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Het kon niet lang meer op zich laten wachten: de Assassin’s Creed II review explosie. Na vanochtend al de eerste Left 4 Dead 2 reviews te hebben behandeld is nu het embargo voor de Assassin’s Creed II reviews opgeheven. Velen wisten al dat Assassin’s Creed II een topper zou worden, maar bevestigt de gamepers dat ook? Na de break een overzicht met de eerste reviews!

Laten we beginnen met de Assassin’s Creed II review van eurogamer. Zij beoordelen de game met een 9/10 en concluderen:

Ubisoft Montreal has never been afraid to try new things, but after a few missteps with games like last year’s Prince of Persia, perhaps the bravest thing it could have done with Assassin’s Creed II was simply to make a classic open-world adventure, filled to the brim with things you want to do and the narrative motivation to continue doing them. The fact it’s done so suggests we really should trust the studio when it says it’s taken its lesson, and fills me with hope for the third game in the trilogy. In the meantime, we not only have the Assassin’s Creed game we’d hoped for in the first place to play with, but one of the best open-world games of the year.

1UP beoordeelt de game met een “A-” en is eveneens erg positief:

AC2 is everything a sequel ought to be: An improvement on the original in nearly every way. Perhaps more impressively, it actually has me interested to see where the series goes from here — something I wouldn’t have expected after I slogged my way through the original. Anyone who enjoyed the first game will definitely like AC2, but the real accomplishment is that people who didn’t enjoy it will likely have a good time, too.

We gaan verder met de review van ComputerAndVideoGames.com, waarin Assassin’s Creed II wordt beoordeeld met een 9.4. Zij concluderen in de review:

Assassin’s Creed II is one of the best sequels of the generation. There’s enough quality content here to rival all the GTAs in the world, while the core storyline delivers a blockbuster experience that’ll match any of this year’s top linear action games. If we were Assassin’s Creed 1 right now, we’d be absolutely red with embarrassment.

Ook Kotaku is zeer onder de indruk en heeft een review van Assassin’s Creed II gepubliceerd, met als subtitel “Assassin’s Creed 2: A Season For Masterpieces”. Dat geeft al direct een indicatie van de inhoud van de review. In tegenstelling tot de meeste reviews geven zij de game geen cijfer, maar hebben ze in totaal 8 punten onder “loved” en slechts 1 punt onder “hated” geplaatst. Hun conclusie luidt als volgt:

Assassin’s Creed 2 looks great, plays great and avoids all of the pitfalls of its predecessor, which might be enough praise for some. But its finest achievement is to present one of gaming’s most mature adventures, a game that can be played and tell a story at the same time, a game that assumes its players are educated and curious, and willing to be teased and willing to test its limits.

The level of craft and care evident in the creation of Assassin’s Creed 2 — to say nothing of the level of obsession with conspiracy — is on par with those of the creators of the Metal Gear Solid series. This is big budget with polish. This is technology put in the service of artistry. Climbing and killing might wear thin by the end of the next game if the current formula of Assassin’s Creed is maintained, but given the willingness of the series’ creators to think and execute boldly that is evident in this sequel, complacency and obviousness are two things for which Assassin’s Creed is little at risk.

We gaan verder met de IGN review van Assassin’s Creed II, waarin de game wordt beoordeeld met een 9.2. Uit de conclusie:

Assassin’s Creed II transforms a middling action game into an intriguing and consistently entertaining open-world adventure. Based on this game, Ubisoft Montreal should run a clinic on how to iterate a franchise and if the series continues in this vein, the next installment will take aim at Rockstar’s best efforts. The experience is layered, unique, and shows an incredible attention to detail. This is one case where the sequel has triumphed over the original by catching the gameplay up to the already excellent visuals. No matter what your preconceptions are about Assassin’s Creed II, the game is well worth your time and money.

Ook Gamespot heeft een review gepubliceerd en geeft de game een 9.0 als eindcijfer. Zij concluderen in de review:

At first, Assassin’s Creed II might seem as if it has added more than its foundation was meant to handle, but once all the new features are completely introduced, it develops that magic that so few games can cast. This is the rare sequel that offers fans of the original the basics they would expect, while adding and changing so many other aspects that even those who didn’t appreciate the first should take the plunge, without hesitation. A few more contrivances notwithstanding, Assassin’s Creed II is a better game than its forebear and is a beautiful and memorable experience on its own terms. But it’s more than just a game–it’s an escape to a place and a time that feel so welcoming, you’ll be making return trips even after your initial adventure is over.

Al met al dus zeer positieve beoordelingen van de pers en scores van 90% en hoger. Assassin’s Creed II is een grote stap vooruit ten opzichte van het eerste deel en heeft alles in zich om in de vele GOTY 2009 lijsten en nominaties terug te komen.