The combat is pretty much the same as in the original, with a few minor improvements.

It’s 2007, and gripped in my sweaty palms is a rare treasure indeed: Assassin’s Creed, a game that promised so much and — despite its flaws and the abysmal press it received from some of its more staunch critics — I felt delivered superbly, if one is willing to be a tad lenient and forgive some of its bumbling flaws. From the stunning visuals to the thrill of the hunt through dark alleyways and across sprawling rooftops, to the re-imagining of the fast, silent and deadly ninja archetype into Altaïr Ibn La-Ahad, an eminently likable character if only because his disposition reminded me, in a way, of myself. He was brash, arrogant, over-confident, and could climb up the side of a building in seconds. In short, I was enthralled. Garrett has nothing on this guy.

Cut forward to 2009 and, late on the ball as always, I finally pick up a copy of the long-awaited sequel. It turns out to be somewhat of a mixed bag: On the one hand, Altaïr is lamentably gone and replaced by Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a noble/assassin/asshole exploring the beautifully-detailed world of Renaissance-era Italy. On the other hand, he now sports two of the iconic hidden blade weapons that redefined neck-stabbing as an entertaining and rewarding pastime, and I think this fact alone redeems any viable complaint one could have about the game. While any could enjoy the gorgeously-rendered vistas and cityscapes, the refined and highly enjoyable gameplay, and the surprisingly decent storyline which both carries on from and expands the original game’s universe, the most joy is gained from the fact that you can stab two people at the same time.

What of the rest of the game? Well, I wish I could say all of the original’s flaws have been fixed, but unfortunately that’s not the case — and the sequel comes with a host of new issues of its own. Allow me to pause and mention that, overall, I adore both games and consider them both superb pieces of work, but one would be a fool to not accept their shortcomings. The issue of repetitiveness that plagued the original — something that did not trouble me greatly, but vexed many a gamer — as well as the obnoxious hunt for flags have both been fixed, in a way. The flag-hunting is replaced by equally abhorrent feathers hidden about the world (one would be forgiven for wondering how they don’t simply blow away), and while there are dozens of treasure chests hidden in each area, they become almost tediously easy to track down after buying a treasure map from a local merchant, which costs about the same as the contents of a single box.

Unlike his predecessor, Ezio can actually swim. This adds little to the gameplay, but avoids frustration from unfair deaths.

Moreover, the fluid agility of the free-running element that so defines the series has been pushed a little too far; there are many cases where it’s starkly obvious that the designers created certain buildings (usually view-point areas, used to gain a view of the surrounding land) as agility puzzles of a sort, requiring a fair amount of tedium while one figures out the exact route intended to scale said building, with usually almost no variant allowed in the ascent. Worse, the assassins’ tombs dotted about the world, which are necessary for reasons I will refrain from spoiling, are simply large, highly annoying Prince of Persia wannabes which involve — again — a fixed route through a series of increasingly difficult jumping and agility puzzles, while Ezio ascends towards his goal. A far cry from the free-form nature of its predecessor, these sequences feel stiff, forced, and largely unfulfilling.
With that said, the rest of the game is fairly polished and highly enjoyable; the world is painted beautifully in a much-improved graphics engine, the gameplay is (mostly) as slick and fluid as one would expect, and what Ezio lacks in the iconic nature of his forerunner, he makes up for with style — which is further flexible, as his appearance changes depending on the weapons and armour purchased and equipped, as well as a fairly wide variety of clothing dyes which provide further customization. There are dozens of other things I could mention, but alas, would take too much space: The ‘upgradeable’ stronghold town, the variety of weapons and ability to even use a foe’s dropped blade against his allies, the much-improved notoriety system (merely running down the street will no longer necessarily attract cries of, “Assassin! Keel heem!”), and so many more.

Overall, I’d say Assassin’s Creed II is a worthy successor to the original, though likely something I’d only recommend for fans. If you liked the first game, then despite its flaws, you’ll enjoy stalking and murdering through the streets of Venice, but given that it carries on where the original left off and barely explains the events of the former game, I’d suggest first-time players look in the bargain bin for a copy of the original before considering this sequel.

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