Assassin's Creed II

Assassin's Creed II is a historical fantasy third person action-adventure video game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. It is the second video game installment of the Assassin's Creed series and is a sequel to the 2007 video game Assassin's Creed. The game was released on video game consoles in November 2009, and released for Windows in March 2010. The direct sequel, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, comes out in November, 2010.
The game is set in the 21st century, with player-controlled protagonist Desmond Miles escaping from Abstergo Industries with an employee, Lucy Stillman, after being forced to relive the genetic memories of ancestral assassin Altaïr ibn La-Ahad through a machine known as the "Animus". After escaping from Abstergo, Desmond enters a device which is more advanced than the original Animus, the Animus 2.0, and relives the genetic memories of ancestral nobleman Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who lived during the Renaissance period of the late 15th century in Italy. The player controls Ezio, who becomes an Assassin after his father and brothers are murdered by a traitor to the Auditore family. While controlling Ezio, the player can explore game renditions of Italian cities, regions and landmarks in open world gameplay.
Assassin's Creed II was met with widespread acclaim, garnering aggregated scores of 91% for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 and 86% for PC, from review aggregator Metacritic. The game was praised for its stronger emphasis on open-world exploration and interaction, non-linear gameplay and greater mission variety compared to the first Assassin's Creed. The game was also credited with improved non-player character AI and combat mechanics, and its new economic system allowing players to purchase accessories, armor and improved weapons through the course of the game.
Gameplay
 Assassin's Creed II takes place in an open world with nonlinear gameplay, allowing the player to roam freely within several regions throughout late fifteenth-century Italy such as Venice, Florence, and the Tuscan countryside. The Animus 2.0, a new version of the machine of the same name present in Assassin's Creed, provides in-game context for changes and additions to several game elements. A database is also available, providing extra historical information about key landmarks, characters and services that the player encounters.
The health system has been made more dynamic, with synchronization to the Animus and causing the character to recover only from minor injuries.More grievous injuries require visiting a street-side doctor or use of medicine which can be purchased from doctors or found on bodies.The player may now swim in water, and eagle vision —the ability to identify specific people and landmarks— can now be used in third-person view and while moving.A young Leonardo da Vinci is present in the game, aiding the player by creating new weapons from translated "codex pages" that Altaïr, the original game's main character, left behind for future assassins' analysis and insight. Within the game, the player will be able to use Leonardo's flying machine (based on real-life plans by Leonardo) while on one mission. The player also has the ability to control a carriage on one level, but can row gondolas, as well as ride horses at any point in the game where they are readily available.The setting of the various places the player may go to have been made relatively more detailed and in-depth. Civilians can carry objects and sometimes sneeze. Additionally, one can hire different groups of NPCs such as mercenaries or thieves.
The combat system is more complex than that of its predecessor, with the ability to disarm opponents using counter attacks while unarmed. If the player steals an enemy's weapon, it is possible to follow up with an attack that instantly kills.Leonardo da Vinci provides the player with specialized weaponry, such as the hidden dual blades, poison blade and the miniature firearm. Generic swords, cutlasses, maces, axes, spears and daggers can all be purchased from vendors in each city or otherwise looted from corpses. In addition, players are able to purchase artwork for their villa, obtain new armor as the game progresses and even dye Ezio's clothing with a number of different colors. Other equipment includes: larger pouches to carry more throwing knives and medicine. Six additional weapons can be unlocked by connecting a PSP with Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines to the PS3.
The Auditore family's countryside villa acts as Ezio's headquarters, and the surrounding property can be upgraded, drawing income for the player's use. There are several outlets for using currency, with vendors selling items such as medicine, poison, weapons, repairs, upgrades, paintings and dyes for changing the color of Ezio's outfit. When these shops are renovated, Ezio receives discounts at the shops on the goods they sell.
