Assassin's Creed 2

[Trevor]

I couldn't endure more than a minute of the one Lineage short I attempted. It's lavish marketing, though.

[Polygon_Wizard]

The Lineage shorts aren't the best thing ever invented, but I found them to be surprisingly worth watching. I hope that the game also has the secret room behind the fireplace.

[Justin Clark]

Originally Posted by Trevor

I couldn't endure more than a minute of the one Lineage short I attempted. It's lavish marketing, though.

For what its worth, the very first video in the series is a Xena-esque montage that is just laughably bad. Not that the rest of the series is winning Oscars, but it is, at least, better than that.

[jameson]

About 3 hours in...for better or worse, in terms of gameplay it's very similar to AC1. I've found counter-killing to still be the quickest method of dispatching the early enemies - hopefully this will change a bit once you start to encounter the more brutish ones seen in previews. I did get kind of an "oh shit" moment when one of the guards started free-running across wooden beams right behind me...this was quickly solved by shoving him off of a ledge. There's still the design choice to have parts of the city fogged out until you climb a viewpoint, which is awkward when I'm trying to flee from guards only to run into this fog barrier. The parts of the game that take place in the "real world" appear to have been shortened, other than the opening 10-15 minutes I've spent all of the play-time in Italy. I've only done one assassination so far - the start of the game seems to be a fairly lengthy tutorial. Thankfully I didn't have to pick five pockets or interrogate anyone to REACH the assassination, but I'm feeling like I'm still relatively early into the gameplay. After buzzing through MW2 in two sittings, it's kinda nice to have a marathon session and feel like I've only scratched the surface. I'm enjoying it so far; though I was a fan of AC1, warts and all FWIW.

Edit: After playing a bit more; I'm not sure whether or not the fogging out of the map is tied to the story progression or the accessing the view-points (maybe both).

[Angry Badger]

Didn't the first one do that fog thing at certain stages?

[Polygon_Wizard]

Yeah, the first one was sort of broken up into levels. The later on in the game you were, more of the cities were made available to explore with each major assassination mission taking place in a different district (poor, middle, rich) than the levels before it. Each time you re-entered a city, another district was opened up. So early on, there were several fog walls (although I never found them difficult to see and avoid), but by the end of the game there were none left, allowing you to roam each city freely. Personally, this gimmick didn't really bother me in the first game, but I can see how some people could find it really annoying.

ETA: I bought the game at lunch today, so I should be able to post some first impressions tomorrow. Now it's time to read the manual at work while pretending to do something useful.

[Polygon_Wizard]

Originally Posted by jameson

Edit: After playing a bit more; I'm not sure whether or not the fogging out of the map is tied to the story progression or the accessing the view-points (maybe both).

According to the game manual, the fog is tied into the view-points. However, I would be willing to bet that story progression probably also affects it. For reference, here's what the manual says: "In order to unfog the environment and reveal more information on the minimap, you need to synchronize the view point. To do so, you must reach the top of the landmarks and scan the view."

[Justin Clark]

Metacritic just kinda exploded with reviews. Pretty much every major voice that gave the first one a fair amount of hell is impressed by this one.

Bought it this morning, but havent given it a spin yet. Will be changing that soonish.

[ryoken]

Kotaku's review...

God dammit, I may actually swallow my pride (and my utter hatred of the first's one utter repetiton, which managed to make me never finish it) and buy it....no, I can resist this, there's Dragon Age, Mw2 and Borderlands to play till Bioshock 2/Mass Effect 2 month.

[Tati]

I'm gonna guess this one is the november released sequel that suffers from a crowded month.

[Angry Badger]

Originally Posted by ryoken

Kotaku's review...

God dammit, I may actually swallow my pride (and my utter hatred of the first's one utter repetiton, which managed to make me never finish it) and buy it....no, I can resist this, there's Dragon Age, Mw2 and Borderlands to play till Bioshock 2/Mass Effect 2 month.

Don't those release in January?

[Brad Millette]

Yeah, but Dragon Age and Borderlands are both pretty long, replayable games. And MW2 is like the big multiplayer business right now.

