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Assassin’s Creed II Preview for Xbox 360

Assassin’s Creed II Preview for Xbox 360

Live by the Creed

June 12, 2009 – One of the most anticipated titles of 2009 has to be Assassin’s Creed II (ACII). The original stealth-action title saw loads of success despite a few gameplay mishaps. Regardless, a vast and loyal following has developed around this franchise, and the sequel is set to right the wrongs and springboard the series into epic status.

Assassin's Creed II screenshot

At E3 2009, we sat down with the developers at Ubisoft Montreal to get an eyes-on demonstration of how the game will play. Set during the Italian Renaissance, players will take on the role of a new hero, Ezio. He is the shadowy, bereaved son of a Florentine nobleman, who sets out on a quest to avenge his family. The tale that is spun revolves around a major power struggle between competing noble families in the Italian city-states and the subsequent conspiracy that affects the entire peninsula. As Ezio, players will be supported by a vast network of informants and street toughs as well as grand figures of the Renaissance such as Leonardo Da Vinci; the master artist, scientist, and inventor will act much like Q from the James Bond films, providing Ezio with tools and inventions to accomplish his goals.

Despite the new setting and hero, fans of the series will be happy to know that the gameplay in ACII is strikingly reminiscent of the original while still incorporating a host of refinements. First, Ezio will be able to make use of a lot of new weapons; however, his dual retracting daggers are likely to see the most action. Second, hiding spots are not as safe as they once were. Guards are smarter in non-combat situations and they will come to investigate – even if it does lead to an untimely death. Third, and probably most importantly, not only have more mission types been added, but multiple objectives will be strung together on the fly. That means a failed assassination will lead to a chase mission, which may in turn lead to an escape mission. These unscripted gameplay segments should allow for a lot of replay value and force players to complete objectives cleanly.

Assassin's Creed II screenshot

The level we were able to see demoed was nearly identical to what was shown in the E3 2009 trailer. The developers played as Ezio sneaking about Venice. While there, he receives information from a couple of conspirators letting him know that Da Vinci had left a flying contraption for the assassin on top of a rampart, and that it was ready for Ezio to use in order to complete an assassination mission. After quickly dispatching a nosey passerby and propping him up between the informants, Ezio shimmied his way up a stone tower with ease; platforming in ACII looks to be perfect.

After making his way up to a perch, three guards were stealthily taken out with Ezio’s retractable daggers. The devs even went so far as to take out two unwitting victims at one time – the devious giggle the dev let out was evidence that even playing through the level hundreds of times wasn’t enough to tarnish the experience.

Assassin's Creed II screenshot

Making his way to the hidden glider – a contraption taken directly from Da Vinci’s sketches – Ezio was able to glide over a very long distance by using the rising heat from strategically placed bonfires left by his fellow plotters. This glider scene seemed to serve a contextual purpose as well as a new gameplay mechanic, as frightened guards and towns people fled from Ezio’s advance screaming “Il Diavolo!”

Upon landing, we were able to see a couple types of alerted guards in action. Two of them were carrying polearms and a third was heavily armored and hefted a large battle axe. Unfortunately, two major flaws with close-combat, prevalent in the original game, became immediately apparent: stupid enemy A.I. and repetitive kill animations. Despite being surrounded by three combatants, Ezio only had to deal with one of them at a time. One can only hope that foes will be more challenging and lifelike in the final version of the game. Additionally, after taking out the first two guards, Ezio then proceeded to disarm the helmeted , axe-toting combatant with a head-butt – I don’t think so. We saw this demonstration three times, and in every occasion the same silly animations were used.

Despite these blatant missteps (keep in mind it’s still a work in progress), ACII looks like it is bound to be a compelling experience. The world is meticulously crafted and true to how it was during the time period. In fact, the team incorporated the equivalent of Renaissance blueprints of the cities in order to make the setting look and feel right. What’s more, Ubisoft Montreal made sure to add an Italian flavor to the people and villains in order to make NPC’s more than just avatars in need of a good throat-slitting. Fans and new players alike should find hours and hours of enjoyment when this title releases in fall 2009. For the most part, we’ve really liked what we’ve seen and look for to getting some hands-on time with the game.

