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Assassin's Creed II - The |OT|

A

Althoran

Member
Mine's been shipping and hopefully will arrive this week. I'm really looking forward to AC2 especially after reading all the impressions here.

Only problem is I just recently got Demon's Souls.
 
B

Baker

Banned
Just got done playing for five hours straight. :lol

Quick thoughts on 360 version (installed) after skimming this thread... I'm scared to read anything since some crazy ass is already trying to talk about the ending:

- I only saw tearing once and it was during a random cutscene.

- Controls are great. I only had one "why the fuck did you jump that way" moment and not once had any problems climbing buildings or whatever someone bitched about.

- Graphics are great but not mind-boggling awesome. I'm also in the camp that doesn't understand why they fucked with Kristen's model. However,
you're barely ever back in the real world unlike the first game so it doesn't really matter
.

- There is SO much to do. Between lookout points, multiple collect-a-thons, managing your home base, and the omg super awesome glyphs, you can break from the main story whenever you want and still lose yourself in the world.

- The weapon/skill progression is great. It's so natural that it doesn't really waste any time holding your hand.

Now it's bed time. Buy this game.
 
D

dwin45

Member
Can someone who has played the PS3 version confirm that the framerate/tearing of the first game has been mostly fixed? If this thing looks like AC1 on the PS3, then I will definitely not bother with it.
 
P

PBY

Banned
god... I like this game (hated the first) but the freaking combat so far is stopping me from loving it. I just hate the whole system, its essentially the same as the first game. Super mashy, and if you don't want to mash, it essentially forces you to use the counter, which is so far a timed "win" button. enemies just wait around, and attack you one at a time... same shit as the first.

Everything else tho, very good. So far I give it a B, just b/c I'm about 6 hours in, and the tutorials took so damn long. Hopefully the game opens up a little bit.
 
B

Blimblim

The Inside Track
Some interesting infos:
- The villa level and the stuff you can do in it was developed by Ubisoft Annecy.
- The Catacomb/PoP-like levels were done by Ubisoft Shanghai.
 
S

Snipes424

Member
dwin45 said:
Can someone who has played the PS3 version confirm that the framerate/tearing of the first game has been mostly fixed? If this thing looks like AC1 on the PS3, then I will definitely not bother with it.
Click to expand...

There is some screen tearing during a couple cutscenes, but I never really notice it. The framerate seems fine to me, but then again, I don't have magic eyes like a lot of people on GAF
 
Nemesis_

Nemesis_

Member
Blim, good to know. That is very interesting.

Baker, the collect-a-thons are much more meaningful than the horrible collectathons in the original, right? Without spoiling... >_>
 
D

Darkman M

Member
Reading through this last page is tempting me to go pick this up. I thought the first one was decent. What's different this time around?
 
M

Miburou

Member
I'm maybe 40% done with the main story, and honestly so far I'm not feeling it.

I think it's because of the excessive hand holding the game does. Every important item has to glitter like crazy, everything is shown exactly on the map, and a lot of hints, tips, instructions, etc. It honestly feels like an extend tutorial so far.

Stealth still done well. Guards take a while to notice you, and it's not hard to shake them off or dispose of them. I wish I could change the difficulty and turn off all the glow and all the hints.

The game is an improvement over the first one, but fundamentally it does still feel similar. A huge world with not much to do in.

I'm still interested in the game, and the slow pacing means that the game might still pick up, though.
 
A

ArachosiA 78

Member
Really enjoyed the first one. The cities were well realized and traversing them was immensely satisfying. Will be getting thsi eventually, but pretty busy with several other games at the moment.
 
D

Darkman M

Member
ArachosiA 78 said:
It's not radically different from the first Modern Warfare. The gameplay is identical; there are no new moves or abilities. The graphics are maybe slightly better but there is a lot more junk laying around and the maps are quite a bit more complex. There are several new guns and perks and the level cap on MP is now 70. Also, you can customize your killstreaks. Mulitplayer is more chaotic now due to the more muli-tiered maps and some of the new devestating killstreak bonuses. The single player mode really tries to go over the top with the action, and I feel it exceeds in this goal.

That's about it. It feels more like Cod:MW 1.5 to me. That said, it's an amazing and immensely addictive game.
Click to expand...


Holy shit :lol
 
A

Althoran

Member
Miburou said:
...
The game is an improvement over the first one, but fundamentally it does still feel similar. A huge world with not much to do in.

