original. Like many, I thought the original had a great concept, looked stunning and seemed to at least break the mold of action games only it got bogged down by repetition and an open world that wasn't quite as open as one would like and let's not forget those ****ing flags. Taking the complaints and suggestions from fans and critics into account, Ubisoft seemed to go all out in presenting a game that felt more bigger and better than the first game but then the crux of the matter is did Ubisoft just deliver what the first one should've been or actually went beyond? Well this game shows that there is legs in this series and whereas the sequel to the first one was inevitable just in terms of sales, this looks like it has the makings to be an actually worthwhile franchise as a whole and it starts here...with nitpicks I hope they fix.

Story: You once again "control" Desmond, a bartender turned captive by Abstergo Corporation who's using him to locate the Pieces of Eden, mythical artifacts tied to mythology and history. When him and technician Lucy Stillman break out, they bring him back into the past via a new Animus into the life of Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an Italian living in 1476. After his father and brothers are betrayed and executed, Ezio becomes an Assassin and takes to the streets of Florence, Venice and many other places to track down the conspirators behind his family's death and how it ties into Desmond's struggle in the future.

One thing I will say about the story is that 2 things: one, they definately changed the structure of the game and it's no longer repetitive and some missions do take a different take and give you a lot more options to proceed. Not to mention the story is a lot more engaging and while I was at times concerning the many, many names that pop up and figuring out who was the last dude I had to kill versus who's actually a friend, it's a more compelling story and when it combines mythology, paintings and historical photographs, it's a really cool storyline they got set up.

Graphics: Can't fault Ubisoft in the graphics department and like this, Far Cry 2 or Prince of Persia, they have a really great idea for amazing looking visuals and it goes right down to the architecture and I wouldn't be surprised if they recreated Florence or Venice perfectly. Character detail is good, animations during parkour are fluid and certain graphical details such as the "glitches" you'll occasionally spot look awesome. As far as actual glitches or bugs, I barely ran into any and if there was, I didn't catch them. My one complaint is that the "countryside" areas where it's more forest and meadows look a bit too barren and not really full so to speak.

Sound/Music: An absolutely stellar soundtrack with some really haunting and peaceful themes playing throughout and the more dramatic or action-y moments are nicely done. Voice acting as well is spot-on with many voice actors actually sounding like they're from the era and place as opposed to Altair's odd American-sounding accent and it's not the fumble that was Far Cry 2's voice acting. As far as sounds are concerned, everything works and the annoying comments when you climb buildings ("what's he doing, he gone mad?") have been toned down so that they're no longer heard EVERY time you climb something. Oh and I'd recommend playing with subtitles because characters have this habit of switching between English and Italian very frequently.

Gameplay: While the basics are the same, there's been so many improvements it might be hard to replay the previous game since you don't get access to the new parts. For one combat has been improved and counter kills have now given way to disarming opponents and using their own weapon against them, double assassinations, smoke bombs for easy getaways or poisoning them so they go crazy on nearby NPC's. Don't want to fight anyone and slip by unnoticed? Hire courtesans to distract them, thieves to lure them away or mercs to fight for you. Not to mention there's a lot more added missions with the familiar races but also there's assassination contracts, courier missions, beat-em-up parts where you pummel cheaters and many others. As far as collecting is concerned, there is some of that found in the feathers but there's only 100 as opposed to 100 in each city but then we have glyphs. Uncover a building and find an icon and you'll see somewhere on the building is a glyph, strange markings easily found by using Eagle Vision and scanning them prompts a really intriguing story about Subject 16 where you decode messages, find clues embedded in photographs are doing some riddle solving. While some are really taxing, they're kind of fascinating. Oh and found in Italy are assassin's tombs, basically a mixture of Prince of Persia-esque platforming sections and some combat where you'll uncover treasure; find all 6 and you'll get a cool gift as opposed to just an achievement/trophy and that's it.

Another added element is the idea of money. Remember those "please sir I'm poor and sick and hungry, just a few coins!" women from the first game? Well remember how you never actually had money to give her and you just had to push her away or if you were feeling devilish, stab her? Well now there is money (though no beggar women, though there's these lute players that get on my nerves) and they can be spent on upgrades such as better armor, better weapons, replenish your poison blades, smoke bombs, buy paintings or tint your cape. Buying paintings or upgrading your villa, a sort of central hub of sorts, will give you more money and like most sim games, depending on how awesome your villa is and the more visitors you attract, the more money you make. One element that isn't as successful is the idea of notoreity. Do more killing and bad stuff than the city can tolerate (which isn't much) and the guards will be more suspicious of you so while before they're a bit more suspect of you, at full notoreity they'll practically want to kill you on sight. How do you bring it down? Find posters that no guard would see, kill officials that don't exactly run that fast or bribe heralds and naysayers instead of...I don't know, roughing them up mafia-style and threatening to break their knees?

