Assassin's Creed 2

[Xeio]

*sneaks in by blending with the local inhabitants*

Anyway... anyone noticing weirdness with the eyes? It just seems that occasionally in cutscenes the bloom goes crazy and makes someones eyes light up like a lightbulb, it's kinda freaky.

*goes back to stabbing people, then throwing their bodies off rooftops*

[Phen]

How is it? I'm holding off until I hear some reviews - and until the damn thing is ported to PC - since I'm not sure I trust the few user-submitted ones on gamefaqs yet.
Maybe I'll play the first one in solidarity.

[LTK]

I didn't play the first one, but if they say that Creed 2 is what the first one should have been, I might play this. Hopefully the PC port won't be shit. I haven't played any of Ubisoft's games, though, so I don't know if their PC games are any good.

Wait, have I really never played a PC game by Ubisoft? Well, there are Far Cry and Myst V, but they're both published by them, not developed... Hmm.

[pseudoidiot]

I'm guessing if you liked the first one you'll probably enjoy this one.

For me, I became bored with #2 even faster than I did with the first one. It just didn't entertain me at all, which sucks because I think the engine itself is pretty awesome. Oh, well.

[Amnesiasoft]

I felt Assassin's Creed 2 fixed everything that was wrong with the first game. The only real problem I've had with it was I don't like where the story seems to be going from the very end portion of the game

[Makosel]

I'm guessing if you liked the first one you'll probably enjoy this one.

For me, I became board with #2 even faster than I did with the first one. It just didn't entertain me at all, which sucks because I think the engine itself is pretty awesome. Oh, well.

I'm finding it the other way round, addicted to AC2 yet AC1 I was glad my brother brought it not me.

The whole game just feels more complete, the controls in the first one felt sloppy to me when free running and occasionally in combat.

[EmptySet]

I've tried it at a games expo, though I haven't played it extensively, and what I saw did not impress me. The graphics are slightly shinier. The combat system seems to be the same, and still rests on the "wait for guards to attack you one by one, then press the counter button" system, though there are a few new animations. The running around portion also seems largely the same, with a few minor additions, such as swimming. They do seem to have eliminated the "walk very slowly with your hands folded" stealth technique in favour of "walk in a bunch of people so you don't stand out", which is quite the improvement, but still... It just strikes me as being more of the same. There are certainly some improvements, and it's better than the first, but if you found the original a bit repetitive - as I did - I suspect this one will feel all too familiar.

[remo451]

I definitely like AC2 a lot more than the original. There are still some frustrating things in AC2 (like trying to jump through a "course"-thing under pressure, hit the d-pad slightly too far to one direction, and jump to your death and have to redo everything), but overall it is a better experience.

I found the storyline to be very interesting. I love history and I could recognize some key people in the plot. Although it might sound cliché, I thought the family's-death-revenge plot in AC2 to be easier to connect with than Alair's motive for the assassinations in the first game.

Is it just me or is the dagger's role downplayed compared to in the first game? I found that I used the dagger a lot more often in the first game than I did the second. Having dual hidden blades with later attachments made the dagger useless.

[ProZac]

A few questions for those that have played the game.
Is the battle system still "wait for the right time to press button"? It wasn't terrible in the first, but it definitely wasn't that great.

Can you climb/get around faster? The slow climbing speed was annoying when trying to scale large buildings. Infamous did that right, with being able to quickly hop up them (I really don't care about the 'realism').

Can you actually run around now? I swear, the fact that running by a guard would identify you as an assassin was the part I hated most in the first game. Or just how easily they would identify you in general. No one in that time was ever in a hurry? There was once I was walking through the streets past a guard. At this moment, a guard on the roof above me decided it was a good time to jump off, and therefore die. The guard I was walking by then decided I was an assassin, b/c his friend committed suicide.

Lastly, the story. The ending (if you can even call it that) of the first pissed me off. I don't think I've ever played a game with a more vague/disatisfying ending. If the second is going to be the same way, I'll pass.

[LTK]

Hey look, Zero Punctuation reviews AC2. Ignore how his voice is different.

[Xeio]

Hrmmmm, so I finished it... What the fuck indeed.

[aleflamedyud]

I felt Assassin's Creed 2 fixed everything that was wrong with the first game. The only real problem I've had with it was I don't like where the story seems to be going from the very end portion of the game

Yeah, really, it went from a complex philosophical meditation that left you to think for yourself at the end of the first game to a Stargate rehash at the end of the second.

[grythyttan]

I've begun playing it and so far I've enjoyed most of it. As said, it's now possible to run around in front of guards without them trying to murder you. And there seems to be more variety in the sidequests.

The most groanworthy part I've encountered so far is when you meet your uncle Mario who greets you in an Italian accent with:

"Don't you remember me? It's-a me Mario!"

