Assassin's Creed II (Sony Playstation 3, 2009)

Everything is truly amazing about this game. The controls are tight. The animation is beautiful. The engine that allows Enzio to be a medieval parkour master is breathtaking. Your character grips, balances, vaults over every bit of architecture (which by the way is just gorgeous to look at). The plethora of human background characters are done well also. They'll spout off things about jobs you're doing or if you are the thief that's been jacking everyones' coin purses. And while you do not level, gear can be upgraded to improve stats. For collectors, there are plenty of items that are hidden from view that accounted for hours of "search" play time. Action is bloody and fun. There are tons of assassination kills, as well as fatalities while fighting hordes of enemy combatants. Actions have recourse in this game, so it pays to hide bodies. Sharp wits will be in order for the jungle gym puzzles to climb through or by finding solutions to other jobs like tossing money in the streets to create a commotion. AC2 is dope!

Assassin's Creed II is the follow-up to Ubisoft's 2007 hit that attracted a mass audience if not unanimous critical acclaim. The sequel is an expansive and bloody romp through Renaissance Italy that plays up every popular aspect of the first installment while righting many of its flaws. Assassin's Creed II has evolved from an ill-defined action game into a fully featured open world experience. Everything from the new monetary system to the ability to buy armor and weapons makes it a richer, and ultimately more satisfying game than its predecessor.

The plot of Assassin's Creed pulls together a bit of The Matrix, a lot of historical fiction, and throws in elements of the madcap conspiracy theories found in a Dan Brown novel. The series also has the benefit of being crafted by some of the most talented hands in game development. With only a handful of exceptions, the environments, animations, and art are beautifully portrayed. In addition to its good looks, the sequel's gameplay builds so much upon the foundations of the first game, that in retrospect, the first Assassin's Creed looks like little more than a technical demonstration.

Assassin's Creed II transforms a middling action game into an intriguing and consistently entertaining open-world adventure. Based on this game, Ubisoft Montreal should run a clinic on how to iterate a franchise and if the series continues in this vein, the next installment will take aim at Rockstar's best efforts. The experience is layered, unique, and shows an incredible attention to detail. This is one case where the sequel has triumphed over the original by catching the gameplay up to the already excellent visuals. No matter what your preconceptions are about Assassin's Creed II, the game is well worth your time and money.

9.5 Presentation
Where else can you relive the Renaissance? Assassin’s Creed II has style, flair, and an involving story.
9.0 Graphics
Only minor visual flaws are apparent in this gorgeously detailed work of historical fiction.
9.5 Sound
The music sets the tone and helps to evoke emotion throughout the experience. Multiple voice tracks mean you can even play the game completely in Italian.
9.0 Gameplay
With practice, combat and free running become fluid. Some of the optional content is brilliant, some can be ignored.
9.0 Lasting Appeal
A lengthy game with plenty of collectibles.
9.2
Outstanding OVERALL

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What is not to love about this game?

You start off roughly with Desmond Miles, subject 17. He sums up the events of what has happened in the first game quite nicely - it's a great way for a new player to start, or an old one to remember. Following his story, you travel through the memories of one of his ancestors, Ezio Auditore of Firenze.

Ubisoft works to please.

The graphics in this game are absolutely breathtaking- the scenery is amazing and worth the trouble one goes to in order to see it. Just as a good as the first, even better with time. Traveling through Italy pulls away from the killing in the game and definitely gives players something else to marvel at. Also, the parkour in this game is definitely something that will have people coming back to the game. Unforgettable. Whether you've got Ezio (or Desmond) scaling walls jumping roof to roof, or climbing the windows of the church, one definitely won't run out of things to explore.

The amount of things you can do in the game are endless and while the fighting sequences in this game can become rather repetitive, all it takes is some readjusting in weapons and fighting style to give players that first-game kill thrill once more.

Whether you've played the first game or are a newcomer to Assassin's Creed, this game does not fail to disappoint. The storyline is clear and falls into place as you go. Where the ending leaves you wanting more, you definitely will spend hours on this game.

It's worth it.

One of the top games in the country
Assassin's Creed II is a third person action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. It is the second video game installment of the Assassin's Creed series and is a direct sequel to the 2007 video game Assassin's Creed. The game was released on video game consoles in November 2009, and released for Windows in March 2010.[8][12]
The game is set in 2012, with player-controlled protagonist Desmond Miles escaping from Abstergo Industries with an employee, Lucy Stillman, after being forced to relive the genetic memories of ancestral assassin Altaïr ibn La-Ahad through a machine known as the "Animus." After escaping from Abstergo, Desmond enters a device which is more advanced than the original Animus, the Animus 2.0, and relives the genetic memories of ancestral nobleman Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who lived during the Renaissance period of the late fifteenth century in Italy. The player controls Ezio, who becomes an Assassin after his father and brothers are murdered by a traitor to the Auditore family. While controlling Ezio, the player can explore game renditions of Italian cities, regions and landmarks in open world gameplay.