Assassin's Creed 2
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- GuppyShark
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Assassin's Creed 2
Picked it up at JB today.
Unfortunately I fractured my wrist last week and was unable to play more than a few minutes of it. I would like to hear how everyone else is finding the game. LET ME ENJOY IT VICARIOUSLY THROUGH YOU.
Unfortunately I fractured my wrist last week and was unable to play more than a few minutes of it. I would like to hear how everyone else is finding the game. LET ME ENJOY IT VICARIOUSLY THROUGH YOU.
- Ford Prefect
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
Did you enjoy AsssCreed? You will enjoy AssCreed 2.0. However, there is more to like in AssCreed 2.0: Ezio, for example, is a much more sympathetic character than Altair (who was practically the Syrian Terminator with less one liners). The social stealth aspect is more pronounced and actually reasonably involved, and the new notoriety system actually encourages you to spend less time flying about the rooftops killing archers and more time picking your way through crowds. It's a much more 'lively' game than the first (which was quite dry). It's honestly not far from a reskinned AssCreed, but it manages to feel pretty fresh. Also, Italian! It's almost like watching an episode of Madeline, only Italian instead of French and with more stabbing.
Also, meeting Uncle Mario is pretty hilarious. 'Who are you?' 'It's a-me, Mario!'
Also, meeting Uncle Mario is pretty hilarious. 'Who are you?' 'It's a-me, Mario!'
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- SylasGaunt
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
Like Ford said, if you liked Assassin's Creed you'll like 2. It's the original + a bit more stuff + some of the problems fixed.
For instance, while it may change later I haven't had either of the two guys I've assassinated go into long winded speeches after I stabbed them in the neck. It's been a few lines then 'Blargh dead!'.
Oh and you get to hang out with Leonardo Da Vinci and have him come up with death-dealing devices for you so that's always a bonus.
For instance, while it may change later I haven't had either of the two guys I've assassinated go into long winded speeches after I stabbed them in the neck. It's been a few lines then 'Blargh dead!'.
Oh and you get to hang out with Leonardo Da Vinci and have him come up with death-dealing devices for you so that's always a bonus.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
I just got to the Mario scene last night, and I gotta admit that was a nice touch. To paraphrase another review site, the new one really makes the first game feel more like a "proof of concept" than an actual game, like they really wanted to make this one instead. It would have been nice if they'd made it less obvious the buildings were reskinned, but for the most part it's a lot more entertaining than the first. There also seems to be far more to do, since I've scarcely scratched the surface after about four or five hours of playing.Ford Prefect wrote:Did you enjoy AsssCreed? You will enjoy AssCreed 2.0. However, there is more to like in AssCreed 2.0: Ezio, for example, is a much more sympathetic character than Altair (who was practically the Syrian Terminator with less one liners). The social stealth aspect is more pronounced and actually reasonably involved, and the new notoriety system actually encourages you to spend less time flying about the rooftops killing archers and more time picking your way through crowds. It's a much more 'lively' game than the first (which was quite dry). It's honestly not far from a reskinned AssCreed, but it manages to feel pretty fresh. Also, Italian! It's almost like watching an episode of Madeline, only Italian instead of French and with more stabbing.
Also, meeting Uncle Mario is pretty hilarious. 'Who are you?' 'It's a-me, Mario!'
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
The tutorial is you being born.
eleventy-squillion out of 10 - IGN
I'm still very early on and just running errands for my family (and getting into heaps of fistfights), but I've noticed that the climbing looks way smoother than it did.
eleventy-squillion out of 10 - IGN
I'm still very early on and just running errands for my family (and getting into heaps of fistfights), but I've noticed that the climbing looks way smoother than it did.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
The pickpocketing is much smoother too. Although I think they might have made it a touch too easy to run away from guards; it's much simpler to escape in this game. (Admittedly it's still early on where I'm at).weemadando wrote:The tutorial is you being born.
eleventy-squillion out of 10 - IGN
I'm still very early on and just running errands for my family (and getting into heaps of fistfights), but I've noticed that the climbing looks way smoother than it did.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
Really? I thought the opposite. In the original all you had to do was break LOS and hide. Now they'll actually search things like hay piles to make sure you're not in there.General Zod wrote:
The pickpocketing is much smoother too. Although I think they might have made it a touch too easy to run away from guards; it's much simpler to escape in this game. (Admittedly it's still early on where I'm at).