My one complaint about the game and it's a somewhat big one is the controls. I don't know if Ezio is too sensitive or he needs too precise commands but at times you'll find yourself swearing at him for doing something you never intended to do. He'll drop and hang from a ledge when you intend to jump, he'll run up walls when you intended to go into a door should your aim be off and most unfortunate, he can fall and sometimes to his death because he decided to jump off a building instead of up it. It's of course fun to do the parkour elements but to drop completely to the bottom of the streets cause of a missed jump or not judging the distance right can be frustrating. Oh and while it's a welcome change from Altair's snail pace, the parkour elements up a building are a tad unbelievable and athletic ability aside, you'd wonder how the hell Ezio can even climb half of this stuff at the speed he does. Oh but on that note? Ezio can finally swim and while he can't go underwater and dive like Mario, he can actually go in the water and even use boats as transports though rooftop travelling tends to be faster.

For those of you curious, I bought the Master Assassin's Edition so I'll detail what was in it. Found first inside of course is the game but it comes with a bonud DVD where you can listen to tracks from the soundtrack, watch trailers and developer diaries but the soundtrack looks slightly skimpy for a game this size and the "Part One" with no inclusion of any others bugs me. Oh and the developer diaries were far more numerous online than what we have here. Underneath that is the really cool artbook showcasing weapon detail, character designs and concept art for the cities. Still doesn't beat the Fallout 3 book for me but it's a notable one nonetheless. And of course under that is the Ezio figurine with some cool details and in a pose like seen on the cover. He's not posable but meh, it'll do. Included also in the game is 2 "bonus" areas: basically at a certain part in the game, an icon will appear on your map marked a "templar lair" and these are basically obstacle course type levels which'll yield a nice big cash sum at the end. Nothing completely awesome like new weapon or different armor but they're cool nonetheless. Also, in a welcome move on Ubisoft's part, apparently these areas will be made available for download sometime later as opposed to "either pre-order it or you'll never get it" offers given by other developers.

Is it my Game of the Year? Hard to say given the sheer amount of great games that came out this year but I'll say I definately enjoyed playing the game issues aside and would love to say a part III very soon.

I am an old school PC Gamer. I recently got an XBOX 360 for the Kinetic for my daughter. I have to say the Assassins' Creed series is some of the most beautifully done games I have ever played. I am a big fan of the Tomb Raider games but I have to say these are better. The graphics are phenomenal; the openness of the game is excellent. I sat for hours just roaming around admiring the work that was put into the detail of the game. With a second one in the series so inexpensive now, if you don't have it, you owe it to yourself to get it.

Let's keep it brief. I paid $50 for this game. I am happy with the price I paid for the game I got. Seeing it for $40 does make me wish I'd waited. If you're reading this in the future when the game is at $60 again, don't buy it (assuming Skynet hasn't become self-aware and set about launching our nukes to end humanity in global nuclear war--in that case this review is meaningless and you are the resistance). It's not worth $60. It is definitely worth $40. BUY, BUY, BUY!!

The controls take some getting used to and the camera will randomly shift and won't move (usually during platforming sections inside tombs--it is intentional, not a glitch); awkward and unexpected camera angles and shifts also cause the direction you were currently moving to be the opposite, so your character turns around like a retard right in the middle of something important. This isn't often, but it's annoying. Controls get 3.5 hops in the wrong direction... out of 5.

Graphically, the game is pretty impressive. Italy looks great, especially the cities, though it is a shame that you can't interact with more stuff (why does the Ezio disarm a guard, kill him with the weapon, then force you to drop the weapon??). The real landmarks look polished, but the cities often seem very similar. The countryside environments just outside the cities look generally bland with little to explore and nothing interesting going on. Pop-up is annoying at times, too. The majority of the time you will be moving slowly enough, or skipping along rooftops where there is isn't a ton of detail, thus no need for pop-up. It's moving along the ground when you'll notice this the most. The game just looks really good... good enough for me to give the visuals 4 randomly appearing shrubs... out of 5.

