Assassin's Creed II: The Creed of the Assassins at Its Best

Thanks also to this motto, which entered video game history with the refinement of a stab to the heart, the Assassin’s Creed saga has cemented itself and its characters, becoming the benchmark for all modern stealth action titles.

The second iteration of the Ubisoft-created franchise, set in Italy, gives us one of the most beloved assassins and perhaps the best characterized of them all, along with the good old Altair. Assassin’s Creed II came out in 2009 for all the major consoles, including the beloved Xbox 360 where I played and replayed this gem: after the triumphs of the first chapter that revolutionized gaming just under two years earlier, this time we’ll step into the shoes of the Italian Ezio Auditore in Florence.

Ezio is introduced from the very first moments as a reckless young man, more devoted to drinking in Florentine taverns and chasing beautiful women, preferably married ones, than to the life of a nobleman trapped within the four walls of a palace. Drawn into the intrigues linked to the imminent Pazzi Conspiracy by his father, a rival family seeking to seize power at the expense of Lorenzo de’ Medici, Ezio will discover his Assassin heritage thanks to revelations from his uncle, who will initiate him into the tenets of the Creed, opposed to the ambitions of the Templars, the quintessential enemies of free will.

What makes Assassin’s Creed II so fascinating is also its deep connection with History: we will experience a story in which Ezio moves through historical episodes and events that were especially fundamental for our country. The Pazzi Conspiracy, which reached its dramatic peak during the mass in the church of Santa Maria del Fiore, is just one of these; however, one of the highest points in the game will see Ezio battle with the final boss, whom I cannot bear to reveal to you so as not to spoil the surprise, none other than in the Vatican, with the downright epic backdrop of the Sistine Chapel! So much for today’s political correctness, I would add!

Molteplici twists and turns, traveling through time from the 15th century of the last member of the Auditore family to the present day, in the shoes of Desmond Miles, and the conspiracies of Abstergo and its greatest technological success. I am referring to the Animus: thanks to it, Desmond relives the memories, emotions, and thoughts of his ancestor Ezio and assimilates his skills. The graphics engine shows us a magnificent and richly detailed Florence of 1476: every nook, street, palace, and historically relevant point of interest is faithfully reproduced thanks to Anvil, developed in-house by Ubisoft and which, almost twenty years later, still does its dirty work, in my opinion.

As soon as you have learned to master Ezio’s athletic abilities, scaling the spires of the Duomo, slipping through the alleyways of the Florentine market, and performing the iconic Leap of Faith from the highest peaks of the city’s towers will become part of a memorable gameplay experience. 

Assassin’s Creed II is one of those titles that leaves you indifferent. As part of a very complex, multi-layered saga, you turn off the console with the feeling that you have not uncovered everything, that Pandora’s box is much deeper and that Ezio-Desmond still have a lot to say. Every revelation, every pain, trauma, and experience of the tragic hero, battered by the life he has chosen, shapes his character, tempers his spirit. Against Fate itself and the gods, Ezio throws open the curtain that separates our consciousness, a potentially infinite magma, from the choices made by others for us, the true evil to fight.

Siamo noi the forgers of our destiny, this is the hidden truth concealed by the Assassins' motto. Because if nothing is real and everything is permitted, then the chains on our wrists can be broken and we shall be free to leap from the highest point, certain that there will be a bale of hay waiting for us and the joy of living and playing once more.

Waiting for the next Assassin’s Creed.