Re: Assassin's Creed 2
Whoa, are you saying they search in the only tent in sight on a rooftop they know you entered and never left? The game might be worth buying.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
Funnily enough. I've jumped into wagons and stuff to evade them and they completely gave up searching as long as I wasn't in line of sight when I jumped in there.SylasGaunt wrote:Really? I thought the opposite. In the original all you had to do was break LOS and hide. Now they'll actually search things like hay piles to make sure you're not in there.General Zod wrote:
The pickpocketing is much smoother too. Although I think they might have made it a touch too easy to run away from guards; it's much simpler to escape in this game. (Admittedly it's still early on where I'm at).
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
Were you outside their search perimeter? As long as you've gotten outside that yellow circle they drop the search. I've gotten away a few times like that by getting outside the area (it almost reminds me of GTA IV's police pursuit in that way) and breaking LOS long enough to hide.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
I only recently noticed the search perimeter thing, so I guess it's possible. But overall it feels easier than the original game as far as escaping. Also, distracting guards keeping an eye on places you need to get into with courtesans is one of my new favorite techniques.SylasGaunt wrote:Were you outside their search perimeter? As long as you've gotten outside that yellow circle they drop the search. I've gotten away a few times like that by getting outside the area (it almost reminds me of GTA IV's police pursuit in that way) and breaking LOS long enough to hide.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
I was pretty astonished when I got out of sight on an archer on a rooftop and jumped into a roofbox, only for him to show up, snoop around for a bit and then start jabbing into the box with his sword. In this sense it's basically no worse than GTAIV.Stark wrote:Whoa, are you saying they search in the only tent in sight on a rooftop they know you entered and never left? The game might be worth buying.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
I'm really enjoying it. Ezio is certainly more likeable than Altair and he has a fairly good motivation.
I just left Florence to go and stash my [surviving] family so I'm not really that far into it, but it's all feeling much "tighter". Which I know is an awful way to describe it, but it is like they've just done incremental upgrades to everything in the first game.
Which is good. Because I liked AC and AC2 with all these minor changes is fucking great thus far.
I was a little disappointed that the Brute was so easy to take out when I first encountered one. He came at me and I did a wrist blade counter and down he goes. I think that the counters are still a touch overpowered, but at the same time I like that realism of "yes, I just stabbed you in the fucking eye with a dagger. You aren't continuing this fight."
The guards new alertness and search mechanisms I really appreciate, along with the various means of avoiding their suspicions and lowering your notoriety.
I really can't wait to play more of this game and though it was a little slow for me at the start (having just come out of MW2) the pacing is really good. The first time you put on the robes you really feel the story starting to pick up and I thought it was a great moment.
I just left Florence to go and stash my [surviving] family so I'm not really that far into it, but it's all feeling much "tighter". Which I know is an awful way to describe it, but it is like they've just done incremental upgrades to everything in the first game.
Which is good. Because I liked AC and AC2 with all these minor changes is fucking great thus far.
I was a little disappointed that the Brute was so easy to take out when I first encountered one. He came at me and I did a wrist blade counter and down he goes. I think that the counters are still a touch overpowered, but at the same time I like that realism of "yes, I just stabbed you in the fucking eye with a dagger. You aren't continuing this fight."
The guards new alertness and search mechanisms I really appreciate, along with the various means of avoiding their suspicions and lowering your notoriety.
