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[beelzebozo]

what else of note came out this year? that i've played,

- assassin's creed 2
- new super mario brothers wii
- punchout!!
- re5

i'm in the thick of playing both AC2 and NSMBW right now, and they're both excellent. comparing the two is really impossible, but certainly AC2 steals some of my time from NSMB, which considering that game's quality is a feat.

for a second i thought FALLOUT 3 came out this year, which would have made that such a more difficult decision for me.

 

[Korey]

I find that if you are unfamiliar with the terrain of a city, and what to "expect" from the general layout of how poles/buildings/ledges/etc are usually placed in relation to each other, you're more prone to make mistakes if you simply keep moving forward without stopping. In cases like this it would be wiser to observe the surrounding first and learn to maximize the terrain. If not it would also be wise not to constantly run. Instead stop and observe before making the next step. The time you lose from losing momentum is insignificant in comparison with the time you would lose if you fell off completely.

The parkour in this game seemed really off to me when I first started playing but I eventually got used to it. It's more "difficult" compared to the first game because if I remember correctly the rooftops in AC1 were much flatter, while the elevation differences are greater in this one (plus all the various doodads/obstacles on the roofs) so it's hard to see what's coming up ahead.

Also, the parkour sometimes doesn't feel like parkour at all since certain movements seem very deliberate and not free flowing. This is one aspect of the game I feel could be improved in the next one...make movement flow better, and also help the player see what's coming up ahead either through level design or some sort of feedback.

 

[McBacon]

Holy cow

I was just running away from some asshole guards but I came to a river that I couldn't quite jump. Just then, a Gondola came passing along! I jumped onto it and then leaped across to the other side and hid.

Magnificent!

 

[Falt]

Holy cow

I was just running away from some asshole guards but I came to a river that I couldn't quite jump. Just then, a Gondola came passing along! I jumped onto it and then leaped across to the other side and hid.

Magnificent!

Last night I did pretty much the same thing while fleeing from an assassination, I crossed a river by skipping over two (!) passing gondolas. The timing was perfect! My jaw was on the floor the entire time.

Sadly, jumping on a passing gondola will spook the boatman causing him to fall into the water and subsequently drown. Why would you become a boatman if you can't swim!?

 

[Amir0x]

Venice is 50% of the game. Everything before Venice is just the prologue. :lol

W-T-F

This is gonna be like a sixty hour game for me :lol

I haven't even done a single mission in Forlì! I NEVER WANT THIS GAME TO END!

 

[SmokinGunZ1981]

W-T-F

This is gonna be like a sixty hour game for me :lol

I haven't even done a single mission in Forlì! I NEVER WANT THIS GAME TO END!

And your going to love every second of it!

 

[Amir0x]

So true. I found it impressive that even the perched birds cast a shadow on buildings across the street.

 

[MMaRsu]

So true. I found it impressive that even the perched birds cast a shadow on buildings across the street.

Yeah the shadows are really great! I love when I'm running around my shadow will be cast onto other buildings..

 

[Deleted member 17706]

what else of note came out this year? that i've played,

- assassin's creed 2
- new super mario brothers wii
- punchout!!
- re5

i'm in the thick of playing both AC2 and NSMBW right now, and they're both excellent. comparing the two is really impossible, but certainly AC2 steals some of my time from NSMB, which considering that game's quality is a feat.

for a second i thought FALLOUT 3 came out this year, which would have made that such a more difficult decision for me.

Oh come on now... plenty "of note" came out this year. If you're listing RE5 then you should be able to acknowledge the rest of the quality games that were released this year whether you like them or not.

Anyway, I think I am going to pick this up on one of the consoles while I wait for the PC version. All of the impressions just sound too good. It gets released on December 3rd here and I am now just debating which version to get. Are both versions pretty much the same or does one of the two superior (however slightly)?

 

[Revengeance]

The house gets renovated as you "upgrade" the village. It will look all nice and shiny by the end of the game.

