Assassin’s Creed II New Version, New world! II

The addition of a monetary system also drastically changes Assassin’s Creed II. Ezio receives money as he completes quests, finds treasures, or pickpockets victims. Health will not regenerate completely over time, so medicine and upgradeable armor must be purchased to keep Ezio alive.

Besides applying funds to armor, weaponry, and remedies, you also have the ability to upgrade your home base — a Villa in the country-side. The Villa is something of a glorified display case for all of the collectibles and secret items, but players can also dedicate money to upgrading its appearance and facilities. Rebuild the church and find a treasure; rebuild the blacksmith and get a discount. It’s an addictive and optional diversion that completionists will drool over.

The Villa also gives the game a geographic center and a safe zone to tally your progress. Annoyingly, it’s also the only place Ezio can swap weapons and armor, but the addition of travel kiosks mean that players can now be transported to surrounding cities instantly.

Through the mission structure, Assassin’s Creed II guides and nudges players towards the meat of the game. At the start of each mission the player must “accept” the task, or put it off until later. The missions that advance the story are always marked on the map with an exclamation point, meaning that a game with plenty of diversions also keeps the main goal visible at all times. It’s a good design and a nod to critics of the last game who bemoaned side missions that stood in the way of the good stuff.

Assassin’s Creed II New Version, New world! I

There are still hiding places like bales of hay and roof gardens in Assassin’s Creed II. They act as sort of “safe zones” that break a pursuers line of site. Ezio can even dive underwater for a limited time to hide from his enemies. But a more satisfying approach to dealing with foes is to divert them with hired help. Thieves, mercenaries and whores can be hired for a fee and directed at targets as living tools of distraction. Players can also toss money into a crowd to cause a small riot amongst the peasantry. This sandbox approach to stealth requires a bit of practice and it won’t always result in success, but when it does come together, it’s very rewarding.

If you choose to fight instead of hide, another plethora of options opens up. On the weapon selection wheel, there are swords, daggers, smoke bombs, throwing knives the dual assassin blades, and a surprise weapon I won’t spoil. Each weapon has its benefits in terms of strength and speed along with its own slick set of animations.

New weapons can be permanently purchased through shops, or temporarily stolen from an adversary in the heat of battle. Weapon variation has done a lot to improve the variety of combat; late in Assassin’s Creed II you’ll be looking for a fight instead of turning tail.

Even without sword, the way you engage an enemy has depth. A notoriety meter and enemy awareness indicators being clearly marked on the screen give players fair warning over what sets off the guards. Once engaged, there are sidesteps, special combat moves (like throwing sand in someone’s face), and grapples. Novice players will fall back on slamming a single attack button, which quickly becomes repetitive, but experts can turn combat into an art.