firehawk12
Subete no aware
bigswords said:
Fuck yeah. Same. It doesn't help when Ezio jumps in the wrong fucking direction and you spend the next 3 minutes swearing at the TV while waiting for the level to reset.
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Assassin's Creed II - The |OT|
- Thread starter Costanza
- Start date
Fuck yeah. Same. It doesn't help when Ezio jumps in the wrong fucking direction and you spend the next 3 minutes swearing at the TV while waiting for the level to reset.
ACE 1991 said:
Im exactly the same. with the same 3 games lol
I just got to Tuscany properly in Assasins creed but havent played it in 2 days.
God of war does that to you.
I know i've got dragon age for christmas so hopefully i can get god of war 2 and this done by then.
Problem is i got OCD on open world games, i have to collect everything.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
hamchan said:
Oh, I know, but I still have to trudge back to the switch in the first place. The controls are already finnicky - the pressure of a timer doesn't help much. :lol
If they just implemented the stickiness of the Prince of Persia game into the platforming, I wouldn't mind so much. It's just a pain when there's a post I want to jump to and Ezio decides to jump past it and to his death, ruining my run. Bah.
matrix-cat
Member
bigswords said:
Ah, I was feeling all impressed with myself until you brought that part up; I must have blocked it from my memory :lol That one in the Basilica San Marco (I think) where you had to do four different puzzles in time limits with no checkpoints in between was a royal bitch. I was thinking more along the lines of the main game, there was no really challenging fight or mission that stood out as being more difficult than the rest. The most trouble I had was when there were a few Big Heavies and Pokey Spear guys fighting you at once, because those suckers just don't go down.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
What about the
mission? I almost lost that one. :lol
CTF
N
NinjaFridge
Unconfirmed Member
Crunched said:
Yeah, i nailed him once but the guy is like a rocket.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Yeah, that was the only way I could beat it. It was lame because every time you scored a point, he would go much faster. And you start at what seems to be a poor position so that you can't reach it before he does.
matrix-cat
Member
I lost that one my first try :lol
It seemed like the only way to get there before him was to take a huge leap off a rooftop, and I just didn't have enough health to do that three times in a row. So my second try I just waited for him to get the flag and then tackled him.
It seemed like the only way to get there before him was to take a huge leap off a rooftop, and I just didn't have enough health to do that three times in a row. So my second try I just waited for him to get the flag and then tackled him.
matrix-cat said:
That one bugged out on me. The last of the four challenges didn't send down the lever, it just played the cutscene, but lo lever. I then tried to just finish it and I jumped out in mid air, and Ezio grabbed what appeared to be the lever, only invisible, and it finished the challenge.
Kuro Madoushi
Unconfirmed Member
Just got this game 2 days ago.
I will say this FAR surpasses the first one. I can't think of anything from the first game I prefer over this one yet.
I didn't look through the whole thread, but can someone comment on the Italian spoken in-game? Is it actually good?
Problems/Wishlist/Thoughts
- too much loading
- controls are still a bit cumbersome when trying to perform certain moves (I rarely had this problem in Uncharted 2 or Batman:AA)
- wish the stealth element was stronger a la Batman or Uncharted or MGS
- wish you could have cronies with characteristics instead of just generic dude A.
- is it just me, or did it feel like eagle vision was like detective vision in Batman, but not as useful?
- wish your hometown had more options for upgrading
- IS there a feather map that will display them all? :/
- flight was poorly done. It might get better, but from the little I played of it, I never enjoyed it
- CAN you sneak up on those freakin guards in the roof? I'd walk behind and slowly, but they'd still detect me
Other than that, I love how immersive the world feels. Definitely like GAF's recommendation of "if you didn't like the first one, you'll like this one"
I will say this FAR surpasses the first one. I can't think of anything from the first game I prefer over this one yet.
I didn't look through the whole thread, but can someone comment on the Italian spoken in-game? Is it actually good?
Problems/Wishlist/Thoughts
- too much loading
- controls are still a bit cumbersome when trying to perform certain moves (I rarely had this problem in Uncharted 2 or Batman:AA)
- wish the stealth element was stronger a la Batman or Uncharted or MGS
- wish you could have cronies with characteristics instead of just generic dude A.
- is it just me, or did it feel like eagle vision was like detective vision in Batman, but not as useful?
