Assassins Creed II Review (PS3)

Players:  1
Network/Online Play: No Online Play

Install: About 5 mins

Trophies: Yes

Other Formats: X-box 360 and PC

Release Date: 20^th November 2009 (UK)

The STORY for ACII is Set in 15^th century Italy you play as Ezio Auditore Da Firenze, who is out for vengeance on those who betrayed his family which in turn leads him to uncover a conspiracy bigger than anyone could fathom.  For those that have played Assassins Creed ACII picks up almost straight after the first one with the blonde chick coming back and helping you escape the company to then only start on another adventure in history as another assassin ancestor.  With that said the story of AC was good but the story was not as immersive as what I originally thought but ACII takes that and destroys it. The CARACTERS and LOCATIONS in ACII have so much more background and feeling Desmond in particular has become a better character than he was in AC, as for his skills they have become “real” he actually have the same moves as his ancestor due to what is called “The Bleeding Effect” whichyou will find out about as you play through the game.  Ezio Auditore Da Firenze (Desmonds 15^th century ancestor) has so much more than Altiar. Ezio’s character is alot more open yet darker than Altiar, and in keeping with the code Ezio keeps his friends close and his enemies closer. Our friends at UBISOFT have really thought about the locations in this game really well and gone into incredible detail also with the new environment comes new skills. The location that stands out the most is Venice the buildings the scenery are absolutely beautiful and once I seen it my jaw hit the ground and with the water it looks even better.

The GAMEPLAY for Assassins Creed II makes ACI look like something from the days of PS2 sorry but it is true. ACII’s gameplay is a HUGE improvement on AC, if you remember in AC the free running physics where for lack of a better word pants but with ACII they have improved on that really well there are still one or two kinks with it but that might have been me, also the combat system has also been improved has more of a “Free flow” feel to it i.e. you twating a dude with your fist, sword or hidden blade and another comes from behind you can kill that man in one motion without breaking a sweat which makes combat a lot more fun and pleasurable.  The movement physics have had a vast improvement also with climbing and hiding has been made more fluid and real making assassination missions easier or harder depending on how you move. The final improvement to the gameplay and a welcome one at that is the enemies AI if they see you go into a hiding spot they will poke around it with a sword and will force you out and try to kill you. All of the improvements are awesome and welcomed and it has given the game the feel it needs.  The REPLAY VALUE of

Assassins Creed II has a fair amount with side missions, collection missions and many more side quests also give the game a more realistic feel. With the addition of money you can raise funds to buy new weapons, armour and even dye your gear also you gain a villa which will earn you money the more you modify the town around your villa and the more gear you buy for your villa the more money it will earn for you. A new thing that will make you want to play the game also is the new UPLAY feature this is a BETA thing that Ubisoft has thrown in to reward the player with in game upgrades and even themes for your PS3 or 360 i.e. you complete a task or mission in the game you will earn points to spend on the bonuses, this is a fantastic feature which Ubisoft can build on in the future. With trophies out of the box this gives gamers the opportunity to play through the game to earn them if they don’t get them in the first play though.

The INGAME MUSIC and SOUND FX of Assassins Creed’s soundtrack has always made the game feel great and pull you into the world and with ACII being set in renaissance Italy it gives it the feel of the carnival and the in game sounds make it more immersive. Depending where you are in the world the hustle and bustle of everyone in the area make it feel like a busy built up and feel like a town rather than a quiet village. The music in the game is great although music is not always around in ACII the only times it needs it is when you are in battle or it is an intense moment within the game. One bit in the game that uses the in game sound really well is the assassination  mission that takes place during carnival night the fireworks, music and the people make you want to join the fun and dance which is what a game needs. ACII has no ONLINE PLAY to review but it does not need it but ubisoft should think of some awesome DLC to add to the story and side missions to give it more replayability. This title has great VALUE FOR MONEY ACII Offers up much MUCH more than the original a better story, better gameplay and better in game sounds you get what you pay for. AC had a lot of the above but lacked the staying power originally thought it would have. ACII brings the series back to where it should be.In closing if you enjoyed the original then I highly recommend this title for your collection. If you played the first one and got bored of it I would still recommend it to you as it is far better than the first game and deserves at least one play through.

So overall I will happily give Assassins Creed II a solid 9 out of 10