There is now a broader array of methods for hiding or blending in the area. One can dive underwater to break the guards' line of sight, and blending may be performed with any group of people, rather than only a specific type, as in the first Assassin's Creed.The game features a notoriety system, with Ezio becoming more recognizable depending on his behavior, location, and current mission. This infamy can be reduced with bribery, removing wanted posters, or assassinating corrupt officials.A day and night cycle has been added to the game, giving the game more of a sense of time, in addition to setting missions and events at certain times of the day.There are many ways to interact with non-player characters, with some NPCs available for hire, they serve as a distraction, and groups of thieves to fight alongside the player. Money thrown to the ground may also serve as a distraction. There are also several types of enemies, some more agile or stronger than others.
The missions in the game now have an expanded variety, with different structuring. For example, a mission may have the objective to escort someone, but may change to a chase and assassination. Investigation is less explicit, and instead missions may follow people and/or a narrative. There are roughly 200 missions in this game; about half are part of the main storyline, while the rest are side quests. Cities also contain hidden locations such as catacombs and caves, the design of which have been compared, by the developers, to the Prince of Persia series, where the objective is to navigate the area. Exploring these locations eventually rewards the player with an Assassin's seal, six of which allow the player to unlock the armor of Altaïr in a concealed section of the Villa.
Like Assassin's Creed, characters based on historical figures are present in the game including Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, Caterina Sforza, Lorenzo de' Medici, the Pazzi Family, and Pope Alexander VI.
Locations in the game include the Tuscany region (Florence, Monteriggioni and San Gimignano), the Apennine Mountains, the Romagna region (Forlì), Venice and Rome. Specific landmarks include St Mark's Basilica,the Grand Cana, the Little Canal, the Rialto Bridge, Santa Maria del Fiore, the Sistine Chapel, Santa Croce, Palazzo Vecchio, Ponte Vecchio, and Santa Maria Novella
Plot
The game continues shortly after the events of Assassin's Creed, where, in 2012, Desmond Miles (Nolan North) is still a prisoner at Abstergo Industries after searching the memories of his ancestor, the Assassin Altaïr, in the Animus. Abstergo, the modern-day Knights Templar, had been using Desmond to locate powerful out-of-place artifacts called "Pieces of Eden." Using the "Eagle Vision" ability he gained as a result of the "bleeding effect" (from overexposure to the Animus), Desmond is able to see messages and symbols written in blood on his bedroom wall, written by the former test subject, named "Subject 16 (Cam Clarke)". Lucy Stillman (Kristen Bell), a former researcher for Abstergo and an Assassin, frees Desmond and brings him to a secret hideout used by herself and two other Assassins, historian Shaun Hastings (Danny Wallace) and computer expert Rebecca Crane (Eliza Schneider). With their own version of the Animus, dubbed the 'Animus 2.0', they invite Desmond to help them discover the memories of his ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, for two reasons: to train Desmond in Assassin skills through the bleeding effect, and to find other Pieces of Eden.
Ezio, residing in Italy during the Renaissance in the late 15th century, finds his family in Florence the victims of a political plot, and is unable to prevent the hanging of his father and the both of his brothers, Federico and Pettrucio (Federico appears throughout the game as an assassin, but ends up hanging). His father's final instructions lead Ezio to a chest containing Assassin garments and tools. Ezio's uncle Mario allows Ezio and his mother and sister to shelter in his countryside villa, and trains Ezio in the art of combat. Mario further provides leads to those in on his family's betrayal, and Ezio follows the trail of clues, leading from Florence to San Gimignano, Forlì, Venice and eventually to Rome. Along the way, he encounters several allies that assist in his pursuit, including Leonardo da Vinci, who is able to help decode pages from Altaïr's Codex, creating new equipment. After assassinating many people involved in the plot, Ezio is able to identify Rodrigo Borgia as the leader of the conspiracy, aimed to bring down the Medici family in Florence with the help of the Pazzi family and the Doge of Venice. Borgia later arrives in Venice with the "Apple," the Piece of Eden that Altaïr originally had found. Borgia believes himself to be the "Prophet" that would lead to the discovery of "The Vault", supposedly containing more Pieces of Eden and other knowledge the Templars seek. Ezio, joined by his allies, stop Borgia, who flees without the Apple. His allies, including Niccolò Machiavelli, reveal they are all members of the Assassins, and bring Ezio into their ranks, telling him that they believe him to be the Prophet that will lead them to the Vault.

