Assassin's Creed II

The Good
From the moment Assassin's Creed 2 (AC II) was first released worldwide in 2009, it has received a remarkable amount of critical acclaim. The average critic score here on mobygames.com is an impressive 91%. On the other hand, many of the more comprehensive user reviews (that are written on this website) consider AC II to be the game of the year of 2009. 'Kadath Bird' writes that "AC II was the best game of 2009", and 'Big John WV' similarly believes "it really stands out in the action/adventure genre of the consoles and can even be considered for a Game of the Year nomination for just about every organization out there." Unsurprisingly, AC II is considered to be one of the highest rated games in the whole franchise, and to contribute my own opinions to such a list of commendations is no easy accomplishment.

AC II is set in the golden age of the Italian Renaissance, more specifically during the second half of the Fifteenth Century. Desmond, after he escapes from Abstergo Industries with the help of Lucy Stillman. uses another animus to relive the genetic memories of his ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who lived in Italy during this period. The way the game's artistic designers have rendered the beauty and diversity of Renaissance architecture throughout the game is truly worthy of much of the critical appraisal the game has received in this regard. The cities of Florence and Venice stand out in particular, you cannot but appreciate the detail that has been given to all of their numerous historical landmarks. From 'Palazzo Medici' in Florence to Venice's 'Palazzo Ducale', there is no shortage of awe-inspiring vistas in this game.

Having played the first Assassin's Creed to exhaustion, I must emphasize what an improvement AC II is, gameplay-wise, over its predecessor. The first major change is the addition of the so-called 'economic system'. You can accumulate a certain amount of money (florins), by doing certain missions, by looting crates scattered throughout the game or by simply stealing someone's money pouch, which you can use to buy paintings, weapons, armor, medicine and so on. Later on, you even get to manage your own villa and estate in Monteriggioni, where all of the items you have collected are stored. As you increase the value of Monteriggioni, by upgrading the properties found in the debilitated commune, the whole town starts to change for the better. You literally get to witness the fruits of your labour. This gives the player a huge incentive to collect and find everything the game has to offer, and it is very satisfying to fully upgrade Monteriggioni to its Renaissance glory.

Navigation has also been facilitated. Swimming is now possible, and there is, thankfully I must add, the option to fast-travel from one place to another (with the exception of the Apennine mountains). The player can use a gondola for the first time in Venice and also traverse the skies with Leonardo's so-called 'flying machine', but, unfortunately, only at two specific story segments. Another new feature is the way in which Ezio can hire groups of thieves, courtesans, or mercenaries to help him remain incognito, and every group has its own unique characteristics. Thieves follow you while platforming from one building to another, courtesans automatically distract suspicious guards and mercenaries are more adept with heavy combat.

The 'notoriety system' (similar to the 'wanted system' in the Grand Theft Auto series) was introduced in AC II as well. Since the more the notoriety level is increased the more guards become suspicious of Ezio, this system makes the player stay more vigilant when s/he is up to no good. Removing wanted posters or bribing heralds reduces your notoriety, but it is sufficiently cumbersome to help a master assassin perfect the way of the shadows.

Furthermore, AC II's story, without divulging anything here, is as epic as we have come to expect from an Assassin's Creed game, and the major characters are all captivating. Let me just say that the 'revelation' at the end of the game is one of the most memorable that I have ever observed in a videogame.

With such an immersive and detailed game as AC II, there is obviously a lot more to say about its redeeming features. However, that is not my intention here. Considering all the critical appraisal the game already has in this regard, I will not attempt the impossible.

The Bad
'Is AC II a great game?' 'Is it better than its predecessor?' Yes, it undoubtedly is. But I believe that the substantial part of its overwhelming positive critical reception is a result of the almost inevitable comparison with the first Assassin's Creed (AC I) game. However, it should be remembered that it was AC I that laid the foundation for the whole franchise. AC II perfected its structure, to be sure, and is altogether a far better game. But it borrowed everything else. Sure, there are a lot of new side quests in AC II, such as a number of 'assassination contracts' for the players to complete, and a series of races and 'beat-up missions' as well. However, they get repetitive quick, and I did not manage to complete every single one of them in my first playthrough, which is unusual for a traditional 'collectionist' like me. Sure, there is also a new arsenal of weapons at Ezio's disposal, but the differences between one weapon and another are marginal, so I stuck with the sword.

There are also some minor problems that tend to decrease the overall outstanding quality of AC II. I had encountered some 'freezing' issues with my PS3 version of the game, for example, while I was trying to collect the 'No-hitter' trophy. True, this may be an issue that may have resulted from the deficiencies of my own console, but there are plenty of other games that have never malfunctioned on me, especially when I was trying to obtain one of the game's own achievements. My remaining complaints are all minor. At one point, Antonio de Magianis, the leader of the Thieves Guild in Venice, repeatedly got 'glitched out' while he was trying to follow me platforming to a specific roof. Some glyph puzzles are too confusing to figure out on one's own, even with the help provided. And the countryside, that is the areas outside the cities, are not as expansive as they were in AC I.

One of my more consequential gripes about this game is its total lack of religious sensitivity concerning the Christian faith. I understand that, as a videogame, AC II was not meant to be taken that seriously, even though this is a game which assures its players that it was created by a "multicultural team" coming from different religious backgrounds. However, as a Christian, I found the game to be insensitive to my beliefs, at best. It is true that Rodrigo Borgia was quite possible the villain that he is portrayed in this game. It is true that the church was not perfect then, as it is not perfect now. Nevertheless, that does not diminish the game's own self-proclaimed responsibility to be as religiously sensitive as possible, especially with its storyline that puts so much emphasis on the 'truth'.

The Bottom Line
AC II is a masterly game. However, despite some major additions and improvements, I did feel nostalgic at times about AC I. I still think that game was too heavily criticized, for its time it was one of my favourite games. Both games have indulged in the same defects, no matter what the critics say; repetitiveness and religious insensitivity being some of them. But, to their credit, both games have pushed the boundaries of what was expected of a next-generation videogame, and what we will expect in the future, and for that they will always be treasured in my collection.