When we first learned of Assassin’s Creed in 2007, we all thought Ubisoft was going to make a Splinter Cell clone but in the medieval ages. Boy, we were way off. Assassin’s Creed jumped on the scene and threw us all for a wild ride and a helluva mind fuck. Spoiler Alert if you did not finish AC1 coming up. It turns out that you are not an assassin, but a direct relative of a family of assassins, and this company is using you to gain these relics, called Pieces of Eden, which have popped up throughout history during major events, often held by major historical figures. Got it? Now, the game was a smash hit, though critics said it had some flaws, which it did. Was it possible for Ubisoft to improve on an already top selling franchise? You bet your sweet renaissance ass.

Anyone familiar with the series will be able to pick up right where they left off from before. Any new gamers will not need that much guidance as the not-so-brief demo/intro level gives you an idea of how to move around Ezio, the assassin this time around. During the game, you will level up combat moves, climbing abilities, and other skills that I will keep as surprises, with brief help sessions that are unavoidable, but necessary. In AC2, armor and weapons are now fully upgradeable. There are treasure maps to buy to find, you guessed it, treasure. You can even dye your clothes if you so desire. As you play through the game, there are much more things to hunt down including a blast from the past. You’ll know what I mean when I get there.

What has changed game play wise is you spend basically zero time out of the Animus. There is not much back and forth or in and out of the chair which is great. In AC, having to walk around the lab like a jackass really interrupted the flow of the game. Combat and climbing are much more fluid without making the controls any different. There are some RPG elements added, but the story is basically linear. Load times are virtual non-existent and the game just looks fantastic. This is where I am supposed to say what is wrong with the game. Yeah, it is really an achievement.  Very, very good.

Ubisoft has created a spectacular playground to roam around in. The world is extensive. There is so much to do here that I don’t know where to begin. The game plays at whatever pace you want to. You can try to rush through the game as fast as you can, but the campaign is spaced out where you need to do some of the side missions to make the story go forward. The interaction of real historical figures is amazing as you will use Leonardo Da Vinci quite often to build you awesome gadgets. Anyone who even remotely enjoyed AC has to play this. The game is a true sandbox. Whether you want to use stealth or steel, you can live the life of an assassin anyway you prefer. A remarkable work of art here by Ubisoft. Don your cloak and dagger, it’s time to climb rooftops and kick some ass once again.