The Italian Renaissance was a pivotal historical moment, a time of rebirth, enlightenment and inspiration that emerged from what Renaissance humanists labelled the Dark Ages. More relevantly it is the setting for Assassin’s Creed II, a continuation of the struggle between the liberty-seeking Assassins and the oppressive Templars. The appeal of the original Assassin’s Creed lay in its visual splendour, intriguing narrative, and innovative, non-linear gameplay, yet boredom set in surprisingly quickly due to the monotonous nature of most missions. So could 2009, like the Italian Renaissance, be remembered as a time of rebirth, a time marking the conception of an inspired, enlightened sequel that amends the flaws of Ubisoft’s first historical sandbox title?

For those who missed out on the first game, you play Desmond Miles, who was kidnapped in the first game by military-pharmaceutical corporation Abstergo Industries to become a test subject for the Animus, a device able to stimulate the recall of ancestral memories. During experiments Desmond assumed the role of 12th century Arabian Altaïr Ibn la-Ahad, one of a long line of Assassins at war with an illuminati-like organization known as the Templars. Assassin’s Creed II begins with Desmond breaking out of Abstergo’s laboratory aided by research assistant Lucy Stillman. The two later arrive at a nearby warehouse housing a second generation Animus, and Desmond is tasked once again with tapping into the genetic memories of his ancestors – this time those of Altaïr ‘s descendant Ezio Auditore da Firenze – to uncover centuries-old mysteries surrounding Abstergo, and its founders the Templars.

The back story is incredibly convoluted, but fortunately Ezio’s motivations are far simpler to comprehend. The young Florentine nobleman’s life is one day turned upside-down by a raid of his family home; his father Giovanni, and two brothers Frederico and Petruccio, are arrested for charges unknown. When Giovanni’s confidant Uberto Alberti sentences the three Firenze men to death by hanging, Ezio wants revenge. Laying his hands on some considerably lethal apparatus, he begins his transformation into a deadly assassin.

Easing players in slowly, the first few hours involve getting acquainted with the new boy. In embracing his lifestyle of drinking, scrapping and wooing the delectable Cristina Vespucci, you are unknowingly being taught the basics of free-running, stealth and hand-to-hand combat. Even at this early stage in the game, you’ll notice that tasks feel fresh, exciting and often dangerous. In Assassin’s Creed, missions were frequently dull and repetitive; it felt like Altaïr was always intercepting letters, eavesdropping on conversations from nearby benches, or interrogating messengers for information concerning his mark. This time around you’ll find yourself chasing informants through the streets, infiltrating heavily-guarded forts and killing conspirators.

Nonetheless, it remains in a player’s best interest to preserve anonymity whenever possible. Enemy AI has undergone a severe intelligence makeover since the first game. Guards suspicious of your behaviour may choose to follow you down darkened alleys or into buildings and, should you be discovered and have to flee the scene, will tail you with relentless vigour. Find a convenient hiding place and they’ll resume their posts, but their search is far from over; those you’ve alerted will continue to patrol your last-known location, casually probing haystacks, scouting rooftops and generally making it difficult for you to revisit that area. This is where Eagle Vision comes into its element; hold triangle and the Animus will ‘dim the lights’, enveloping individuals with colour-coded auras making it easier to identify whom to avoid.

Should you fail to evade your pursuers (or the potential for violence get the better of you) you’ll have to scrap it out until an opportunity to run presents itself. Initially, fighting in Assassin’s Creed II feels a little awkward, as does trying to follow the somewhat fussy ‘dodge, counter, strike’ pattern tutorials encourage you to adopt. But, once familiarity kicks in, fists fly with acute efficiency, and players will realize that the game’s combat mechanics are both comprehensive and forgiving. A well-timed counter move proves particularly effective in downing foes, initiating on contact one of many predetermined sequences where Ezio throws his attacker off-balance, snatches his weapon, and plunges it somewhere unpleasant. Of course, you do possess a selection of your own death-dealing tools, ranging from dual wrist blades to a concealed pistol, but there’s little more satisfying than stealing an opponent’s mace and clubbing him with it. Keep in mind that public bloodshed will increase your notoriety, so be prepared to do some serious witness silencing and herald bribing afterward.

It might be wiser to avoid unwanted attention altogether by investing would-be bribe money in ‘professional services’. For a small fee, players can purchase assistance from three factions that occupy the cities of Italy: Courtesans, Thieves and Mercenaries. Courtesans will accompany you around town, shielding you from the eyes of watchful guards, Thieves will lure folk away from doorways and buildings by causing a scene, and Mercenaries will gladly rough up anyone you ask them to. However, given these services are optional as a rule, you might prefer to put your well-earned dividends towards weapon upgrades, developing local businesses offering a swift RoI, or adding decorative touches to Ezio’s villa. Whatever your passion, Ubisoft’s inclusion of currency definitely enriches the Assassin’s Creed experience.

Aside from the main quest and playing Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, there is much to do in the way of sub-missions. Auxiliary assassination contracts arrive by carrier pigeon at later stages in the game, plus there is often some unruly husband in need of punishment, or a damsel in need of saving. But the best part about these distractions is that they are valuable; completing each activity invariability rewards you with a new skill, a new weapon or collectible, a new lead, or at worst a pouch full of pennies, so you’ll never feel like you’re wasting your time. If, strangely, that isn’t enough for you, there are hidden glyphs to locate, catacombs to explore, brutes to brawl with, peasants to pickpocket, and thousands of buildings, towers, ledges and scaffolds on which to practice your rooftop-hopping acrobatics.

Frankly, Assassin’s Creed II is everything Assassin’s Creed should have been. Though Ubisoft has stayed true to the core ideas of the latter, it’s clear to me the developer has gone that extra mile to ensure the former delivers a more compelling plot, engaging missions, an extensive catalogue of weaponry, and vast, intricately-detailed locations faithful to 15th century Italy. This title is a fine example of sandbox gaming at its best, and Ezio’s world is one you’ll never want to leave.

9/10

Filed under: A, Assassin's Creed 2, Games, Review