I�ve only just scratched the surface of the variety of things you can do in the main missions � you get to meet and interact with historical figures like Leonardo Da Vinci, Casanova and many others, as well as drive a horse-drawn carriage in an exciting chase sequence, and even fly the famous Da Vinci hang glider.
It�s all great fun and the story is really so good that you keep wanting to complete each mission to find out more.
As for the future bits, Ubisoft has wisely limited the amount of times when you play Desmond in the future as those sequences really halted the pace of the first game and took you out of the experience way too often and this flaw is fixed in AC II.
Here, you only play Desmond two or three times, but each time, it actually moves the overall story forward and towards the end, the past and the present clash in a very �spectacular way.
I don�t want to spoil it for you, but do continue playing even when the credits start rolling at the end.
Perhaps the biggest change in AC II is the introduction of an economy where you earn cash as you play, which allows you to buy more weapons, armour and ammunition as well as buy less useful items like paintings and different outfits.
You also get you very own town in the game � this is your home base and your money can be used to upgrade the facilities in the town, and consequently, will earn you money as the town prospers.
This home base also has its own share of collectibles and side missions as there are �statues of Greek gods to collect which opens up secret caches of money, an assassin�s tomb to discover and various other little things.
Conclusion
While I generally can play and enjoy open world games like Grand Theft Auto IV, I�ve always found such games in general hobbled by repetitive missions and long boring periods of travel between missions.
Assassin�s Creed II has none of that. The newly-implemented quick travel system means that you can move from city to city instantaneously and when you�re within the city itself, the environment is so engaging that you never get bored just walking on the streets soaking in the environment or �alternatively, jumping from rooftop to rooftop, occasionally assassinating archers that try to stop you.
The sheer variety of mission types and a compelling (and surprisingly fast-moving) story means that you are constantly doing something interesting and driving the story forward as you�re doing so.
Even the side missions are interesting enough that most gamers will want to complete them � the assassin�s tomb missions and the search for mysterious glyphs are extremely fun to complete as they offer some challenging platforming and puzzles that are sure to appeal.
So in a year where I�ve anointed Batman: Arkham Asylum as the best superhero game ever made, and Uncharted 2: Among Thieves as the best action-adventure game this year, I�m going to just add Assassin�s Creed II to the list as best open-world game of the year.
It�s a given that fans of the first Assassin�s Creed are going to love this one, but even if you haven�t played the first game or even open-world games in general, I suggest picking up Assassin�s Creed II � it�s that good.
Pros: Beautifully realised open world; great variety of missions; excellent story.
Cons: Could cause you to lose sleep and/or have marital problems because of the a�ddictive gameplay.
ASSASIN'S CREED II(Ubisoft)
Third-person open-world game for Xbox 360, PlayStation3
Price: RM180 (Xbox 360); RM200 (PS3)
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