Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed II is a sandbox style action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released on November 17, 2009 (US), November 19, 2009 (AU) and November 20, 2009 (Worldwide) on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The PC version may be released on a variety of dates in Q1 2010, including March 16, February 15, and January 15. A special version of the game will also be released on the Nintendo DS.

A direct sequel to Assassin's Creed, the game is focused again on Desmond Miles after he escapes Abstergo Industries with employee Lucy Stillman. In an attempt to thwart Abstergo and the modern-day Templars, Desmond uses a device almost identical to the Animus to relive the genetic memories of his ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who lived in Italy during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. The player controls Desmond, to a degree, but primarily Ezio, who becomes an Assassin after his family is betrayed. While controlling Ezio, the player can explore renditions of major Italian regions and cities through a mixture of action, stealth, and economic gameplay.

Gameplay
Assassin's Creed II is similar to its predecessor in many ways. The game is nonlinear and can be considered "sandbox style" due to the player's ability to freely roam the generated renditions of Italy. The Animus is replaced with the Animus 2.0 which, unlike the first, possesses an in-game database with historical information about encountered landmarks, characters, services, and glyphs.

The player is now also capable of swimming and Eagle Vision has been updated to allow for third-person view and use while the character is moving. A young version of Leonardo da Vinci is included in the game and translates Codex pages left behind by Altaïr, allowing for weapon upgrades. Other weapons, such as swords, daggers, and maces, can also be purchased throughout the game as well. Leonardo further contributes to game play with the inclusion of his flying machine in one of the game's missions. The player is also able to use gondolas and ride horses that are found.

Monteriggioni, the Auditore family's villa, acts as Ezio's primary headquarters throughout the game and a new economic system allows for the property to be upgraded and enhanced, creating income for the player at twenty minute intervals. As shops within Monteriggioni are renovated and upgraded, Ezio receivers discounts on the particular goods that are sold. As more property is enhanced, the amount of income is increased with income also being affected by the purchase of paintings, armor and weapon sets and collections of various items. Such items are displayed throughout the villa as they are collected and Ezio's personal room is updated with portraits of his assassinations as the game progresses.

The combat system for the game has been updated and allows for further options, such as disarming your opponent. There also more methods of hiding (the player is able to dive underwater to break line of sight with an enemy) and blending may be performed with any small group of individuals rather than with specific people. Ezio is capable of learning new modes of assassination, such as ambushing individuals when hiding in haystacks or pulling individuals off buildings to fall to their deaths. There are also several types of enemies, some more agile or stronger than others. Ezio can also use smoke bombs and hire groups of thieves, courtesans, or mercenaries to aid him in covering his tracks and avoiding contact with guards. Health in the game is measured via synchronization and minor wounds will heal automatically. Major wounds must be healed by side-street doctors or with medicine purchased from the same.

The game introduces a new system known as notoriety. Depending on his behavior, current location, and current mission, Ezio will become more recognizable by citizens of the city, specifically guards. When the notoriety icon is empty, Ezio is known as "incognito" and may travel through the city as he pleases. As the player behaves in more "socially unacceptable" ways or due to the consequences of a particular mission, the player will become more noticeable by the guards and more likely to be pursued by them. Notoriety can be decreased by bribing city heralds, assassinating corrupt city officials, and removing wanted posters. The level of notoriety is set within each city, so that while the player may be completely unknown in some cities, he may be infamous in others.

Like its predecessor, the game features the same ability to climb buildings and perform Leaps of Faith into haystacks and carts of soft materials. Climbing has been updated to allow Ezio the opportunity to learn to leap while climbing, allowing him to reach higher positions previously unavailable.



Due to complaints of the some of the missions in the original game, the mission system has been expanded and structured a little differently. There is approximately 200 missions in the entire game with roughly half of them being relevant to the primary storyline. Side quests include the location and search of hidden areas which upon exploration and successful completion will reward the player with seals of past Assassins. A full collection of six seals rewards the player with the armor of Altaïr.

A day and night cycle has been added to the game and the player will notice the sun rising and setting throughout game play. In addition, specific missions and game events at certain times of the day and night.

The game possesses will also a system mildly similar to the "glitches" from Assassin's Creed, where pressing a specific button during a cutscene will produce specific changes and actions within the scene.