Assassin's Creed series fictional chronology
Altaïr's Chronicles Assassin's Creed Bloodlines Lineage Assassin's Creed II II: Discovery Assassin's Creed II (continued) Brotherhood Lost Legacy

During one break from using the Animus 2.0, Desmond suffers a hallucination that returns him to the body of Altaïr in Acre, and has intercourse with Maria, a Templar he had earlier spared (a decoy for Robert de Sable in Assassin's Creed whom Altaïr formed a relationship with in Bloodlines); when Altaïr departs, Desmond finds the memory staying with Maria (thus implying that she is now pregnant with one of his ancestors), and leaves him confused when he recovers. He also learns of the case of Subject 16, one of several previous test subjects used by Abstergo, and the person responsible for writing the images he saw in his room at Abstergo. Subject 16 has managed to hack the Animus and place twenty glyphs that can only be seen and decoded by the Animus user, revealing a video of a man and a woman, claiming to be Adam and Eve, carrying the "Apple of Eden", running through a futuristic setting identified, by a flash of binary code, as Eden.
When Desmond returns to Ezio's memory after he fought off Borgia, they find several corrupted memories, and are only able to return Desmond to Ezio's memories in the year 1499 (The memories comprise the semi-historical siege of Forli by the Orsi family and the Bonfire of the Vanities), where Borgia has since become Pope Alexander VI at Vatican City. Ezio's memories reveal that he and his allies have completed the Codex and discovered that "The Vault" lies in Rome, and realize that the Papal Staff is another Piece of Eden; Borgia's plan, upon deposition of the Medici family, would allow him to become Pope and gain access to the staff and the Vault.
Ezio travels to Rome; while his allies distract the rest of the city, Ezio discreetly enters the Vatican and attempts to assassinate Borgia inside the Sistine Chapel (while he preaches the Nicene Creed in Latin). Borgia manages to escape with both the Apple and the Staff, and attempts to use them to open the Vault, but Ezio catches up and defeats him but does not kill Borgia, since revenge will not bring back his family. In Ezio's hands, the Apple and Staff open the Vault; inside, he finds a holographic figure that identifies him as The Prophet that has brought Desmond and the 21st century observers to the Vault, much to Ezio's confusion. The figure, calling herself "Minerva" and addressing Desmond directly, reveals that she and others of her kind were part of a far more advanced society (Those Who Came Before) that lived on Earth and created humans in their own image (it is hinted several times throughout the game that humans were created as a slave race). Eventually man freed themselves and the two races went to war against one another, soon halted by a natural celestial catastrophe involving a massive solar flare which resulted in the destruction of most life on Earth. The remaining people of both races rebuilt society. The few remaining Ones Who Came Before constructed several "temples" around the world (one being located within the Vatican) that would help the human race to prevent the same disaster from reoccurring once the Ones Who Came Before had become extinct. Minerva insinuates that records of the existence of the Ones Who Came Before, as well as their warning, had been misunderstood and had, over time, evolved into various myths, legends and religions throughout the modern world. As the hologram vanishes, Minerva says "the rest is up to you, Desmond", confusing Ezio.
As the memory ends and the credits begin to roll, Desmond wakes to find that Abstergo has discovered their hideout and, with his assimilated skills from Ezio and Altaïr, he manages to escape with Lucy and the others. As the scene fades to black with the credits still rolling, they take a van with an Animus 2.0 built inside. Lucy then explains that Minerva was referring to a great celestial catastrophe. She goes on to explain that a weakness in the Earth's magnetic field has been discovered, and that a single solar flare could cause worldwide disaster. This hints towards the 2012 Doomsday prediction. Desmond prepares to re-enter the Animus as the game ends, which allows the player to continue as Ezio after the game has finished.