[Spike Marshall]

It seems like a good post-Christmas/pre-Mass Effect 2 sort of proposition. I'm just glad the games getting good reviews, the few things I've read suggest they've gone out of their way to give you interesting things to do this time around.

[ryoken]

Originally Posted by Brad Millette

Yeah, but Dragon Age and Borderlands are both pretty long, replayable games. And MW2 is like the big multiplayer business right now.

Yup, there's nothing in december that pciks my interest; in fact, december`s pretty much my "save money for Bioshock 2/Mass Effect 2/ Dark Void" month.

[Polygon_Wizard]

The only thing in December that has me curious is The Saboteur. I won't be picking it up right away, but I am definitely interested to see how it turns out. If it's good, I'll want to check it out in the future.

As for AC2, I'll just have to make you guys suffer by posting about my Exploits With Ezio as much as possible.

Hold on a second....I think I'll make that my unofficial subtitle for the game. Perhaps I should go make some alternate box art for AC2: Exploits With Ezio.

[BillyG]

It's fun, but five hours in, and I don't think it will change anyone's mind that didn't like AC1. There's a lot more variety in missions, and no annoying prerequisites to get to the killing. The new enemy types definitely change up the combat. The viewpoints slow down the game a lot, and I suppose they have foster exploration, but there are so many different side quests I hate spending 10 minutes finding a way to the top of a church.

Coolest moment so far was walking into a church in the country side, rushing to my assassination target through the guards, and using my hidden blades to put a hole in the skull of the target and the priest he was talking to, then using a smoke bomb to ninja vanish.

[The Rain Dog]

Originally Posted by BillyG

Coolest moment so far was walking into a church in the country side, rushing to my assassination target through the guards, and using my hidden blades to put a hole in the skull of the target and the priest he was talking to, then using a smoke bomb to ninja vanish.

Yep, that sounds like the game I'd like to be playing when Im finally done with Dragon Age.

[jameson]

The blend technique is much more fluid now. No need to press a button to blend into a crowd. Just walk into a crowd and you're blended. Also, the new assassinations are pretty sweet - still looking to score my first double assassination.

BillyG: agree with you totally - if your main issue with the first game was the combat system & having to climb waypoints, you're probably SOL.

[BillyG]

Originally Posted by jameson

BillyG: agree with you totally - if your main issue with the first game was the combat system & having to climb waypoints, you're probably SOL.

Absolutely. I am still trying to figure out how to kill the big gold armor bastards with the huge halberds. I took out two that were patrolling by jumping from the rooftop and using the hidden blades. Then a third ran up on me, and the only reason I lived was I had mercs on my side. It seems to be impossible to counter his attacks.

[thecallahan]

About 3 or so hours in and I'm really getting a kick out of the story. There's a good reason to stack up on the gold too, one that I actually love and people might think is too time consuming, luckily, it's not a prerequisite to beating the game. I don't want to say exactly what it is, I mean, it's not that spoilery but still.

[Justin Clark]

Originally Posted by jameson

BillyG: agree with you totally - if your main issue with the first game was the combat system & having to climb waypoints, you're probably SOL.

Yup. This.

Everything else, and I do mean EVERYTHING else is a vast improvement. Especially the writing. Nothing groundbreaking per se, but the database entries are kinda awesome so far, with a special snark reserve saved specifically for the Catholic church, and I give far more of a shit about everyone introduced in the first two sequences of this game that I did about 90% of the characters from the entire first. It's making putting this thing down for the night much, much harder than before. Only complaints there so far are that Ezio puts on the Assassin robes with too little fanfare, and an easy Nintendo reference that they Just. Couldn't. Resist. that I'm still embarrassed I laughed at.

Score's pretty decent ambience, like the last one, but after an hour and a half, the custom soundtrack had to get some playtime, and Lamb of God's Omerta kicking in after Ezio stands on his first victim's corpse to announce to a stunned crowd there's still a living Auditore was too perfect for words.

Also, this seems to be the year of the worthwhile scavenger hunt. Could not give less of a fuck about the flags in the first game, but I know this game ain't being put to rest till I see that Subject 16 video in its entirety.

Loving it so far.

[mediumdave]

Man, the faces in this game are fuck-ugly. Like Veronica Mars...Jesus, she looks like asshole in any talky bits.