- wish your hometown had more options for upgrading
- IS there a feather map that will display them all? :/
- flight was poorly done. It might get better, but from the little I played of it, I never enjoyed it
- CAN you sneak up on those freakin guards in the roof? I'd walk behind and slowly, but they'd still detect me
Other than that, I love how immersive the world feels. Definitely like GAF's recommendation of "if you didn't like the first one, you'll like this one"
TuSeiSkeefoso
Member
Kuro Madoushi said:
I'm Canadian, but speak Italian and I've played it right the way through using the Italian voiceovers and quite frankly, everyone should play it with Italian voice and english subtitles. It adds way more to the atmosphere and the voiceovers are fantastic, so, even if you don't understand Italian, you need to play it that way. the only thing that sucks is that the cutscene animations are based on english VO and so they look weird, but, the cutscenes look weird in this game anyways though so its all good. My review is at opinionatedgaming.com.
Now that I think about it, I rarely use stealth. The notoriety system almost completely replaces it. Just about the only time you are encouraged to be stealthy is during the assassination side missions.Kuro Madoushi said:
Well, you do get three different "crony" types, and they allow for a decent amount of versatility in your strategy. I'm not sure more would be better.
Totally agree. It's a missed opportunity. Beefing up the capabilities of Eagle Vision would have been great (a way to find missions without the use of a map, for example).
Also, it resembles Batman's detective vision because the Batman devs took more than a few ideas from the first AC (combat mechanics, weapon types, Eagle Vision).
Only way I've found is to hide on an edge and wait for them to get close. Otherwise, they hear me every time if I walk up behind them.
NullPointer
Member
Batman's detective vision was too good imo. I forced myself to disable it just so I could enjoy the graphics. AC2's vision is a step up from AC1 that's for sure, but it doesn't help with everything. No mini-map in that mode means most players won't keep it on for long.Kuro Madoushi said:
Same here. I thought the Uplay unlocked tomb was great though. I'd love more of that kind of stuff.Kuro Madoushi said:
This seems to be a major change from AC1 for me. Where you could get away with a lot more running takedowns, or even just slow-walk kills outside of the guard's vision, AC2 makes guards more aware of your footsteps. BUT, the counter to this is the "pull-em-off-the-roof" technique, which is far more useful and allows you to stealth kill even against an overwhelming amount of guards.Kuro Madoushi said:
I do miss those running takedowns from AC1 though. They're still possible to pull off, but its much more finicky this time around.
Along the same lines - did anyone end up using those rooftop hide spots? In AC1 I could've lived in those things, but in 2? I may have used one once or so. Also, the social stealth of sitting on a bench - also used it maybe once. AC2 gives a ton more options to play with, but some of the techniques could use more gameplay to justify them.
So, I just finished the game. To be honest, I think I kinda rushed through it, because I'm only 60.2% synched to Ezio, or something like that, got only 82% of the trophies and I have not done any sidequest yet. I think I'll be doing that when I feel like it. It was a great ride.
i really had mixed feelings with the first assassins creed
i liked the whole assassin vs. templar storyline (both crusade and modern)
i liked the graphics, the system and atmosphere of the game
and i liked altair
i really hated most of the mission objectives (and assassination missions excluded) and felt that the game was really repetitive.. the boss missions especially had nothing to do with assassination since you just killed them without any stealth which was dissapointing personally...
how does this game compare..?
i really hope they have a lot of assassination missions since those were the best of the previous games..
i liked the whole assassin vs. templar storyline (both crusade and modern)
i liked the graphics, the system and atmosphere of the game
and i liked altair
i really hated most of the mission objectives (and assassination missions excluded) and felt that the game was really repetitive.. the boss missions especially had nothing to do with assassination since you just killed them without any stealth which was dissapointing personally...
how does this game compare..?
i really hope they have a lot of assassination missions since those were the best of the previous games..
I think that was the intention. Limiting the functionality of Eagle Vision prevents it from having the problem that Batman's detective mode did. Regardless, it would be nice if they used it as a creative substitute for the map by using it to help indicate where to go next (at least for story missions, maybe others).NullPointer said:
I used the rooftop hideouts and benches in the beginning because I was so used to AC1. But once I got the hang of the notoriety system, the stealth stuff has become pretty useless. If you're being chased, all you need to do is kill the guards and go tear down some posters and you become incognito again. I really like the implementation of the notoriety mechanic, and I think it's a big improvement on the old-fashioned GTA star system, but it means that stealth-play doesn't do much.
Also, groups are mobile and easy to find, which makes the other forms of stealth useless. They should have made the public run away from you as your notoriety goes up which would force you to hide in a haystack, bench, or rooftop shelter more often.
BJK
Member
NullPointer said:
Every time I've done what I used to do in AC1 (aggro guards, run, get behind canopy to break LoS with the guards, climb into canopy hiding spot), the guards poke and prod under the curtains with their weapons until Ezio jumps out. (I've seen the same thing done with haystacks.)
A bigger part of the reason why you never use them, though, is that it's so much easier to keep a low profile. I've only been notorious in the game once outside of restricted areas, and Ubisoft ends most of the memory chapters after the big kills, rather than making you run from the guards afterwards (I'm in memory segment 11 if memory serves - so that could still change).