Downloadable content
On December 1, 2009, Ubisoft announced the first of several downloadable content (DLC) expansions for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions of Assassin's Creed II. The first, entitled Battle for Forlì, continues the story of Caterina Sforza and was released on January 28, 2010. It also includes a special memory that allows users to pilot Leonardo da Vinci's flying machine over Forlì. The second expansion, entitled Bonfire of the Vanities, concerns the mass burning of sinful objects in Florence and was released on February 18, 2010. These were both initially planned to be included as part of the main game, but were later cut due to time constraints.The retail PC version includes the following packages as part of the main storyline.
The Battle of Forlì
 The two downloadable content packs feature the corrupted memory sequences, which Rebecca is able to repair with a computer patch. Sequence 12, "Forlì Under Attack" (released as The Battle for Forli) is set in 1488, just after Ezio has recovered the Apple of Eden. Machiavelli, Mario Auditore, Ezio and Leonardo da Vinci meet to discuss what to do to protect the Apple, and it is decided that it will be sent to Romagna to be defended by Catarina Sforza. When Ezio arrives however, he finds that the city is under attack from the Orsi Brothers, who have been hired by Borgia to take a map featuring the locations of the Codex pages, made by Sforza's late husband. In an attempt to force Sforza to hand over the map the brothers kidnap her children. Ezio leaves the Apple in Sforza's protection; he rescues her children and kills one brother. When he returns, he discovers that Checco, the other brother, used the distraction to steal the Apple. Ezio gives chase, and kills Checco. As he stands over Checco's body, Checco stabs Ezio. Ezio falls to the floor bleeding, and before he passes out, he sees a man missing a finger and wearing monastic robes take the Apple.
Ezio wakes up with Sforza at his side. He sets out to reclaim the Apple, and Sforza gives him the map of the Codex page locations. He travels to a monastery in the wetlands, where he is sent to Forli's monastery. He attempts to speak to the abbot, but the abbot recognizes him as the assassin who killed Brother Stefano (one of the Pazzi conspirators) and flees. When Ezio catches him, the abbot names the monk who stole the Apple as Girolamo Savonarola.
The Pack also includes a bonus memory in which Ezio can pilot Leonardo's Flying Machine over the Forli area. Unlike regular memories the player is allowed to play this memory an unlimited number of times.
Bonfire of the Vanities
 Sequence 13 begins in 1497, two years prior to Sequence 14 and nine years after Sequence 12. Ezio has tracked Savonarola to Florence, where the player can now explore the southern province of the city. After meeting with Machiavelli, Ezio devises that bringing unrest to the city will force Savonarola to come out and settle the unrest. In order to bring about this unrest, Ezio assassinates nine of Savonarola's lieutenants who preach within the city. The people become angry and a mob forms outside the plaza where Savonarola preaches to the mob to disperse. He exposes the Apple to bewitch the mob, but Ezio quickly throws a knife at the Piece of Eden and Savonarola drops it. The mob proceeds to take the monk away, but a templar quickly rushes in to retrieve the Apple. Ezio rushes after the guard and reclaims it. Afterward, the mob takes Savonarola to the Piazza della Signoria to burn him at the stake, but Ezio, believing no one deserves such a painful fate, jumps on to a wooden platform, leaps at Savanarola, and stabs the monk in the face with his hidden blade to spare him the pain. Ezio stands before the confused crowd and declares that all should follow their own path
Development