Ah, thanks. Exactly what I was hoping to hear. Nothing I love more in videogames than playing dress-up and living in an awesome house.

I haven't been buying any armor or weapons recently, just pouring everything I get into the villa.

 

[beelzebozo]

Oh come on now... plenty "of note" came out this year. If you're listing RE5 then you should be able to acknowledge the rest of the quality games that were released this year whether you like them or not.

Anyway, I think I am going to pick this up on one of the consoles while I wait for the PC version. All of the impressions just sound too good. It gets released on December 3rd here and I am now just debating which version to get. Are both versions pretty much the same or does one of the two superior (however slightly)?

i said "that i've played"

 

[duckroll]

Oh come on now... plenty "of note" came out this year. If you're listing RE5 then you should be able to acknowledge the rest of the quality games that were released this year whether you like them or not.p

I think many games "of note" came out this year. It's just not I don't feel any of them really lived up to their promise as much as AC2. It is the best game I've played this entire year, and is pretty much the best sequel I've played since MGS3 and ZoE2. Ubisoft totally went above and beyond the call of the duty to ensure that AC remains a solid franchise which will not fade away. If they can continue this level of improvement and polishing of a good concept with the subsequent games, this will be one hellavu series.

 

[beelzebozo]

I think many games "of note" came out this year. It's just not I don't feel any of them really lived up to their promise as much as AC2. It is the best game I've played this entire year, and is pretty much the best sequel I've played since MGS3 and ZoE2. Ubisoft totally went above and beyond the call of the duty to ensure that AC remains a solid franchise which will not fade away. If they can continue this level of improvement and polishing of a good concept with the subsequent games, this will be one hellavu series.

ho ho ho

 

[MichaelEM3]

Just beat it. 1000/1000 Achievements points.

Fantastic game that addressed all the major flaws of the first. Currently going head to head with Uncharted 2 for my personal GOTY in my head.

 

[kyo_daikun]

Seriously if I didnt have dragon age to complete I would definetly purchase this thanks to the amazing views of everyone here, going to have to knuckle down and complete it.

On a side note if I haven't touched the original game will I understand what is going on in this one?

 

[MMaRsu]

Damnit my girlfriend is so addicted to this game, she barely talks to me on the phone when she's playing it at the same time :lol

 

[rollingstart]

Damnit my girlfriend is so addicted to this game, she barely talks to me on the phone when she's playing it at the same time :lol

Ezio pimps so hard he breaks the fourth wall

 

[jett]

How does everyone here like the parkour system? I ask because, while I love this free roaming PoP: SoT style of running, especially compared to the QTE-esqe style the new PoP sports, I do have one major issue with it. If you are in a race, or even just running to a destination in general, if you misjudge anything at all, distance, direction, etc, even the lightest bit, it completely fucks you over. You fall in the water, you fall in the streets, and it takes you FOREVER to get back on track to where you were. In races, where you are running to try to reach the checkpoints in time, it's very frustrating and very easy to mess up. Atleast it is for me. My friend, who I feel is abnormally good at gaming, especially platformers, says he always won each race on his first try and never had the problem I'm describing. I've been playing the game for over 30 hours now, so I've gotten used to the system and rarely make these mistakes anymore except when I'm in races, where I'm frantically trying to make the goal in time, and when I don't I get more frustrated, making me even more prone to mistakes, and so on. It's a vicious cycle. So, do I just suck, or has anyone else had this problem?

I think its a problem with the races rather than the controls. It's really hard to tell where the next checkpoint is, due to the placement of the camera and because the game doesn't really tell you, unless you're constantly looking at the mini-map while trying to freerun your way through houses. An easy tip is to not go full sprint all the time if you don't know where you're going, let go of the X button and you'll stop jumping off by mistake.

So I finished the game yesterday and it was a lot better than the first but one thing the first outdone AC2 by miles was the soundtrack. I was dissapointed by the end of the game that there were no really good tracks, then I watched the credits roll and I was floored. The best track of the game and it was left until the credits. I think it appeared at the start to but still the rest of the OST was a bit of a let down

I had some problems with the music in the game to, as in it would sometimes not play at all. I'd be in a chase across the city and there was no music when I'm sure there should be something playing. Even the last fight had no music until I died and restarted the mission.

