Assassin’s Creed was one of the most polarizing games of 2007. Many, if not most, praised the game for its innovative style and gameplay. Others, like me, saw it as  little more than a proof of concept. While I loved the climb-anywhere, stab-anyone mentality of Assassin’s Creed, I felt the story was a little contrived, the environment drab, the combat repetitive and side missions uninspired.

While playing it, I did find myself curious how the inevitable sequel would improve upon the first. Though when Assassin’s Creed 2 was announced and early videos of the game surfaced, I worried it would fall victim to some of the same pitfalls of the first game. Given the crowded fall schedule in which it was scheduled to release, I planned to play the game, but not right away.

All this changed when I read the review by Joystiq’s Justin McElroy. One of the final statements in his review really struck  a chord with me:

“If you were burned by the first Assassin’s Creed and are worried about getting bored by the sequel, I understand your skepticism, but trust me: it’s misplaced. It would be a lot more fruitful to worry about how you’re going to find time for any other games this holiday season when Ezio’s Italy constantly dangles the next trinket in front of you, just a few rooftops away.”

He convinced me, like he usually does, to lose any preconceived notions and give it a try. I am so glad I listened to him, because AC2 has defied almost everything I expected of it.

Story

The time-traveler esque storyline from the first game is back, which was, and to some extent still is my biggest complaint with the franchise. The sequel does help flesh out the story significantly, but perhaps the greatest improvement is the protagonist. Better dialogue, better voice acting, and an all around more interesting character to follow.

Setting

Probably the thing that makes AC2 feel so different than the first is the setting. It never occurred to me until I first popped in the game that Italy is a FAR more interesting environment than the middle east. While Jerusalem from the first game was cool, the other two towns were not exactly memorable. The Italian landscape of AC2,  by contrast, feels both larger, and more diverse, even if you are only looking between different districts of the same city. Having been to Italy personally, I found myself  in awe of the layout to landmarks to the city. Similar to exploring all the easter eggs and landmarks of a Grand Theft Auto game, I found myself spending hours simple wandering, with no destination in mind other than the next rooftop or canal.

Even a simple stroll down a Florentine or Venetian street and you will realize that this is a very special game. The attention to detail in the crowds, architecture, an overall ambiance is pretty staggering. Rarely does one experience a more realized world in a video game. Though the environment is already staggeringly huge, I still found myself a little disappointed that the entire city of Rome was not included in the game. Perhaps it will be included in a future DLC pack.

Combat

The combat in AC2 is fairly unchanged from the first game, though a few cool new weapons have been added, and the ability to purchase new and upgraded weapons is a welcome addition.  Ezio still dons the same iconic cowl and robe throughout the game, though in some situations I wish there were more varied disguises available.

Side Missions

Much like the first game, the majority of the replay value in the game lies in the sidequests. Not only have they been improved, they have been expanded upon, to the point that makes this game a must have for any completionist. Though they are typically pretty straightforward, they are focused around the gameplay features that make Assassin’s Creed 2 addictive to begin with (get from here to here faster than the timer, kill this guy using ___ method, etc). You’ll spend hours getting every last collectible, and one set is particularly notable, combining sometimes mind-numbingly complex puzzles with exploration, and culminating with a pretty damn cool cinematic (The Truth).

Let me reiterate that Assassin’s Creed 2 was once my least anticipated fall release title, though it has quickly become one of my favorites of the year. It is everything a sequel should aspire to be, and more. ’nuff said.