Assassin's Creed II - PS3

Desmond Miles, the last in the line of the ancient Assassin Order, is captured by the modern-day descendants of the Templars and forced to relive past events using a device called the Animus in order to obtain important information. However, one of the scientists unexpectedly switches sides and asks Desmond to place his trust in her hands and follow her out of the complex. Soon after, they escape the fortress and join forces with some new allies who want to use Desmond's knowledge against the Templars. Their new device is called the Animus 2.0, an updated version of the original. This time, Desmond relives the life of Ezio Auditore di Firenze, a man who lived in Italy in the 15th century.

Ezio is a boisterous, seemingly carefree young man who enjoys stirring up trouble and chasing skirts. But that changes when his father and younger brother are publicly executed by a man he trusted. Driven by revenge, Ezio begins to learn more about his father's life and discovers that he too belonged to the Assassin Order. Ezio himself becomes a skilled assassin and is prepared to do whatever it takes to avenge the deaths of the people he loved.

Assassin's Creed II is a free-roaming action game that's very similar to its predecessor in concept and gameplay mechanics. The game's events take place in Florence, Venice, Rome and other locations in Italy. Alongside fictional characters, the game features famous historical figures from the era, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, Cesare Borgia and others, who play an active role in the game's story. The game represents the authentic cultural and political environment of the Italian Renaissance, alongside fictional accounts of events, alternate history and metaphysical theories.

The core gameplay is similar to that of the previous game. The protagonist can freely explore several major cities and rural areas on foot or on horseback. It's also possible to swim and pilot boats in the game. Almost every building can be climbed, and the protagonist can reach the highest rooftops and survey the panorama using his Eagle Vision. Free-form jumping and running make up a considerable part of the gameplay.

One of the sequel's most notable additions is the financial system, which wasn't present in the first game. Items, weapons and armour can be bought in shops and repaired for money. There are many more weapon types, as well as individual weapons and armour, in the game. Ezio can carry swords, daggers, throwing knives, smoke bombs, a pistol and a variety of upgradeable armour types. Weapons can also be picked up from fallen enemies and used within the same fight. Plenty of treasure can be collected at various locations throughout the game world.

This sequel introduces new ways to stay stealthy. Ezio can pay courtesans to distract guards, hire mercenaries to fight them, or task thieves with creating a diversion. Mission objectives, and in particular the steps required to achieve them, are significantly more varied than in the previous game. The protagonist frequently receives new equipment and new challenges to experiment with. Some of these are structured like minigames: for instance, Ezio will at one point pilot a flying device. The main character has his own headquarters in the game, a villa with an adjoining small town. There's the option to invest money in rebuilding the town and customising the villa.

The game offers a significantly larger number of side quests than its predecessor. A number of sub-quests involve finding, collecting and deciphering ancient words of wisdom, said to hold the secret of the universe. These quests often require navigating complex indoor platforming environments to reach the objective. These sequences demand precise jumping and include light puzzle-solving elements, similar to contemporary Prince of Persia games.

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