Info about Assassin's Creed 2:

Official game description:
Assassin’s Creed® 2 is the follow-up to the title that became the fastest-selling new IP in video game history. The highly anticipated title features a new hero, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young Italian noble, and a new era, the Renaissance.  
Assassin’s Creed 2 retains the core gameplay experience that made the first opus a resounding success and features new experiences that will surprise and challenge players.  
Assassin’s Creed 2 is an epic story of family, vengeance and conspiracy set in the pristine, yet brutal, backdrop of a Renaissance Italy. Ezio befriends Leonardo da Vinci, takes on Florence’s most powerful families and ventures throughout the canals of Venice where he learns to become a master assassin.  
*   **EZIO, A NEW ASSASSIN FOR A NEW ERA** Ezio Auditore da Firenze is a young Italian noble who will learn the ways of the assassins after his family was betrayed and he looks to seek vengeance. He is a lady’s man, a free soul with panache yet has a very human side to his personality. Through him, you become a master assassin.  
*   **RENAISSANCE ITALY** Italy in the 15th century was less a country and more a collection of city-states where families with political and economic strength began to take leadership roles in cities like Florence and Venice. This journey through some of the most beautiful cities in the world takes place in a time in history where culture and art were born alongside some of the most chilling stories of corruption, greed and murder.  
*   **A NEW-FOUND FREEDOM** You will be able to perform missions when you want and how you want in this open-ended world that brings back free-running and adds elements such as swimming and even flying to the adventure. The variety in gameplay adds another layer for you to truly play through the game any way you choose.  
*   **DYNAMIC CROWD** Discover a living, breathing world where every character is an opportunity for the player. Blending in with the crowd is easier, working with in-game characters provide ample rewards but can also lead to surprising consequences.  
*   **BECOME A MASTER ASSASSIN** Perfect your skills to become a master assassin where you brandish new weapons, learn to disarm enemies then use their weapons against them, and assassinate enemies using both hidden blades.
Please note that as of November 19th, 2018, the online features for this game are no longer supported. The Multiplayer mode / Co-op mode will no longer be accessible.

Release date: 4 Mar, 2010

Categories: Single-player Story, Open-World Exploration, Stealth Gameplay, Parkour Gameplay, Real-time Combat, Character Progression, Equipment Customization, Collectibles


- Hardware Profile: No data
Feature extractions:
- Community Price: No data
- Playtime Metrics: No data
- Time-to-fun: No data
- Player Archetypes: No data


Below are summaries of things people say about the game per category.
Each point is assigned a weight that represents how often it is mentioned across all reviews.
What players like:
- Iconic Story & Timeless Masterpiece (weight 0.87): Players consistently hail the game as a masterpiece and the best in the series, even after many years. Its story, world-building, and character writing are frequently praised, elevating the franchise to mythic status and setting a high standard for subsequent titles.
- Enhanced Gameplay & Rich World (weight 0.71): The game significantly improves upon its predecessor in every aspect, offering more fluid gameplay, dynamic assassinations, and diverse missions. The meticulously detailed open world of Renaissance Italy, with its vibrant cities and historical accuracy, is a major highlight, encouraging exploration and immersion.
- Ezio Auditore: Charismatic Protagonist (weight 0.62): Ezio Auditore da Firenze is universally loved and considered the best protagonist in the series. His compelling character arc, from a carefree noble to a wise master assassin, is deeply personal, relatable, and emotionally impactful, making his journey a defining element of the franchise.
- Stunning Aesthetics & Soundtrack (weight 0.57): The game's visuals, art direction, and soundtrack are consistently praised for holding up remarkably well despite its age. The atmospheric music, especially Jesper Kyd's compositions like 'Ezio's Family', enhances immersion and perfectly captures the historical setting, creating a memorable aesthetic experience.
- Fluid Parkour & Engaging Combat (weight 0.44): Both the parkour and combat systems are lauded for their improvements over the first game, offering smoother, faster, and more responsive movement and fighting mechanics. The variety in combat strategies and satisfying animations contribute to a highly enjoyable and engaging gameplay experience.
- Enjoyable Pacing & Replayability (weight 0.18): Players appreciate the game's well-paced, linear story that keeps them engaged without feeling repetitive or grindy. Its engaging narrative, coupled with diverse missions and an appropriate length, contributes to high replayability and a desire for continued engagement.
- Historical Figures & Cultural Immersion (weight 0.14): The seamless integration of real historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Lorenzo de' Medici enriches the narrative and cultural depth. These interactions, alongside the beautifully recreated Renaissance Italy, contribute to a unique and educational immersion in the historical era.

