Preview: Assassin's Creed 2

In an unusual turn of events I was surprised to find the demo mission for Assassin's Creed 2 was an assassination - the repetition of which, as we all know, was the leading cause for disappointment in the first game. One could stipulate that such a decision was merely an act of playful irony on Ubisoft's part, but as the PR lexicon unravelled it became far more likely to be representative of its faith in the sequel; by placing you on familiar ground, alterations and additions stand out with greater contrast.

Accidental selection was quickly ruled out as well, following the news that this particular mission - which involves working with a man named Antonio and his thieves to take out another man named Emilio – is a full seven or eight hours into the full game. Yes, this was no mistake. Fortunately, it seems to be paying off.

Ascend

Having engaged the mission after some fumbling about on the rooftops – and some passive-aggressive guidance from fellow writers, I took heed of my mini-map and set foot toward the nearest vertical surface. Our new protagonist, Ezio, scales the cityscape of what is now Renaissance Italy with greater speed and agility than his predecessor, Altair, building on the impressive fluidity of the first game, and retaining the fundamental pleasures of simply climbing around. The entire process is still rudimentary in challenge, demanding little beyond a point-and-go mechanic, but it's also still an absolute joy to behold, with seamless animation stringing together a multitude of complex acrobatic feats.

The benefits of rooftop travel proved ever-present, providing easy passage to the five aloft archers I was tasked with killing in order to lubricate my advances on Emilio whilst keeping me clear of any guards loitering below - whose collective skill greatly outmatched my proficiency with the controls. Instead I sneaked up on an idle archer, paying close attention to the contextual face-button read-out, in hope of stealthily running my blade across his throat and moving on. The pressure of the situation coupled with my inexperience, however, led me to abuse only the taunt button, prompting Ezio to bait the now alert and enraged enemy, unable to break the sequence despite the slashes of the archer's sword liberating my blood.

Kick Ass

Once the onlookers' laughter subsided I quickly found attack and unleashed a barrage of lightning-fast swings of my sword, all of which were successfully blocked. Repeated tries did nothing to best the scoundrel, and, growing tired of failure, I resorted to grabbing hold of him by the collar, head-butting him in the face for defying me, then throwing him off the roof. Alternatively I could have simply punched him, or driven my knee into his gut, but either method does a substantial amount of damage, which is now visually accessible thanks to the new over-head health indicators, and just feels terrific.

The incorporation of these types of melee attacks feels like a step in the right direction for Assassin's Creed, complimenting the nature of the game and providing effective, and largely amusing, alternatives to the game's 30+ weapons. Though it's unlikely to be anything but a spur-of-the-moment approach, getting up close and personal adds another welcome level to the combat, and, as I outlined earlier, often provides relief from the incessant blocking of any individual.

As was the case in the first game, combat with more than two people requires sound use of counters, relying heavily on timing and pace to pull off the more complicated – and now particularly gory – moves. Jumping in so late into the game without the experience I would have gained up to that point meant I had a fairly difficult time pulling off counters, but the few I managed delivered scintillating displays of violence – stabbings, slashings, giant hammers to the face – and sometimes with a stylised side-view.

Run Away

The more frequent times when my timing was abysmal afforded me a good excuse to try out the new smoke bombs – something I expect to become an indispensable tool in those tight, life-or-death situations. Along with weapons, smoke bombs and other 'gadgets' are selectable via a wheel menu, and once deployed create a smoke cloud a few metres across, slightly knocking enemies back and momentarily confusing them, facilitating a smooth get-away for you.

Of course, it's always better to avoid the fights whenever possible, but if you have been caught doing something untoward there are ways of reducing the prying eyes: Killing a witness is a neatly direct approach, otherwise you can rip down posters of yourself around the cities, or blend in with a crowd by simply walking with them – obviously the most accessible option. If you're feeling particularly lazy, though, you can always employ some thieves or provocatively-dressed ladies at a cool 150 florin (coins) to batter or distract the guards, removing their concern with you.

A Good Assassment

Performing an assassination and escaping without opposition is still a superbly thrilling experience and the driving force behind the entire game. Ubisoft spoke briefly about some chase and escort missions scattered about the daunting 130 total, so it's evident the responses to the first game have been taken into consideration. The visual improvement is welcome as well – particularly the more eclectic colour palette – but what's most important is that Ubisoft isn't just adding some variety to warrant the sequel, it's making a concerted effort to ensure those assassination missions are evolved rather than just emulated, and so far it is hitting the mark. It feels fresh again.