Assassin’s Creed 1 had a huge impact on my gaming life. I enjoyed the game so much that it has seeded inspiration in my own personal novel writing. It also gave me a taste for history and mythology, and since then, I have collected a small library of history books and mythology books.
I had always liked stories set within the past but it wasn’t until Assassin’s Creed 1 that my true passion for historical fantasy and period dramas was born. So, when Assassin’s Creed 2 was announced to take place in a time period I had only heard about in the cartoon series ‘Time Squad’ (remember that?), I was curious to say the least.
New Time Period…
The Renaissance, many consider this the period when humans really revolutionised culture and art. We began to study things and sate our curiosity under what was at the time a very strict and controlling system.
But it was also the time of conspiracy and political shenanigans. Of course, it would be the perfect setting for an Assassin’s Creed story. Not only is Renaissance Italy beautiful but it was filled with people that liked to stick knives into to other people’s backs.
I mean, just google The Borgias, a real-life crime family that rose to power during the era and featured as the main bad guys in this game as well as its direct follow up.
New Assassin
Ezio Auditore da Firenze is by far one of the best and most loved video game characters of all time. This character was so well done that he is to date the only Assassin’s Creed character to feature in three major releases in the entire franchise.
Players are literally introduced to him as he comes out of the womb (it’s not pretty) and we spend the game following his life that gets turned upside down as he finds his place as an assassin. It is a sad story plagued by what-ifs and what could have been but life is a cruel mistress and Ezio is forced to make the most out of it as he tries to make a difference.
Assassin’s Creed 2 is my favourite game out of the Ezio trilogy and with good reason. Watching this cocky boy evolve into a strong and tactical man he becomes decades later was by far one of the best character developments I have seen in a game.
New Game
The game owed up to the woes of the last and threw the rinse and repeat formula out of the window. This game had missions that were more story-orientated and built up to major events instead of having players just roam around ticking off a checklist of things to do before the story could proceed.
This is a beloved game by many fans. Assassin’s Creed 1 started the franchise but Assassin’s Creed 2 cemented it.