I'm still interested in the game, and the slow pacing means that the game might still pick up, though.
Click to expand...

I have heard mostly the opposite concerning about what there is to do in the world.
Can you elaborate on this? Don't you like the collecting, the economy part, the upgrading of the villa?

Note: I don't have the game yet, it's been shipped this morning.
 
D

Dead

well not really...yet
Anyone else play the bonus levels from the Collectors Edition/Pre-order yet?

I just beat the first one. Its actually similar to the Assassin's Tomb. Big environment, tons of platforming, and the reward is a ton of gold.

I thought it was going to be like a single room with some treasure chests but its pretty substantial in size, at least the Medici manor one is.
 
A

akachan ningen

Member
Dead said:
Anyone else play the bonus levels from the Collectors Edition/Pre-order yet?

I just beat the first one. Its actually similar to the Assassin's Tomb. Big environment, tons of platforming, and the reward is a ton of gold.

I thought it was going to be like a single room with some treasure chests but its pretty substantial in size, at least the Medici manor one is.
Click to expand...

Is that level the same one you can get by using Uplay points?
 
R

Rated-Rsuperstar

Member
I hated the first Assassin's Creed. I still think it's absolute shit. That said, I kept an open mind for the sequel and gave it a rent. After 3 hours I'm really enjoying it. AC2 gets just about everything right this time. Enzio is much more human and relatable then the dick that was Altair. There's lots of variety in the missions. And they actually reward you this time around with unlocks and stuff to buy. If there's anything to complain about it's that the combat is more of the same, as well as the graphics. And I see Nolan North is keeping busy.
 
B

Barrett2

Member
In the mission Change of Plans,
I can't find the 4th philosophical codex. Are all four of them just randomly throughout the village
? I guess I just missed one..
 
S

Solo

Member
Y2Kev said:
Have you noticed how open world games do platforming segments now? They're "underground." Always. Infamous started the trend! It's a good trend, I like parkour. :D
Click to expand...

Its probably a calculated design choice to keep the framerate down.
 
Z

ZAnimus

Member
Did anyone here get the Black Edition? I'm getting mine on Friday, but just wanna know if there's any worthwhile stuff on the bonus DVD (other than the soundtrack, of course). Any good behind-the-scenes stuff? I'm a sucker for those.
 
B

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
Solo said:
Hidden blade > sword

Also, vanilla > collectors edition
Click to expand...


yeah, i really think the model for collector's editions in video games is sort of jacked. much like the dvd/blu-ray market, at the initial release of a film on the format, there's already a special collector's edition that offers some ostensibly perfunctory benefits.

what the game market lacks is the flip side of the collector's market in dvd: the huge rerelease collector's editions of older games. now, the likelihood that people will purchase older games they've already bought is kind of low if the game is essentially the same, but, just to imagine for a moment: picking a game randomly from my shelf that i enjoyed from last-gen, i look at something like ETERNAL DARKNESS and try to imagine a collector's edition rerelease that i would feel good about buying.

so, number one, the game itself should remain largely unchanged, or--like the dvd rereleases--should have the option fo being played as such, with an expanded or altered "director's cut" also available. two, the behind-the-scenes material should be massive and all-encompassing; everything that silicon knights as far as video or interviews taken during the development of the game should be compiled, new interviews should be done with the staff reflecting on the game's successes and failures, the most eloquent and reputable game critics should discuss the significance of the game, and so on. there are things about ETERNAL DARKNESS i'd like to know that just aren't available out there: where did they get the inspiration for pious augustus? i'd like to hear all about where they drew from literature and the occult for the story and settings. meaty supplemental video material, in other words. third, the set's case should reflect the fact that the audience for the game is built-in, and that it's for collectors. this one could easily be made to look a lot like the tome of eternal darkness on the outside, leather with a latch.

and if they did all that, and actually put some effort into it, i'd drop a hundred bucks on it no question. but a collector's release for a game that's not a classic, that's not a known quantity, seems really really silly to me. i wish there were more reissues of old games on new systems with this sort of treatment, with an eye toward the history of what you're about to play, and with respect to the fans and to the people who would actually want to--you know--collect them.

someone will argue that the "director's cut" releases sort of do this, but not nearly to the degree that warrants a second purchase for most people. very little about them strikes me as special as a set like what i describe above.
 