Yes, there's definitely a bug regarding the music. Sometimes the correspoding theme won't play, or another will be stuck in an infinite loop. It's really annoying that -ALL- the high budget Ubisoft games are full of stupid bugs like these...and more serious bugs as well.

I don't get exactly which tracks people remember from AC1. Is it just Jersualem and the Chase theme? Because everything else is kind of crap. Personally much prefer the AC2 soundtrack, for example the combat themes are way better than AC1...for starters each city has different ones unlike the one battle theme that played across the entire game in AC1...which was no good anyway.

 

[jett]

W-T-F

This is gonna be like a sixty hour game for me :lol

I haven't even done a single mission in Forlì! I NEVER WANT THIS GAME TO END!

Can I ask what exactly are you doing in the game? I finished it in 30 hours with all the side-missions complete.

 

[Grimm Fandango]

Can I ask what exactly are you doing in the game? I finished it in 30 hours with all the side-missions complete.

Is that what the timer says in stats? It says I've played like 12 hours which is totally wrong.

 

[Amir0x]

Can I ask what exactly are you doing in the game? I finished it in 30 hours with all the side-missions complete.

Well, I searched for all treasure boxes, then comb the map for feathers, then do all possible available sidequests. I do them as early as possible so, for example, I did this one assassination mission before I knew the dodge or the disarm move, making it more difficult to kill all those brutes. But it's fun to do it that way.

I fixed all my Villa to near completion, as far as possible with the paintings available to me atm and the weapons available to me atm.

Just soaking everything in, essentially, taking my sweet time.

As far as sequels, I'd say Uncharted 2 definitely more than equaled what Assassin's Creed 2 did in terms of how improved a sequel can be, but AC2 is the biggest surprise for me because I didn't even -like- the first one. I liked Uncharted 1 well enough, so it wasn't a huge leap for an improved version to get my love.

Assassin's Creed 2 is just better designed in all possible areas than the first game, really making true its core concept.

 

[duckroll]

Let us all light a candle for jett. His dedication to our Creed is strong, but a minor misstep with the law outside of our Villa has resulted in his imprisonment for a week.

 

[kyo_daikun]

Let us all light a candle for jett. His dedication to our Creed is strong, but a minor misstep with the law outside of our Villa has resulted in his imprisonment for a week.

That final fantasy thread is like a mine field, hopefully people will start using da vinci's flying machine in future.

 

[Raide]

Let us all light a candle for jett. His dedication to our Creed is strong, but a minor misstep with the law outside of our Villa has resulted in his imprisonment for a week.

*lights a candle*

May he return to the fold speedily. His keen whit and stabbing tongue will be missed for this weeks round of "Who Stabbed Me?" bingo.

 

[Solo]

Oh jett :lol

 

[kaskade]

I'm definitely going for 1000 in this, I only have a few left. Sweeping with the staff has been a pain, usually only one is just out of reach. Then the 10 enemies without being hit. They always freaking run away from being so damn badass. I'm going to try and run to find another group of enemies though. What is considered remaining in conflict though. As long as the guards are actively on me?

 

[Community Forum]

This is truly one of the greatest games I have ever played. Things keep unlocking, my list of tasks to complete just keeps getting bigger and bigger, and it is so beautiful to boot!

 

[MattyGrovesOrMe]

Damnit my girlfriend is so addicted to this game, she barely talks to me on the phone when she's playing it at the same time :lol

I'm having the same experience, except my gf likes just exploring and taking in the virtual tour of italy. Visuals are my favourite part of the game as well, and I'm usually the biggest hater on graphics whoredom.

 

[Amir0x]

People just pretend to hate on graphics to gain pointless gamer cred. Deep down, no matter how long you deny it, everyone simply wants good graphics.

