Assassin's Creed II

File:Assassins Creed 2 cover.jpg Assassin's Creed II cover.
Developer(s)	Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Designer(s)	Patrice Desilets (Creative Director) Sébastien Puel (Producer) Jade Raymond (Executive Producer)
Composer(s)	Jesper Kyd
Engine	Anvil
Platform(s)	Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360
Release	US: November 17, 2009 PAL: November 20, 2009
Genre(s)	Action-adventure Sandbox
Mode(s)	Single-player

Assassin's Creed II is an upcoming sandbox type action-adventure video game being developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft, the sequel to Assassin's Creed. It is set to be released in North America on November 17, 2009 and in PAL regions on November 20, 2009 on Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 platforms.

Gameplay

Assassin's Creed II takes place in an open world with nonlinear gameplay, allowing the player to free-roam the city at will. An article published in Game Informer reveals that Assassin's Creed II will grant the player the ability to swim and use the canals of Venice as hiding spots and will allow the player to drag city guards into the water as a means of assassination. At E3 2009, it was also confirmed by the creative director that Ezio (the character that the player assumes control of during gameplay will be able to "drive small boats." Historical figure Leonardo da Vinci is recreated within the game, as an aid to the player who provides a host of weapons and contraptions available for use. At one point in the game, the player can access Leonardo's flying machine which he actually built in the game, keeping airborne using thermals from fires lit by friends gathered previously in the game. The game will also feature a host of new mission types for the player to complete.

ScrewAttack reveals that there will be numerous weapons included in the game such as halberds, axes, long pikes, swords, daggers and numerous others. Six additional weapons can be unlocked in the PlayStation 3 port of the game by linking the console to the PlayStation Portable. Additionally, the player can disarm opponents and use their weapons against them. The game is stated to have a much more sophisticated combat system; the player will have to use a variety of tactics on different enemies and – as demonstrated in E3 2009 demo – can now assassinate two people at once by means of Ezio's Double hidden blades. There is also now the ability to throw down smoke pellets to aid in your escape from large groups.

The health system has been adjusted to allow for a more dynamic and participatory experience, meaning that the "memory sync" system used in the first game only helps to recharge your health up to a point. More grievous injuries will require a trip to one of the many street-side doctors, who can help you return to full strength.

As well as using water as a hiding place, the player can utilize a broader array of scenery as cover and can now blend in with any crowd rather than a group of scholars dressed in white, as in Assassin's Creed. Like in the game Hitman: Blood Money, there will be a notoriety system, and the player will become more notorious as Ezio completes more missions, however Ezio's infamy can be reduced by bribing, removing wanted posters of him or assassinating witnesses. Also, a day and night cycle has been added to the game, giving the sense of a passage of time. The game will feature some sort of economic system that makes it possible to hire services from NPCs. The player can also use money to buy tools made by Leonardo da Vinci.

The trailer, which debuted at E3 2009, displayed many new things such as improved parkour mechanics. The main reveal of the trailer involved Ezio withdrawing his hidden blade to access a rudimentary gunpowder-based mechanic on his wristblade to take out a target from a distance. It has also been confirmed at E3 2009 that Desmond himself will "do more than just walk" in this game than previously. Another feature, as seen in the gameplay video, no cover is safe, as guards can search them. To counter this Ezio has the ability to assassinate the incoming guards before detection, and placing the bodies in his former hiding location (he drags them into haystacks, places dead enemies on the bench he was sitting at between two allies etc).

Plot

File:Ezio full shot 1.jpg

The player character: Ezio Auditore di Firenze, a nobleman of Florence, Italy and ancestor of Desmond Miles.

While not much is known of the plot yet, it has been confirmed that the player will assume the role of a young nobleman-turned-assassin named Ezio Auditore di Firenze. In an interview with Patrice Desilets, the game's creative director, it is revealed that the main character's family has been killed and that the essence of the plot is to get revenge on the rival families that killed them. Like Altaïr in the first game, Ezio is an ancestor of Desmond Miles, the modern day bartender who was captured by Abstergo, with Ezio himself being a descendant of Altaïr. The character of Lucy Stillman is also said to play a larger role in this game.

He is shown to wield dual hidden blades, and one of the blades has a "hidden gun" located on the same unit, but does not shoot the blade itself, but a smaller bullet with the Assassins emblem on the nose.. The game takes place in 1486, Italy during the Italian Renaissance, two hundred and ninety-five years after the first game. Like Assassin's Creed, characters based on historical figures will be present in the game including Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, Caterina Sforza, and Lorenzo de' Medici. Unlike Altaïr, Ezio has no removed fingers, and has numerous technical advances at his disposal brought on by Leonardo da Vinci, who helps Ezio throughout the course of the game.

Locations mentioned thus far as being included in the game are Venice, Florence, the Tuscan countryside and Rome. Specific landmarks include St Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, the Little Canal, and the Rialto Bridge.

Development

Ubisoft's Yves Guillemot officially confirmed that Assassin's Creed II was in development on November 26, 2008 during the company's financial performance report. This was followed by Michael Pachter speculating in GameTrailers' "Bonus Round" that game would change its setting to the events of the French Revolution, which turned out to be false.

A promotional video was released by Ubisoft on April 6 showing a skull, some hidden blade designs, and Leonardo's flying machine on a scroll.

On April 16, Game Informer Magazine released details of the game, including pictures of Ezio, a new teaser trailer was released, and the game was "officially" announced by Ubisoft.

In an interview in May 2009, Sebastien Puel stated that the development team working on Assassin's Creed II had increased to 450 members, and the development team's size had tripled since the first game.

On June 1, 2009, Ubisoft released a new 4-minute cinematic Assassin's Creed II Trailer at E3. On June 2, 2009, Ubisoft revealed first live gameplay demo lasting 6 minutes at the Sony Press Conference. GameTrailers features an exclusive developer walkthrough from E3 2009. In an interview with GameTrailers Ubisoft Montreal creative director Patrice Desilets stated Desmond would be doing more than walking around and discovering clues.

Limited edition

There will be a "Black" limited edition release of Assassin's Creed II which will include a "Master Assassin" Ezio figurine. The figurine design features an upgraded Assassin cloak which Ezio earns in the advanced stages of the game. The limited edition also features 3 in-game bonus quests, a "Conspiracy" book detailing the game's development, and a soundtrack CD of the score by composer Jesper Kyd. A special "White Edition" is to be released as well for the PlayStation 3, and for the Xbox 360 in Australia, but not the PC. It includes a collectable white Ezio figurine, collectable white packaging and bonus in-game content. If pre-ordered from some stores a free hooded, long sleeve t-shirt is included as well.

External links

• Official site