S

Solo

Member
Yep, they're just a waste of money in my eyes, even for franchises I love to death like Mass Effect. You can keep your books I'll never look at, DVDs I'll never watch, and toys I'd be embarassed to even own, and I'll keep my money and just buy the game, thank you very much.
 
N

NinjaFridge

Unconfirmed Member
ZAnimus said:
Did anyone here get the Black Edition? I'm getting mine on Friday, but just wanna know if there's any worthwhile stuff on the bonus DVD (other than the soundtrack, of course). Any good behind-the-scenes stuff? I'm a sucker for those.
Click to expand...

Play.com wont let me have it. :(
 
B

beelzebozo

Jealous Bastard
Rez said:
if only something like that was financially viable. :(
Click to expand...

you know, why isn't it? if it can be done with movies, why not video games? if it's a matter of hand-wringing over whether or not it'll sell, the game should, of course, be a classic that will most definitely sell a beaucoup of copies. imagine if nintendo decided to do this with something like SUPER METROID, and included a new supplemental book that was a split between a strategy guide and a retrospective, with the creators talking about what it was they wanted to accomplish from square one.

i guess i see these shitty or altogether useless collector sets for new games and see the model as an opportunity to maintain a sense of history and heritage in video games--something that for many years has been severely lacking (but that is alleviated somewhat by download services like virtual console and psn). still, these download services lack the context that would make the sets i describe so interesting.
 
D

Deleted member 30609

Unconfirmed Member
I was thinking something similar when I was considering what you posted in my head, but the big thing I keep coming back to is the price of a game versus the price of a DVD.

I guess if publishers budgeted the project to be profitable with only very 'niche-level' sales, and then sold physical copies via an online store or something (hence cutting out the whole "convincing retailers to buy a new shipment of an old game" thing), it could work.

I totally agree with the general philosophy behind what you're saying, though. It would be amazing.
 
I

infinityBCRT

Member
Heavy spoilers for those who've finished the game or are near the end (after you've gone to
Venice
).

So it only clicked to me now what that whole weird
dream sequence was about. You know how Desmond knows Altair's memories because hes one of Altair's great-great-great-great grandsons? Well that was Desmond's final memory of Altair. Seems as though Altair impregnated Maria and whoever was born from that pregnancy is where Desmond's memories continue after Altair impregnates Maria
 
I

infinityBCRT

Member
beelzebozo said:
yeah, i really think the model for collector's editions in video games is sort of jacked. much like the dvd/blu-ray market, at the initial release of a film on the format, there's already a special collector's edition that offers some ostensibly perfunctory benefits.

what the game market lacks is the flip side of the collector's market in dvd: the huge rerelease collector's editions of older games. now, the likelihood that people will purchase older games they've already bought is kind of low if the game is essentially the same, but, just to imagine for a moment: picking a game randomly from my shelf that i enjoyed from last-gen, i look at something like ETERNAL DARKNESS and try to imagine a collector's edition rerelease that i would feel good about buying.

so, number one, the game itself should remain largely unchanged, or--like the dvd rereleases--should have the option fo being played as such, with an expanded or altered "director's cut" also available. two, the behind-the-scenes material should be massive and all-encompassing; everything that silicon knights as far as video or interviews taken during the development of the game should be compiled, new interviews should be done with the staff reflecting on the game's successes and failures, the most eloquent and reputable game critics should discuss the significance of the game, and so on. there are things about ETERNAL DARKNESS i'd like to know that just aren't available out there: where did they get the inspiration for pious augustus? i'd like to hear all about where they drew from literature and the occult for the story and settings. meaty supplemental video material, in other words. third, the set's case should reflect the fact that the audience for the game is built-in, and that it's for collectors. this one could easily be made to look a lot like the tome of eternal darkness on the outside, leather with a latch.

and if they did all that, and actually put some effort into it, i'd drop a hundred bucks on it no question. but a collector's release for a game that's not a classic, that's not a known quantity, seems really really silly to me. i wish there were more reissues of old games on new systems with this sort of treatment, with an eye toward the history of what you're about to play, and with respect to the fans and to the people who would actually want to--you know--collect them.

someone will argue that the "director's cut" releases sort of do this, but not nearly to the degree that warrants a second purchase for most people. very little about them strikes me as special as a set like what i describe above.
Click to expand...
Let me tell you something... if they ever released the AC Trilogy on a single bluray disc for the PS4/Xbox 720 with a bigger draw distance for NPCs, less pop-in and PC quality textures, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

As much as it sucks that Sony abandoned backwards compatibility (which partially makes it impossible for these collector's editions to happen) I like the idea of remastered releases such as the God of War collection. I'd also buy a remastered Ico/SOTC collection in a heartbeat, and a remastered MGS1-3 collection as well.
 
