Xbox Game Tips and Tricks



Written by Impure King of Green Light Gamer

Presentation

The presentation of Assassins Creed 2 is a masterpiece, blending a detailed world, outstanding characters and fluid movement into a symphony of aesthetics rarely seen in the world of gaming.
The characters in the world of AC2 are wonderfully detailed. The NPC’s are all expertly crafted, to such detail, that you can tell who would make a good target for pick pocketing just from their looks alone. The main characters garbs move as how they would if worn in real life, with the flow of his garments moving properly with him as he darts across a wide scaled world. His facial features carry the weight of his emotions, and his combat/maneuver animations make everything appear stunningly lifelike.
And as for the wide scaled world, the multiple cities you explore are breath-taking in every way. The shadow/light effects of the alleyways and tree lines help immerse you into the reality of that world. The buildings are ALL made with such attention to detail that it is very easy to tell what buildings are able to be used for climbing and the only way you might not make a climb is if you stop to admire the beauty of what you are ascending.
Lastly, the audio quality is beyond reproach. All of the voice actors deliver in full and then some, helping piece together a delicious narrative and the music that plays fits every mood accordingly.
This is a phenomenally made title in regards to presentation and the efforts of Ubisoft’s part is obvious to any who pop in the disc into their 360.

9.75/10

Story

There is a secret war that has been ongoing for centuries between two powerful factions: The templar, an aggressive order of warriors who will try to control the masses by any means necessary, and the assassins, who try to stop the power-hungry templar. Now this war does exist in the current time, but the key to the war is found in the past. Both sides have a device, called the animus, which uses code in human DNA to dive into the past (which is stored in DNA) and find out key information and relive crucial moments in the past. They are looking inside the mind of an assassin, and dive into his DNA to his ancestor Ezio, who was an assassin during the Renaissance period in Italy.
From here, you are treated to a tale of alliances, betrayals, loss, and conflict that is powerful and gripping. I don’t want to spoil the story but I can tell you that you will be thirsting for more every step of the way.
Once again, you can see the effort that Ubisoft put into this title.

9/10

Gameplay

If you played the original Assassins Creed, prepare to be happily surprised at how much Ubisoft listened to the complaints of gamers in regards to technical issues found in the first entry in the AC series.
The core gameplay flow is linear, as you follow key story events with no choice on how to affect the core storyline. For the heavy majority of the game, you play as the assassin Ezio. You will handle different tasks on your journey to avenging your family and fighting against the templar, a orginization whose lust for power is as hearty as their lust for blood.
The combat in the game is pure action, as Ezio will wield a variety of weapons (through purchasing or looting) to battle different enemy types with a bevy of offensive options at your disposal. And you actually need to be involved in combat due to improved enemies, vice spamming the counter like in the original. You also have multiple weapons this time around, and they all play different from the others in your arsenal which help add a personal touch to the mayhem you’ll unleash.
The exploration is plentiful, as outside of the main flow of the game there are hundreds of collectibles to hunt for, most of which improve your character in regards to money or other special rewards (and achievements, for you whores out there). Most notable being the six tombs of the assassins, all of which present some of the finest adventure pieces in the industry. In addition you can find pieces of information in the world that help show a special side to the main story. In addition, enemies can be in various part of the world you explore, so the rooftops are no longer automatic safe havens. Also, certain enemies can and will follow you through the high-rise, so you are forced to be more alert and intuitive with the world around you. This is a big improvement over the first title and adds a much-needed layer of intensity.
Also worth noting is the renovation options, which allow fans of sims/building to work on renovating a city, which can yield many positive benefits for the protagonist.
And best of all, all of these varying factors blend in wonderfully into one delightful package. The ONLY criticisms I have with the game are minimal. One being the game’s pacing…sometimes it seems as if you have to wait way to long to get to the next exciting story segment. The second (and last) complaint is the amount of collectible, as hundreds of collectibles sprawled across the world translates into hours of eye-humping a map in real-time. But since most hunts are optional, it’s up to the player to decide if its worth it.
All in all, the core gameplay experience is fantastic joy to behold.

8.75/10

Achievements

Outside of a few achievements that will require some serious exploration, these achievements are easy to unlock and a blast to play through.

8/10

Overall

I can’t imagine a player in the world who would have a bad time with this game. A powerful story, engaging combat, a slew of collectibles, and some easy but fun achievements all mean one thing: you need to buy this game.

9/10

Recommendation: Purchase

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