Assassin's Creed 2

mbuddha

mbuddha

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Anyone else interested in this one? (well on Xbox 360/PS3 anyways, I prefer this type of game on a console) I loved the first one (even all the repetitive elements, like climbing every tower in each city which for some reason just never got old). If anyone buys this one, please voice your impressions. :)
 
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I loved the graphics and animation of the first game, but I quit a little more than half-way through, just wasn't enough to stay interesting for that long. Hopefully there will be a lot more variety in the sequel.
 
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I've read various good reviews that claim AC2 is far more varied than 1 (which was the biggest issue in 1 - it got boring after a while). Anyway, I don't have time to try it for weeks (Dragon Age is keeping me occupied), but I'll get around to it during the Christmas holiday.
 
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AC1 was supremely boring, and even if AC2 is an improvement - it'd have to be huge to make me interested.

The franchise is too much about production values/marketing and gimmicky crap for my tastes, but you never know.

Think of that kind of investment behind something with a genuine (cared for) game design behind it, and the mind boggles ;)
 
I usually get bored easily as well but I just loved the gameplay in AC1. Sneaking up on guards and knifing them whether on a rooftop or in a crowd was always satisfying as was traversing the beautiful cities. A lot of the more repetitive elements were optional. At any rate more variety is always welcome.
 
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mbuddha said:
I usually get bored easily as well but I just loved the gameplay in AC1. Sneaking up on guards and knifing them whether on a rooftop or in a crowd was always satisfying as was traversing the beautiful cities. A lot of the more repetitive elements were optional. At any rate more variety is always welcome.
Click to expand...

Really?

I felt the gameplay was basically exhausted after the first assassination.

It's for certain that the game was BEAUTIFUL - and I was in awe when riding that horse around and experiencing the cities.

But that's what I was referring to in terms of production values. They've clearly spent millions on all this stuff - like the animation of Altair and the extremely convincing environments, but it struck me as a giant effort to "dazzle" players. Unfortunately, they forgot to hire a game designer to make it all worthwhile - and pretty pictures get boring quickly for me.

It's just not enough.

Look at something like Thief. It does SO MUCH more with so much less. That's because they had people on board who actually understood what gameplay is about, and how to keep it engaging and challenging.

Anyway, that's just how I see it - and I understand many found the gameplay great or at least sufficient. I'm probably a lot more demanding than most, so I guess it's no surprise.
 
I played AC1 and I liked the first... 6 hours or so. Then I realized the 7th hour was looking to be the same as the 6th... and the 5th... and the 4th...
So I returned it :) (Gamefly rocks for console games)
 
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can't wait for the PC release. the 1st AC took like 10 months to make the jump, hopefully it'll be faster this time.
 
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AC2 is getting some stellar reviews. Apparently they have made substantial improvements in nearly every aspect of the game. People are calling it GOTY material. I never got into the first, but based on the reviews, I want to try the second. We need some really good action-adventure games, and this looks to be one of them.
 
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while I was waiting for the first game, in its time, the demo was enough to make me lose all interest. Nice graphics and smooth gameplay, yes, but quite boring and repetitive. I doubt the second installment will differ, at least for me. Now, as for the stellar reviews, well, publicity space might have played a role there… (or maybe I'm just more cynical today than my usual self).
 
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Yeah, they tend to hype games to success with that kind of investment.

I still can't forget GTA4 getting 10/10 at so many sites, with its utterly archaic design choices.
 
DArtagnan said:
Yeah, they tend to hype games to success with that kind of investment.

I still can't forget GTA4 getting 10/10 at so many sites, with its utterly archaic design choices.
Click to expand...

Agreed ... but most places are saying AC2 is much better than the original
 
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Yeah, and I'm also talking about the impressions of the gamers who are playing it. "GOTY" -- at least a candidate -- is something many are saying. So although I didn't enjoy AC1, I plan to give AC2 a look. Btw, I heard the first several hours are very slow.
 
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The missions are much less repetitive. It's not the same pick pocket/shadow/whatever thing in every city. You're running around doing different things and the story feels like a much greater part of the game play and objectives.
 
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I'm sure it's better, but I remain sceptical.

Some gamers - even the most hardcore - are susceptible to the hype/dazzle effect. I remember several enthusiast gamers fawning over AC1 - and months later they'd apparently changed their minds.

It happens to most of us, because games are made to make a huge impression as soon as possible - because the beginning is what sells.

But still, AC2 might very well be great - I just doubt it. I keep hearing stuff about unskippable cutscenes and scene "setups" ala a "movie-game" which is very far from what I like personally.

But I'll see in a few weeks and decide if I'm going to invest in the Xbox version.
 
DArtagnan said:
I'm sure it's better, but I remain sceptical.

Some gamers - even the most hardcore - are susceptible to the hype/dazzle effect. I remember several enthusiast gamers fawning over AC1 - and months later they'd apparently changed their minds.

It happens to most of us, because games are made to make a huge impression as soon as possible - because the beginning is what sells.
Click to expand...

AC2 is apparently different in this regard. Most people will tell you that the game is fairly ordinary for the first 4 to 6 hours, and only after that does it hit stride.

I agree with being skeptical about hype. That's always a good idea. I plan to check it out later, after the price drops a bit. We should have a more balanced, time-softened appraisal by then.

I am not a fan of stealth games. I don't like the sneaking around, and I don't like the trial-and-error aspect. That is my main hesitation about AC2. However, I have been told that the game does not require stealth all the time, and that you can mix it up with more direct approaches.
 
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Just in case you have a PSP and are thinking 'hey, AC2 is good, the PSP game must also be pretty good' - STOP. It is mediocre junk, and feels like a rushed out cash in. Just submitted my review, will never play THAT again!
 
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My brother bought it for ps3 so i sat next to him on Sunday afternoon to take a look.
The graphics are nothing close to PC , the models are good looking and movement is okay ; combat is interesting and dialogue almost non existent ( your PC doesn't speak very often).

So there was that mission to enter a big room killing some guards , my brother killed all but one of them and looted some nice throwing knifes , the last guard started to run and a command appeared on screen "kill the last guard" , player had to follow the guard around and guess what , the throwing knifes were unavailable....not my kind of game .
 
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