 

[MMaRsu]

Hope to see u back soon Jett! I know you are lurking..

 

[Baraka in the White House]

I've been avoiding this thread for fear of spoilers, but I just wanted to pop in and say that AC2 is the best single player experience I've had in a long, long time. And I haven't even ventured outside of Florence/Monteriggoni yet...

 

[MattyGrovesOrMe]

People just pretend to hate on graphics to gain pointless gamer cred. Deep down, no matter how long you deny it, everyone simply wants good graphics.

Love Assassin's Creed II for its aesthetic tour of renaissance Venice, etc. Still disagree that superior graphics necessarily make game x better than game y, and that ludic experience generally trumps visuals as a identifier of a video game's quality. How many gamer cred points did I just get?

 

[Mik2121]

Oh, wow.. I just finished the game about 10 minutes ago!.

I have yet to get a couple trophies (I'm at 85% now), but I'm not sure I'll get the 'collect all feathers' trophy anytime soon..

Other than that, this game has become one of my favorites in this generation!. I love it all, and even though the cities might not be 100% accurate (obviously, this is a game so they have to remake stuff to be playable), I could tell apart some of the buildings and stuff in both Florence and Venice.
The story was pretty great as well, with lots of hidden and deep stuff if you read the letters and do all the glyphs and stuff. The ending was a bit weird, and I can't wait for the obvious Assassin's Creed III.

Do we have any thread to "guess" where is the next AC going to be located?

 

[Ranger X]

A little move that is useful sometime for a smoother experience and that isn't explained anywhere in the game:

You remember those covered balconies in Florence where some chest are hid?
Let say you're beaming on the fences and you want to climb on the external wall or a collum without dropping and then climb again, you can simply hold the direction toward that collum or wall and press B button (drop). Ezio will then pass from beam mode to climb mode in a smooth fashion.

.

 

[Dartastic]

Is there a quick way to get back to my villa to remove funds in my chest? It looks like the only way to do that is to do LOTS of backtracking... I'm in Forli right now, and I think it'll take forever... :/

 

[Returners]

Is there a quick way to get back to my villa to remove funds in my chest? It looks like the only way to do that is to do LOTS of backtracking... I'm in Forli right now, and I think it'll take forever... :/

Fast travel is the fastest you can get.

 

[Dartastic]

Fast travel is the fastest you can get.

????????

 

[Dibbz]

I'm definitely going for 1000 in this, I only have a few left. Sweeping with the staff has been a pain, usually only one is just out of reach. Then the 10 enemies without being hit. They always freaking run away from being so damn badass. I'm going to try and run to find another group of enemies though. What is considered remaining in conflict though. As long as the guards are actively on me?

I'm having trouble with this aswell. If I get a group of weak soldiers they wil run after a bit but if I get some big guys in the mix they stick around a bit longer but it's tough to get 10 kills without getting hit with axe/hammer/spear guys. Any pointers?

 

[OmonRa]

????????

On your map are icons with double sided (left/right) arrows. Go there. A dude will ask you for money in order to teleport you to a location (fast travel).

 

[Mana Sin]

I (finally) have a/an HD tv It's not a great one*, but boy does AC2 look great! I can finally see what the icons actually are meant to look like.

Does anyone else hope that there will be two new weapon types added through DLC sometime?

Spoiler

The weapon wheel seems to have two free spaces by the end of the game.

*

Spoiler

32" 720p(I think) Sony Bravia

 

[Kaako]

People just pretend to hate on graphics to gain pointless gamer cred. Deep down, no matter how long you deny it, everyone simply wants good graphics.

No doubt. Graphics are one of the 5 pillars I look for in a game; gameplay, graphics, sound, story, and lasting appeal. I also consider good art™ as part of graphics off course.

 

[Ranger X]

????????

Look on your map for a sign that looks like a double arrow. This is the fast travel boots (they basically look similar to shops). Very useful.

.