NullPointer
Member
I couldn't agree more. Maybe you could see a "glitch" in the direction of the next story objective or something along those lines.conman said:
I've been "notorious" quite a bit, but that's because I'm constantly picking fights and chasing down pickpockets/couriers. Besides, if you stick to rooftops, you only have to worry about archers, but those guys hate you even if you're "incognito." I've gotten in the habit of just tearing down posters whenever I come across them just to keep a healthy profile. It's a great system that's managed sort of like a health meter. Let it get too high, and you have to worry. But if it's low or moderate, you're probably okay.BJK said:
I do miss having to run and lose the guards after a major assassination before you'd get credit for the kill. It added a great "tail" to the assassination missions that gave them a nice beginning (track your subject), a middle (plan and execute the kill), and end (run and hide from the guards). Now you just find them and kill them. Easily the least engaging aspect of the game. Even the side-mission assassinations are much better than the storyline ones.
My thoughts exactly. Maps and minimaps really seem outdated. Forward-thinking game designers have found great ways to get around the "necessity" of HUD clutter (Dead Space, AC1). Finding creative ways to convey the same information within the game world is the way to go. The first game did such a good job of getting around HUD clutter that it's surprising how often this game depends on it.NullPointer said:
A related (minor) annoyance is that you can't save your map icon preferences. If you choose to turn off certain icons, they pop up again the next time you boot up the game. Those settings should be part of your save profile.
Don't get me wrong, I love this game, but these are just some small details that could be improved upon.
It's less repetitive and what repetition is there is usually hidden. It doesn't really share the structure of AC1 at all: the story progresses like a normal, well, story.farnham said:
As for stealth, some missions require a certain amount of stealth, others don't. The way stealth works is a bit different than the previous games. Also, being an assassin doesn't necessarily require stealth, it just encourages it. Most of the kills are made much easier if you can stealthily approach the target, but if you take the obvious stab route it's going to be obvious to the guards. And some of the story assassinations "force" methods for various story-related reasons. But you can still run right up to a target and jump on his face (unless explicitly prohibited).
There are many main story assassination missions and after a certain point you get a huge number of side mission assassinations that tend to be pretty varied and reflect the differences in the cities. Plus some of the non-special target missions are assassinating guards or whatever. The "listen to this conversation"/"steal X" are much rarer, and the listening missions have been pretty challenging (new hide mechanics allow for vastly improved listening missions).
NullPointer
Member
Gotta say, I do miss the investigation aspect (and overall structure) of assassinations from AC1. I never did finish that game, and am hoping to do that now that I've gobbled up AC2. I felt so stupid when I realized on my second playthrough that all those investigations actually helped, giving you maps, guard paths, etc. I always thought it was just a mechanic to "unlock" the mission. I had no idea that the intel you gathered was stored and retrievable any time. Gah!conman said:
Well, luckily, any homesickness I feel for AC1 is easily remedied. Got that sucker installed on the 360 HDD for when I feel the need to romp around the holy land old school-like.
Yeah, it looks like the devs did a lot of last-minute work trying to bury the investigation side of the first game and bring out a more action-flavored play style. That means that a lot of the investigation gameplay isn't clear and you have to dig for it to find it (but it's there).NullPointer said:
I got through most of a full play-through before I realized the same thing and started over from scratch. I turned off the HUD, stopped using my map, and started using the intel to locate informants and assassination targets. Such a great, great structure, but you did have to do some work to figure it all out.
This time around, they did a better job of clarifying how best to play the game. But I also really miss the original investigation-assassination game structure.
So is sand tossing something I have to unlock? It sounds like a total bitch move but I need it for full 1000. Do I have to buy it from the trainer?
I beat him the first two times without a problem, by dropping down like you. Somehow he seemed to go extra fast after that, beating me to it no matter what. It came down to the last round, I accidentally fell off a building and he got it. I decided to give up and wait for it to end but he ended up running into me and dropping the flag, right before the goal area. It was pretty cool.
I beat him the first two times without a problem, by dropping down like you. Somehow he seemed to go extra fast after that, beating me to it no matter what. It came down to the last round, I accidentally fell off a building and he got it. I decided to give up and wait for it to end but he ended up running into me and dropping the flag, right before the goal area. It was pretty cool.