I really can't wait to play more of this game and though it was a little slow for me at the start (having just come out of MW2) the pacing is really good. The first time you put on the robes you really feel the story starting to pick up and I thought it was a great moment.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
Combat still seems to be the weakest part of the game: Ezio is ridiculously lethal, much like Altair. I imagine the guards still have the same potential for sword gangbangs that will almost kill you in one go, but you'd have to be pretty inept to let it happen. However, punishment for failed combos is greater than in AssCreed, simply because of the different health system. It's probably irrelevant once you're in the groove of the combat system though (ie. being invincible).weemadando wrote:I think that the counters are still a touch overpowered, but at the same time I like that realism of "yes, I just stabbed you in the fucking eye with a dagger. You aren't continuing this fight."
It was kind of cool to complete an assassination with a Hidden Blade counter, though.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
Combat I think could be interesting in that you appear to be able to pull massive trains of guards now (more so than in the original). Plus apparently there are certain types of guards that can outpace you on foot and over the rooftops, so they can catch up and delay you until others arrive.
I also appreciate that enemies don't just stand back and let themselves be beaten up. They'll attempt to counter you, they seem to be able to occasionally evade counters and they are also better swordsmen in general.
Is anyone up to opponents with gunpowder weapons (I assume there has to be some) or polearms (I know there's a guard class with polearms)? Do they act any differently?
I also appreciate that enemies don't just stand back and let themselves be beaten up. They'll attempt to counter you, they seem to be able to occasionally evade counters and they are also better swordsmen in general.
Is anyone up to opponents with gunpowder weapons (I assume there has to be some) or polearms (I know there's a guard class with polearms)? Do they act any differently?
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
There's a heavy armored class that carries poleaxes if that's what you're referring to. The few times I've dealt with them I wasn't able to do a whole lot fighting them on the ground, so I had to evade them and took them down with an air assassination.weemadando wrote:Combat I think could be interesting in that you appear to be able to pull massive trains of guards now (more so than in the original). Plus apparently there are certain types of guards that can outpace you on foot and over the rooftops, so they can catch up and delay you until others arrive.
I also appreciate that enemies don't just stand back and let themselves be beaten up. They'll attempt to counter you, they seem to be able to occasionally evade counters and they are also better swordsmen in general.
Is anyone up to opponents with gunpowder weapons (I assume there has to be some) or polearms (I know there's a guard class with polearms)? Do they act any differently?
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
That'd probably be them, sounds good that you can't beat them in a stand-up fight. I'm also noticing that certain enemies can only be defeated with certain weapons. For example I haven't been able to get a dagger counter-kill against the "elite" swordsmen.There's a heavy armored class that carries poleaxes if that's what you're referring to. The few times I've dealt with them I wasn't able to do a whole lot fighting them on the ground, so I had to evade them and took them down with an air assassination.
I'm also loving the variety. Sure there's still all the random side missions, but they're actually fun now because you can do them when you want.
And I think, after playing two of the Assassin's Tombs I can say that this is the best Prince of Persia game since Sands of Time. What an awesome palette cleanser.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
How exactly do you pull off air assassinations in AC1? I don't quite understand how to line up the jump.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
I don't actually remember doing them in AC1, but in AC2 all you do is lock on with the left trigger and hit X with the hidden blade equipped when you're above them.DPDarkPrimus wrote:How exactly do you pull off air assassinations in AC1? I don't quite understand how to line up the jump.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
In AC1, I remember that I managed to kill a Templar by doing an air assassination onto him by holding Free Run, going at him from above and behind, and hitting the Assassinate button as I was in midair. I don't know if Free Run is necessary for targets less aware than Templars, though, but you do have to make sure they don't see you coming or they'll dodge/block. I don't know if locking on was even necessary, but then again it's been a few years.
Re: Assassin's Creed 2
My only question is story related. I thought Altair and the historical setting of asscreed was pretty great and told an effective story (I guess I should hate the obvious computer simulated death conversations?). I don't see how 'some italian' in 'some Italy' is as compelling as a Muslim sectarian in the Holy Land during the Third Crusade being led by the nose in a secret plot to take over the world with aliens interwoven with relatively historic events and people.