This section requires expansion.

System requirements

Minimum Recommended Windows Operating system XP, Vista or Windows 7 CPU Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHZ or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4GHZ Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ or better Memory 1.5 GB for XP 2 GB for Vista or Windows 7 Hard drive space 8 GB Graphics hardware 256 MB DirectX 9.0–compliant card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher GeForce 8800 GT or ATI Radeon HD 4700 or better Sound hardware DirectX 9.0 –compliant sound card 5.1 sound card Network Constant Internet Connection: Broadband connection with 128 kbps upstream or faster.

Ubisoft's Yves Guillemot officially confirmed that Assassin's Creed II was in development on November 26, 2008, during the company's financial performance report. This was followed by Michael Pachter speculating in GameTrailers' "Bonus Round" that game would change its setting to the events of the French Revolution, which turned out to be false.
A promotional video was released by Ubisoft on April 6 showing a skull, some hidden blade designs, and Leonardo's flying machine on a scroll. On April 16, Game Informer released details of the game, including pictures of Ezio,a new teaser trailer was released, and the game was "officially" announced by Ubisoft.
In an interview, in May 2009, Sebastien Puel stated that the development team working on Assassin's Creed II had increased to 450 members, and the development team's size had tripled since the first game.
On June 1, 2009, Ubisoft released a new four-minute cinematic Assassin's Creed II trailer at E3.On June 2, 2009, Ubisoft revealed the first live gameplay demo, lasting 6 minutes, at the Sony Press Conference.GameTrailers features an exclusive developer walkthrough from E3 2009. In an interview with GameTrailers Ubisoft Montreal creative director Patrice Desilets stated Desmond would be doing more than walking around and discovering clues.
It was announced at the Assassin's Creed panel at Comic Con 2009 that a mini-series of three episodes, Assassin's Creed: Lineage, would be released showing the events leading up to the game and the history of Ezio and his father.
It was also revealed that the humorist Danny Wallace would be voicing a new character in Assassin's Creed II by the name of Shaun Hastings, a sarcastic historian assisting Desmond. The character's face would also be modeled after him. Actress Kristen Bell returned for the character of Lucy Stillman.
The game was originally due to be released at the same time on all the three platforms, but Ubisoft announced on September 24, 2009 via Twitter that the PC version would be delayed to the first quarter of 2010 in order to have "a bit more time for the dev team to deliver the best quality game". In the course of March, Ubisoft sent an e-mail to their PC-customers to apologize for problems with the DRM (although some people never had problems), and granted them a code to unlock the three Templar Lairs that were playable in the Black edition for console. 
Music
The score to Assassin's Creed II was composed by Jesper Kyd. It was recorded at Capitol Records with a 35-piece string ensemble and a 13-person choir, and featured vocals by Melissa Kaplan.A soundtrack was released via digital download on November 16, 2009. 14 tracks of the soundtrack were also released on the game disc available with the special pre-order Black edition of Assassin's Creed II.
In the marketing, "Genesis" by Justice was used in the "Visions of Venice" trailer.

Assassin's Creed II Original Soundtrack
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Earth"	3:59
2.	"Venice Rooftops"	3:18
3.	"Ezio in Florence"	2:19
4.	"Home in Florence"	5:02
5.	"Ezio's Family"	4:21
6.	"Sanctuary"	3:56
7.	"Stealth"	2:20
8.	"Florence Escape"	2:50
9.	"Approaching Target 1"	3:34
10.	"Approaching Target 2"	6:07
11.	"Leonardo's Invention Part 1"	2:22
12.	"Tour of Venice"	3:16
13.	"Flight over Venice"	4:50
14.	"Darkness Falls"	4:05

Promotion

On October 20, 2009, Ubisoft announced a series of short movies to be broadcast via YouTube that would provide additional back story and the introduction of some of the characters found in the game. The shorts, called Assassin's Creed: Lineage, came in three parts and were developed by Ubisoft’s Hybride Technologies, who previously worked on the films 300 and Sin City. The series focused on Ezio's father, Giovanni Auditore, and contained live-action and computer generated imagery. The first of the films was released on October 27, 2009, with the remaining two released on November 13, 2009.
On November 12, 2009, Ubisoft released Assassin's Creed II themed virtual items on PlayStation Home to promote the release of the game, as well as the game Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines for PSP. Assassin's Creed II virtual items and an Ezio costume were also released on the Xbox Live Marketplace for the Xbox 360's avatars. On November 19, 2009, more Assassin's Creed II virtual items were released in PlayStation Home, along with a costume for Ezio, which was released on November 26, 2009. On December 3, 2009, more 15th century Italian renaissance themed items were released in Home Ezio's "Purple Assassin" costume is available to download on LittleBigPlanet, as of December 8, 2009, on the PlayStation Network.
Assassin's Creed II is the first game to be linked to Ubisoft's Uplay feature. Progression through the game allows Uplay members to acquire points that can be redeemed for bonuses for use in the game, including a new crypt to explore and an Altaïr costume.
A novel based on the game, called Assassin's Creed: Renaissance by Oliver Bowden was published by Penguin Books in November 2009.

Reception

Reception
Aggregate scores
Aggregator	Score
GameRankings	90.65% (360) 90.49% (PS3) 85.00% (PC)
Metacritic	90% (360) 91% (PS3) 86% (PC)
Review scores
Publication	Score
1UP.com	A-
Computer and Video Games	9.4/10
Game Informer	9.5/10
GamePro	5/5
GameSpot	9/10 (Xbox 360) 8/10 (Windows)
GameSpy
GamesRadar	10/10
GameTrailers	9.2/10
IGN	9.2/10
Official PlayStation Magazine (US)	10/10
Official PlayStation Magazine (UK)	9/10
Official Xbox Magazine (UK)	9/10
TeamXbox	9.5/10

