Assassin’s Creed 2 was a title I was eagerly anticipating.  The original was something of a new experience for me.  I don’t believe I had the sort of free-roaming experience in a game before, especially with the climbing mechanic in an open world.  The original just felt great.  Unfortunately, the original Assassin’s Creed left a lot to be desired and really felt like a half-baked experience.  Assassin’s Creed 2 took what was innovative from the original and improved on every single aspect.

I’ll say it up front; Assassin’s Creed 2 is my game of the year for 2009.  I soaked up roughly 14 hours of fun and cannot wait for the upcoming DLC.  The story, and delivery of it, was exceptional and really captured my attention.  Like a good movie, I actually cared about Ezio and his well-being.  The story will take you from city to city, exploring what feel like perfectly reconstructed cities from the Italian Renaissance.  I tend to hit points in every game where I’m just ready for the next thing.  Whether that be the next mission, the next level, or the next city.  With Assassin’s Creed 2, I never felt that way.

You are given a lot of options for how you experience the game.  You can decide to spend your time progressing only through the core of the story, or you can find hours of entertainment doing the various side-quests available and unlocking every bit of the experience.  This was a welcome change from the style of progression from the original title.

I don’t have anything negative to say about Assassin’s Creed 2.  It was an exceptional experience and the third can’t come quickly enough for me.  If you haven’t spent some time in Ezio’s boots, roaming seamlessly in the crowd through these beautiful cities and punishing, in spectacular fashion, those who have insulted your family, you owe it to yourself to pick up Assassin’s Creed 2.

This review is based on the Xbox 360 retail version of the game purchased by Skeptical Gamer.