Common complaints:
- Outdated & Clunky Core Gameplay (weight 0.39): Player feedback indicates that the combat system is simplistic, repetitive, and often relies on counter-attacks, leading to a boring experience. Controls are widely criticized across all platforms for being awkward, unintuitive, and clunky, especially compared to modern titles.
- Poor PC Port & Controller Issues (weight 0.23): The PC version of the game suffers from significant issues, including unplayable keyboard and mouse controls, lack of native controller support, and frustrating keybinding defaults. Many players report having to use workarounds or mods to get controllers to function properly.
- Persistent Bugs & Technical Instability (weight 0.22): The game is plagued by numerous bugs and technical issues, ranging from frequent crashes and freezing to broken mission markers, save data loss, and progression-blocking glitches. These problems significantly detract from the overall player experience.
- Aged Graphics & Performance Problems (weight 0.17): The game's graphics are consistently described as outdated and low-quality, showing its age. Beyond visuals, the game also struggles with optimization on modern PCs, leading to performance issues like stuttering, low frame rates, and difficulty adjusting to high-resolution monitors.
- Ubisoft Connect Integration Problems (weight 0.16): Many players express strong dissatisfaction with the mandatory Ubisoft Connect (formerly Uplay) launcher, citing issues with setup, login, account creation, and constant connectivity requirements. This often prevents players from even launching or playing the game they purchased.
- Repetitive & Tedious Missions (weight 0.13): Mission design, particularly side quests and certain main story objectives like tailing missions, is heavily criticized for being repetitive, lacking narrative depth, and feeling like 'filler' content. This leads to a sense of monotony and extends playtime artificially.
- Convoluted & Inconsistent Story Pacing (weight 0.12): The narrative is sometimes confusing due to abrupt time skips and a sagging pace in the middle and end sections. Plot holes, disjointed dialogues, and a perceived artificial stretching of the story also detract from immersion.
- Underdeveloped Characters & Ezio Focus (weight 0.08): Beyond Ezio, most characters are seen as one-dimensional and underdeveloped, serving merely as background for the protagonist. Some criticism also targets Ezio's own character arc, which is occasionally found to be cliché or contradictory.
- Comparisons to Other AC Titles (weight 0.07): Reviewers often compare the game's mechanics, story, and overall quality to other Assassin's Creed titles, both older and newer. This cluster reflects a general sentiment about the evolution and perceived decline in quality of the AC franchise post-AC2.
- Tedious Collectibles & Unrewarding Completion (weight 0.07): Collecting items like feathers and chests is described as an excessively tedious task, primarily due to the lack of in-game maps or meaningful rewards. Several players also report bugs associated with collectible completion, sometimes forcing a game restart.
- Limited & Flawed Stealth Mechanics (weight 0.05): The stealth system is deemed basic, often ineffective, and inconsistent. Players report issues with AI detection, unreliable stealth kills, and a general lack of depth that forces players into combat even when trying to be stealthy.

Gameplay feedback:
- Expanded Core Gameplay (weight 0.11): Assassin's Creed II refines the stealth and assassination mechanics from its predecessor, offering more sophisticated options like double hidden blades, hidden pistols, and various weapon types. It retains the open-world exploration, parkour, and stealth-based target elimination, building upon the original formula.
- Customizable Controls with Learning Curve (weight 0.1): While keybindings are customizable, players noted a learning curve to adapt to the controls, especially for parkour and combat. Many found that remapping controls improved the experience, suggesting an initial adjustment period is needed.
- Rich Collectibles and Side Activities (weight 0.08): The game significantly increases the number and variety of collectibles and side quests compared to the first installment. Players can find feathers, glyphs, treasure chests, and participate in races, assassination contracts, and explore secret assassin tombs, adding depth and replayability.
- Open-World Renaissance Italy (weight 0.06): The game is set in a vibrant open-world Renaissance Italy, featuring iconic cities like Florence and Venice. Players can freely explore these historically inspired environments, which serve as a backdrop for both main missions and numerous side activities.
- Engaging Modern-Day Narrative (weight 0.05): The game continues the modern-day storyline with Desmond Miles, who relives Ezio's memories through the Animus 2.0. His escape from Abstergo and search for artifacts tie into the overarching Assassin-Templar conflict.
- Variable Playtime and Pacing (weight 0.04): Player estimates for game completion vary significantly, from 5-10 hours for a focused run to 20-30 hours for more thorough engagement. The narrative's pacing is generally described as moderate, picking up as the story progresses.
- Robust Equipment and Economy System (weight 0.04): Assassin's Creed II introduces a comprehensive economy system that allows players to purchase and upgrade weapons, armor, and other items using money earned from missions and chests. This system also extends to managing Ezio's villa, Monteriggioni.
- Moderate and Adaptable Difficulty (weight 0.03): Feedback on difficulty is mixed, ranging from easy to difficult, with many finding it moderate. There is no explicit difficulty selection, but some describe it as easy to learn and hard to master, suggesting a gradual challenge curve.
- Leonardo da Vinci as Gadget Supplier (weight 0.03): Leonardo da Vinci plays a crucial role as Ezio's friend and inventor, providing him with essential upgrades, new weapons, and unique gadgets like the flying machine. This collaboration enriches both the gameplay and the narrative.

