Assassin’s Creed II

Assassin’s Creed and GTA have one interesting thing in common: the developers of both games recreate the era in which the action takes place with amazing meticulousness. They do not strive for absolute historical accuracy – it is much more important that the world is recognizable at first glance. So that the player immediately understands: yes, this is Venice, and not just a fantasy about a “city with canals”, and yes, this is New York, and not a random collection of skyscrapers with a giant iron lady at the entrance. But the studios have opposite approaches. Rockstar loves to laugh – both at their heroes and at the reality around them. They have black guys from the ghetto with a gun in one hand, a boombox in the other and a bag of crack in their pocket. Russian emigrants are always behind the wheel of a rattling taxi or in a bug-infested place on the outskirts. Ubisoft, on the contrary, put on a serious face and lead the player through their world like a museum guide: “Look to the left – in front of you is the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. And now, please, look to the right…”

They strive for the maximum effect of recognition, so that every building and every street seems to say: “You’ve been here before – in a history book or on a postcard.” It is not surprising that Assassin’s Creed 2 begins with an almost Shakespearean scene of a fight between Italian clans, and from any point in Florence there is a view of a picturesque chapel. Ubisoft made, in essence, a charming simulator of a hired killer. So stylish that it can only be compared with Hitman – only there, let us remember, there was no parkour.

Assassin’s Creed II Free Steam Account

During the two years that Assassin’s Creed 2 was in development, gamers were not at all concerned with the visual style or historical accuracy. The main topic of discussion was the complaints about the first part, and, it must be said, they were well deserved. Yes, it was interesting to play the original – but not for long. Each mission to eliminate another Templar turned into a routine set of similar tasks. The hero had a very limited arsenal of techniques, and the game itself dragged on for so long that many simply lost motivation before the plot had time to reach the main track. Even the charisma of Jade Raymond with her brown eyes did not save the situation.

And yet, Assassin’s Creed had colossal potential. Intuitive, stylish parkour, intense fights, albeit built on just a couple of buttons. And, of course, the stunningly atmospheric cities – with narrow streets, crowds of people, Gothic cathedrals and poverty that you can almost smell. And the plot? A real hodgepodge of Dan Brown, Roger Zelazny, Thomas T. Thomas and, of course, “The Matrix”. Here you have ancient orders, conspiracies, genetic memory, and futuristic technologies. Everything is according to the canons.

Explore new worlds without paying! Just use a free steam account today!

Assassin’s Creed II: When the Sequel Actually Makes Everything Better

The only thing left for the sequel to do was to become a truly good game. At that point, Ubisoft simply shrugged and made the most logical decision: they took the first part, attached a huge hose labeled “content” to it, turned the valve up to maximum – and off we go. Assassin’s Creed 2 finally has everything that was so lacking in the original… and even a little more.

The main thing where real progress begins is that the story and side missions have finally been separated into different corners. From strange tasks like “collect a hundred flags to find out when a Templar official comes out onto the balcony in a robe”, Ubisoft moved on to a more familiar, GTA-style structure. At the center is the story of a young Italian named Ezio Auditore, who suddenly had to forget about privileges and a fun life. His father and brothers were executed on trumped-up charges, and suspicious armor and a retractable knife were suddenly found in an old chest. Relatives began to speak in riddles, in which the words “Assassins”, “Templars” and, of course, “revenge” most often flashed.

The subsequent events are quite predictable: a series of spectacular murders, a hunt for ancient artifacts, conspiracies, secrets, investigations… From time to time, we are still returned to 2012 – to Ezio’s descendant, Desmond Miles, and the modern headquarters of the Assassins. But such scenes have become much less – the main focus is now on Ezio’s adventures. Desmond appears only at key moments to remind us that this whole story has deep roots stretching back thousands of years.

The missions themselves are now organized according to the canons of a normal open-world: you do not need to return to the base every time, you do not need to jump from one end of the map to the other for a long time. You just go from task to task – and here the player will find variety. Here is just a small part of what you have to do:

• eavesdrop on conversations of influential people;
• sneak into guarded buildings under cover of night;
• organize daring assassination attempts on enemy leaders;
• carry out sabotage in crowded areas;
• participate in exciting chases across the rooftops of Florence and Venice.

Once unnecessary conventions were removed, it became clear that the developers had more than enough imagination.

But what’s especially nice is that missions can now be completed in different ways. If Altair had a limited arsenal – a sword, a dagger, throwing knives and a hidden blade – then Ezio is a real all-round assassin. He has almost half of the Tenchu ​​arsenal at his disposal, and his best friend is no less than Leonardo da Vinci. It is he who supplies Ezio with new toys, deciphers the pages of the ancient codex and improves his equipment. Soon the hero already has two hidden blades (yes, now you can eliminate two enemies at once), poisoned needles, a homemade pistol and a lot of other interesting things.