Other than that, fun. I liked the first but it wasn't great. This is what happens when you take some time and let an idea bake.


I do have some free-running complaints. I seem to be missing lots of easy jumps and weird grabs.

[Brad Millette]

The first game had the same problem. The "free running" is so automated that it will frequently make jumps or grabs you don't want to do because that's what it's programmed to do.

[Polygon_Wizard]

Depending on what someone didn't like about the first game, I think it would be easy to recommend the second wholeheartedly. The money system, looting dead/incapacitated bodies, actual maps for at least some of the collectibles, better written characters (Ezio is charming as hell), more variety of people in the streets, more color in the environment, better mission structure, subtly improved fighting system, the more natural way of walking into any crowd to blend in, different groups of hireable goons such as courtesans and mercs, snarky database entries about people and places you encounter, and other subtle improvements all add up to make AC2 a much more complete game than the first one. I think that someone who tried the first and kind of liked it, but they got bogged down in all the quirks and flaws to the point that it ruined the experience might find this one to be all kinds of awesome.

I loved the first game, so I've had a blast with AC2 so far. I must mention that I especially like the new options after grabbing someone in a fight. I was headbutting everyone I could get my hands on once I found out it was possible. Kneeing them in the crotch is also amusing.

[Polygon_Wizard]

Originally Posted by Brad Millette

The first game had the same problem. The "free running" is so automated that it will frequently make jumps or grabs you don't want to do because that's what it's programmed to do.

The free running isn't really meant to be turned on all the time. If you start sprinting full tilt across the rooftops and never really slow down, it will eventually burn you. I actually use the free run button almost like a jump button at times, only pressing it down right before I get to an edge I want to jump from. I did the same in the first game, and I very rarely made a weird jump. So far, it actually feels like this game is even smoother in the climbing than the first, especially the ability to climb faster up a straight run by holding down the trigger.

[BillyG]

The free running actually requires some finesse this time. In AC1 balls out free running might have you break a knee cap, but in AC2 you're going to fall from a hundred feet up, and plummet to your death repeatedly if you don't pay attention to where you're going and slow down once in a while. The crypts are the same way. It looks like Ubisoft wanted to be kind in allowing you to open shortcuts in case you fall, but sometimes those shortcuts are far between, and you can spend 10 minutes getting back to where you fell down.

Anyone unlock something with Uplay yet?

[thecallahan]

Originally Posted by Justin Clark

Also, this seems to be the year of the worthwhile scavenger hunt. Could not give less of a fuck about the flags in the first game, but I know this game ain't being put to rest till I see that Subject 16 video in its entirety.

I'm totally with you on this one, I've gotten 3 so far and it's so trippy.

[wydren]

I liked the first Assassin's Creed (part of that may have had to do with the fact I got it as a Christmas gift and thus didn't spend any money on it). I'm liking what I'm hearing about the second. That Kotaku review said it makes the first one look like a tech demo in comparison, and given that that was the main complaint some people had about the first one, the second sounds like they did nothing but improve.

[ryoken]

Gamesradar Review....

Must...resist...remember...hatred...for...first one.
(it doesnt help I get a discount in the store at work)

[BillyG]

I don't know why it is, but graphically, the game doesn't really stun me. I remember AC1 being the first game I played when I got my HDTV and it absolutely blew my mind. I just couldn't get over how beautiful it was. AC2 is a good looking game, but it isn't nearly as awe inspiring as AC1 was. I think that AC3 is definitely going to need to go Chinese Kingdoms/Japanese Samurai clans or something that completely changes the style, because Italy feels and looks a lot like Jerusalem.

[ryoken]

The guys at GamesRadar made the following to resume AC2:


The word Renassaince Batman was also used, dammit.

[Brad Millette]

I'm glad I don't have your extraordinarily weak will, ryoken.

[ryoken]

Originally Posted by Brad Millette

I'm glad I don't have your extraordinarily weak will, ryoken.