Game Features:

  • The lineage continues…introducing Ezio, the new Assassin.
  • Experience the freedom and immersion of an all new open world and mission structure.
  • Master the art of the assassin with all new weapons and instruments created by Leonardo Da Vinci himself.


  • Italy’s Assassin

    April 17, 2009 – Whether you loved the mystery surrounding the first Assassin’s Creed or not doesn’t really matter. Nearly everyone I have talked to, and even in my own opinion, agrees it was a great game to play. The idea behind the creed and mission-based assassinations was a fun concept. Ubisoft Montreal thinks people need another go around in the world of assassins, and we agree. The problems most frequently encountered with the first are being retooled and turned into something fresh, innovative, and, undoubtedly, wrapped tight in mystery.

    Assassin's Creed II screenshot

    The first Assassin’s Creed took place in 1191 during the Crusades, with players controlling Altaïr, an arrogant member of the Assassins seeking to reclaim his honor. This time around, we advance some 300 years. Set in 1476, in Italy, players will not only be interacting with new surroundings but with a new character as well, Ezio Auditore de Firenze. It will become quickly apparent that Ezio is no Altaïr. Ezio has had a privileged life, is a nobleman, and it is unclear what his direct relation is to Altaïr and Desmond is – and Ubisoft is not sharing all of the info. In fact, the only thing known is that Ezio eventually winds up alone and on a quest for vengeance against some of the most powerful families in Italy. For those concerned with whether the Assassin’s and the Templar’s war is still raging, don’t worry, they are still very pivotal to the narrative of Assassin’s Creed II, even though they may reside more in the shadows than they did in the first title.

    The environment is one of the changes that the team is bringing to Assassin’s Creed II. Unlike the first, with its wide-open wilderness between cities, this time around things feel more connected throughout the cities and surrounding landscapes. Missions, story development, and hidden secrets will be spread out through the environment, giving not only a stronger need to explore the environments than before but also a greater sense of the era itself. Ramifications of nobles fighting, the church’s influence, and merchant families vying for land and profit are beautifully and accurately portrayed. Ubisoft went the extra mile and brought in University of Notre Dame professor of history Margaret Meserve to consult on the time period. One example of the true events incorporated is the assassination attempt of Lorenzo de’ Medici during a Sunday mass. I won’t ruin the depth of that story, but know that it is a good read and definitely ties into the Italian Mafia stories of modern day. Events like this and environments resembling historic cities like Venice and Florence will undoubtedly intrigue history buffs on a whole new level.

    Assassin's Creed II screenshot

    The intrigue doesn’t stop there either. Several things have been tweaked to make the experience different but still very much reminiscent. For instance, the health system of the first game relied heavily on you being in synch with the memory to refill you health. This time around, the same holds true but only to a certain point. If you have been injured and your health meter has only recharged to a certain level, you will need to seek out a street-side doctor to refill your health the entire way. Collectibles have also been adjusted to serve a better function. Instead of just collecting the flags, statues, gold coins, and other various items, all of them will come with in-game bonuses or awards for the players going out of their way to obtain them. Another modification includes a reworked leap and grab maneuver to make traversing buildings much easier and more enjoyable. In addition to this, more free-running paths have been clearly marked by white flags in the game. It will operate in the same manner as birds on ledges that signify an appropriate hiding spot. There will be a few extra types of hiding spots as well, including a merchant’s pile of wool, carts filled with a fisherman’s fresh catch, and several more. Probably my favorite of the new hiding spots is in the water. Yes, finally you will be able to swim, and you can use it as a hiding spot for as long as Ezio can hold his breath.

    Along with the new hiding spots comes a much-anticipated and welcomed ability: assassinating from cover. This was something I expected in the first, since there was a huge emphasis on using to cover. I don’t know how many times I wished I could just pop out of hiding and rid myself of my pursuer. This time around we will also have an easier time of using the stealth blade, or should I say blades, which opens up the possibility of assassinating more than one person at a time. These new stealth blades were designed, as shown on the teaser site for Assassin’s Creed II, by Leonardo da Vinci. Another modification to the stealth blades is if your target is unaware of you, then you will no longer need to select the blades to use them. Instead, they will automatically be used. This is also a great thing to hear, since, more often than not, in the beginning of the first title, it became more of a chore to remember to equip the stealth blade.

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