Plot
The game begins with a narration from Desmond explaining what has happened since the end of the first game. Lucy has been taken away and Desmond has found no new information about his situation. As the narration ends we found Desmond staring at the hidden blood message on the wall when Lucy returns, blood on her shirt, and tells him that she has come to rescue him. Desmond re-enters the Animus and briefly experiences the birth of his ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, while Lucy makes a copy of the Animus' memory. The two then proceed to escape Abstergo, fighting through a number of guards and into a car parked in the buildings underground lot, to one of the Assassins' hideouts. After being introduced to fellow modern Assassins, Shaun and Rebecca, Lucy explains that with their numbers dwindling they require Desmond to assist them by becoming an Assassin. In order to do so Lucy intends to train Desmond by exploiting the Animus' Bleeding Effect. By going through years of memories from one his ancestors, Desmond will be able to master the Assassin's art in days. The Assassins have created their own smaller, more user-friendly Animus, labeled the Animus 2.0, and Desmond proceeds to enter Ezio's memories.

Ezio's life takes place in late 15th century Italy during the Renaissance, approximately 300 years after Altaïr's time. In 1476, young Ezio is living the life of a noble in Florence. The memories begins with Ezio about to fight a rival group from another family, including the young Vieri de' Pazzi, who has insulted the Auditore family and also Ezio's parents personally. He is eventually joined in the battle by his older brother Frederico and they drive off the Pazzi's. After the fight Frederico takes Ezio to a nearby doctor to check out a small wound he had received. After the doctor is done with him Frederico and Ezio race to the top of a nearby church. On the way home Ezio decides to pay a visit to Cristina Vespucci and they sleep together.

In the morning he is driven out of the Vespucci home by Cristina's father. After returning home he is chastised by his father, Giovanni Auditore, and is then asked by him to help their family with various things around the house. These include helping his mother, Maria, carry paintings from the studio of the young Leonardo Da Vinci, retrieve a feather for his younger brother Petruccio, and beat up the cheating boyfriend of his sister Claudia. Ezio then overhears a conversation between his father and a man named Uberto Alberti. Though he can not tell exactly what his father has said he can tell the he is distressed about something. His father then asks Ezio to deliver some letter, and when he returns he finds that his home has been raided by guards and that his two brothers and his father have been taken to prison.

Ezio then sends his panicked sister and mother, who has been shocked into silence, to the house of their maid's sister. Ezio then climbs to the top of the prison to speak to his father, who asks him to retrieve several items hidden in his home and a document, and to deliver this document to Uberto because they will prove their families innocence. Ezio returns to his home and finds an Assassin outfit hidden in his father's studies, and the document. He delivers the document and is promised by Uberto that he will represent his father and brothers at their hearing tomorrow. However the next day he finds Uberto has betrayed him, and has ordered his father and brothers to be hanged for treason against Florence. Ezio attempts to fight his way through the crowd to save them, but is unable to do so and watches as his father and brothers die. Ezio is forced to flee and makes his way to the home where his sister and mother are hiding. He informs them of what has happened and swears vengeance against Uberto. Ezio then meets Paola of the Courtesans, who is the sister of their house maid and is caring for his mother and sister. Ezio is taught the elements of stealth by Paola, and then proceeds to meet with Leonardo da Vinci, who decrypts one of Ezio's documents and uses it to repair his hidden blade. Ezio then proceeds to assassinate Uberto.

After the assassination Ezio is a wanted criminal, so he flees Florence with Maria and Claudia, heading to his family villa in the Tuscan countryside. On the way he is attacked by Vieri de' Pazzi, and while fighting him and his men he is aided by his uncle Mario and his mercenaries. At the villa Mario tells Ezio of his Assassin heritage. Ezio is incredulous, always thinking of his father as only a banker, and states his intention to flee to Spain with his family, but Mario implores him to stay and fight the Pazzi and Templars. Mario trains Ezio how to fight, while encouraging him to become an assassin. He then goes with his uncle to attack the city of Tuscany and to kill Vieri de' Pazzi.



After assassinating Vieri, Ezio learns of additional conspirators involved in his father and brothers' deaths. Mario introduces Ezio to various items in the villa, one being a set of armor belonging to Altaïr. He is also shown several pages of the Codex, one of which was what Leonardo had decrypted. Written by Altaïr, the Codex is a set of memoirs describing his experiences and thoughts after retrieving the Apple of Eden, and also contains designs and sketches of several things, such as a miniature firearm, and a new type of metal. Over the next decade, Ezio assassinates many of the conspirators, with the assistance of several new allies, and Leonardo's developments, based on the designs from the Codex.