R

Ranger X

Member
dwin45 said:
Can someone who has played the PS3 version confirm that the framerate/tearing of the first game has been mostly fixed? If this thing looks like AC1 on the PS3, then I will definitely not bother with it.
Click to expand...

I saw multiple people in this thread saying it runs way better than AC1 was on PS3.
( I didn't play much myself so I cannot confirm again on top but AC2 runs fine while some real GAF nit-pickers will totally react... as usual. It's far from being polished like Uncharted 2 or even most first party games but it's the case with all multiplatform releases afterall so, nothing new. Fact is that 95% of people buying this game won't ever have a problem with it. There's more tearing on the PS3 than on the 360 though because the later is capped at 30 fps)

.
 
O

Orgun

Member
This makes me sad T_T :(

xi0.jpg

e66.jpg
 
Z

Zapages

Member
Ranger X said:
I saw multiple people in this thread saying it runs way better than AC1 was on PS3.
( I didn't play much myself so I cannot confirm again on top but AC2 runs fine while some real GAF nit-pickers will totally react... as usual. It's far from being polished like Uncharted 2 or even most first party games but it's the case with all multiplatform releases afterall so, nothing new. Fact is that 95% of people buying this game won't ever have a problem with it. There's more tearing on the PS3 than on the 360 though because the later is capped at 30 fps)

.
Click to expand...

Sounds great...

I'm waiting for my PS3 version to come in by Saturday... Can't wait to play during Thanksgiving break. :)

Orgun said:
This makes me sad T_T :(

xi0.jpg

e66.jpg
Click to expand...

what is that? Do you get it if buy from Amazon or something???
 
E

EzLink

Banned
You know, I fucking love it when a game isn't on my radar at all and a couple days before launch I start hearing great things about it and then I decide to purchase.

I was really excited for the first AC, but I rented it and couldn't play more than a couple hours without getting incredibly bored. So I just didn't pay any attention to the sequel

But holy FUCK this game is a masterpiece. It is an absolute triumph in epic singleplayer experiences. The story really pulls you in, giving your missions weight and feeling. The gameplay mechanics have been refined to a T. The combat is brutal and satisfying. The animations are slick, and the travel and movement are nearly pitch perfect.

I do wish though developers would stop only making shit readable on HDTVs. I can read the subtitles and the minimap, but just barely. And it gives me a headache to try. As of now this is the biggest thing hampering my enjoyment, especially since the minimap is so crucial to knowing where to go and what other activities to do. It's not like I can just ignore it

All in all though, I'm was totally caught off guard by this and I'm very happy at the purchase
 
O

Orgun

Member
Thats my copy of AC2 which just arrived from [A place that is now allowed to be typed (apparently) wooooooo] via UKMail. To be honest, if the disc works i'm not too bothered by the damaged case.
 
D

Dead

well not really...yet
Woo

100% on all feathers, treasure chests, etc in Florence. Just started Sequence 5, and played 14 hours so far. Can't get enough of this game :D
 
L

Level 8 Boss

Member
I was so hyped for the first game, I really thought it was going to be a master piece, and was of course left bitterly disappointed.

I'm hearing slightly mixed things, pretty much a slightly more polished version of AC1 with a ton of collectables. I'm not sure if this should get my hard earned sterling. I've got a spare copy of MW2 to trade in/sell but hmm, maybe I should opt for Uncharted 2 (although again I wasn't a big fan of the first one).

Maybe I'm just crazy?
 
M

Miguelangelo

Banned
Level 8 Boss said:
I was so hyped for the first game, I really thought it was going to be a master piece, and was of course left bitterly disappointed.

I'm hearing slightly mixed things, pretty much a slightly more polished version of AC1 with a ton of collectables. I'm not sure if this should get my hard earned sterling. I've got a spare copy of MW2 to trade in/sell but hmm, maybe I should opt for Uncharted 2 (although again I wasn't a big fan of the first one).

Maybe I'm just crazy?
Click to expand...

yeah id say your crazy.

1. not buying AC2
2. not buying UC2
 
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