Imaginative, Artistic, Controversial, Lengthy and Deep but honestly Weak A.I and Flawed Platforming can become an issue.
Pros:
-Artistic Design Elements all around
-Impressive Enviroment
-Damn good graphics 'for' an open world game>
-Interesting Story
-You live the Adventure
-Fluid Movement
-Variety of ways to tackle combat
-True control over character movement
-Blade Pistol
-Unexpected Ending
Cons:
-Fights can become stale
-Annoying Platforming Issues
-No real stealth mechanics
-A.I. is either too smart or real dumb
-Short Cutscenes
-Too much progression of the game is based on learning new moves or movements
-Underuse of Enviroment
-Replay Value hampered by constrived Mission Selection
-Weak Ending Boss Fight
Assassin Creed II couldn't have chosen a worse time to be released. Two games come to mind that devalue the value of Assassin Creed and those two games are Batman Arkham Ayslum and Uncharted 2 Among Theives. Batman exceeds at hand to hand combats with the use of non lethal weapons and Uncharted exceeds at immersion, story telling, climbing (lol), and about everything else that matters in a good game. After playing both games, Assassin Creed II can definitely feel underwhelming because the hand to hand (or sword to sword) combat is truly not that intenese though it looks very fluid, climbing is more of a chore than actually fun, and the story is broken in some instances. You will find yourself dying alot in this game from falling off a buidling you did not intend to which I guess makes is more realistic, but this could have been handled better. Infamous does a better job at making it easier for a player to move around the city, but Assassin Creed definitely does it with style and flair even if it is a slower than what most gamers are use too. And even though the combat is not as intenese as Uncharted or Batman, I can't think of another 'recent' game that even tries to do what Assassin Creed II has done. Even though the game does not excel in combat, the fighting sequences are fun at times and look very realistic, but at some point, the novelty of fighting guards wears thin which is why playing stealth is the most rewarding if you can stay hidden. I think what truly ruins the combat sometimes is the A.I. affection for 'waiting to get killed'. Sometimes enemies will give it their all and sometimes, they just stand there and block incoming attacks. This becomes very noticable overtime which can lead to some boring fights. But what Assassin Creed does better than the aferomentioned games is give gamers more bang for their buck. This game is pretty lengthy, and the world looks unbelievable real (if you count out the non socializing citizens)
There are 5 different environments to explore. They all have a unique feel and all look great from a graphical stand point. Sadly, the game does not really take advantage of all the open space it provides as well as it should. Buildings are backdrops to landscape and interactivity with the world is limited to platforming, killing guards, and tomb raiding. This is not a bad thing because they point of Assassin Creed it more about playing around in the enviroments rather than social interaction, but I would have thought they would provide the gamer with more oppurtunities to really explore this beautifully crafted world. There are plenty of side missions in the game like Assisinations and races. Most of the game takes place in Venice, while the other places feel like side dishes to the rest of the narrative. Alot of the scenary feels like 'scenary' and that is a problem. A game like this feels like it should of had RPG elements which would of allowed the game to use more space for mission variety. If the game introduced this little piece into the mix, this game may have been something more to drowl over and add more length to a game I did not want to finish (in a good way). A place called Romanga is truly underused and I found it to be the most appealing place of them all. Venice was beautiful at first, but the beauty wears off when you in a place for so long. The game does give you your own place or Villa to fix up. It is a kingdom owned by your Uncle and your job is to make money and fix it up. Fixing up the place is fun because you can watch it go from a piece of crap to something worth bragging about, but you never actually use this place for anything except as your closet for armor, weapons, feathers (collectibles), etc. It would have been nice to see them mix the Villa into the actual story and have people attack it. The villa is also used to learn new moves, but you have to buy them from an instructor (stupid). My advice is to learn the new moves because it adds more variety to the gameplay making it more satisfying and less repetitive.
The story was for the most part was interesting and the main driving force of this game. The narrative never feels rushed and plays like an award winning movie. Pretty much the game is long and rewarding, and the story really hits when the ending comes around, but damn does it feel like it takes forever. Ezio is a good protagonist (voice can irritate those who hate accents in my opinion), but too bad the story never reallys shows his pain, growth or happiness as much as they should, but AC II still conveys it enough for us to get the point across in both a classy and tasteful manner. The point of the game is to avenge your family, but instead you unlock a big secret which truly isn't that big if you played the first game, but the way they use that secret is tastefully done. The ending was very rewarding and definitely topped off this game. The ending was absolutely great and something unexpectd story wise (not mindblowing though), but the ending boss fight could have been more interesting. Much better ending then the WTF ending to the frist game
My biggest gripe with the game are the short cutscenes. Assassin Creed I had long meaningful cutscenes that I really enjoyed, this game on the otherhand just gets right too it, which definitely destroys the intensity and pleasure of assasinations at some points in the game. I used to look forward to the assassination cutscenes, but these ones left me wanting the old formula. I don't really know why they changed it, MGS hasn't changed, so why would Assassin Creed bow down to bias critics. This is not to say that what they have introduced is terrible because that would be a lie, but I did like it better the other way. Also unlike ACI, ACII is not as deep as the first when it comes to distorting the truth around us. It feels dumbed down compared to ACI and the story is not focused around matters that interested me in the first game such as religion and government. Also the game introduces alot of characters, but never truly dives into their portofolios (some, but not all). At least GTA introduced charcters and gave enough depth into their characters for someone to become interested or attached. At one point it seemed like two love stories were unraveling, but both never came into creation. The story would have been great if they tacked on a love story, but whats done is done. More or less, I think Ezio is just a charming guy who can get all the ladies attention and it is definitely expressed through out the game. One thing odd about the stories twist is you already know it if you played AC1. But this game is not about twist and turns, but a journey. Ubisoft does a great job at making us feeling like we are playing as the character and not watching a bunch of cutscenes that take you out of the circle.