Eventually, Desmond is pulled out of the Animus, as Lucy calls it a day. She tests the retention of Desmond's skills, and notes a great amount of progress, although Desmond is suffering from minor detrimental effects, such as brief hallucinations of the past. Desmond appears to black out and has an extended, vivid hallucination or dream of Altaïr pursuing Maria, a Templar who Altaïr had spared, and proceeding to romance her. As it so happens, Desmond is unable to follow Altair once he leaves Maria, which reveals that Maria is now pregnant with his child. Afterwords, Desmond wakes up, feeling confused.

Returning back into the Animus, Ezio continues his pursuit. Once nearly all of the conspirators are dead, only Rodrigo Borgia still remains, and was the center of the conspiracy. Ezio learns that Rodrigo has retrieved the Apple of Eden from Cyprus, and his men are delivering it to him. With all of Ezio's past allies suddenly appearing, they aid Ezio in reclaiming the Apple of Eden, but Rodrigo flees. After the battle, Ezio learns that all of his allies are Assassins, and were all guiding him throughout his life. Although Rodrigo had called himself a prophet, the Assassins state that Ezio may be the prophet described in the Codex. Letting go of the idea of revenge, Ezio is officially inducted as an Assassin.

A problem occurs with the Animus, and several memories are skipped, lapsing forward to the year 1499, where Rodrigo Borgia is now Pope. With the Apple of Eden, and the completed Codex, Ezio and the Assassins locate the position of the "Vault", which is found to be in Rome. Mario concludes that the papal staff, which, as Pope, Rodrigo has possession of, is a Piece of Eden, and Rodrigo is going to use it to try to gain access to the vault. Ezio infiltrates the Vatican, and attempts to assassinate Rodrigo, but fails when Rodrigo uses the powers of the staff to temporarily defeat Ezio and steal the Apple. Ezio intercepts him at the entrance to the Vault, and defeats him, but does not kill him. Near death, Rodrigo tells Ezio to stop delaying and just kill him. Ezio walks away, saying, "Killing you won't bring my family back...I'm done."

The Staff and the Apple activate and open the vault. Ezio encounters a hologram in the form of a woman, who addresses him as the prophet. She identifies herself as Minerva and mentions Juno and Jupiter as well, prompting Ezio to immediately distinguish them as gods. She reassures him, however, and says that they had simply came before. Minerva explains that humans may not be able to comprehend Those Who Came Before but must comprehend their warning. She explains that they created humanity, but humans betrayed them. Both humans and Those Who Came Before were so occupied with themselves and their craving for war, that they failed to "notice the heavens". Minerva says that by the time they did acknowledge the heavens, it was too late, and she simply says that the world burned. She explains that they rebuilt humanity, and took measures to ensure a similar disaster wouldn't happen. Ezio tells Minerva that he does not understand, but she tells him that his work is finished, and that he is the prophet, but she only wishes to speak through him. She directly addresses Desmond, saying that "The rest is up to you." Greatly confused, Ezio questions who Desmond is, but the hologram fades. Confused himself, Desmond says, "What the fuck?" and the Animus shuts down.

Back in present time, Abstergo has located and attacked the Assassin's hideout, prompting Shaun and Rebecca to pull Desmond out of the Animus. Lucy hands Desmond a hidden blade, and they run downstairs, preparing to escape. The two confront Warren Vidic surrounded by several guards. Thanks to the Bleeding Effect, Desmond has successfully acquired most of Ezio's ablitities and is able to skillfully use the Hidden Blade. Lucy and Desmond defeat the guards and make their way to Vidic, standing in the back of a truck. He sarcastically tells Desmond to enjoy his temporary victory, and the truck drives away. Shaun and Rebecca finish gathering the equipment, and Lucy assures Desmond that Vidic will get what he deserves. The group vacates the hideout and head north to a cabin where, according to Lucy, they should be safe for a little while. As they drive, Lucy prepares to review the tapes of Desmond's latest session, noting how the situation has escalated dramatically and how Minerva's words proved everything she was afraid of: the possibility of an event such as the Sun's geomagnetic reversal. Rebecca prepares the Animus for Desmond to reenter, as Lucy speculates their may be more to discover in his memories.