Performance notes:
- Good Performance on Older Hardware (weight 0.09): Many players report that the game runs well, even on older or less powerful PCs, integrated graphics, and portable devices like the Steam Deck. It generally achieves stable framerates at various resolutions, indicating broad accessibility.
- Low Importance Feedback (weight 0.03): Some feedback points were either too vague, isolated, or of very low quality to warrant detailed individual summaries. These include general comments on PC requirements, game size, server issues, and specific hardware performance anecdotes.

Recommendations:
- Highly Recommended Game (weight 0.49): Many players strongly recommend this game, often citing it as a classic, a masterpiece, and one of the best in the series. It's considered a must-play for both new players and long-time fans of the Assassin's Creed franchise. Players often recommend purchasing it, especially when on sale.
- Essential for AC Franchise (weight 0.24): Assassin's Creed II is frequently highlighted as the ideal starting point for new players to the Assassin's Creed series, considered a significant improvement over the first game and foundational for the lore. Many suggest playing it to understand the series' peak and Ezio's character.
- Deserves a Remake (weight 0.17): Despite its status as a classic, some players believe Assassin's Creed II deserves a full remake to update its presentation to modern standards, aligning its timeless story with contemporary graphics.
- High User Ratings (weight 0.03): The game consistently receives high ratings from players, with many scores in the 8/10 to 10/10 range. This indicates a strong positive reception across the player base.
- Revisit for Nostalgia (weight 0.03): The game is recommended for those interested in revisiting older titles or experiencing a cult classic. Many players attribute part of their high ratings to nostalgia, but also acknowledge its continued appeal.
- Good for Beginners (weight 0.02): The game is recommended for absolute beginners to video games or those new to stealth/action/adventure genres. It's seen as an accessible entry point for new Steam users or anyone looking for a solid first gaming experience.

Other player notes:
- Nostalgic Childhood Favorite (weight 0.15): The game holds a strong nostalgic value for many, often being a definitive childhood game or a first completed story. Players frequently replay it for sentimental reasons, often overlooking its age due to fond memories.
- Ubisoft's Legacy Concerns (weight 0.11): Some players reflect on this game as representing the 'peak Ubisoft' or the beginning of the end of their 'golden era.' There's concern about Ubisoft's current game development strategy and their history of server shutdowns affecting older titles.
- Average Playtime (weight 0.09): The game offers an average playtime, generally ranging from 10 to 30 hours for casual players focusing on the main story and more for completionists. This length is considered appropriate for its content.
- Age and Historical Context (weight 0.05): Released in 2009, the game is frequently acknowledged as an 'old game' that was revolutionary for its time. Its setting in Renaissance Italy and its release date are often highlighted, emphasizing its historical significance.
- Missing Steam Achievements (weight 0.02): Players note the absence of Steam achievements for the game, with achievements being handled through Uplay (now Ubisoft Connect). There is a desire for Steam to integrate these achievements.
- Suitable for Broad Audience (weight 0.01): The game is generally considered suitable for a wide audience, including teens and adults. Its themes and content align with a mature but not overly explicit rating.