By the end, Ezio is no less than James Bond in terms of gadgets – and using them is a pleasure. One guard can be quietly put to sleep with poison, another – a knife can be stuck under the ribs. The reinforcements that arrive — a smoke bomb under their feet, and while they are coughing and can’t see anything — you calmly disappear into the alley, climb the wall or just jump into the water. You can even steal a gondola. The game does not limit you in methods — it is only important that the task is completed. And how — decide for yourself.

The World of Assassin’s Creed 2: Not Just Killings, But Investments Too

With secondary missions in Assassin’s Creed 2, everything is not so clear. Formally, you can ignore them, but the game tempts you — and very competently. The simplest, but effective trick is money. You get paid generously for completing side quests, and there is something to spend this currency on: improved armor, new weapons, spacious bags for knives, poisons and first aid kits. By the way, health no longer restores itself — but first aid kits really save lives in protracted battles. You can invest your earnings wisely: restoring the family villa and the village around it not only pleases the eye, but also gives quite tangible bonuses. Merchants begin to make discounts, passive income appears, which, of course, can be used again to buy equipment. The circle is closed — but how nice it is to rotate in it.

The side quests themselves have also become much more interesting. Contracts for eliminating targets, for example, are not limited to just “kill someone”. Sometimes you need to act stealthily, sometimes you need to track down the necessary character among the masquerade, or even eliminate the guards without using weapons. There is no trace of monotony here.

In general, there are so many side effects that you don’t know what to grab onto. For example:

• assassination contracts with different conditions;
• escorting allies;
• racing on rooftops;
• rescuing citizens;
• thefts and sabotage;
• collecting hidden treasures and secret messages.

Each task is not just a “check mark”, but a way to take a fresh look at the game world and get a tangible reward.

A game you really want to play

It is thanks to such depth and richness that Ubisoft managed to fix the main drawback of the first part. The original Assassin’s Creed offered the player a strictly defined path with fairly uniform tasks. In between missions – dull looking at the towers and, perhaps, fooling around with the guards. Everything seemed a little mechanical, mandatory. In the second part, everything is different. The first hours are literally dizzying – you want to try so much. You really want to come back to the sequel: travel around the cities, take on side quests, collect money for some massive war hammer and check how the Templars will react to his compelling argument. There is a feeling of a living world, where it is interesting not only to follow the plot, but also to simply live.

Add to this the ability to look for mysterious symbols of Desmond’s predecessor, hire street scum as cover, arrange a money rain to distract the guards … All this is not just gameplay, but a full set of tools for fun chaos.

There is also a whole mini-game here — hunting for the tombs of legendary assassins. Each of them hides a stone seal, and having collected all six, you can open access to the legendary armor of Altair. Yes, such a trophy does not come easy. Burial places are a separate story. The developers tried and hid the tombs in truly iconic locations. For example, one is hidden under the dome of the Florentine Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, another place is the catacombs under Santa Maria Novella, where, among other things, a tombstone by Ghiberti himself rests.

The gameplay inside the tombs refers to Prince of Persia — there are almost no enemies, but obstacle courses, traps and parkour await at every step. Sometimes they throw in timed tasks or puzzles. You don’t have to go through all of this (except the first tomb, which is part of the story), but if you want that armor, you’ll have to try. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Assassin’s Creed II System Requirements

How to play Assassin’s Creed II for free on Steam via VpeSports

Have you ever dreamed of being in the thick of the events of the Italian Renaissance, feeling like an assassin, stealthily making your way across the rooftops of Florence? Now you have a chance to experience the story of Ezio Auditore without any costs. Yes, you can play Assassin’s Creed II absolutely free — just get access to one of the shared accounts through the VpeSports platform.

The procedure itself is simple and convenient. Go to the site, register, find the section free steam account — and here it is, the long-awaited Assassin’s Creed II. Everything is designed intuitively: click the start button and follow the instructions. No confusion, everything is clear — and in a few minutes you find yourself among the narrow streets of Venice, in the center of intrigue and blood feud.

If after the first hours in the game you have a desire to share your emotions — we will be only glad. On the review page, you can leave a comment, tell us what impressed you or, on the contrary, confused you. All responses are manually moderated, and if your review does not appear immediately, do not worry – just slightly correct it according to our tips. As soon as everything is approved, you will receive login details by email.

And in order not to miss updates and always be aware of new features, subscribe to our Telegram. There and in the chat – live communication, tips, quick answers to questions and fresh instructions. Well, if you need step-by-step help on launching Assassin’s Creed II and other games – there is already a detailed guide on the site. We try to make it possible for everyone to play – easily, honestly and with pleasure.