Regarding your comment; see Brutal Legend...I still bought that despite the warnings because of said weak will.
Actually, a co-worker here at the store bought it and I've just gave it a try...nope, not going to get it (at least not new or even used at a high price); sure, it fixs a lot of the issues I had with the original and the setting/design is great for a history nut like myself, but the gameplay/mechanics remain just the same.
Its a great game and Im glad to see Ubisoft improving from the first one, but its just not my cup of tea.
(Given the fact that I cant even finish a GTA game because the gameplay bores me in a few weeks, this isnt surprising)
I still like watching somebody else playing it, just for the gameworld.
Still a bit ashamed for almost taking the bait; if the next one is set on Japan during the Meiji restoration period or during the Industrial Revolution...then im screwed.

[Brad Millette]

Weak. Frail. Human.

[ryoken]

Originally Posted by Brad Millette

Weak. Frail. Human.

Guess there´s no argument against those facts.

[BillyG]

They left in the bullshit "no civilian casualties" from the first one. The penalty is a "desynchronization" so they make you sit through a load screen for killing civilians. I don't care, I'm killing the minstrels.

[Polygon_Wizard]

So what exactly is this UPlay thing? I assume it is some sort of social thing tha tUbisoft has set up for their games, but then again it's hard to tell with the complete and utter lack of a proper explanation in the manual or the in-game menus. Do you unlock things with it or something?

[BillyG]

Kotaku wrote up something extremely brief, and yes apparently you get points and can buy in-game items, but they aren't restricted to the game. The Uplay points can be spent across any Ubisoft game. The Ubisoft rep gave the example that you could save all the AC2 Uplay points for Splinter Cell, and buy all the SC items when it comes out. Ubisoft dropped the fucking ball on this one. No explanation, no hyping it, just "here it is!"

[wydren]

Originally Posted by BillyG

They left in the bullshit "no civilian casualties" from the first one. The penalty is a "desynchronization" so they make you sit through a load screen for killing civilians. I don't care, I'm killing the minstrels.

That's annoying.

[BillyG]

Originally Posted by wydren

That's annoying.

Incredibly. Just piss poor design. Maybe make it so if you kill civilians you pay a fine to a thieves guild, and they bribe the police force to remove your notoriety or something.

I'm still enjoying the game, but I get annoyed by how much better it could be. I know so many reviews have said it's head and shoulders above the first, but really this is what the first game should have been. Tons of interesting missions, variety in the game play, and a sometime awkward fighting system. The fighting isn't bad, until you come across a few heavy armor guys, and then it just turns into a cluster fuck.

[Farsight]

Much, MUCH better than AC1. I was enjoying it more and was more interested in the story, within 5 minutes. By the time I got my own town, I was bringing up GameFly's "KEEP IT" page. It's really amazing how much better of a -game- this is.

[jameson]

Holy buckets, the difficulty in the later Assassin Tombs ramps up. I had to set aside my progress on the final one to continue when I have a few days off.

[thecallahan]

Minstrels are annoying but I found a shove or punch will shut them up, although I will admit the first time I gutted one of those sonuva bitches. Quick question, is there any way to unhire a group of people? Couldn't find a command for that.

I finally fully upgraded my towns shops/locations and get close to 10k gold ever 20 minutes, and that's with not much in the way of artwork and the like to also add money to the pool. Also, what does everyone usually use in fights? I usually only go for the hidden blades or a knife although I learned the disarm skill before bed last night so I might have to go unarmed to steal and kill people with their own weapons soon.

[BillyG]

To fire a group just press Y.

I make like 8K gold every 20 minutes, and I have a few more things to upgrade. I've bought the cheap paintings I've found. I usually open fights with the hidden blades, because you can rush up on a group and take out two people right away, maybe three or four if you're really fast. I love when a guard is trying to register what just happened to his buddies and you gut him too. Once the fight starts I typically switch to the sword, because at this point there is always one big armored bastard, and the only way I have discovered to kill them is to wildly swing at them until they die.

[thecallahan]

Originally Posted by BillyG

To fire a group just press Y.

I make like 8K gold every 20 minutes, and I have a few more things to upgrade. I've bought the cheap paintings I've found. I usually open fights with the hidden blades, because you can rush up on a group and take out two people right away, maybe three or four if you're really fast. I love when a guard is trying to register what just happened to his buddies and you gut him too. Once the fight starts I typically switch to the sword, because at this point there is always one big armored bastard, and the only way I have discovered to kill them is to wildly swing at them until they die.

