Archive for November, 2009

Return of the Assassin
One of the most anticipated games of 2009, Assassins Creed II is the squeal to the popular Assassins Creed. This new installment in the series improves on almost every flaw of its predecessor but is it a worth while experience?

Pros
The Story – You will be returning as Desmond who is in the middle of a centuries long war between the Assassins and the Templar. Desmond will follow the life of Ezio in this game, a young Assassin who lived in Renaissance Italy. It is a historical mystery laced with a little revenge and is much more absorbing than the previous game

Game Play – Platforming is more fluid in this game as Ezio is a more agile assassin. Combat is more enjoyable as you have more weapon options, and different outcomes to battles. The city is more life like and citizens are more interactive. All and all game play has improved light years beyond the previous game.

Environments – Renaissance Italy is a much more colorful and vibrant environment than the last game. Not only is it perfect for your platforming, it a perfect landscape for a history lesson, which you are dropped right into the middle of.

Customization – You have a massive amount of customization options that were not previously available in the last game. You get to choose which weapons you want, as well as purchase armor, and clothing. You will even be able to customize your own villa at one point in the game.

Cons
Facial modeling – the game is so well crafted hat it was a big surprise to see how awkward the facial modules were. They seem to have changed little from the previous games, and I would have just expected them to be updated a little more.

The Verdict
All and all Assassins Creed II is a game whose success greatly outweighs its flaws. It has improved on almost every short coming of its first installment, and continues its reputation of being one of the best platformers out there. We give Assassins Creed II, 5 out of 5 stars!