Upon release, Assassin's Creed II garnered widespread critical acclaim. Review aggregator site Metacritic gave the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 version a score of 91.
In an exclusive review by Official Xbox Magazine, Assassin's Creed II scored 9/10. Its second review was a perfect score from the Official PlayStation Magazine US, while the Official PlayStation Magazine UK scored the game a 9/10.
German magazine, Computer Bild Spiele, reported that the game's publishers offered to provide a pre-release copy of the game if the magazine would guarantee a review score of "very good". The magazine rejected the request and instead opted to delay their review.
GameSpot which reviewed the PC version of the game, said despite the game being "fun and beautiful" it was hard to justify the higher price point. It was also mentioned that the game was hindered by Ubisoft's DRM and the game "deserved better. For that matter, PC gamers deserved better too."
According to pre-official sales estimates, Ubisoft announced that Assassin's Creed II sold 1.6 million copies worldwide during its first week of sale, representing a 32 percent increase over the first week retail performance of the original Assassin's Creed. As of February 10, 2010, the game has shipped 8 million copies.
At the 2009 Spike Video Game Awards, Assassin's Creed II was named Best Action Adventure Game, and IGN named it as the Action Game of the Year for Xbox 360 and Xbox 360 Game of the Year. Game Informer also named it as Xbox 360 Game of the Year. It also received Game of the Year from GamePro, Eurogamer and The New York Times. Assassin's Creed II has been nominated for the "Outstanding Achievement in Animation", "Outstanding Achievement in Art Direction", "Outstanding Achievement in Visual Engineering", "Outstanding Achievement in Game Play Engineering", "Outstanding Achievement in Original Story", "Outstanding Achievement in Original Music Composition", "Outstanding Achievement in Sound Design", "Outstanding Achievement in Game Direction", "Adventure Game of the Year" and "Overall Game of the Year" Interactive Achievement Awards from the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences.The game was also nominated for several Game Developers Choice Awards including "Best Game Design", "Best Visual Art", "Best Technology", and "Game of the Year".

Editions

There are several different limited editions of Assassin's Creed II. The Black Edition contains an Ezio figurine garbed in a black outfit and was released in Europe and Australia. Included also are three bonus areas and missions, an art book, and a DVD with part of the game's soundtrack, one premium PS3 theme, behind the scenes videos and 2 desktop wallpapers. The White Edition contains one bonus area/mission and an Ezio figurine in his white outfit. The Master Assassin's Edition is the North American limited edition, which contains an Ezio figurine, two bonus areas, an art book and a Blu-ray with music and behind the scenes videos.
After much complaining from Assassin's Creed II fans that they were unable to complete the game due to the need to play the three Templar Lairs - only available on the White or Black Editions - to earn 100% synchronisation, Ubisoft released Assassin's Creed II: The Complete Edition. Included on the package are download codes for the two DLCs, Battle of Forli and Bonfire of the Vanities and the three Templar Lairs. Later Assassin's Creed II: The Game of the Year Edition was released, containing the extra content incorporated on the game disc.

Controversies and criticism

The PC version of the game contains a DRM system that requires all users remain connected to the Internet while playing. In the initial retail version, any progress made subsequent to the last checkpoint was lost if the Internet connection were severed. Ubisoft stated that if the disconnection was temporary, the game would pause. In addition, the company argued that there were numerous checkpoints spread throughout Assassin's Creed II.The company was also criticized by overseas members of the U.S. Armed Forces, who could not play the game while in locations with sporadic and expensive connections. Ubisoft has since published a patch to alter the DRM: after resuming their connection to the Internet, players are now able to resume the game from the exact same point.
Shortly after the release of the Windows version, Ubisoft claimed that a cracked version of the game had not been created, and was confirmed by at least one website. During the following weekend, the DRM servers for Silent Hunter 5 and Assassin's Creed II were, according to Ubisoft, affected by a denial-of-service attack. Ubisoft later stated that "95 per cent of players were not affected, but a small group of players attempting to open a game session did receive denial of service errors." A server emulator to overcome the DRM has been developed. A cracked executable bypassing the connection requirement entirely was released in late April.
Following the series of server outages, Ubisoft offered owners of the Windows version all DLC from the Assassin's Creed II Black Edition, or a free copy of Heroes Over Europe, Tom Clancy's EndWar, Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X, or Prince of Persia (2008).
The PC version of the game was also widely criticized for being DirectX 9.0 only, whereas the original Assassin's Creed was a DirectX 10 title.