During Desmond's time in the Animus, he also encounters a series of out-of-place glyphs, located throughout his memories. The glyphs are found to be the same ones drawn on Desmond's bedroom wall in Abstergo, and analysis reveals that they contain computer code, hidden in the Animus. "Subject 16", the Animus user preceding Desmond, had placed the encrypted code as a message, and Lucy had taken this data along with the copy of the Animus' memory. The encrypted code contains a great number of historical artworks, photographs, and messages, past and present, implicating a great number of prominent events and figures with the Templars, and Pieces of Eden. Unlocking all of the glyphs reveals a brief video. The video begins with the Abstergo logo shown above the title, "Subject 16, Session 12, Classified Date B.C.E." The video follows a man and woman as they freerun through a futuristic complex, and at one point, encounter a group of workers manufacturing Pieces of Eden. When they reach the roof, the woman holds up the Apple of Eden, and she and the man identify each other as Adam and Eve. The video ends suddenly with a flash of binary code that translates to "EDEN".

The White Edition

 * Ezio Auditore da Firenze figurine
 * Collectible White Packaging
 * Bonus in-game playable content
 * Santa Maria Dei Frari

This version is in only available in parts of Europe, as well as Australia. Also, this version was sold in South Korea as limited pre-order edition from December 10 through December 15 only for the PS3 console.

The Black Edition

 * "Master Assassin" upgrade Ezio Auditore da Firenze figurine with black collectors box
 * 3 in-game bonus quests, allowing the character to explore the following:
 * Palazzo Medici in Florence
 * Santa Maria Dei Frari In Venice
 * Arsenal Shipyard Warehouse In Venice
 * "Conspiracy book": A book from the developers of the game, describing the development, and the storyline (with extra commentary on the "conspiracy"). 64 pages, hardcover, "leather style".
 * DVD with all the videos, behind-the-scene interviews and "e-goodies" about Assassin's Creed II and game soundtrack by Jesper Kyd (British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominee for "2009 Best Original Score in a Game").
 * Black packaging with unique holographic signature

This edition of the game will be made available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC. It is confirmed for Europe, as well as Australia and certain Asian nations like South Korea. (However, 360 version will be the only version available.). Retail price £70.

The Master Assassin Edition

 * Ezio Auditore da Firenze figurine
 * Artbook: The art of Assassin's Creed
 * Premium Collectable Metal Case
 * Two In-Game Maps:
 * Palazzo Medici
 * Santa Maria Dei Frari
 * Additional Content DVD with Behind the Scenes of Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II Soundtrack

This edition can be bought in North America.

Several days before the release of Assassin's Creed II, EBGames Australia offered an unlock code for Palazzo Medicis when you preordered the normal edition.

The two bonus maps are not so much maps as bonus missions which are contained within their own maps. The Palazzo Medici map has Ezio rescuing Lorenzo De Medici from Templar soldiers who have invaded his home, for which Ezio receives a substantial monetary reward. The Santa Maria Dei Frari map is very similar to the Assassin's tomb maps which are found elsewhere in the game, although there is no Assssin's seal to retrieve at the end; there is only a monetary reward.

Development
On January 22 2008, 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 in front 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, traveling 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 second.

Won

 * Spike TV Video Game Awards
 * "Best Action-Adventure Game"


 * IGN Best of 2009
 * "Xbox 360 Game of the Year"
 * "Xbox 360 Best Action Game"


 * Gamestop's Best of 2009
 * "Best New Character - Ezio Auditore da Firenze"
 * "Best Xbox 360 Game"

Nominated

 * Gamespot's Best of 2009
 * "Best Action/Adventure Game" - Lost to: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 * "Best Story" - Lost to: Cryostasis: The Sleep of Reason
 * "Best Graphics Technical" - Lost to: Uncharted 2: Among Thieves
 * "Best Original Music" - Lost to: Afro Samurai
 * "Best Improved Sequel" - Lost to: Killzone 2

Trivia

 * It is suspected that the part of Assassin's Creed in the present takes place in Italy, considering that the outside of the hideout looks almost exactly like Florence in Ezio's time, and that the underground parking lot in Abstergo and the Assassin's hideout have signs that have words in Italian, including "sezione", which means "section" in English. In Abstergo's garage there are signs in Italian saying "Parcheggio reservato" meaning "Reserved parking" and "Altezza totale" meaning "Altitude". In the end of Assassins Creed II Lucy says that they can hide out in a cabin north and Rebecca later says that it's a long drive meaning that the cabin is possibly in Austria or Germany or Switzerland.
 * The game takes place only two days after the end of the previous game on September 8th 2012. Desmond goes to sleep only once meaning that the Assassins leave the warehouse on September 9th 2012.
 * During an interview for G4, one of the creators said that the game starts 1-2 hours after AC1 ended.
 * Compared with the previous game the period is stretched over 40 years compared with the one year.