I mean, Asscreed has a guy say 'yes our plot will succeed, the bible says 'god helps those that help themselves'', and his friend says 'it doesn't actually; that's Aesop's fables'. In Asscreed2 we've got ... leonardo's stupid kite?
I mean, Asscreed has a guy say 'yes our plot will succeed, the bible says 'god helps those that help themselves'', and his friend says 'it doesn't actually; that's Aesop's fables'. In Asscreed2 we've got ... leonardo's stupid kite?
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
I don't know, do you like a bunch of greedy Italians being used as tools in an extended game to enact political change across the country? The conspiracy is actually pretty well constructed (the Florence stuff is actually based on an actual conspiracy which occured, after all) and there's more coherent interaction between different elements of the conspiracy, as opposed to the Templar dudes in the first game more or less just doing their own thing. I think the twist from the first game made the plot way more interesting than it was initially (I guess I like being played like a fool?), but the way that the Pazzi Conspiracy gets turned into an artefact of Templay tomfoolery works really well. On the other hand, it feels less ambiguous, which is ap ity. The targets in the first game worked pretty well at undermining Altair's motivations, but they were still planning to make an unstoppable army of mind controlled slaves, so I found it somewhat weak. Il Magnifico using Ezio as a convenient tool to take out his political enemies is much more complex than Al Mualim using Altair to clean up shop, for example.
Also Thomas Edison was a Templar.
Also Thomas Edison was a Templar.
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
I dunno; I read the story and while it's in a similar vein it suffers from a common problem; what was in Asscreed an interesting, sequel-setup ending just becomes increasingly stupid the more they have to run with it. It doesn't help that as you say it's less ambiguous (ie, no time of crisis and eternal warfare = guys looking for peace at any cost are clearly evil). I think the original game framed it's story historically really well, and while 'Italy + conspiracy' is good, as a part of the neverending string of stupid that is the Asscreed story I'm curious if it works.
Also; are the accents as absurdly horrible as they were in Asscreed?
Also; are the accents as absurdly horrible as they were in Asscreed?
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
I think it does. Ultimately it still comes down to the same sort of 'Templars are trying to take over the world' stuff, but I think setting what is essentially ideological conflict (ie. the Assassin's and Templars have different views on what it means to be enlightened) during the Reneissance is pretty inspired. Unfortunately, there is less of an implication that the Templars may be 'justified', but this may just be because of Ezio's bias (and also because Rodrigo Borgia is the villain). The Italian Templars are less like the Crusade Templars and more like Abstergo, if you follow my meaning. Also the mythology of the setting, in 'The Truth' segments of the game, is somewhat difficult to swallow, and it's more pronounced than in the first game.Stark wrote:I think the original game framed it's story historically really well, and while 'Italy + conspiracy' is good, as a part of the neverending string of stupid that is the Asscreed story I'm curious if it works.
I fucking live for hearing Rodrigo Borgia speak. Unfortunately he doesn't drop any random Spanish into his lines like Pepito from Madeline.Also; are the accents as absurdly horrible as they were in Asscreed?
What is Project Zohar?
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Re: Assassin's Creed 2
Obviuosly there's a lot you miss reading a digest, but the focus seems to heavily be on 'Ezio kills these famous guys and lol Leonardo' instead of 'every mission has at least three dialogs about the need for peace and oneness in mankind and how leaders/creeds/poverty/knowledge just get in the way'. The reveal of the source of Eden is especially retarded (but that was pretty much unavoidable).
Can you explain a bit about the ideological side, which isn't touched on in anything I've read? I'm glad to see it's still there, because that's really the only thing that made Asscreed one interesting from a story perspective.
Can you explain a bit about the ideological side, which isn't touched on in anything I've read? I'm glad to see it's still there, because that's really the only thing that made Asscreed one interesting from a story perspective.