Assassin's Creed 2 looks to up the ante on everything the original had to offer. More varied side missions, more interesting parkour, and more interaction with NPCs outside of the plot are all on the plate. But can it really live up to the hype it is building around itself? Assassin's Creed had many problems, not the least of which was boredom, and Assassin's Creed 2 must somehow step away from this and prove itself worthy by exceeding the expectations of its predecessor.

The first element of the game that any player will become familiar with is likely the combat. Assassin's Creed 2 promises to expand upon the combat of the original, but it is debatable just how much it will. Going too far will make the game feel alien and unforgiving, while not varying whatsoever will likely annoy some players of the previous game. The current statement is that the game will incorporate some new moves, but in practice, these new moves will likely use the similar few-button combat that the previous game did. It makes the game accessible, even though it costs some depth.

Another aspect of the game, one that has been heavily pimped in the trailers and interviews, is the element of progression. The main character of Assassin's Creed 2 has much more room for progression than the first game. You can get new equipment through missions or even by buying it from the black market, rather than simply earning it in a linear fashion. This is a much need addition that will likely expand the open-world premise, although we are curious as to how the game will differentiate between the different weapons and equipment you can buy.



Assassin's Creed 2 is also supposed to increase the amount of NPC interaction in relation to the first game. This is best represented through the villa, a customizable house that you can even rent out to earn some money on the side. It will be interesting to see just how interactive the house is, given that other games (such as Fallout 3) utilize a similar system that ends up relegating the house to a storage location more than anything else. There will presumably be more side missions than the past game, but we are not holding our breath in anticipation.

Two things that we absolutely must see in Assassin's Creed 2 are extremely simple. The first is subtitles. For such a story-driven game, the first did not have subtitles, which made those that are hard of hearing or living in a place with noise restrictions unable to truly understand what was going on. It's such a little thing that the sequel unequivocally needs. The other is more varied assassinations. The assassinations of the first game were mostly the same, with little real preparation going into the kill itself. It was a disappointment, and one that definitely need not be repeated in Assassin's Creed 2. In this sense, the developers could learn a little from Hitman's complicated and entertaining kills.

Assassin's Creed 2 is not quite as prominent on the radar as other games such as Left 4 Dead 2, thanks in part to a busy holiday season and a flood of excellent games coming out. However, if the hype is to be believed, it really should be. Assassin's Creed had a lot of promise, and if its sequel can complete the partial fulfillment of those original promises, it may easily be one of the best games this year. After all, what's not cool about a hang-gliding Italian assassin killing people during the Renaissance?