Assassins Creed 2 - A Masterclass in Murder

Going back into the archives of large gaming journalism sites, it's evident that I wasn't the only one who wasn't quite impressed by the original Assassin's Creed. Between its clunky controls, repetitive mission structure, and uninspiring main character, it's quite the surprise that the game sold so well. That being said, I pointed out the game left a solid base to iterate upon. And in 2009, Ubisoft Montreal delivered a sequel that improved upon it's precursor in every way imaginable.

Assassins Creed 2 follows the life of Ezio Auditore from his birth all the way until about his forties, when the game leaves off, to be picked up by the later titles Brotherhood and Revelations. From minute one the game is more cinematic, tone-conscious, and interesting than virtually anything its 2007 ancestor had to offer. In contrast to the first game's Third Crusade setting, AC 2 places the player in the midst of Renaissance Italy and its warring states, families, and factions. Over the course of the game Ezio will explore Florence, Tuscany (San Gimigiano), Monteriggioni, Romanga (Forli), Venice, and for a short time the Vatican. Each city is lovingly recreated according to the time period, complete with information prompts that pop up while the player explores, offering Ubisoft's take on the history of the period. While Jerusalem, Acre, Masyaf, and Damascus were interesting, Assassins Creed 2 takes the open world to an entirely new level. As an aside, I'm no expert on graphics, but I'm pretty sure an expanded color variety in the game makes everything a lot prettier to look at.

The maps are well populated with side quests, activities, and a truly enormous number of NPCs that makes the city and countryside feel real and alive. Everything can be climbed, jumped off of, or otherwise used as Ezio parkours his way across the Italian Renaissance, and it's easy to spend hours running from side mission to side mission checking things off the map before remembering to return to the main storyline. Unlike in the original, side missions in Assassins Creed 2 are varied, interesting, and often relate somehow back to the main goal - foiling the Templar's plans. Ezio's parkour skills are put to the test in 6 Assassin's Tomb dungeon-style side missions and puzzles strewn throughout the world which net the player a wonderful set of armor, and I even enjoyed my brief forays into the modern day where Desmond and Lucy received a bit more characterization.

Ezio Auditore is one of gaming's most iconic and enjoyable characters. He oozes confidence and professionalism, and truly makes the game. Every scene containing him is well acted and voiced, and his arc over the course of the game is a masterful demonstration of character development, from a brand new and angry young assassin to a bloodied, well-practiced, calm killing machine. He's everything Altair develops into at the very end of the original game, except fully realized. It's not hard to see why 3 main games and a couple spin-offs were eventually devoted to this character. The game excellently makes the player feel as though they are stepping into Auditore's shoes. I was honestly blown away by the power in this game's cast.

The gameplay in Assassin's Creed 2 is similar but more advanced than the main game, with a couple more options in fighting as well as in weapons style and tactics. Range receives a boost with the firearm built into your vambraces, while the new poisoned hidden blade offers more flexibility in stealthy assassination missions. Additionally, assassinations from cover, ledges, and on high offers the player more in the way of choice while remaining in stealth. Generally, the game is just a lot more fun to play than the original. The 37 hours I spent in AC 2 felt like half the 17 hours I spent in AC 1.

We first truly take control of Ezio as a young man, about the age of 18, only days (or weeks, the passage of time is a little strange in this game) before two of his brothers and his father are hung by a traitorous Florentine noble. The game chronicles Ezio's development as he avenges the deaths of his family and comes into conflict with Rodrigo Borgia, a Templar leader and a man eventually destined to become the Pope. Throughout Ezio is aided by a cast of brilliantly written secondary characters, including Caterina Sforza, Macchiaveli, Leonardo Da Vinci, and the Medici. The game concludes on somewhat of an odd cliffhanger, presented after a fantastic setpiece mission in the Vatican. Without giving anything away, "what the fuck" is a perfect reaction.

Throughout, the game is framed by the assassinations of major Templar leaders and conspirators, much like the original. Unlike the original, the missions leading into those assassinations truly feel like they play off of and build one another up, and the game rarely feels repetitive as you switch between a variety of tailing missions, chases, fights, setpiece assassinations, eavesdropping missions, and a number of other different gameplay mechanics. Things switch up enough to keep the game feeling fresh and interesting, and I really appreciated that in a game that is generally more laid back than traditional action games. It reminds me more of Tomb Raider or Uncharted than Far Cry or The Division.

Of everything about the game's story, the thing that I loved the most is how much it respects the intelligence of the player. You're fully expected to take the time to read popup information on the characters and events presented, pay attention to the dialogue, and sometimes dig back into the database to figure out how one character relates to one another. You could not do these things, of course, but I think your enjoyment of the game would be significantly diminished. The game expects you to take some interest in the history of Renaissance Florence and Venice, even if you don't really have a base for it. It's all very cool to a guy who's a bit of a history nerd.

The PC version comes with the DLC Battle of Forli and Bonfire of the Vanities preinstalled. These DLC were fun, but I couldn't avoid the feeling that the game would be worth playing as originally designed, without those DLC added in. They feel somewhat disjointed, with an odd passage of time that does not feel particularly unnatural. However, they should be praised for some fun gameplay, some interesting new characters, and a Dan Brown style interweaving of real-life history with fantastical conspiracies.

Overall, Assassins Creed 2 is a masterpiece. The only thing I have to criticize is the sometimes annoying controls where the slightest mistake can ruin an assassination or tailing mission. But hey, that's kind of life isn't it? Regardless, those small annoyances are far outweighed by a massive, intricate open world, fantastic writing, excellent acting, and a generally extremely well presented game. It's a five out of five from me.