Sunday Thoughts: 29/11/09
Assassin's Creed 2 is excellent, but what makes me love it so?Published 29/11/2009 at 13:00 by Gamoc
Sunday Thoughts: 21/03/10 [13]
Sunday Thoughts: 07/03/10 [72]
Sunday Thoughts: 28/02/10 [18]
Nine days ago, Assassin’s Creed 2 released. At roughly 6:37pm, I inserted the disk into my Xbox 360 and started installing it. At 6:46pm (I’m making these times up, you know), I started up the game. Since then I have completed said assassin-related piece of eden (I finished it last night, to be more specific) and I’m still playing the game. I have every intention of finding every treasure, collecting every statuette, finishing every side mission, translating every glyph…
You get the idea. This is the only game I have ever played in which I have been motivated to do such an obsessive compulsive thing – and I really mean ever. So what is it that makes a game such a joy to play that I would even consider collecting everything there is to collect?
Well, it’s not the Gamescore. I’m not particularly interested in neither Achievements nor Trophies, only really trying to do something that will take a couple of minutes or is directly in the way and may as well be done anyway (such as bile-bombing a tank in Left 4 Dead 2), so we can rule that out right now.
Assassin’s Creed 2 looks great – it’s a beautiful game (no, I don’t mean it’s football). If it didn’t, however, it wouldn’t really matter. Gameplay always comes before graphics, so if a game doesn’t exactly look like Pamela Anderson but still plays like she does in bed, then it’s still a great game. So no, graphics do not make a great game. If a game looks like a Ferrari Modena but handles like the Titanic post-sinkage it’s a bad game regardless.
Clearly, my adoration has something to do with the gameplay itself, which makes sense because Assassin’s Creed 2 is close to being my game of the year, if only Uncharted 2 didn’t exist. Yet I didn’t try for all the trophies in Uncharted 2, either, so what’s making me want to play AC2 that much? Well, I enjoy running around large cities via the rooftops, and I really enjoy the climbing. I also love the combat in AC2, countering is roughly 12.3 times more realistic than anything in a hack ‘n’ slash game, making it really enjoyable to me. In fact, the kills in AC2 are so satisfying that I wince every time I crush a guard’s face with a mace, or plunge my hidden blades into his eye sockets, despite having played for so long.
I also really enjoy the deception. Sending a group of courtesans or mercenaries to distract a group of guards so I can just stroll leisurely through the chaos to get past is a great thing, as is sneakily poisoning a guard for the same effect. A smoke bomb to the ground and I can take out the majority of a 20-strong group of guards before the smoke clears, or just climb a wall to escape, which is another great feeling. I’m even curious as to what ‘The Truth’ is, which is a mark of a good storyline.
And there we have it, the reason why I would play to collect things like this: Great feelings. Everything you can do in Assassin’s Creed 2 feels cool, whether assassinating 2 guards at a time or disappearing in a cloud of smoke, you feel like a, for lack of a better word, badass. There is nothing more badass than taking down a crowd of guards with their own weapons, except maybe walking away calmly afterwards. It’s these feelings, and the fluidity of the game itself, that keep me playing so much.
I will continue to wince as I take down guards in AC2, and I will continue to collect things as I do so, just because of the feeling of the game. Many developers could learn a lot from AC2.
Comments
Please note that all comments are the opinion of the individual author and not TheSixthAxis.
Snebjnr | 29/11/2009 13:13
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1612 TSA Points | Member since: Feb 2009
The game looks awesome, when the money comes in, Im defo getting it.
Cant wait to “plunge my hidden blades into” some-ones “eye sockets”
Im glad alot of people can now see Assassins Creed for what it really is – Ace Assassin games
parker | 29/11/2009 13:16
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1034 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
Yeah me too, Can’t wait to get it.
Won’t be getting this until Christmas Day though, someone offered to buy me that as a present.
A nice read.
stingraz | 29/11/2009 13:40
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2241 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
the game IS awesome!
Yung Jones | 29/11/2009 14:02
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910 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I need this game!! I’ve only heard great things about it, shame shopto.net stuffed me up..
Stroud95 | 29/11/2009 14:13
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30 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
How did they stuff it up?
rht992 | 29/11/2009 14:11
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2860 TSA Points | Member since: Apr 2009
Such a good game! finished it last week but i’ve been obsessed with finding all the feathers and completing the extra missions. There’s something so rewarding about completing the small tasks in the game.