 

[Ridley327]

The easiest way to get the "10 kills without taking a hit" achievement/trophy is actually to lure at least 10 of them after being spotted doing something illicit and then use a smoke bomb to stun them. You should be able to get most of them with the first one by using your hidden blade, leaving the rest as easy targets for a second smoke bomb. Smoke bombs are really broken. :lol

Truth be told, though, I actually got mine from stabbing guys in the back while they were occupied during the bit where

Spoiler

you have to protect Lorenzo from Francesco's assassination plot.

 

[Dartastic]

Look on your map for a sign that looks like a double arrow. This is the fast travel boots (they basically look similar to shops). Very useful.

Oh shit. Thanks! Also, I'm kinda stuck right now, and I don't know why. I'm at the part where

Spoiler

You first play as Altair, and for some reason I can't climb the tower. I saw my subject go into the building and it's pretty obvious that I have to climb, but for some reason I can't get him to jump and grab that wooden beam above the door on the tower. Am I going the right way?

 

[Ridley327]

Oh shit. Thanks! Also, I'm kinda stuck right now, and I don't know why. I'm at the part where

Spoiler

You first play as Altair, and for some reason I can't climb the tower. I saw my subject go into the building and it's pretty obvious that I have to climb, but for some reason I can't get him to jump and grab that wooden beam above the door on the tower. Am I going the right way?

You are. What you need to do is get on top of the ledge that's closest to the beam and do a standard jump by pressing RT+A/R1+X (depending on the system) without pressing a direction. You'll climb up the beam and will be able to continue.

Weird that people got stuck at that part; that was a move you could execute in the first game and it did come in handy at some parts.

 

[Dartastic]

You are. What you need to do is get on top of the ledge that's closest to the beam and do a standard jump by pressing RT+A/R1+X (depending on the system) without pressing a direction. You'll climb up the beam and will be able to continue.

Weird that people got stuck at that part; that was a move you could execute in the first game and it did come in handy at some parts.

Thanks. Just did it. I actually didn't play the first game much; I really hated it in fact. I thought it was basically a fancy tech demo. This one on the other hand is GREAT.

 

[Dibbz]

The easiest way to get the "10 kills without taking a hit" achievement/trophy is actually to lure at least 10 of them after being spotted doing something illicit and then use a smoke bomb to stun them. You should be able to get most of them with the first one by using your hidden blade, leaving the rest as easy targets for a second smoke bomb. Smoke bombs are really broken. :lol

Truth be told, though, I actually got mine from stabbing guys in the back while they were occupied during the bit where

Spoiler

you have to protect Lorenzo from Francesco's assassination plot.

Thanks for the tip I'll try it out soon.

 

[Dahbomb]

I am on the fence as to if I should get this game. I just got Tekken 6 and COD:MW2 so getting another game so soon would be a serious burden on the wallet and I need to know if it's worth it.

I played the original. I enjoyed the presentation, the graphics, atmosphere, half of the story... just about everything except the game play. The only thing I liked about the game play was the fluidity in the platforming and how good it felt. Everything else, the stealth elements, the combat system and collecting flags crap was a huge turn off for me. Plus the repetitive nature of the side quests pissed me off to no extent.

I have read the reviews, impressions... everyone is saying how it's a massive improvement over the original. But I want specific answers hence why I ask:

*Is the mission design still the same where you need to do certain cookie cutter side missions to unlock the actual assassination?

*Are the stealth elements actually good? Are there more escape routes than just fucking diving into a stack of hay that is strewn about all over the cities?

*Speaking of cities.... is there actually any diversification in the multiple cities? The first AC was basically 1 huge city but with 3 different color filters.

*What about NPCs? Are they actually smarter now? Can they recognize you among white monks/scholars or do they still have trouble doing that?

*Is the combat system worth a damn? I am not looking for DMC/NG stuff here, even something along the lines of POP combat would be nice. AC1 had atrocious combat, I should not be able to take on 30 soldiers simultaneously... yes there is even an achievement for it.

