Finally the game that would have part 1 should be!

I was very excited about Part 1: Assassin's Creed is still one of my favorite games and I still like to get in involved, although there are a few points of criticism. Equal first: the successor I can express more than just a big praise!

One more small note: I am referring only to the PS3 version, at the upcoming PC version can of course be differences.

- Innovations

Here is a small list of new elements which have I really liked it. I will not comment on anything but a rough overview:

- Ezio can swim (at last!)
- There are fits to controllable gondolas
- Three factions which a standing aside
- A day and night cycles
- Doctors sell the medicine and poison
- Shops for weapons, clothes, treasures and Fast Travel
- Various cloaks, armor and weapons that you can buy for cash
- In every city, there are other color models for clothes
- Via dove lets you experience side missions, which are usually well paid
- The pop climbing locations are very well done
- Ezio's villa and his own city, by which he also gets money (!)
- New puzzles (secret hiding places and glyphs that can be found only with the eagle eye)
- Altair's armor that you can unlock as the game progresses
- A lot more interaction with the characters (missions, shops, ally)
- Historical background information on people and buildings

- Graphics

First of all, in front: there must be a wonderful game to be a graphic wonder!
Compared to part 1, has not done much in AC II. The "wow factor" in the first part has minimal subsided, the graphics have been improved just not worlds.
In AC II simply gets the usual quality: sharp contours, beautifully animated NPCs, the spectacular vision and a carefully designed environment with tons of detail. Only this time was working more with shadows and light thanks to the day and night shift. If you climbed a tower appears now and then a very real sun, the moon lit night over the roofs and the shadows of objects were super expanded and make better felt than in the predecessor.
Of course, there are now games with a nice graphics to be viewed, but AC II is absolutely perfect for me, because the not quite as revamped graphics makes no scratches in the paint.

- Gameplay

The game brings in a nice sequences with the controller, therefore newbies are not overwhelmed. The new assassin Ezio moves much more fluid and easier through the game and climb most of the walls up without problems. Logic error while climbing I hardly and if, then only detect very small could.
The new interface (display life, weapons and map display) has been modified in design, apparently so that you realize that another Animus is used. I honestly have to say at first it bothered me incredible! It looks not as dynamic as in Part 1, rather ornate and colorless. But do not panic, you get used to it. =)

The fighting with the enemy have become a little more difficult, the enemy now think a little more with and also take time to flee when they realize that you are overpowering. Of course, battles are with the healing potions even easier, but I was completely enough for it, I'm not so keen on fighting, I prefer to discover other ways.
You get much help and support from allies, so that one is never lost in the world around. It also give a thread of continuity that never comes to falter, even if some things become clear immediately and takes time until you understand everything.
Vibrancy and realism AC II has more risen. In the cities there scurries just so full of life, all people pursue the shops, dealers who advertise their wares and all characters cater to the player's actions. In the Italian cities, which are also quite a bit larger, so of course really begins much. Everyone seems to have a specific task or job that makes everything look very individual and not this mass of people who only ever run in the same direction.

The guards now more responsive to the actions of the player and also act usually smarter. All in all, now I could see some improvements to, but now and then something goes wrong, for example, browse Followers happy with their lances the hiding places, but I still come across any who would have searched the hiding place where I'm just ...
Apart from such trifles me anything negative noticed, so before kudos to the script writer: in Part II are the "citizens" and guards much better managed than in Part I.

All in all, come good 15-20 hours of game play together, plus good 5 - are 7 hours for Assassin Tombs and hunting Code pages etc. Therefore, anything but short and it's really, really happy. ;)

- Environment and cities

Thing to note: as AC I played in the Holy Land, was not much to see there except sand, barren land and the burning sun.
In AC II one notices but which one has landed in the beautiful Italy! Everything is made much greener, more colorful and lively. The landscape is overgrown with blood red flowers and green trees, everything reminds as a picture book. This makes in terms of atmosphere, of course, her lot.

Not only the environment has changed, a lot has changed even in the buildings. Since several centuries between Altair and Ezio have moved into the country, the people more beautiful, more colorful and higher buildings and towers have naturally built, as yet the square sand blocks from Altair times. Here's a really big compliment to Ubisoft: the one has brought architects and historians to the team, you can clearly see!
Many buildings today are in Rome, Florence and Venice were implemented faithfully. Many houses have patterns, frescoes, mosaics or other decorations. Many statues and fountains are spread all cities.
There is historical background information, facts and now and then even a video of a person to any person or to a building. Thus, you can still learn something by the way history and can much better understand the story around Ezio around. Let pictures speak of it, it's wonderful to see all the details. Therefore, a big plus for historical accuracy and design.