I had the problem with the armored bastard, I was actually in a fight with two of them and about 8 or guards you know what works? Smoke bomb their asses then make sure to kill the huge guys first, one hit kill!

[SmarkJobber]

Played about 2 hours of the first AC when it was released before getting bored/frustrated. I'm probably 10 hours or so in on this one and can't (figuratively) put it down.

One thing I don't see being discussed anywhere is the little quick time events embedded in some of the cut scenes. A brilliant idea that rewards strict attention. They don't change the story dramatically, but it can slightly alter the cut scene and makes the player feel more involved. A little while ago the option to hug Leonardo popped up and I missed it. The look on his face after I inadvertently snubbed him almost broke my heart.

Had to yank an archer off a six story high ledge to ease the pain.

[EnemyoftheStamos]

The easiest way to kill the big armored dudes is to switch to your fists and disarm them. Once you get their weapon away from them, they go down fast. Mostly because they're always using bigass axes or halberds that work really well.

Definitely enjoying this game. Was a moderate fan of the first (had the same gripes most people did) and liked that they fixed a lot of the problems.

My favorite thing in the game might just be the pickpockets and couriers who suddenly appear onscreen for you to chase. Seeing them dash by always makes me quit heading toward whatever quest I've lined up next.

ETA: While on the subject of the armored guys, they have a move that is kinda cool in theory but amazingly annoying in execution. Somehow, they have the chance of knocking your weapon out of your hand. I think it might be if you just constantly block. Not sure, it's only happened to me once (and thus I'm not even sure if its just the big guys). If they do pull it off, you have to be really careful and pick your own weapon back up, otherwise, Ezio can just grab one of the (likely) crappier guard weapons and it's permanently switched until you either buy a new one or fast travel back to the villa to switch it out. Which is ultimately the real gripe, I guess, that you can only switch your weapons and armor back there. It makes sense, I'll give the game that, but it's annoying.

[Farsight]

This game is like somebody saw AC1 and said, "Nice engine, we should try making a game with it!"

I'm trying to think of a bigger step up in quality/fun from a game to its sequel, and I can't come up with one. Great stuff. Now I just have to figure out where I built my brothel...

[BillyG]

Originally Posted by Farsight

Now I just have to figure out where I built my brothel...

I don't think you get to interact with any of the buildings that you establish in the town, which is really failed opportunity.

And I just don't know what it is, but I just feel a bit let down. I'm probably a solid 15 hours into the game now, so halfway through the story based on reviews, and I am enjoying it, but everything seems to have this "this is a great idea!" feel, but then they only develop half the idea. Still, a really fun game, but I am kind of rushing through it just to get back to Dragon Age.

[Brechtsky]

Originally Posted by thecallahan

I'm totally with you on this one, I've gotten 3 so far and it's so trippy.

I just watched the truth video on yahoo and Ive got some very good theories (massive spoilers) .. personally Id recommend going to this yahoo link as you can stop and start it with some accuracy, and I hear there is nothing but a trophy or acheivement for actually getting all the glyphs

so my theory (again major spoilers!!)obviously they are adam and eve and its some sort of garden of eden thing, and the orb or piece of eden is the apple, and they took it ... but there is debate about the meta-humans doing the steel-work, and why there was a shot of the orb inside for a second if eve had it on her... Well basically i think there is more htan one orb and just as they said they werent gods, they also dont have magic ... its just a machine, and that whole steelwork thing was an assembly line making the orbs and like she said the metahumans were like a sub-species working it.

So heres the real kicker, and the theory I am personally making: the whoole video takes place on mars. At the very end you see a huge mountain in the distance, and its like 75 percent snow-covered ... there are no mountains on earth with that much of itself above the freezing point, and as such, it is actually on mars, and its the biggest mountain in the solar system, Olympus Mons ... aka latin for "Mount Olympus", the mythological home of the gods.

god that fits together well... I'm proud of me.

EDIT: It also looks a lot like mount kilimanjaro in africa (sp?) and people say thats the cradle of life or whatever (end spoilers)