A worthwhile experience-- not worth full price, though!
Granted, Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed II does a lot of things incredibly well, and it is a slick and well-polished game. Everything, from storyboard to execution of this product, exudes energy, creativity, and a great deal of thought.
AC II spoils the player right from the beginning, detailing the Renaissance city of Florence and its outskirts with laudable authenticity. The inhabitants have a life of their own, and the fluidity of the citizenry as they go about their daily business, only pausing to comment on how foolish you look as you jump make-shift platforms, is readily believable. You'll soon be taking for granted just how beautiful the game is that you're actually playing.
The city not only looks pretty, it is enriched by the designers with a multitude of sidequests and easter egg hunts to keep the intrepid explorer pushing further to unearth all of its secrets. Hidden treasures, courier missions, and race matches across rooftops offer an air of freedom from the main quest, keeping in step with the spirit of the city itself as something that is meant to be discover.
However, although the game is competent and does many a great deal of things absolutely beautifully, the action is a little lukewarm. Combat is not only fairly simplistic, it is incredibly simplistic with little variety or excitement. The square button kills people. And that's it.
I really wanted to give this game a 9.0 at least. But the simple and ho-hum nature of the combat, which is fortunately not as big a percentage of the game as other action-adventure, is very blase. The only time the game got my heart pumping is during the race match sequences, which is one of the only challenging things in this game.
In conclusion, the game could have benefit immensely from a more robust combat system. As it stands, it is still a very good game. However, the leisurely rate at which you will find yourself playing this game will help you realize your money is probably better spent elsewhere.