Why Assassins Creed 2 Is Still The Best In The Series – A 2022 Review
By If you ask any gamer if they have played Assassins Creed 2 or not, then there is an 89% chance that the answer will be “yes” with a wide smile on their faces.
The popularity of the Assassins Creed game series that it enjoys now can be credited to the release of its second installment. This game set the true gameplay formula of the series that has been refined over the years (and ultimately rebooted).
The story of this game, along with its open-world gameplay, cemented this series as a cult classic. Every gamer who has played this game will remember Ezio Auditore Da Firenze as the name that they will remember till the day they die.
Therefore, if you have ever been interested in the series, and want to know what the fuss is all about, then read this article. As a big-time fan of the series and this game, I want to bring it back into popularity in 2022.
Therefore, I present you with this Assassins Creed II review that once again tells the story and explains the gameplay in a new light.
What Is Assassins Creed 2?
Assassins Creed 2 is the second game of the series of the same name (sans the number 2), released in the year 2007. It is created by Ubisoft, the minds behind some of the most popular game series like Far Cry, Tom Clancy’s, Prince Of Persia, and Watchdogs.
The previous game in the series, Assassins Creed, was released in the year 2008 and received great reviews. Particular praise was given to its open-world design, stealth-action gameplay, and the alternate fictional story of 12th-century Jerusalem it presented.
The game received its greatest praise in the parkour movement of the game. It was lauded for allowing you to climb the top of any building and structure you see in the game.
Why Is Assassins Creed 2 The Best In The Series?
Playing Assassins Creed 2 is like going through the story of a great novel. You follow the main protagonist – Ezio – closely, going through the ups and downs of his life along with his struggles.
However, it all comes to a satisfying conclusion when the main hero overcomes all the odds and defeats the villain to make things right in the end.
Or does he, in this game? Or is it just the beginning of the end?
There is not one but many aspects of Assassin’s Creed II that makes it one of the best video games of all time. Have a close look now.
It Refined The Gameplay Of The Assassins Creed
When Assassin’s Creed was first released in 2008, critics and gamers lauded its graphics and concept. Masyaf and Jerusalem were great places to explore, where jumping from rooftop to rooftop and from the top of the tallest towers felt pretty satisfying.
However, something vital was missing from the game. Critics were quick to point out the repetitive mission structure and gameplay loop. After playing through the first few missions, you will know what to expect from the rest.
This was due to the fact that all missions had the same structure – you follow (and occasionally chase) and eavesdrop on a person to gain information on the target. Then go to a location, sneakily infiltrating the place to assassinate your target with your trusty hidden blade.
Assassins Creed 2 took things in a new direction, adding several new mission types and even adding lots of interesting sidequests as well. Many new types of missions were added, where you had to siege big fortresses and even protect your own from one.
New weapon types apart from your hidden blade and sword were also added, like the throwing knives and two-handed halberds as well. In addition, the “free-form” parkour system and the combat was improved. Now, you could use smoke bombs to disorient enemies and stab them behind for an insta-kill.
This time, Ezio can take down two enemies at once (dual hidden blades go brrrr) and even do so from below the ledges an enemy is standing in. All these changes made you truly feel like a swift assassin, unlike the sloth that Altair was in the previous game. This fluidity in gameplay was further revamped and perfected in Assassins Creed 3 later on in the series.
Ezio Is One Of The Most Popular Characters In Gaming History
When you start the game (sans the Desmond storyline), you start as Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a charming playboy. Having a chivalrous and inspiring attitude, you even manage to sneak into the bedroom of another man’s wife and sleep with her – all in the first hour of the game.
An intro like this threw off gamers who purchased it expecting to play through a stealthy yet action-packed game. However, Ubisoft did more than just create a game – they created the art of playing events that transpire through the eyes of another.
Ezio is by far one of the most humane characters in the series and the best so far. Only Edward Kenway (Assassin’s Creed Black Flag) and Bayek (Assassin’s Creed Origins) come close to the perfection that Ezio is.
Ezio’s story, from the death of his parents to becoming an assassin and avenging them, is told with great attention to detail. His deeds of sacrificing his desires for the betterment of Italy and overthrowing its tyrannical and dogmatic regime will be remembered by gamers till the end of time.
However, his skills as an assassin are not the only high point of this man. As a man of dignity and a lot of charisma, he can raise an army of his own to serve justice and topple the tyrannical regimen. That’s how you win a war because an empire is always built by oppressed slaves.
Plus, this character was so popular amongst fans of the series that Ubisoft decided to expand his storyline. This was done by releasing great critically and commercially successful sequels like Assassin Creed Brotherhood and Assassins Creed Revelations.
FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions By Gamers)
Some gamers who haven’t played this game or don’t know about it have asked some questions on the internet, like:
Assassins Creed 2 was released on 17 November 2009. It was released for Windows PC, PS3, and Xbox 360. In the following years, the sequels Assassins Creed Brotherhood and Assassins Creed Revelations were also released.
If you want to play Assassins Creed 2 on PC, you need to have these minimum system requirements:
• OS: Windows XP (64 bits) /Windows Vista (64 bits) /Windows 7 (64 bits)
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHZ / AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHZ
• RAM: 1.5 GB for Windows XP / 2 GB for Windows Vista and Windows 7
• Graphics: 256 MB DirectX 9 compliant card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher
• Storage Space: 8 GB
Recently, the remastered version of Assassin’s Creed 3 came out. Therefore, fans are still waiting for Assassins Creed 2 remastered, along with Brotherhood and Revelations. So far, Ubisoft has not commented yet.
According to fans of the series who have played all the games so far, Assassins Creed 2, Assassins Creed Brotherhood, and Assassins Creed Black Flag are considered to be the best in the series.
Requiescat In Pace
Assassins Creed 2 is by far one of the best games in the series. When I first played this game years ago after it was released, I was blown away by how different of an experience it was from Assassins Creed.
The combat, parkour-based movement, and almost everything else from the original game were revamped to perfection. However, the main drawing point of this game was the story of Ezio, a playboy-turned assassin. His quest to take revenge on the papal Italian rulers in the Vatican for killing his father and brothers is something every gamer should experience.
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