Product Description

Renaissance Italy isn't the usual sort of setting for a video game, but then Assassin's Creed isn't one to play by the rules. Ezio Auditore di Firenze is yet another ancestor of modern day Desmond Miles - a nobleman out to avenge the death of his family in the guise of a shadowy assassin.

Like the last game you're given total freedom to explore multiple cities, but with greatly improved parkour skills and the new ability to swim. There's also a lot more variety in the missions you undertake - the main complaint with the original game- so you'll never feel you're just doing the same tasks over and over again.

Combat has also been completely overhauled, with dozens of different weapons and a new health system. With no less than Leonardo da Vinci acting as your very own Q style gadget master this stunning sequel improves on every element of the original.

• Renaissance man: Play as an all-new character in 15th century Italy, with new abilities, new weapons and a whole new world to explore.
• The spice of life: Massively improved mission variety, with new freeform mission structures and many more random events.
• Tools of the trade: All-new combat system lets you steal weapons from your opponents, use dual hidden blades and even an early form of pistol.
• Real history: Meet historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Niccol Machiavelli and Lorenzo de' Medici, all of whom can offer you their own unique brand of aid.
• Tourist spots: Explore real world locations including Rome, Venice, Florence and Tuscany, as well as specific landmarks such as the Grand Canal and St Mark's Basilica.

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Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #9 in Computer & Video Games
• Brand: UBI Soft
• Released on: 2009-11-20
• Rating: Suitable for 15 years and over
• Platform: Xbox 360
• Format: Unknown format
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .23 pounds

Amazon.co.uk Review
Renaissance Italy isn't the usual sort of setting for a video game, but then Assassin's Creed isn't one to play by the rules. Ezio Auditore di Firenze is yet another ancestor of modern day Desmond Miles - a nobleman out to avenge the death of his family in the guise of a shadowy assassin.

Ezio is just as dangerous an assassin as his forebear

Da Vinci's glider is just one of the gadgets on offer

The level of detail in the graphics is astonishing

The canals of Venice come in very handy for stealth attacks

Like the last game you're given total freedom to explore multiple cities, but with greatly improved parkour skills and the new ability to swim. There's also a lot more variety in the missions you undertake - the main complaint with the original game- so you'll never feel you're just doing the same tasks over and over again.

Combat has also been completely overhauled, with dozens of different weapons and a new health system. With no less than Leonardo da Vinci acting as your very own Q style gadget master this stunning sequel improves on every element of the original.

Key Features

• Renaissance man: Play as an all-new character in 15th century Italy, with new abilities, new weapons and a whole new world to explore.
• The spice of life: Massively improved mission variety, with new freeform mission structures and many more random events.
• Tools of the trade: All-new combat system lets you steal weapons from your opponents, use dual hidden blades and even an early form of pistol.
• Real history: Meet historical figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli and Lorenzo de' Medici, all of whom can offer you their own unique brand of aid.
• Tourist spots: Explore real world locations including Rome, Venice, Florence and Tuscany, as well as specific landmarks such as the Grand Canal and St Mark's Basilica.

About the Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Ubisoft's huge development studio in Canada has created many of the French publisher's biggest hits, including the Splinter Cell series, the modern Prince of Persia games, Rainbow Six: Vegas, Assassin's Creed, Naruto: Rise of a Ninja and the Far Cry sequels and spin-offs.

Manufacturer's Description
Discover an intriguing and epic story of power, revenge and conspiracy set during a pivotal moment in history: the Italian Renaissance.

The lineage continues as this new chapter introduces Ezio, inheritor of the talents and creed of the Assassins. His family murdered by rival families, Ezio resolves to learn the ancient art of the Assassin in order to seek revenge. He will not do so alone though, allying with historical figures such as philosopher and writer Niccolo Machiavelli. You will also be able to master the art of the assassin with all new weapons and instruments created by the renowned inventor and genius of the Renaissance, Leonardo Da Vinci himself.

Experience the freedom and immersion of an all new open world and mission structure with settings such as the rooftops and canals of beautiful Venice. Your option in combat, assassination and escape are vast, with many new weapons, settings and gameplay elements.