Sequel

Intended to be a trilogy, discussions on the details of Assassin's Creed III were already present before the release of Assassin's Creed II, with the game's staff noting talks of possibly having a female ancestor in World War II.However, co-writer Corey May has stated that the series will never take place during that period, as a major goal was to take players to settings normally unvisited in games. Ubisoft's Philippe Bergeron stated that potential settings could include England in the Middle Ages, during the era of King Arthur, and feudal Japan, the latter of which had been a "personal favorite" of many in the staff, although nothing has been confirmed yet.
Ubisoft has confirmed a game called Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, which will be released November 16, 2010.While not an expansion pack to Assassin's Creed II, this game will again feature Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and will include a new online multiplayer mode. It has been confirmed that most of the game will take place in Rome, the seat of power for the Borgia family and the Knights Templar. However, Brotherhood is not the 3rd game in the series - though it features Desmond, it is more on par with Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines. 
References : Wikipedia  
External links 

• Official website  
• Assassin's Creed YouTube Channel  
• Assassin's Creed II at the Internet Movie Database

Assassin's Creed II

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Assassin's Creed

Assassin's Creed
Developer(s)	Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher(s)	Ubisoft
Designer(s)	Patrice Desilets (creative director), Jade Raymond (producer)
Writer(s)	Corey May
Composer(s)	Jesper Kyd
Series	Assassin's Creed
Version	Windows 1.02 (May 13, 2008), PS3 1.10 (October 16, 2008)
Platform(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Windows
Release date(s)	PlayStation 3, Xbox 360: NA November 14, 2007 EU November 14, 2007 AUS November 21, 2007 Microsoft Windows: NA April 8, 2008 AUS April 10/11, 2008 EU April 10, 2008
Genre(s)	Third person action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	BBFC: 15 ESRB: M OFLC: MA15+ OFLC: R13 PEGI: 18+ USK: 16
Media	Blu-ray Disc, DVD-DL, download
System requirements See System requirements

Assassin's Creed is a historical fantasy/science fiction third person action-adventure video game. The game is developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. It was released worldwide in November 2007 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360,and April 2008 for PCs. The bulk of the game takes place during the Third Crusade, and is based upon the Hashshashin, a Muslim sect known as the Secret Order of Assassins. The player is in reality playing as a modern-day man named Desmond Miles, who through the use of a machine named the "Animus", is allowed the viewing and controlling of the protagonist's genetic memories of his ancestors, in this case, Altair, a member of the Hashshashin.

Through this plot device, details emerge of a struggle between two factions, the Knights Templar and the Assassins, over an artifact known as a "Piece of Eden" and the game primarily takes place during the Third Crusade in the Holy Land in 1191. The game received generally positive reviews, and won several awards at E3 in 2006. A sequel, Assassin's Creed II, was released in November 2009. 
Plot

Desmond Miles is not accurately characterized as simply a barman despite his initial protestations and bewilderment. He is an estranged member of the modern-day Assassin’s Brotherhood. He attempted to live anonymously under an assumed name after escaping from a secret Brotherhood compound known as the “Farm” at age sixteen, avoiding all contact with technology and agencies that might reveal his identity and location. His sole mistake was to acquire a license for a motorcycle that required a photo and a fingerprint.

Abstergo (Latin for “cleanse,” or “wipe away”) is a corporation run by modern-day Templars, who still wage a secret crusade to protect mankind by restricting free will, while the Brotherhood still fight to preserve humanity’s right to self-determination. Through the exploration of Desmond’s genetic memories of Altaïr ibn La-Ahad (Arabic for “The Flying One Son of None”) by using the Animus (Latin for “soul”), the Templars hope to discover the location of all existing “Pieces of Eden,” mystical devices that enable its holders to manipulate the minds of others. The Templars plan to broadcast a Piece of Eden’s power by subsequently launching it into orbit onboard a satellite, enslaving all but a few with innate resistance to the control each device exerts.

In the sterile confines of the Abstergo laboratory, Desmond interacts with only two of the company’s employees: Warren Vidic (who, in a broad sense, invented the Animus), and his assistant, Lucy Stillman. Warren is officious, driven and arrogant; a Templar with little regard for Desmond’s well-being. Lucy is more pragmatic, and is quick to rebuke Warren on his treatment of Desmond. The relationship between the two scientists is complex. Lucy reveals to Desmond that Abstergo hired her as a graduate, having taken a special interest in her studies. Three company employees were sent to execute her once the Animus was complete despite her vital contributions to the project. Only the timely intervention of Warren saved her life. Tolerating Warren’s brusque manner and assorted foibles is a small price for Lucy. She too is a prisoner of the company like Desmond however, unable to leave the premises.