*Is the story actually good? First one started off well story wise but at the very end it dropped a bomb that was just insanely retarded. You KNOW what I am talking about...

*Is there any solid replay value to the game other than collecting some stupid flags? First game I had absolutely no reason to play the game again other than collect the flag which was insanely difficult because you couldn't keep track of where you found certain flags and spotting them in the wild was so difficult because their color matched the palette of the city too well.


Are there other new features they added that I should know about? Depending upon how the questions are answered I may or may not buy this. I was a huge fan of the AC concept but the first one was a massive letdown. I still believe in the concept but I need more reassurance this time.

 

[[Nintex]]

Let us all light a candle for jett. His dedication to our Creed is strong, but a minor misstep with the law outside of our Villa has resulted in his imprisonment for a week.

Such a shame and it wasn't even a Nomura joke

 

[Ranger X]

I am on the fence as to if I should get this game. I just got Tekken 6 and COD:MW2 so getting another game so soon would be a serious burden on the wallet and I need to know if it's worth it.

I played the original. I enjoyed the presentation, the graphics, atmosphere, half of the story... just about everything except the game play. The only thing I liked about the game play was the fluidity in the platforming and how good it felt. Everything else, the stealth elements, the combat system and collecting flags crap was a huge turn off for me. Plus the repetitive nature of the side quests pissed me off to no extent.

I have read the reviews, impressions... everyone is saying how it's a massive improvement over the original. But I want specific answers hence why I ask:

*Is the mission design still the same where you need to do certain cookie cutter side missions to unlock the actual assassination?

*Are the stealth elements actually good? Are there more escape routes than just fucking diving into a stack of hay that is strewn about all over the cities?

*Speaking of cities.... is there actually any diversification in the multiple cities? The first AC was basically 1 huge city but with 3 different color filters.

*What about NPCs? Are they actually smarter now? Can they recognize you among white monks/scholars or do they still have trouble doing that?

*Is the combat system worth a damn? I am not looking for DMC/NG stuff here, even something along the lines of POP combat would be nice. AC1 had atrocious combat, I should not be able to take on 30 soldiers simultaneously... yes there is even an achievement for it.

*Is the story actually good? First one started off well story wise but at the very end it dropped a bomb that was just insanely retarded. You KNOW what I am talking about...

*Is there any solid replay value to the game other than collecting some stupid flags? First game I had absolutely no reason to play the game again other than collect the flag which was insanely difficult because you couldn't keep track of where you found certain flags and spotting them in the wild was so difficult because their color matched the palette of the city too well.


Are there other new features they added that I should know about? Depending upon how the questions are answered I may or may not buy this. I was a huge fan of the AC concept but the first one was a massive letdown. I still believe in the concept but I need more reassurance this time.

Are you sure you actually read ANYTHING about the game? All your questions have been answered multiple times everywhere on the internet. You should start by reading the OP wich would answer maybe all your questions already. And to quote myself:

-Fight revamped, multiple types of ennemis, lot more weapon
-Grab system, disarm and counter isn't always easy because each type of ennemi must be beaten with different strategies
-Economic system - upgrade Ezio with armor, weapons, items, dye your clothes
-Character progression is much more present and evident
-No more investigation, it's entirely story-based with "mission givers" character just like GTA4
-Full of extra stuff do to that actually matter for something. (gathering money, upgrading your villa, collecting lore, etc)
-Villa upgrade (kinda a fable gameplay here)
-Catacomb levels (optional areas where it's more Prince of Persia style platforming). They give you a very nice bonus too
-Better faster climb
-More crowd reactions/behaviors
-Smoke bombs
-All the types of missions you see in GTA type games (chase, follow, fetch, assassinate, collect, race, etc)
-Blend is completely revamped
-You can hire different kind of friendly NPC to help you like Mercenaries, Courtesans and Thieves and you command them stuff to do.
-You can swim
-Cities are not similar like the first game
-Country side IS useful and there's even missions in it.

Seriously, there's alot of new stuff. It really is what the game ever should have been

.