Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed II (or Assassin's Creed 2) is a sandbox-style action-adventure video game being developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It is set to release sometime on November 17, 2009 (US) and November 20, 2009 (Worldwide) on PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox 360. A special version of the game will also come out on the Nintendo DS. The game is a sequel to the 2007 critically acclaimed video game, Assassin's Creed.

Plot
While not much is known of the plot yet, it has been confirmed that the player will assume the role of a young nobleman-turned-assassin named Ezio Auditore de Firenze. Ezio is a descendant of Altaïr and an ancestor to Desmond, the protagonists from Assassin's Creed. He is shown to have dual assassin's blades and a colorful attire, to fit the era. The game is set to take place in Renaissance Italy, during the Carnival of Venice in the year 1486, which is 295 years after the first game. Ezio gets betrayed by the rival ruling families of Italy. He is educated in poetry, and art, as well as trained in the art of swordplay and war, Ezio is both a scholar and a warrior. He is not, however an assassin, although he finds himself moving down that path as he is faced with betrayal and murder. Over the arc of the story, many historical figures will find their way into the narrative, including Leonardo da Vinci (his friend and supporter, who is also said to have invented Ezio's hidden blades),Niccolò Machiavelli, author of The Prince, (who is said will teach Ezio "tactics"), and Caterina Sforza. The narrative will focus mainly on the struggles of Ezio, as he seeks revenge against those who betray him, as further below the surface, the Assassin's and Templars continue their centuries long war and continue to influence the course of history. Also rumored about the character is that he's some sort of womaniser, a charmer. The game will feature Venice, Florence, Rome and the Tuscan countryside. Famous architectural marvels will appear, such as Saint Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, and the Rialto Bridge.

Gameplay
The May 2009 GameInformer article revealed that many new features would be added to the game engine. Ezio will be able to use many weapons, but he will only have the hidden blades and throwing knives at all times. Ezio will be given two hidden blades, allowing him to eliminate two enemies at once. New weapons, such as spears, axes, and maces have been revealed as well. In order to obtain the weapons, Ezio must kill a guard wielding the weapon he wants. Ezio will have access to many weapons, but some enemies are only weak to certain weapons. The player can also buy and upgrade weapons and items at shops, as an alternative to scavenging them off of fallen foes. The enemies Ezio will face have also been expanded upon, so that now he will be forced to contend with both heavily armored swordsman, lightly armored foes wielding lighter weapons, and halberdiers who will seek to attack him from afar. The cinematic trailer also revealed that not only has Ezio hidden blades hidden in his gauntlets, but can also launch spikes as a projectile to kill his enemies.

New forms of cover will be introduced, including the ability to hide underneath the water (as long as you have enough oxygen). Possibly this game will feature the same 'Leaps of faith', but rather than jumping into haystacks(which will now include carts of fish, wood and other things), you can also jump into water. This way Ezio will grab his enemies by either jumping out of the haystack or the water to kill them with his hidden blade. This tactic will of course compromise your position to other guard and they will have the ability to check haystacks and other areas by stabbing their weapons into them. Ezio will automatically hide the dead bodies of his victims depending where he himself is hiding. To confuse guards you can use an explosive powder that will further cover your tracks. Rather than blending in with scholars as Altaïr did, Ezio will also be able to blend with larger crowds. Climbing has a new feature. Not only is Ezio a fast climber as Altaïr, but he can leap to a higher position while climbing a certain building. Guards positioned in towers, or other high buildings, can be grabbed and pulled down, so they will fall to their death, as Ezio climbs them.

The mission design in the first game was thought to be too repetitive, so the developers are adding at least 16 new mission types, so missions don't seem to run together. This is a large increase over the number in the original, as there are now over 200 missions in Assassin's Creed 2. Missions like eavesdropping or pick pocketing have been removed from the list of quests in this game. Yet another new feature is a notoriety system in which Ezio will become recognized as he takes on more quests in each town; higher notoriety will result in civilians and guards becoming increasingly wary of the player's movements.This level of notoriety will be set within each city, so that while the player may be completely unknown in some cities, he may be infamous in others. The player may take on quests to bribe or kill informants and remove wanted posters in order to decrease his notoriety level. Updated is also the quest to collect flags, but also mini-statues and golden coins. But unlike the first game, you will be given bonus features if you succeed in collecting them. Ezio will also be aided by famous Renaissance figures, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli. Caterina Sforza and Lorenzo de' Medici will also make an appearance. Ezio's synchronization bar will fill normally like in the original game, but more major injuries must be treated by street-side doctors. A day and night cycle will also be added.

Black Edition
There will be a special edition called the 'Limited Black Edition' featuring the following bonuses:

This highly collectible figurine produced in limited quantities introduces a unique and powerful design of upgraded Assassin's cloak that Ezio will only access in the advanced stages of the adventure.
 * Rare “Master Assassin” upgrade Ezio figurine

- Palazzo Medicis in Florence - Santa Maria Dei Frari In Venice - Arsenal Shipyard Warehouse In Venice
 * 3 in-game bonus quests: Enter & explore the most prestigious moments of the Renaissance. Reveal mysterious unique artifacts hidden within their walls.


 * Conspiracy book: this unique piece of art brings together exclusive insights on the game art, story and background direct from the developers of Assassin's Creed II. Secret faces are also revealed from the game's overarching conspiracy. The 64 page book comes with a finely crafted leather style hardcover and parchment finish pages.


 * Game Soundtrack by Jesper Kyd (British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominee for "2009 Best original score in a game")


 * All videos, behind-the-scene interviews and e-goodies about Assassin's Creed II


 * Collectible black packaging featured with unique authentic holographic signature

It is only available in the Europe so far. There is still no announcement whether this limited figurine will be available in other country.

Development


On January 22 2009, it was confirmed by Ubisoft that Assassin's Creed II was in production, but no details were revealed. A promotional video was released by ubisoft on April 6 showing a map of Italy, some hidden blade designs, and DaVinci's flying machine on a scroll. On the official site after the teaser is viewed a symbol is given to print and show infront of a webcam. Doing this will unlock a picture displayed on the site. 4 of the 5 symbols have been given by Ubisoft, and the other was found by a fan. Later, on April 10, Game Informer magazine released details on the game, as well as pictures of Ezio. There are about 240 team members, some of these members were sent to Italy, travelling through Venice, Florence, Tuscany, and Rome. ScrewAttack also released a video with some of the pictures from the magazine. In early May, Ubisoft has stated that they are putting full emphasis on the game and that 450 team members are now working on the title. 75% of the original developers for the original game are now working on the the second.

Assassins Creed II Related Videos

 * Assassins Creed II Full Length Teaser Trailer with Da Vinci Blueprint Info
 * Assassins Creed II Gameplay Showcase of Ezio Screenshots
 * A Side By Side Comparison of Assassins Creed and Assassins Creed II Gameplay
 * Assassins Creed II Trailer and Gameplay Information! First Screenshots of Ezio!
 * Assassins Creed II Gameplay - E3 including dev comments