OXCGN Loves Assassin’s Creed 2′s Huge Leap Forward…
by Team OXCGN
©2009 Oxcgn.com
Assassin’s Creed 2 will be one of the games of 2009.
I know that’s a big call considering all the competition this holiday season, but it could hardly not be when it is taking all that was great about the original Assassin’s Creed, a game that sold over 8 million copies, and then fixing all that was wrong with it.
What was great? The seamless free-running, the alive world, and the incredible attention to game environmental detail.
What was wrong? The repetitive missions, the rather pointless ‘kingdom’ area, and the limited ‘future’ sections.
• Assassin’s Creed 2 E3 Demo
The second game moves from the Crusades and the Holy Land into the future to another pivotal point in history, the Renaissance. This means new locations in 15th century Italy, including Venice, Florence, and Tuscany (including the fortified hill town of San Gimignano, as we discovered), and possibly Rome.
You will play as Ezio Auditore de Firenze, a nobleman of Florence, who may be somewhat of a court dandy but also is a quick study in the art of assassination when his family is betrayed and ruined and, in the case of his father at least, murdered.
At the end of one of the E3 trailers we see a masked enemy taunting Ezio with the words “as for your mother, once I’ve dealt with you I promise I’ll give her my full attention” before getting shot with Ezio’s hidden little gun. Yes gun.
I wasn’t aware of it, but apparently the 1400s did indeed see the first mechanical firing of guns.
New gameplay variety, the key to a more critically successful Assassin’s Creed, will be in abundance with segments using Leonardo Da Vinci’s flying machine, use of boats, swimming, 15 mission types and over 200 possible missions that aren’t as repetitive, new moves like ‘climb-leap’ and kills from haystacks, ledges or water, and a day/ night sequence.
There will also be a huge number of weapons (over 30) that can be used (some of which can be bought, as the game uses an economic system, or disarmed from guards) including Ezio’s double hidden blades, axes, halberds, smoke bombs and the mini ‘gun’ from the demo.
• Official Assassin’s Creed 2 CGI Trailer
Also Desmond Miles, the kidnapped ‘future’ character you played in the first, is back but will do more than just walk around, talk, and then lie in the Animus like a good boy. There are hints at missions in these segments now.
Meanwhile, back in 1486, Ezio will work with important historical figures like Machiavelli, Caterina Sofrza, and Lorenzo de Medici, as well as the aforementioned Leonardo Da Vinci, who will be his best friend and gadgets guy, upgrading weapons and providing new gizmos.
Interestingly, Ezio will have to deal with new ‘seeker’ AI soldiers who can find him when he tries to hide, even in haystacks. If they find him and hurt him badly enough, he may require the services of doctors and not just get to regenerate health. Luckily if he’s being pursued on the rooftops he can still use the incredible “leap of faith” that was innovated in the first game.
There are also a number of factions Ezio will need to please in order to get their assistance, including lovely ladies of the night, and thieves.
The game remains true to its roots, boosting the stunning draw distances and vistas and having a dynamic crowd, but now uses a richer colour palette than the first Assassins Creed and the beautiful day/ night contrast adds to the atmosphere.
Just what Abstergo, the future version of the Knights Templar, are after in Desmond’s ancestor’s genetic memories remains to be discovered.
It’s going to be fun finding out, though, on November 17 when the game is released worldwide.
In the meantime, have a read of our earlier details and our discovery that ‘Medieval Manhattan’ will feature, here.
Check out the two upcoming games that take place in Venice: AC2 and Venetica, here.
More AC2 details: The End of La Dolce Vita, here.
©2009 Oxcgn.com
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Filed under: Console gaming, E3 2009, Game Impressions, New Xbox 360 Games, Xbox 360, Xbox 360 Game Previews Tagged: | Assassin's creed, Assassin's Creed 2, Catarina Sofrza, Ezio, free running, Leonardo Da Vinci, Lorenzo de Medici, Machiavelli, rome, San Gimignano, stealth, Tuscany, Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal, venice
The depth of what you can do in this game is amazing! They picked a great time period and day/ night is going to be so cool. More open world áction” games need to take a leaf out of RPG books.
@ 2Three
Yes…the game is cheap as these days: AUD $25 in stores.
@ Mr. Waby
The Ubisoft guys at E3 called it a ‘gun’. From the video it does look more like a mechanical launching device at first (like mini-crossbow) but the flash and the gun-shot can be clearly seen and heard (after many repeated views
!!
One of Leonardo’s devices was a gun of sorts, not to mention the many other devices that probably ended up in bonfires around the nation when the church got off side with him. We missed so much information from him due to their influence on the public then, and even now.
I actually haven’t played the first game – I’ll have to check it out before this one arrives.
Can’t wait for this one! From what have seen from the press conference game play demo’s, it really looks like Ubisoft had been paying attention to all that was wrong with AC and did more that just fix it up. So I guess you can call it a gun, I thought of it more as a blade launcher but that just all semantics:)