Emotions:
- Satisfaction (weight 1.06): Players felt satisfied by the game's high overall quality, encompassing its compelling story, well-developed characters (especially Ezio), immersive setting, and engaging gameplay mechanics like parkour and combat. Many also appreciated significant improvements over its predecessor, good optimization, and value for money, contributing to a fulfilling and memorable experience that often met or exceeded expectations.
- Frustration (weight 0.53): Frustration stemmed primarily from persistent technical issues, including frequent crashes, poor PC optimization, and problematic launchers (Ubisoft Connect/Uplay) that prevented gameplay. Players also encountered difficulties with unresponsive, unintuitive, or outdated controls, particularly for keyboard and mouse, and buggy parkour mechanics, leading to a diminished experience.
- Admiration (weight 0.37): Admiration was frequently expressed for the game's storytelling, profound character development (especially Ezio's arc), and immersive historical setting. Reviewers consistently lauded its status as a classic, its superior quality compared to many newer titles, groundbreaking innovations for its time, and iconic soundtrack, solidifying its place as a masterpiece within the series and gaming history.
- Excitement (weight 0.28): Players expressed excitement over the game's captivating story, engaging new gameplay features, and the immersive world of Renaissance Italy. This emotion often led to strong recommendations for others to play, anticipation for sequels, and a general sense of being 'hooked' by the dynamic and high-quality experience.
- Disappointment (weight 0.26): Disappointment arose from various factors, including the game's perceived failure to age well with outdated mechanics and graphics, and a persistent lack of official controller support on PC. Technical issues, such as game-breaking bugs, poor optimization, and issues with third-party launchers, frequently prevented players from enjoying what many considered a potentially great game.
- Nostalgia (weight 0.2): Nostalgia was a strong emotion for many, driven by childhood memories of playing the game, replaying it years later, and recalling its status as a classic. The game often evoked fond remembrance of a 'peak Ubisoft' era and the formative experiences it provided during their youth, reinforcing its unforgettable impact.
- Enjoyment (weight 0.11): Players found enjoyment in the game's unique features, engaging story, and fluid gameplay loop, particularly the parkour and strategic assassinations. Many cited the immersive historical setting and memorable characters as key to their fun, often leading to addiction and multiple replays, even despite minor technical or control issues.
- Appreciation (weight 0.1): Players appreciated the game's detailed world-building, compelling storyline, and the depth of Ezio's character. Significant improvements over its predecessor, lasting appeal, and accessibility on older hardware were also frequently praised, along with its immersive atmosphere and iconic soundtrack.
- Joy (weight 0.07): Joy was experienced by players who found the game fun and immersive, often after overcoming initial control difficulties or achieving 100% completion. This emotion was frequently tied to reliving cherished childhood experiences and finding deep personal satisfaction in the richly detailed world and engaging plot.
- Anger (weight 0.05): Anger primarily stemmed from Ubisoft's perceived corporate greed, poor design philosophy, and persistent technical issues with mandatory launchers and DRM that prevented offline play. Players were also angered by unresponsive or poorly implemented controls and game-breaking bugs that remained unfixed, leading to feelings of being scammed or wasted time.
- Love (weight 0.04): Players expressed deep love for the game, particularly for its unforgettable side characters and Ezio's compelling story. This strong affection often developed from childhood experiences with the game, leading to a profound personal connection and considering it one of their all-time favorites.
- Acceptance (weight 0.03): Players showed acceptance of the game's outdated graphics and aged mechanics, acknowledging them as downsides typical of an older title without diminishing their overall enjoyment. Many found the game playable and were willing to overlook flaws after getting accustomed to them or by focusing on the game's enduring strengths.
- Amusement (weight 0.03): Amusement arose from specific iconic gameplay elements like hay bale jumps, the comedic combat AI, and Ezio's persistent flirting. Players also found humor in the game's quirks, narrative turns, and unexpected educational aspects, contributing to a lighter, enjoyable experience.
- Confusion (weight 0.03): Confusion often arose from the game's convoluted storyline, initial difficulties with controls, and the lack of clear on-screen key prompts for controllers. Players also reported unexpected lag or unexplained screen glitches, as well as difficulty understanding combat modes or setting up Ubisoft accounts.
- Relief (weight 0.02): Relief was felt when players successfully resolved technical issues, such as launcher problems, language settings, or graphical bugs, making the game playable. This was especially prominent for those who had a significantly better experience with AC2 compared to its predecessor, AC1.
- Enthusiasm (weight 0.02): Enthusiasm was characterized by strong recommendations for the game, often urging others to play it as a starting point for the series. This emotion stemmed from the game's overall high quality, compelling story, iconic protagonist, and its status as a personal favorite or a masterpiece.
- Annoyance (weight 0.02): Annoyance was caused by visual glitches such as character darkness or blinding lights in cutscenes, incorrect button prompts, and persistent bugs. Players also found the AI and pacing frustrating, and were annoyed by finicky game behavior, frequent crashes, and DRM-related issues.
- Engagement (weight 0.02): Engagement was driven by the game's deeply immersive story, breathtaking historical setting, and high replayability. Players found themselves unable to stop playing, engrossed by Ezio's character development, diverse gameplay, and the extensive content, particularly the exploration of tombs.
- Affection (weight 0.02): Affection for the game was strongly tied to the character of Ezio, who resonated deeply with players. This emotion was also fueled by the game's atmosphere, its visible care in development, and its personal significance as a long-standing favorite or their first Assassin's Creed title.
- Helpfulness (weight 0.02): Helpfulness was expressed by players who shared solutions and technical tips for common game issues, such as controller problems, launcher difficulties, or installation glitches. Their desire was to prevent others from encountering similar frustrations and save them troubleshooting time.}