Assassin in action

by ERIK LEIJON

Although my top games of 2009 countdown is on ice until next week, I feel it necessary to explain my logic behind decreeing Ubisoft Montreal’s Assassin’s Creed 2 (PS3, X360/Ubisoft, Ubisoft Montreal) to be the year’s absolute, unequivocal best. I also wanted to pre-emptively quash any rumours that I’m wearing rose-coloured glasses, a payola’d pollyanna or rapt in civic pride to the point of madness.

I was more skeptical than you, unimpressed by the demos, trailers and the idea of sharing creative space with a lame prequel movie. When the dust settled though, and I actually had a chance to leap into renaissance Italy as a bloodthirsty assassin out for revenge, I found climbing to the summit infinitely more enjoyable the second time around.

Assassin’s Creed was ambitious: a non-linear exploration game with open-ended missions set to a historical backdrop, but a lack of diversity in missions and the blandness of the assassinations themselves demonstrated a smattering of ideas without a central core. Assassin’s Creed 2 is more parkour and swordplay, although everything that seemed half-finished the first time is more fleshed out. The assassination targets no longer come from a faceless list—this time a brilliantly conceived tale of deceit set during one of history’s most exciting epochs actually situates you in a precise moment in time. Suddenly those quests for justice have meaning because your enemies killed your father, and instead of boring pickpocketing/eavesdropping reconnaissance, the missions play out like Grand Theft Auto-style A to B interactive sequences, where Murphy’s Law is in effect and nothing plays out the way you planned.

Jumping from the crusades to late 15th century Italy, Assassin’s Creed 2 feels at home in the Renaissance. The new setting provides much more than new buildings to dangle from, as the missions better reflect the individuality of each locale. Venice stands as the best level ever designed for a video game, as it adds canals and the beautifully vibrant night-time carnival to the usual landmarks and ledges.

In bourgeois fashion, the well-to-do protagonist Ezio also must master wielding the financial blade, raising funds to refurbish his dilapidated family home. It ties into the collecting aspect of the game, which remains as compelling as the actual missions. Feathers, wanted posters, treasure chests, codex pages and a host of other goodies cover every square inch of the game’s massive cities, and with a more gradual pacing, it’s easier to take time out from the main quest to do some scouring.

Although the fighting remains slightly tedious/easy and the acrobatic controls can be unforgiving, Assassin’s Creed 2 is so diverse and grandiose that the small issues don’t divert from the overall quest. With fewer trips back to present day, the futuristic sci-fi elements blend with the past, as Ezio descendant Desmond unlocks creepy one-second video snippets of Eden without leaving his animus chair.

Finally, I wanted to credit Ubisoft Montreal for somehow adding emotional resonance to what would be considered a strict game element. Early on, Ezio’s mother is raped by the same men who killed his father, and even after escaping to their villa, she’s traumatized into silence. Every time you collect feathers in the game, you have to return to her room—where she’s knelt in prayer—and place them in a special box. It’s implied that by returning the feathers, it might somehow heal your mother’s emotional wounds, but it’s done in a subtle way that’s simply a heartbreaking contrast to the inherent rewarding feeling of finding a feather. It was elegant, sublime, and just a fraction of why I think Assassin’s Creed 2 is the best game of 2009.