Missions are varied in all instances though they all involve killing or stealing, but it is done in a way that it is driven by the story and not the actual gameplay which is nice. There a some missions that take place in Venice which feel like baby side missions, besides that, most the missions or fantastic and the tomb raiding is also fun. One thing I hated about the original game was the repetive mission types, but this game is definitely different, but I wouldn't have hurt to have a few of the "popular" hated missions in the mix. Though the first game had repetitive missions, this game suffers in the beginning due to a lackluster opening with a terrible fight in the real world, then the beggining missions in the animus are more focused on getting used to the controls which I guess is cool, but when playing AC II a second time, I really wished I could have skipped those missions. I think this really kills the replay value. As much as I want to say this game is fun, it is more or less your drive to finish the story and complete the game which makes the game fun rather than the less than intense gameplay. The Assasination Side Missions defintely have a story behind them which makes them even more meaningful. I usually find side missions in games just a way to lengthen a game, but here, they extend to story as well as the game. Other side missions such as Races are tedious, and a side missions titled "Beat Em Up" is the same mission in whatever town you activate them, you just beat up a strangers cheating husband. Fun at first, but then you realize it is the same damn thing. But the Assassination side missions are great.
The gameplay is different than most games due to the fact that they try to make it realistic, and everyone knows realism and games don't mix well together. I think GTAIV did at good job a being realistic and being fun, but then again I get bored of GTAIV faster than the previous GTAs. When it comes to ACII, the gameplay range from fun to boring from beginning to end when it comes to gameplay. The gameplay never reachs the level of excitement you want it too, but it is a level that is satisfactory. This is not really an action game in the sense, but I do love the hand to hand combat even though the A.I. can ruin the experience. It is very slow, predictable, and too simple at times, but then again, combat is a timing game and the wrong timing can lead to death so I guess there is some strategy to combat. First off, scaling buildings and jumping from roof ledges should not be so hard. It work perfectly and looks very good, but it is extremely painful when Ezio misses a landing and for some reason, Ezio does not land where you always want him too. Ezio is also and Assassin, but for some reason, he does not know how to crouch or hide behind objects. I could never trully play stealthy because the games controls just don't let me. And when it comes to being stealthy, the A.I. have to be the worst. If I run onto a building and a guard sees me, all I have to do is run behind a chimney 5ft away from him and he will think I have vacated the building. That is stupid and ruins the 'realism' of this game. Also, square his your only form of attack. Talk about simplified gameplay. ACIII should have combo's and multiple kill attacls that allow you to kill 2 to 4 guys at one time. That would be nice to see because Ubisoft does have some nice instant kill cutscenes. Besides the flaws, combat is fun to watch when Ezio's does his instant kills. Depending on your weapon, you can get some real brtual kills.
All in All, Assassin Creed II is one fine game. The narrative is enough to keep you interested in Ezio's faith and though it doesn't hit home the way it should the story rounds up to be good. The combat is definitly unique and looks very realistic, though after a while is does tend to bore and the missions in the beginning are just plain boring the second play through. The world is believable, but too much detail is given too these lands for them to be underused the way they are in some instances, but then again, this game take more advantage of its world then most games so this is nothing to complain about. Also the people did not feel real like in GTA IV, but it did a better job than most open world games. Though I complain about this, the game definitely utilizes the important parts of areas to get the point across and the people feel authentic. This game is worth a purchase, but for those screaming 'game of the year', all I can say is "maybe the next installment". The game can definetily be improved in the combat area (just like Fallout 3), but compared to other games on the market, it's definitely in it's own class. Most AAA titles involve guns, but here, we have fluid sword, dagger, etc. combat that looks tasteful. Though it may not be the most exciting thing, it is unique and provides a novel feeling. Overall, Great game hindered by poor replay value, sometimes boring combat, annoying platforming issues, and lack true of stealth mechanics, but with additional gameplay being offered through DLC, this game is worth every buck when it comes to value. And for the mature gamer, this is a game worth purchasing.
For me, the game is best experienced the first time due to atmosphere and story, but after replaying the game, it feels like that award winning movie you only need to see once. This game is a 9.5, but this is a game, and as a game, the game fails because it really is not that fun when you have experienced the experience already. Like I said, it is the story that drives the gameplay, and the story is real good the first time around, but I don't think you should dive back so soon to replay ACII, give it a month or so.
Actual Score: 9.1