Assassins Creed 2 - Gameplay

The gameplay in Assassins Creed 2 is exactly what you would expect from the first game. You will start off with a few light and low consequence missions to get you used to the controls. As you move on, the missions get more serious, but there will be a mix of longer and shorter missions.

The one distinct improvement in this version is that instead of running your missions free form, you will get clear cut objectives that you can accomplish, which removes the guesswork. The numbers to a goal system is also replaced by a mini map. This is great news for anyone who was routinely annoyed by losing ground when they took one step off of the beaten path.

Of course the mini map also has one distinct disadvantage. As a 2D line map it cannot indicate height in any way. This means that if you are not thinking about roofs you can walk around a target for a while before you realize that you need to go up. This is even more baffling when your task is something like collecting three feathers, which could just as easily be on the street level. Then again, this mission usually defies sense to most players, since any feathers on the average roof would be a moving target in even a mild breeze. Yet these feathers remain stationary while you scout them out.

On the whole, the play in this game is improved by the addition of the map to the game, just not vastly so. The clear goals, however, make a serious upgrade to the experience and a downgrade to the frustrations. Just avoid the game if you did not enjoy the mechanics of the first title; they are nearly identical in this one. The in-world physics remain similar, and your climbing and flipping will remain the same as they were with your previous ancestor. Again, you have limited ability to level up in any real or customized way, which would have been nice after being spoiled by RPGs like Dragon Age: Origins.

Load Times

We all know that with PC games, load times can be a pain. More graphically intense or open world titles can make you wait when you enter a new area or mission. No such problems existed in this title, which means more of your game time can be devoted to playing, and less to waiting to play. The graphics do not load exceptionally fast or slow; it's a solid middle ground on a system requirements machine. You may notice a difference in performance based on your set up.

Controls

The controls of this game are easy enough to manage when you are dealing with the simple tasks like running around and climbing. More advanced combat can be an issue for less experienced players. If you happen to have a flight stick on hand, this can be a benefit to play. That way you can punch and give chase to your target at the same time, and believe me, your enemies will run away from you when you charge into a group of low level thugs. Even some of your higher level one-on-one fights will be a bit of a chase to finish.

You may also find this setup to be good for quick getaways when you are not winning the fight or you need to hide from the guards. Just be aware that this may mean that you need to spend some time on custom configuration in order to accomplish this ease of use.

Anything that you could use with a modern flight simulator will do the trick well. It is probably best not to try this with a classic style retro joystick. The stick will probably give you worse control, not more, which is not your end goal. If you have the Xbox controller you can try to use it, but this will be a matter of personal preference.

Next: Sound >>
 

More Gaming Articles
More By Katie Gatto