Play it NOW!: Assassins Creed 2
Play it NOW!: Assassins Creed 2
A period piece, fictional or not, has always been something I have an affinity towards. Maybe it is the academic in me, but understanding events in world history can bring about a more comprehensive relationship between past, present and future. So goes the plot for Assassins Creed 2 or at least my interpretation of Desmond’s story arch. But unlike the first one, AC2 lets you spend most of your days inside the DNA of Desmond, living out his ancestor’s story. That story is of one Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and it is one of the many accomplishments of AC2 over its predecessor. On a more personal note, I was a big supporter of the first title, despite its short comings. The ability of Ubisoft Montreal to capture the atmosphere of the crusades
Now, on your days off from assassinating the Templers of Italy, you can actually engage in a meta-game, which involves you developing the economy of the town through monetary investments, in order to attract tourism and gain a substantial return. So much of a return, that by game end you will have more money than there is stuff to buy. But what kind of stuff can you buy one might ask? There is of course investing in the town directly, improving shops, guilds, a bank and various amenities but also art plays a huge part and the more art you collect from each city, the more valuable your estate is. Armor and Weapons also become art, with each piece you unequipped going on display at your estate. Combined that with the collecting challenges like roman statues, codex pages, feathers, assassin seals, etc and the entire process of managing this town becomes a game all unto itself, and is a nice break from the wash/rinse/repeat of assassinations. The blending is also an improvement over Altairs ability, allowing Ezio to blend with any group of people number 3 or more. Also, Ezio can hire prostitutes, mercenaries or thieves to walk along with him to blend or to go distract guards while Ezio searches for treasure. There are other small touches too, like catching thieves or messengers and taking their Florins, and hiding your opponents in haystacks after their grissly demise. All of these things were vital in really fleshing out the open world elements. It is a beautiful excursion through Renaissance Italy with plenty to do and very little to complain about in my opinion. So if your a fan of Assassins, Treasures and "Ita-lish" dialogue. Play it NOW!
**All images are a result of Google image search
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