Post by Admin on Nov 2, 2010 12:57:26 GMT -5
First and foremost, let me say Assassin's Creed is a stunning third person action/adventure game. It does exactly what every sequel should do. It took what worked well in the first, fixed what didn't, and introduced a fresh variety of new elements to breathe new life into the franchise.
The first installment was a fun, but flawed game. Combat was intense but limited, and there was a very restricted amount of things to do, despite the game being so massive. Now Assassin's Creed 2 has stepped up on virtually every level.
The basic combat system of blocking, countering, and combos returns from the first game returns. I can't tell you how many times my jaw dropped with the brutal counters and disarms, despite already seeing the animation a handful of times before. Nothing makes you feel more like the ultimate bad-ass than being able to kill two people at once with your hidden blades, then immediately countering a massive armored guard by thrusting the blades into his gut. To further compliment the upgraded combat system, there's a lovely selection of new weapons at your disposal. That said, it does suffer the same problem the first one had--fights involving far too many people! When you have allies and you're in a larger combat scene, you might have difficulty targeting the foe you want or even end up striking your allies. A minor complaint, but still one worth mentioning.
The game also has a lot more for you to do while running around the beautifully structured cities. There are assassin's tombs (think Prince of Persia + Tomb Raider and you get the idea), the variety of missions from the first installment (plus a few new ones), treasures to find, and of course, the assassinations. The game has also introduced some (very) light RPG elements. You can now determine the success (or failure) of the towns you'll come to call home. You can restore shops, upgrade them, and much more. In turn, this will open up more to purchase and even give you discounts.
Just like the first adventure, Assassin's Creed is downright gorgeous. The landscapes are stunning and the effort put into creating each unique city is simply amazing. When it comes to how this game looks, the only criticism that comes to mind is the occasional stiff animation during cut scenes.
Sure, I've been praising this game a lot. It's fast, fun, and has some amazing chase sequences. But I do have one major issue with the title---boss battles. The first game suffered from a lack of variety in this department, and this installment hasn't really improved on that. They often come down to "kill a swarm of guys and kill the boss as he runs away!" or "counter this guy until he's weak enough to die!" That's literally all it comes down to. Also, the ending is something no one will see coming, but I'll let you pass your own judgment on that one.
If you're interested in the game, I'd recommend a rental since the third installment (Brotherhood) is right around the corner and there's limited incentive to play more than once. That said, it's definitely worth your time and I can't wait to see how Ubisoft makes the third even better!
k4tz's score:
8.5/10