[Numquam]

I thought the first one was boring after about the 5th assassination - each one was very similar, with the same gathering of intelligence, ect, little stealth, ect.

I thoroughly enjoy the second one, however, each of the assassinations is more interesting and the new inventory system and weapons are all fun to use. The campaign is more intriguing, and all of the assassinations are original enough to keep me interested. The side quests are also far more interesting.

[Otis]

I quite enjoy the game. My biggest gripe though is that there isn't as much of a sense of urgency when being chased by guards. In the first one I recall moments when I was jumping all over the freaking Middle East with the fuzz hot on my trail but in this one I'll have at most three guards chasing me and I can just turn around, knife them, and walk away. I haven't quite finished the game yet but considering the amount of crap Ezio is stirring up you'd think the guards would be all over him.

Other than that though I'm really having a good time with it. The ability to jump down on someone to assassinate them as well as pull people over the edge of a building were really nice touches. That's hours of entertainment right there.

[Thrillho]

I think this game is a very clear improvement over the last one. While I thoroughly enjoyed playing the original, I feel that AC2 has polished off so much, made it more realistic, and just made it more enjoyable overall. For one, I couldn't stand how repetitive the first game was. Enter a new zone, save civilians, pickpocket some guy, eavesdrop on others, then stab someone. Repeat 8 times. It got really bad when I insisted on completing every zone completely before assassinating the target (all viewpoints, citizens, scholars, and other information-gathering events). In AC2, you can skip all that, and just follow the main quest as quickly or slowly as you want.

Because of all the side missions, equipment, money, and other goodies, the game has far more of a RPG-esque feel, one that I definitely enjoy. That, and I think Ezio is far more ballin' than Altair.

[Ivora]

Umm... do I need to play the first to understand this?

It's almost always the case...but...

[Thrillho]

Umm... do I need to play the first to understand this?

It's almost always the case...but...

As much as I want to say you don't have to, I feel as though I'd be lying. The story of the first is not entirely obvious, and AC2 just throws you right into to plot without really explaining anything. If you don't feel like playing through the first, I suppose you can just read the story, but to be honest, AC does deserve a playthrough.

[balderduck]

I'm playing Assassin's Creed 2 : Brotherhood

I never knew you could learn so much history by playing video games!

For example did you know that Macchiaveli and DaVinci teamed up to take down the pope?

[Thesh]

For example did you know that Macchiaveli and DaVinci teamed up to take down the pope?

I learned that in school when I was ten. So is Brotherhood pretty much exactly like AC2? It's on sale, so I'm considering getting it.

[Endless Mike]

By all accounts, Brotherhood is the second half of AC2. Like, it starts the frame after AC2 ends, and gameplay is largely the same with more stuff added on. Also it has what sounds to be a really neat multiplayer mode.

[balderduck]

yes the story mode is exactly the same ... I imagine there will be an assassin's creed 3 with a different assassin than Ezzio

Maybe in the next one Robespierre teams up with Isaac Newton to kill Michael Jordan

[paulagostinelli1]

Last night/this morning I put in basically a good 8 or 10 hours and just about finished florence before it was time to leave my friend's for work. I loved the first one but there were certainly plenty of things about it that I particularly disliked that I believe the second has made significant improvements on.

As an art history lover, it's great to see all these buildings i've learned about for years that are actually rendered in darn high detail, especially for a video game. The palazzo de medici for one really blew me away, complete with donatello's david in the courtyard, where it actually stood at the time (it's now kept at the bargello museum) as well as the medici crests and carvings above the arches. they really did their homework! sure accuracy only goes as far as it doesn't get in the way of game mechanics (i.e. the interior of the palace is likely far from accurate) but suffice it to say that I really love the setting and environments.

For gameplay specific changes, I really prefer the new infamy system, whereby ripping down posters, paying off heralds, or killing crooked officers reduces your wanted level, and it can be zeroed out. Compared to the tautological original system 'your warning level is your warning level' it is a vast improvement.

The villa, the architect, the bookkeeping, a good fast travel system, the fact that the collectables don't number in the thousands, the weapon and armor system, and friggin Leonardo DaVinci, seriously, I could expound on how much more I like this game than the original for quite a while, and I haven't even come out of the Animus after Florence yet. I haven't the slightest clue how the Matrix2-style 'Gee Willikers powers IRL? nowai!' thing plays out yet, but it HAS to be an improvement over the dreadfully sluggish and annoying 'real life' of the original.

Definitely looking forward to going back there and playing more of this, and if the improvements here hearken in any way to what 3 has to offer, I'm damn excited about that too. Really, I haven't been able to play any game for more than an hour or two before getting bored lately and this really scratched an itch.

