More Assassin's Creed 2 info

[Forest Dweller]

IGN did a preview.

http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/101/1015718p1.html

Some interesting bits:

You also won't be wandering around in any hub world Kingdom trying to dart from metropolis to metropolis. Instead, each city will have a unique countryside where you can ride around a horse before heading into town. Eventually you'll also get the ability to quickly travel between major locales, which we were told include Florence, Venice, Tuscany and more.

I suppose a quick-travel would be nice.

This time around, you'll be able to blend into cover with any NPCs you so desire. No more waiting around for groups of monks to walk by. As soon as you enter cover with NPCs, they'll be colored white and grey, the ground beneath your feet will jitter with Animus-electricity, and no guards will be able to spot you unless you do something that draws attention.

Could they have made that any easier?

As you pickpocket you naturally gain funds that can be spent on items and health at merchant shops sprinkled around the metropolis.

Sounds good.

Instead of mounting a direct assault, it's possible to open Ezio's radial weapons menu and poison your hidden dagger. By sneaking up to the bodyguard and lightly nicking him in the neck, he's sent into a drunken stupor, lashing out at those around him with his axe. To further create chaos, Ezio can sprinkle coins on the ground, sending the peasants into a money hungry frenzy as they scramble to scoop up anything shiny.

A definite inmprovement if most missions are like this.

Gangs of mercenaries roaming city streets can be hired on the spot and sent after targets, letting you slip through.

Good. Money appears to be useful, giving incentive to pickpocket.

...you can select Ezio's small gun. While inaccurate, it's possible to enter into an aiming mode where four lines converge the longer the mode is active, which should mean the shot hits closer to its intended mark when fired.

Nice to hear that it isn't overpowered.

About five to six hours of the game won't take place in the marvelously detailed cityscapes that sparkle under the game's dynamic day night cycle. Instead, they'll take place underground in sequences that strongly resemble Prince of Persia. As Ezio ventures into dusty crypts painted with worn religious imagery and filled with rotted wooden and broken stones, he'll face numerous platforming challenges that, in theory, require some skill to conquer. The one we saw was early on so not all that difficult, and basically required Ezio to hop and swing through a number of precarious positions in order to listen in on a secret Templar meeting. Then, at the end of each section like this, you get access to a large treasure, which Ubisoft didn't want to give too much away about. More of these types of challenges are in the game and some will be optional, meaning you'll need to explore if you want to unlock everything hidden.

Hmm...

 

[Trash]

Assasins Creed was very fun if a bit repetitive. If they improved on the formula and added more things to do I'm pretty sure it's going to be another cool game. The more I hear the more optimistic I am.

 

[Lesifoere]

Agreed, though I haven't finished the first yet due to getting distracted by other games (i.e. Prototype). Hell, I'm a lot more interested in this than in, say, Dragon Age. Wooooo Renaissance cities.

 

[MapMan]

Assassins creed bored me after first assassination but i plan giving the game another try soon.

Edit: Hopefully the second game wont be as repetitive.

 

[Hoodoo]

If it isnt as fucktarded to install on your computer as the last one il be happy.

 

[DarkUnderlord]

Money to spend? Fuck, I'm in. That's what Creed was missing the first time around.

 

[Wilco]

Finished the first one recently, very decent game with a fairly good plot.

I hope they take some advise from GTA games and make most of the missions unique.

 

[fastpunk]

Whatever, just let me explore 15th century Venezia and Firenze and I'll be happy. Assassin's Creed was a game I played mainly for indulging my inner graphics whore. Though I have to admit that it was fucking disappointing to see all that wasted potential. We'll see what this one's gonna offer, I'm not expecting much though.

 

[Andhaira]

Games like this always end up being repetitive. I don't understand why jaded Codexians of all people expect anything different. It will probably be a good game yes, but repetitive. Pickpocketing, then hiring mercs then sprinkling coins will get very old very fast.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

I was curious about the first game but I was put off when I heard of the bugs, the DRM and the awkwardness of the menus (for the PC version). So I picked it up cheaply for the Xbawks, and actually I liked it. Repetitive, but interesting. I don't think I've played a game set in the Crusades before, and the cities were superbly done.

Hopefully Assassins Creed II will have the same excellent art direction as the first, while expanding on the gameplay. I don't want to go through the same old routine of going to a new city, climbing towers, saving citizens, collecting flags, killing Templars etc...

 

[The Wizard]

jerusalem and acré were well done. damascus was just a copy and paste job of jerusalem.

i'm most likely one of the only retards who like the fighting system. the only shame is that it is a little(lulz) too easy and doesn't have enough conter animations.

 

[Andhaira]

They should include hashashim mysticism/magic this time around. Also, unarmed martial arts.

 

[GarfunkeL]

They should include hashashim mysticism/magic this time around. Also, unarmed martial arts.

Wtf with you and all the kung-fu shit you've been peddling lately?

Combat in AC was way too easy, I'm a crappy twitch-gamer but I still managed to slay dozen guards without breaking sweat. Missions were boring and the minigames frustrating and silly. Interface was horrible and the PC-port didn't impress me either. Only good thing was the graphics, the first few times you climbed on top of a tower were awesome.

Everything on that interview points that AC2 will be worse - except the money thing but you probably won't need it and it'll get boring after first few tries.

 

[fastpunk]

jerusalem and acré were well done. damascus was just a copy and paste job of jerusalem.

Felt more like Jerusalem combined both crusader and saracen elements, while Damascus is pure saracen. It looks best imho. Acre and Jerusalem also had those damned color filters, which frankly sucked. Specially that green-ish filter for Jerusalem, made missions there an eyesore. Damascus had a more 'unfiltered' look, warmer and natural. I hope they drop color filters altogether in AC2.

 

[Emotional Vampire]

Unless this means more JADE I'm not interested

 

[Hobo Elf]

The money changes are nice, but I doubt that the game will improve upon AC that much. It'll be the same formulaic shit that will get old within 30 minutes.

 

[Forest Dweller]

http://ps3.ign.com/dor/objects/14302494 ... 90909.html

Okay this seems to be the presentation that the preview was based on.

One interesting thing that I hadn't heard of before is that some of the side quests are conditional for success. For instance the video shows one mission where you couldn't be noticed taking your target out.

 

[sportforredneck]

Unless this means more JADE I'm not interested

I don't think you'll be interested then. I'm p. sure she quit or got fired or something.

 

[Forest Dweller]

http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/1430 ... 02609.html

One new thing I heard in the video was that some enemies can only be killed with certain weapons. He also said disapearing into the crowd will require more strategy, but didn't give any examples because that's okay for mainstream gaming media.

EDIT: http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/1430 ... 01509.html

They explain the different enemy types.

DOUBLE-EDIT: http://xbox360.ign.com/dor/objects/1430 ... 02209.html

They explain character progression in this video. Also, the game spans 1476-1503.

 

[The Genius]

Hope they got rid of the respawning Templars.

 

[KazikluBey]

Sounds good.

Assasins Creed was very fun [...] another cool game [...] optimistic

Agreed [...] interested

giving the game another try soon.

very decent game with a fairly good plot.

I'll be happy [...] my inner graphics whore

I liked it [...] superbly done

well done

 

[Emotional Vampire]

Sounds good.

Assasins Creed was very fun [...] another cool game [...] optimistic

Agreed [...] interested

giving the game another try soon.

very decent game with a fairly good plot.

I'll be happy [...] my inner graphics whore

I liked it [...] superbly done

well done

As Black predicted.