As for the voice-overs and sound effects, they're good. There's really not much to say about them, because honestly, unless they're just plain terrible or annoying, who really cares. My copy of the game skips some parts of the audio during cut-scenes--maybe it's just my copy, maybe it isn't. For this reason, I give the audio 3 inaudible lips... out of 5.

The game's story is fairly convoluted. Everyone having some Italian name that you'll forget 5 minutes after hearing it, and couldn't pronounce when reading the character info, will make an already convoluted story even harder to follow. Still, the conspiracy stuff is entertaining... and you feel like maybe you'll understand it by the time you unlock your character's final memories. But here's all you really need to know: You're an assassin and you kill people.

There are a lot of things to collect in this game, models, statues, seals, feathers, weapon upgrades, etc. All this stuff will either keep you busy for several extra hours or will just be something you ignore. Some of the stuff is seemingly useless, like spending your in-game cash on paintings, but it's required to complete your villa... and several achievements award collecting. If you decide to run through the game, you'll probably finish it in 18-20 hours; if you decide to collect everything, play through side missions, hunt for treasure and explore--AKA playing the game (if you're just going to run through it, why buy it? that's what GameFly is for)--you'll easily double that. Spend $40, play 40 hours... do the math... that's a dollar per hour, Not bad. Overall, I give this game 4 satisfying air assassinations... out of 5... but DON'T pay $60 for it. Get it on SALE and on SALE ONLY.

OK, this wasn't so brief. Whatever.

This game is great. Realize that it came out a while ago, and that if you would be better off with AC Brotherhood than this one, because Brotherhood, if I had to summarize really quick, is this game with better graphics and a more complex player experience.

Pros:
- Great graphics for its time (not so much nowadays)
- A definte step up from AC1 in terms of complexity (of missions, environment, activites, etc)
- Very good deal at $20

Cons:
- If you've played ACB, this is basically a watered-down version.

I think buying ANY game that costs more than $40 is pointless. This is a game I would be willing to pay $40 for, not a mere $20! Buy it, I'm sure you won't regret it. :)

This game is purely amazing I got the game about a month after its release and I am still playnig. YOu dont have to play the first one to start the series in fact you should start with this game. the story is amazing. I wont say much but you will be awed by it.its slow at the first maybe 30mins-1hr begining. but after the first sequence you will have some real fun. this game is for a slightly skilled gamer or about 13 year olds, you dont need to be a mlg to play this game. the sound track is awesome but its also fun to listen to with mordern hard rock if your on a templar murder streak. the counters are absolutly vicious. even the beging ones are hardcore. you will spend about 30-45hrs if you are going to do everything. you will have so much fun. but a warning to mothers there is a huge blood factor but you can turn the blood off, the languge is harsh but about 95%is in italian and you can turn subtitles off , and finally there is one 'sex scene'(I use that term loosely) in the 4th mission. you do is is press a button to kiss then anathor to take her clothes off then the last to blow out the candle all and you see is her back.this is one of the funnest out there right now. Buy This RIGHT NOW

When the first Assassin's Creed was released, it was preceded by a mountain of hype and high promises that proclaimed that this was to be the game to revolutionize everything that followed. After all the tech demos and previews of the game that were shown, I certainly had no room to disagree. It look absolutely marvelous. And when it was released, it still looked marvelous, but it played too much like the tech demo that we'd all seen.

After a few hours of a convoluted story, repetitive missions, gameplay hindered by lack of polish (not to mention the middle-eastern protagonist speaking with an American accent...somehow!) I put the game down and never picked it up again. I am very glad it was only a rental.

Two years and an onslaught of mediocre reviews later, ASSASSIN'S CREED 2 is unleashed upon the masses. Needless to say, even though I am a big fan of the Renaissance Era, I waited for the first volley of reviews before I went out and bought this game.

ASSASSIN'S CREED 2 not only redeems its predecessor's many follies, but it is most definitely one of the best games of the year.

You are once again playing as Desmond Miles playing through the memories of his ancestors. This particular ancestor is Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a citizen of Italy during the Renaissance Era. After members of his family are executed by way of betrayal, Ezio takes up his birthright and begins to walk the path of his father in becoming an Assassin.

