Thread: Assassins Creed 2 review

Well here i go for my second review as i am told my dantes inferno review was well recieved and it has recieved many views so i am happy to provide my opinion on more titles. As you can tell from the title this review will be for assassins creed 2 that came out in November of 2009 developed by Ubisoft. Now onto the review:-

Graphics

I remember when playing the first assassins creed and countless times i would climb to the highest point of a building and simply look out and think wow this is what this generation is able to bring to the table. Now 2 years have passed since the first game in the franchise was released and i still have that same reaction. The towns and citys in this game are just amazing to look at and to be a part of. From the sheer scale of some of the larger areas to the small little details that the game has its all 1st class presentation. There is little to no pop in which is impressive by itself however every area is loaded before you enter so there is no reason to assume there would be pop in its just nice that there is none. Ezio's animations are considerably inproved since the first outing as well you really do get the feeling your playing as an assassin and the kill animations have to be given a special mention by myself. I think the only gripe i have with the presentation for the game is the character models themselves mainly in the cut scences i know they are in engine but they have a certain stiffness to them. All around though the production values are first class and this is a game you will not get bored of looking at when playing it.

Sound

Sound for this game is great as well the voiceover work for all the characters are first rate. There is not much in the way of background music but what music there is suits the mood of the game. All around the voice work and score are fantastic that go hand in hand with the looks for the game.

Controls

Controls wise the game feels as you would expect very similar to the first assassins creed. Combat is mainly countering the enemies moves or bringing there life down so that you can move in for a nice kill animation. You can disarm enemies which is new to this game and is mainly useful for dealing with the more difficult enemies in the game. The combat is not the games shining element in my opinion but it handles well enough. Otherwise the main controls are virtually unchanged from the first with the climbing from building to building feeling very natural and easy to perform.

Gameplay

Gamplay wise the game does play out in a similar fashion to the first game however there is plenty more to do in this game. You have the main assassination missions that you carry out as you have done before but they are not as mundane as they were in the first one. There are plenty of side missions such as races, contract assassinations and many others to keep you going. Everything just feels more streamlined than it did in the first one and all the missions have a different spin on them to make you feel rewarded once you have completed them. You also have a villa in this game that you can build up to provide you with plenty of income this is a nice distraction from the main game but other than providing money does not have much more of a purpose. Either way if you enjoyed the way the first game played then you will enjoy the way this one plays.

Story

The story starts right after the first one has finished with desmond escaping the facility with his female companion. There is a new cast on board for this game and most of the game is spent in the anamus with ezio. I can say that the story is well written and has an ending worthy of the game so if you like me was dissapointed with the first games ending then i can assure you that you will be happy with this one. The story at its heart is nothing ground breaking but does pave the way for the 3rd one to go to interesting places and leaves you satisfied with its conclusion.

Lastability

Well the main game took me about 15 hours to finish and i still had plenty of collectables to gather and achievments to get. So you are looking at a good 20 - 30 hours if you want to collect everything in the game. Once you have finished the game it will take you back to the wold to collect all that you need to as well. So for those you like to collect there is a huge amount of content here and for those that just want to play the game through they also have a good amount of content either way everyone wins.

Final thoughts

I really enjoyed this game there was never a moment where i wish i was playing something else. I was never frustrated with the controls or the story and it has done what any good sequel should do which is get me pumped for the 3rd game. If you enjoyed the first game then this is a definate play and if you did not play the first one then hey why not play that then move onto this.

dantes inferno was a good review
however this one has been reviewed alrdy
not to mention played to death lol

Aye fair point mate i will be doing my bioshock 2 review shorty

cool look forward to it its a great game that people should be aware of

Thanks for the review m8 - very much appreciated.

I've still not played the first one yet myself so im well behind the times as usual.

Thanks for the feedback mate i hope to make this a regular thing as i enjoy reviewing games

32 people have read it already.

I got 110 views on my dantes inferno review i enjoy doing reviews and its my way of contributing to this great community

Keep it up mate and we might get you on the podcast

Cheers for the kind words mate and for the prospect of maybe being on the podcast. I have just submitted a review for bayonetta as whilst it may not be a mass market game i feel its one that people should be aware of.