Well, yeah. The series has a few of those. Like grabbing a polearm, for instance. Or in the first game, grabbing a ledge while falling. Stupid things like that really shouldn't be unlocks :lolacevans2 said:
Not that it detracts from the experience, but why don't the characters just know how to pull off those moves? It's not like they need some special equipment or something.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
Fusebox said:
My problem when I tried that is that for the ONLY TIME in the game where I didn't want Ezio to grab a ledge, he would. I would jump somewhere and he would inevitably catch a platform or a pole or something that was in the area of where I jumped. So annoying. :lol
matrix-cat
Member
I got my Platinum last night. The only really tricky Trophies were the three combat ones, and I only really had trouble with Messer Sandman. It's hard to get four enemies directly in front of you; if you're only fighting four guys they'll surround you, so you have to have far more attacking you at once. The easiest way would probably be to throw a smoke bomb, and while they're stunned position yourself and charge up the Sand Throw move, then wait until they've recovered to unleash it, although that didn't occur to me until just then:lol
It's an absolute travesty that you can only hold three smoke bombs at once. I was waiting and waiting to unlock the Large Smoke Bomb Pouch but it never showed up. I guess it's a balance issue, because three bombs equals ten free kills if you play it right, but I loved those damn things. I'd gladly give up my throwing knives to make some space for more, especially since they're no longer one-hit kills most of the time.
Now for another playthrough, in Italian this time
It's an absolute travesty that you can only hold three smoke bombs at once. I was waiting and waiting to unlock the Large Smoke Bomb Pouch but it never showed up. I guess it's a balance issue, because three bombs equals ten free kills if you play it right, but I loved those damn things. I'd gladly give up my throwing knives to make some space for more, especially since they're no longer one-hit kills most of the time.
Now for another playthrough, in Italian this time
revolverjgw
Member
Cool game. I pretty much just played through the story. I played through a few of the optional missions now and then, but I really don't have the appetite for any more than the basic diet of story missions. I got just the right amount of gameplay playing it straight through, and the only padding was near the end when
. There's still some tedium and filler, but overall it's a much tighter game and better experience. It looks and sounds beautiful and the fundamental mechanics, which were already really fun in AC1, are even better.
It does kind of suffer from the Zelda-syndrome, where there's lots of things to collect and ways to grow your character, but the game is so easy that there's no point, things stop feeling like tangible rewards and more like just more things to cross off on the way to an achievement/trophy. Getting new armor is like finding a heart piece, making money is like opening a chest with some rupees... what's the point? It's fun to complete the tasks, but it would also be nice to feel some real advancement and have some challenges to use them for.
Maybe for the next game, they could make many of the optional missions "expert missions" for advanced players, the way RPGs tend to have you going off the beaten track to find the really hardcore enemies and quests. Give me a reason to improve my character and skills.
I had to collect the remaining codexes, going around the entire world to do the same thing 15 times
It does kind of suffer from the Zelda-syndrome, where there's lots of things to collect and ways to grow your character, but the game is so easy that there's no point, things stop feeling like tangible rewards and more like just more things to cross off on the way to an achievement/trophy. Getting new armor is like finding a heart piece, making money is like opening a chest with some rupees... what's the point? It's fun to complete the tasks, but it would also be nice to feel some real advancement and have some challenges to use them for.
Maybe for the next game, they could make many of the optional missions "expert missions" for advanced players, the way RPGs tend to have you going off the beaten track to find the really hardcore enemies and quests. Give me a reason to improve my character and skills.
GodfatherX
Member
so without reading the thread to avoid spoilers, I have never touched AC or AC2, have heard nothing but great things about AC2...not so much about AC1
my quick question, do I need to, or should I play AC1 first?
my quick question, do I need to, or should I play AC1 first?
KefkaTaran
Member
Finally finished up Assassin's Creed 2 tonight after damn near 25 hours sunk into it. What an incredible ending. Ubisoft Montreal has really raised the bar for themselves, much more than I expected them to, honestly.
I won't reveal any spoilers, but for those still playing, I would HIGHLY recommend grabbing all the glyphs to unlock The Truth before the ending or as soon after as you can. The bonus you unlock from that is very intriguing and adds onto the overall craziness of the ending. Also, honestly, those Da Vinci Code-esque glyph puzzles were among my favorite parts of the game. I love how they really make you feel like you're slowly unraveling this vast global conspiracy running throughout all of human history. So good.
I won't reveal any spoilers, but for those still playing, I would HIGHLY recommend grabbing all the glyphs to unlock The Truth before the ending or as soon after as you can. The bonus you unlock from that is very intriguing and adds onto the overall craziness of the ending. Also, honestly, those Da Vinci Code-esque glyph puzzles were among my favorite parts of the game. I love how they really make you feel like you're slowly unraveling this vast global conspiracy running throughout all of human history. So good.
firehawk12
Subete no aware
GodfatherX said:
You'll miss some background stuff, but you should be able to catch up fairly quickly.
I also think knowing what happens in 2 - all of it - helps make AC1 much more enjoyable. At the very least it makes the motivations of the "villains" in that game make much more sense than they would otherwise.