The STORY, after everything is said and done, is amazing. It's thick with superb characterization, surprising plot-twists, and a conspiracy that's so intricate and spans so many centuries, it would probably give LOST a run for it's money. I came to love Ezio's character (as opposed to loathing Altair) and how he changes so much from the time he takes his first life, to when his story comes to an end. And since you are learning many techniques along with him, you will feel as though you are growing as he grows.

The WORLD through which Ezio skips through is probably one of the best sandbox-type worlds I've seen; rivaling OBLIVION, FALLOUT 3, and GTA IV in both scale and design. Just from what I know, everything is as close to historically accurate as it can get. Buildings such as Il Duomo look and feel as big as they should be. There are five different cities (including the one you come to own) and each feels so grand in scale that it's hard to believe that there are others just as big in one game. Renaissance Italy has never looked so good.

The GAMEPLAY is better than it ever was. You are given an array of weapons to use against your targets, including: a sword, dagger, throwing knives, smoke bombs, poisons, and even money. And since the world is so organic, you aren't limited to just chopping your way through each mission. Whether it be stealth, brute force, or distraction, you will have many ways to accomplish each mission and side-mission. And with the much-praised freerunning system, even more ways are opened up.

On top of this, you are given control of your own city. Yeah! All of the weapons, paintings (keep in mind, these are Renaissance paintings) and armor pieces that you buy are put on display here in brilliant fashion. You can also restore shops and certain locations within this city, which will bring in more foot-traffic that will add to the wealth of your town. It won't be long before the gloomy and boarded-up mansion that you take over becomes something more akin to a palace.

The COMBAT is fairly simple, if that can be called a detriment. There's one button to attack and one to counter. It seems like it could get boring really fast, but I've been playing the game for nearly 30 hours now and I've yet to sigh out of frustration over an encounter with the guards. It feels fresh every time, and the kill sequences are brutal and bloody to behold. It will definitely not get old, unlike other games like Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

If I had to say anything CRITICAL, it would be that the game is slightly too easy. Once you're done with the game, you should breeze through any achievements that you have left over, which leaves you with very little to do after the game is finished. Of course, there are a multitude of different side-missions (such as assassination missions, races, events where your goal is to beat the crap out of someone) but once you finish the game and upgrade your villa, there is little reason to actually go through and finish any of them. They all just equate to more money, which you will have more than enough of by the end of the game.

And while the cities are near-perfect in their construction, the countrysides, while still gorgeous, are absolutely dull to walk through. There's nothing to really interact with and it all feels more like a background than anything else. I would've liked to see an environment more like in OBLIVION, where I didn't care that I had to walk clear across the map.

In the third game, I would definitely like more of a challenge that would equate to some really good rewards and some very difficult achievements to complete. Collecting feathers is not difficult, just time-consuming. I hope that this is changed in the third game.

In the end, ASSASSIN'S CREED 2 managed to fulfill every promise that it's predecessor put forth, and improved on those promises tenfold. This is a fun and beautiful game that should not be passed up. I've never played a sequel (besides maybe Fallout 3: Game of The Year Edition) that changed up its own formula so much for the better. When studios like Ubisoft make so much money from one game, there is usually very little reason to go in a new direction with their IP (I'm looking at you, HALO 3), but so much has changed in this world inside the head of Desmond Miles, and it's changed for the better.

I'm already eagerly awaiting ASSASSIN'S CREED 3 to see what age we'll be visiting next, but hopefully this isn't the last we'll hear from Ezio Auditore da Firenze.

"It'sa me! Mario!" Bless them for that little homage. xD

Wheres the story line? I get revenge within the first 30 minutes. I then kill all his associates, and then kill all the associates' associates. No one even knows why I'm killing them anymore not even me! I'm just waiting for a cutscene where the assisinated guy says "who are you, why are you killing me", and i respond " Your 3rd cousins wife's best friend's son had lunch with the guy that murdered my father"

Also the gameplay is incredibly imbalanced. I can kill any number of guards, anytime i want. Stealth is not necessary, everyone falls to my might. This is in stark contrast to games like Grand Theft auto where if i do enough bad deeds, helicopters come in and im generally dead. The helicopters force you to not be incredibly evil all the time. Assassins creed lacks this! I can kill whoever i want whenever i want. It makes the gameplay so unsatisfying b/c i never have to pay for my actions unless i kill too many civilians and the game restarts.

This game is fun for a couple hours, but i cant put up with the lack of storyline and repetitive gameplay to give this game anything more than 3 stars