If it wasn’t for UC2 this would be game of the year. Its so hard to choose between them. This truly is the best game to finish off a great year for games
The only game i’ve got where i wish i’d forked out the extra cash so i could play the special edition
carlosfilippsen | 29/11/2009 14:19
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1316 TSA Points | Member since: Mar 2009
I still havnt played this! I will rent it this week to get a taste
besidavi | 29/11/2009 14:35
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96 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
Hit the nail right on the head with this. Exactly how I feel this week after playing it every day for hours! Wish you could replay memories though like in AC1.
Deathbrin | 29/11/2009 15:07
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949 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
The feelings are important indeed. I remember the satisfying trash bang when you punch a Warren guy in inFamous.
gideon1451 | 29/11/2009 15:18
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252 TSA Points | Member since: Nov 2009
I really want this game now. Great [sarcasm], there’s so many games I want at the moment, just I don’t have enough money D:
SpikeyMikey23 | 29/11/2009 16:20
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901 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
Im having it for christmas, its just sitting in the cupboard waiting! the mrs leaves it there just to piss me off
bunimomike | 29/11/2009 16:42
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Your testicles in there too?
Stitch a set of brass ones on and go steal it!
SpikeyMikey23 | 29/11/2009 22:24
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901 TSA Points | Member since: Jul 2009
haha…..shes got them in a vice…….;-)
ManeoriX | 29/11/2009 15:48
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1561 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2008
Exactly I have already Platinumed it, I was simply compelled! I left some of the side-missions though, because I have some other games to attend, and I KNOW I’ll want to do something in it again soon. So the side-missions seemed like that! Though you can’t get back into the crypts, where there are some treasure chests, so if you missed them, tough luck!
SirGregThorn | 29/11/2009 16:01
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895 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Agree with you 100 %
Only game I’ver ever wanted to do and find everything.
I think it’s like you said, just cause everything just feels so awesome to do
skibadee | 29/11/2009 16:26
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3919 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2009
right back at ya Gamoc great game.
cc_star | 29/11/2009 16:32
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7878 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Looks an identical game to The Saboteur to me (well as near as damn it, apart from the WWII Vs Renaissance ’skin’)
However that seems to play a lot more like GTA has a 5 stage alert level, has over 1,300 non-essential objectives & side missions, and just all round far more varied.
The only thing thats worrying me slightly is that it might suck, as there are no pre-release reviews and EA have hardly thrown their publishing might behind the title.
I’ll find out on Friday I suppose.
Fresh191 | 29/11/2009 16:35
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585 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
Ok I have like 2 missions left but I dont wanna finish it yet because I have heard that when you complete the ‘campaign’ or main missions that you cant keep playing. Is that true, I am too trying to collect everything, only have 33 feathers but I only need 1 codex page and 4 veiwpoints left. I dont wanna finish and then not be able to go back in to collect whats mine!
skibadee | 29/11/2009 16:40
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3919 TSA Points | Member since: Oct 2009
I hope that is not true that would suck.
besidavi | 29/11/2009 17:12
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96 TSA Points | Member since: Aug 2009
Not true, you go back to free play after the end credits. You can then collect or do side missions to your hearts content.
seedaripper1973 | 29/11/2009 17:52
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Bloody hell, i’m being a negative nanny today…i didnt really like the 1st one, so this is an extra ‘meh’
benny boy | 29/11/2009 20:15
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816 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
Seriously, at least rent it. I didn’t really like AC1 as it got so boring and dragged on but I Love this game. It is so much better than the first and you can tell so much work went into it.
seedaripper1973 | 30/11/2009 04:01
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1731 TSA Points | Member since: Forever
OK, i’ll give you the benefit of the doubt here benny boy…i’ll borrow it off me mate
Kamokazi-UK | 29/11/2009 19:47
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Meh… give me Batman: Archam Asylum any day..
Burgess_101 | 29/11/2009 20:58
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assasins creed smashes batman cause of the longativity and the sheer joy of getting a silent kill
minerwilly | 30/11/2009 10:57
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I have yet to try either AC2 or Batman , they both look like rentals to me though . Not being insulting but I have noticed a trend in my buying habits this year ie – I buy games with longetivity like say FIFA , KZ2, MW2 , Battlefield , Rainbow6 , but tend to rent games like Uncharted 2 , Infamous , Prototype .
On minimum wage I just cant justify spending £35 – £40 on something I can complete in a week . Im not saying these are bad games as I enjoyed the heck out of them when renting them But would I ever return to them … no .