[Jesse]

Bought this game and finished it within a week, but that was with a lot of solid playtime. Genuinely enjoyed the vast majority of it, and will probably by number three (May skip Brotherhood, since they're not even releasing it on PC until February).

[Endless Mike]

GiantBombs says the ending of AC:B is pretty crucial to the plot. I'm just about to finish AC2, though, so I've got awhile before I get there.

[Gopher of Pern]

well, I'm halfway through AC:B, and it literally picks up right from where you left in AC2; you are standing in the same room.

Aside from that, AC:B improves on AC2 as well. Not as dramatically, as the change between 1 and 2, but its worth it, if just to send some assasin sisters and brothers to kill guards on a whim. Though it does get a bit silly sometimes:

Spoiler:

I was in a party going after a specific guy, but guards were in the way. So i sent some assasins after the guard. They killed the guard, and everyone at the party panicked, except for my target. Made it really easy to kill him.

[minkis]

Just started AC2, and haven't played much of it yet, but so far I'm annoyed with the fact that I can't even look in the direction of a guard before they are chasing me. Maybe that's due to the fact that I'm not far enough in the game to blend? I don't know.
Also, didn't like the fact that they just threw you into battle without explaining the controls at all. It's been a while since playing the first one, I didn't quite remember everything.
Other than that, having a fun time!

[Jesse]

Where are you at in the game? Because until shortly after you get to the Villa the whole thing is like an elongated tutorial. And you start the game with a fight during which it flashes up all the different combat things, unless you turned the tips thing off somehow.

[minkis]

Ok, I am a bit further in now, and gameplay is good. I'm not always notorious, so I can walk past guards without needing to fight them. Of course, now that I have weapons, I am unstoppable! haha

[Thesh]

Wait... You DON'T have to kill every single guard you see????

[Endless Mike]

Nah, if you're on ground level, you can pretty much just walk past them, and on rooftops, you can run.

I finished this last night.

[mosc]

brotherhood is a good game btw, for those who liked AC2 and want more. It's not an expansion or a side story... follows along further in the main story and has arguably more if not twice as much content as AC2 did. Also, calling in your recruits to kill guards for you is ADDICTIVE AS ALL HELL Gee Willikers THEY HAVE NO FUCKING CHANCE AND I LOVE IT! ONE POINT AND YOU SHALL DIE BY 10000 BLADES MOTHERFUCKER!

Ahem.

[minkis]

Has anyone noticed in AC2 that killing guards can sometimes be way too easy? Just shank them all with your hidden blade as they just stand there waiting to be killed...

[Gopher of Pern]

Its even easier in AC:B, as now you can get a kill streak by, after getting your first kill, simply pointing in the direction of the next enemy and hitting the button to kill him. Do this a few times, and all the guards are dead! You just have to watch for the small window they have to hit you between kills, and do your normal counter-kill move. The good thing about the kill streak is it works against heavies and spearmen, which counterkills don't work against.

[Thesh]

Also, arrow storm. Just hold a button and they are all dead. Granted, it has to recharge.

[broken_escalator]

I would be really excited if there was a hard difficulty setting in the eventual sequel to AC:B. I mean the series has always been fairly easy but I'd like if the guards at least put up a little bit of a fight.

What the hell was with the ending in AC:B?

Spoiler:

I mean I understand they want to leave us with a cliffhanger and give Desmond some sort of plot advancement. But stabbing lucy feels completely out of left field. I guess she was a triple-crosser? Since she double-crossed the templars to get Desmond out of their control, but if shes still 'evil' then shes triple-crossing assassins? What side is she on then, free masons?

[Thesh]

What the hell was with the ending in AC:B?

Spoiler:

I mean I understand they want to leave us with a cliffhanger and give Desmond some sort of plot advancement. But stabbing lucy feels completely out of left field. I guess she was a triple-crosser? Since she double-crossed the templars to get Desmond out of their control, but if shes still 'evil' then shes triple-crossing assassins? What side is she on then, free masons?

Spoiler:

I think both her and Desmond had to cross over to somewhere, one thing the voice said was "There is one who will accompany you to the gate." I could be entirely wrong though, as later she said "Go, Alone."

[broken_escalator]

Spoiler:

That confused me too, because I'm pretty sure I heard it say that as well. It was saying (simplified), "someone will help you...pause... you will do this alone". Okay wait what? Oh nevermind I'm stabbing lucy now kthxbai

[Amnesiasoft]

So, what, the story is getting even more stupid after the end of Assassin's Creed II? Because suddenly switching our enemy from the Templars to a goddamn solar flare is pretty stupid.

[Endless Mike]

I'm mildly annoyed that I got castroided at the beginning of AC:B.