While Ubisoft has just unveiled Assassin’s Creed Mirage, a work that smells good of going back to basics, I think of what will forever remain in my eyes, the best work of the franchise and even one of the best video games: Assassin’s Creed II
summary
- Ezio and Italy… what more could you ask for?
- The real first Assassin’s Creed?
- 13 years later still a reference
A history of perspective
This article is an opinion piece, it is inherently subjective. The opinion of the author is personal and not representative of that of the rest of the JV editorial team.
Ezio and Italy… what more could you ask for?
We all have our heart licenses. Mine is Assassin’s Creed. Of course, nostalgia has something to do with it. With the Ubisoft license, I discovered the principle of open worlds and the (admittedly sometimes relative) freedom that comes with it. Just the fact of walking on walls in a 3D world and being able to climb big cathedrals and other historical monuments had conquered me despite the unexpected falls. Rarely have I enjoyed a game as much as climbing the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, and I admit there’s always a little something for me. Not even Notre Dame or the Egyptian pyramids could compete. And if beautiful Florence is so hard to put up with, it’s because Assassin’s Creed II holds a very special place in my little heart, and that’s the case for many fans of the series.
Everyone certainly has their favorite work, however The most cited and acknowledged as the grand master of royalty is the first installment of the Ezio trilogy. And the Italian assassin is not there for nothing. Even if you’ve never played Assassin’s Creed, you’ve most likely heard of Ezio Auditore. The Italian has made a name for himself in the world of video games thanks in particular to his charisma and his vengeful history, but not only. From fiery young man to wise father, Ezio was entitled to an interesting evolution and a damn advancement from Ubisoft. who dedicated three games to him (in the main plot). Add to that particularly vile antagonists (what a treat to assassinate the arrogant Vieri de’ Pazzi or the vile Uberto Alberti) and you’ve got a story we’re happy to walk through from start to finish. Without forgetting the moments with Desmond, character that is also symbolic of the license.
And then there is the time and place: Florence (and other Italian cities) during the Italian Renaissance. In contrast to Assassin’s Creed’s Middle East, the context explored by the second opus appeals to Westerners. I still remember my CM2 classes where we talked about Francis I and his love of Italian Renaissance ideas and bringing important actors of the time like Leonardo da Vinci to his court. In general, everyone knows the painter/inventor, at least for The mona Lisaprobably also for La Last Supper, Vitruvian Man or his many brilliant inventions. Inevitably, seeing this historical figure end up in a game is pretty fun. By fully realizing the historical potential of this era, Ubisoft has given us a game that is both meaningful and fascinating. Exploring the mysteries of the Italian Renaissance, using the creations of Leonardo da Vinci, infiltrating the Vatican Palace… Assassin’s Creed II gave us very enticing promises and the performance was on par.
I know I’ve mentioned it before, but there are few games that have given me the exhilarating sense of travel quite like Assassin’s Creed II. Even the vast plains of open world modern ones have not had the same effect on me. Because back then, Assassin’s Creed II was a pioneer in its genre. Few games had managed to achieve such levels of realism, and even fewer had dedicated much of their development to research to ensure it. Certainly this was already the case in the first work, but the beauty of Florence made Ezio’s adventures stand out from its predecessor and it must be said that the remodeling work was much more extensive (research, site visits…) Especially since Assassin’s Creed II, with its revised formula, offered us the opportunity to fully enjoy this digital journey, and inevitably it plays a big part in the memory it left me and certainly many players.
The real first Assassin’s Creed?
You certainly know the principle of Assassin’s Creed. Consisting of action-adventure games based on infiltration and parkour, the license tells us about the endless conflict between two warring brotherhoods: the Assassins and the Templars. Everything happens against the background of significant historical periods with a list of characters to be assassinated. In broad terms, this brought us to the first work of the license, released in 2007. So the title was already innovative in many respects. The scenario (especially with the unexpected double temporality) is surprising, the journeys are pleasant and bring new sensations, while the work on the reconstruction is crazy for the time. But why don’t we talk about him today?
Well, because the Assassin’s Creed formula really took shape with Assassin’s Creed II. The latter took over the particularly promising principles of its predecessor, but gave them a different guideline. The title is less dirigiste, offering more freedom to players who are no longer forced to chain quests individually. This feeling is accompanied by larger areas to explore, varied side quests, many secrets to be uncovered, different approaches to the character groups to be recruited… Yes, with Assassin’s Creed II comes the license to incorporate the word freedom into its creed. A point that I think is one of the most important things of this license and therefore essential for any good Assassin’s Creed.
Aside from that, With Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft will start to really shape the history of its license, or rather its meta-history. Because in Assassin’s Creed there are several narrative levels. On the one hand we have the present with all the storyline around Abstergo, the past that we live in the shoes of an assassin, but also an even more distant past with the history of the Isus. It’s sporadically scattered throughout most Assassin’s Creed games, and you can’t understand it without seriously looking at Assassin’s Creed II (and the other games in Ezio’s trilogy).
The latter takes on a surprising dimension that we didn’t really see coming and that turned me completely upside down at the time. Especially since Ubisoft has done it damn well by rewarding the curious little ones with a visual presentation of their newly revisited origin myth. It’s well done, it’s surprising and above all it works and it made me want to learn more and really take an interest in this much more complex and rich franchise than it seemed. So it is this very special DNA that shaped Assassin’s Creed II for our greatest pleasure.
13 years later still a reference
Is that enough to give it the title of best Assassin’s Creed game? Well, he undeniably sculpted a unique formula that has been refined over the years. And if today the license has taken a very different turn (although we find certain terms like the sense of freedom), This ancient formula still appeals to nostalgics, who have long pleaded to go back to basics for the license. However, one could objectively argue that Assassin’s Creed Odyssey is a much better game than Assassin’s Creed II. In some respects, particularly technical ones, this is indeed the case. But to some, including me, that sounds like a real aberration. Why ? Well, I have to admit that there is definitely a dose of nostalgia involved, and that’s quite normal.
Assassin’s Creed II is a bit of a symbol of a distant era when video games were constantly evolving and evolving, a time when wonder didn’t have the same flavor as it does today. The title was released 13 years ago. Many of you have certainly discovered it as children, teenagers or young adults. Perhaps, like me, Ezio is the first character you really grew fond of, eager to follow all of his adventures and sad when they came to an end. You might even have discovered the license with Assassin’s Creed II (plus, if that’s still not your case, I highly recommend starting there). In short, there are many reasons that can make Assassin’s Creed II a special game for you, many reasons that no other game can match. And this very special role that it has played in the lives of many gamers is enough to earn it the title of best Assassin’s Creed game. And to me, Assassin’s Creed II is a strong contender for best game.
If the video game was very interventionist for a long time, over time it has learned to give the players more freedom with the open worlds and especially the so-called sandbox games. Assassin’s Creed II doesn’t invent anything at this level. The open world offered by Ubisoft comes after that open world particularly ambitious and simply part of a trend that was particularly strong in the early 2000s. But there is something new about the feeling of freedom that comes from it. From voyage to exploration, from tombs to feathers, from climbing to side quests, Assassin’s Creed II’s Italian cities are your playground as they rarely were and still are.
Assassin’s Creed II is certainly ambitious, be it on the sense of freedom but also on the complexity of its story, the risks taken, the reconstruction and this desire to make video games something that goes beyond simple entertainment (story as a playground ) which over the years has become a real credo for Ubisoft. For all these reasons it is a need to have which is still perfectly discovered today. Isn’t that enough to give it its place on the bench of the best video games in history?