- Puzzles and secrets

For this part, the developers have really come up with some great stuff.
Since there are very interesting climbing locations in the style of Prince of Persia in the 2nd part which are supposed to serve not only the amusement, but also included a reward - behind each course a little surprise is hidden. These documents include climbing good 5 to 7 hours of game play (depending on the skill of the player) and really good times, because they are quite tricky in some places!
Then there is the mystery of the glyphs that are visible only with the eagle eye and can be found throughout the game, they decrypt with small puzzles "The Warheit". What is it about draum, of course I will not tell. ;)
Another highlight is the Armor of Altair. In Ezio's villa there is a secret room where Altair's armor (no, not his cloak, but a real armor) is issued. At this armor comes to only when one finds 6 seal stones, the search can then be quite tedious ...
In addition, the player can be found in every city certain Codex pages that are decrypted by Leonardo DaVinci and bring as new health points or new weapons (2 hidden blades or the famous gun). When you have collected all the Codex pages, you can get another secret on the track.
As a little extra, you can still learn a few secrets about Altair, let yourself be surprised. ;)

- Enemies and friends

Another very big plus is the newly created allies of Ezio for me. Thieves, prostitutes and soldiers bring him new skills in, give him orders, so that he can earn money and assist him in or do for him even (for a fee of course) tasks.
These three fractions bring an incredible turn of the game: one has the feeling of belonging right into it. While Altair was always traveling alone and played the lone wolf, Ezio has a few allies found him stand and fight with him. In addition, you learn not know more Assassin as the game progresses, but let yourself be surprised ... ^^
His enemies have obviously held no nap over the years. The Templars have beautiful knitted further their conspiracies and are on DME rise. There are also new types of guards, each of which has its peculiarities. Thus, one can not blindly draufschlagen but should think what to do - and when you probably prefer flees when one has run out of medicine! ^^

- Story

Now the total highlight in this game: the story. Part 2 starts exactly a few minutes after the end of the first part. The assistant Lucy has a fantastic covered in blood in the room and finally get Desmond to do something. Sit an end to the tedious, Lucy and Desmond from break and starts a far more exciting fighter than in Part 1!

Where you previously could not assassinate with Altair by the Kingdom, you end up now with the help of the Animus 2.0 in the Renaissance, rather in Italy with his ancestor Ezio Auditore de Firenze. It all begins quite unspectacular: Ezio is young and wild, sneaks into the room of his mistress, beats and lives a completely normal life. Here you can spend good 1 to 2 hours of play without experiencing something of Assassins or murders. Slowly learned everything and comes to the character Ezio closer and learn him and know his life.
However, all that is beautiful has come to an end, because one day be arrested his father and two brothers and sentenced to death - true under false accusations and no evidence. Ezio knows only one thing: revenge. Here begins really Assassins Creed 2!
Ezio followed his path, learning new friends and enemies know, learned new skills and is increasingly drawn into the battle between the Templars and the Assassins in which his Vendetta always in the foreground ...
Little by little, all airs and you see that the developers have set correctly to the wheel!

Here I must again express kudos: everything is so interwoven in the story, that you can not stop and feel, has to play a movie, or even a real life. The side missions, the parts in which one learns new things, etc. installed so cleverly, you would not have noticed. Nothing is somehow disruptive, it all fits together like a puzzle.

- Negative

Of course there is in all games suspend something everyone can find something else inappropriate or disruptive. For me there were three points, but they do not fall so significant, since they are really only minimal.

* On the one hand I was the day and night cycles very happy, but he appeared often inappropriate or unrealistic. It takes in the bright sunshine on a mission, a few seconds later it is then dark night, so the atmosphere of the true mission. Actually not so bad, but quite suddenly, it seems rather contrived.

* The other point, which is something strange: the players accompanied Ezio over an extended period of several decades. However, you notice that not really in the game! Sure, you age, you have times a beard, the voice gets deeper, the facial features adult - but this really takes years, you hardly notice. You could pack everything in a few weeks, that would hardly make a difference. The time jumps are so insignificant and only found in a few words respecting that goes all the time history almost under. The player gets it but some point on the basis of annual figures with, but something more could have been done it already ...

* The last point is to not interfere, but I find it worth mentioning. The difficulty is rather low, meaning you can defeat a group of enemies easily with enough medicine. The attacks are very simple compared to part 1 and you get too much help. No more searching for the right time for the attack, you will simply sent as something like "Here and there you need to go, everything else works on its own". Mir is a little too easy, I would have liked a little more challenging as gathering information and not from one task to the next, if you already know what will happen.
As compensation, the side missions are run like race or perform tasks now and then very tricky, since you need then ever more attempts.

CONCLUSION

Assassins Creeed II is so much more alive, more, captivating and exciting. The criticisms of AC I have been super solved and now finally makes everything fun - of the long main mission to the little side missions is all pure game enjoyment.
For me it's quite clear the highlight of 2009 - what one of my eternally long Rezesion should also remarkable. ;)
For this feat Ubisoft has really deserves a big, really big compliment.

Absolute buy recommendation!