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Customer Reviews

Outstanding Game
Ok to begin this is the first assassins creed but it is bigger and better in just about everyway, the ground rules are essentially the same as the first but little tweaks just make it that much better. To begin, I will discuss the gameplay. This is much more open and free than in the first assassins creed, in the first it was gather information in a very limited number of ways then kill somebody, this time it is much more open with an increased number of mission types. The stealth mechanics are very clever allowing you to manipulate crowds for example by throwing money to move the crowd or by shoving people in it. The free running is much the same but I can't complain as I thought it was brilliant in the first game. The combat system is much the same with a few little added touches e.g. stealing enemy weapons to use against them. There is also the addition of money which was missing from the first game, this enables you to purchase all kinds of weapons and armours, just adds another nice little touch. One of the best additions is the addition of the ability to swim, which as anyone who played the first one knows that when free running drowning really ruins the feel. Graphically its better than the first which I find surprising as assassins creed 1 was very good graphically, but this just steps it up further making the game again more to enjoy. Although great graphics comes at a price apparently with drops in the framerates when there is a lot happening on the screen at that moment. The achievements aren't for annoying things like finding 100's of flags they are just for things that could actually happen in gameplay eg. Spend X amount of money here. The story is longer than the original also taking me around 15 hours to complete the main quests and is better with some very nice cut-scenes driving then game along.
Overall I would definitely recommend it to anybody because the numerous little improvements add up to a massive jump in quality and the frame rate issues are not a cause for concern when the rest is this good.

COD should watch their backs!
With epic Call of Duty being released on all platforms I'm concerned AC2 not getting enough attention.

AC2 is amazing right from the begining. It has the same ideas and controls as the first but with loads more thrown in. Now there are proper cutscenes, dozens of weapons and upgrades. Even driving missions, armour upgrades, you can swim this time (YEY!), an engrosing story line e.t.c the list is endless.

The came is set in Italy in the 1700s. You play as a character called Etzio, who, like Altiar is fights the templars who threaten the stability of the land.

Good Points: Story: You feel the chracters anger, the storyline is naughty and sexy, you can dive into it however deep you want, Characters are super with above average voice acting.
Cutscenes: Unlike the first game, AC2 has proper cutscenes with bags of charm, witt and humor.
Upgrades: Now there are tones of weapons to buy and armor.
Gameplay: Missions vary, old "investigations" have been scraped and replaced with useally gigh paced missions, new blending and other inovations.
Etzio: Way more gadgets including double blades and a gun(the gun does not "ruin" the gameplay as some critics have sujested.
Graphics: Just as lovely as Damascus in AC1, great for a sandbox.
Sandbox: Massive game world. from Cities to towns to hamlets.
Side missions: Packed with side quests which include you being a sword for hire lol. To beating up cheating husbands.
Renovating: There is a town where you can build up its economy and recieve the prophets, nice add on.
Inovation: Improves on the first game loads. You'll see them all when you play.

Bad Points: Story: None
Cutscenes: Perhaps one too many.
Upgrades: Throwing knives are less powerfull.
Gameplay: Contorls take a while to get used to, but the big snag is the controls are still too automated, by that I mean you can make completely the wrong jump because it predicts where you want to go. Also the camera angle change while jumping(on rare ocasions) can get annoying. Some of the pace changing is fustrating.
Etzio: Voice acting is too soft.
Graphics: None.
Sandbox: None.
Side missions: When you add up the expenses for carrying out a mission you get paid barely anything (especially as armour gets better so more expensive).
Renovating: Could have gone deeper.
Inovation: None.

Overall: 9/10. Pros out way cons. With Pros being drastic improvements and the cons being little niggles which dont make this game a ten.

The AC series always had potential but the first game wasn't quite "outstanding". This is and is great for the people who thought the first game lacked some imagination. Newcomers beware, the whole thing may be a bit over whelming so take it in bite sized chunks and train yourself first.

Heres a link for another great game like this coming out for action fans: Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction (Xbox 360)
and heres one for sandbox fans: Alan Wake (Xbox 360)
Have a look at these games.

Amazing game!
At first I thought this game seemed a bit slow to start, but after u identify that u father was an assassin it becomes great. There is no comparison to number 1 as this is much better, added features such as owning your own city and produceing income from revenarating building and adding items, and tons more or weapons to choose from and clothes. Basically there is too much to write about as i only wanted to keep this short but i do recomend this game its great.