Over the course of several days, Desmond enters the Animus for hours at a time, before spending his evenings locked in a suite adjacent to the laboratory. He gradually learns more of Abstergo’s activities and intentions through conversations with Warren and Lucy, and his experiences as Altaïr.

Desmond relives key moments in the life of his ancestor while installed in the Animus. Altaïr is a senior member of the Assassin’s Brotherhood during the Third Crusade. The memory begins with the Assassin, joined by two Assassin brothers Malik and Kadar Al-Sayf, attempting to secure an artifact from the Temple of Solomon.

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Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword

Developer(s)	Firaxis Games
Publisher(s)	Take Two Interactive
Distributor(s)	2K Games
Version	3.19 (June 10, 2009)
Platform(s)	Windows XP, Windows Vista, Mac OS X
Release date(s)	AUS July 18, 2007 UK July 20, 2007 NA July 23, 2007
Genre(s)	Turn-based strategy
Mode(s)	Single player, multiplayer
Rating(s)	ESRB: E10+ OFLC: PG
Media	CD , DVD, Steam Download
System requirements Copy of Civilization IV, Windows 2000/XP/Vista 1.2 GHz processor 256 MB RAM 1.7 GB free space 4x DVD Drive DirectX 9.0c –compatible 64 MB video card with hardware T&L & pixel shader DirectX 9.0c-compatible sound card

Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword is the second official expansion pack of the turn-based strategy video game Civilization IV. The expansion focuses on adding content to the in-game time periods following the invention of gunpowder, and includes more general content such as 11 new scenarios, 10 new civilizations, and 16 new leaders.
Overview

• Corporations: A new gameplay feature, similar to the ‘religion’ one, allows players to create corporations and spread them throughout the world. Each corporation provides benefits in exchange for certain resources.

• Espionage: Now available much earlier in the game, this expanded feature offers players many new ways to spy on opponents, stir citizen unrest and defend their government’s secrets.

• Random Events: New random events such as natural disasters, pleas for help, or demands from their citizens will challenge players to overcome obstacles in order for their civilizations to prosper. Random events can also be beneficial, such as scientific breakthroughs or incidents that improve relations with a neighbor.

• Advanced Starts: When starting the game in any era, this new option allows the player to purchase components for an already-developed nation.

• Expanded Space Victory: Obtaining a space victory is now more difficult and requires more strategy and decision-making than before.

• Expanded Diplomatic Victory: It is now possible to achieve diplomatic victories much earlier in the game, and to defy resolutions.

• New Game Options: Beyond the Sword offers various new game options, like new world-types and the option to play any leader-civilization combination.

Corporations

Corporations become available with discovery of the Corporation technology. Each of the seven available Corporations requires a particular type of Great Person, a particular additional technology, and access to particular resources to build the Corporate Headquarters and found that Corporation; each of the seven Corporations can be founded only once per game. Each Corporation consumes specific resources, and supplies alternative resources or benefits in return. The more instances of resources they consume, the more food, production, commerce, or resources they supply. Corporations can be spread like religions (using the Executive unit as a missionary) to other cities, including foreign cities; any city hosting a Corporation branch must pay a maintenance fee for its services, while the owner of the Corporate Headquarters receives bonus gold for each branch.
Players can block foreign corporations from operating in their cities by adopting the Mercantilism civic, and they can block all corporations, even their own, by adopting the State Property civic.
Currently, the following seven Corporations appear in the game. Unlike Religions, the Corporations are not directly based on real-life corporations, but some of the options are clear references to real companies such as General Mills or Standard Oil:

• Standard Ethanol Companyoffers the player, after the use of a Great Scientist to build its headquarters, the possibility to provide oil in exchange for corn, sugar, or rice.
• Cereal Mills provides additional food for a city in the form of cereal, in exchange for corn, rice, or wheat. The player can build its headquarters with a Great Merchant.
• Creative Constructions provides extra production and culture in exchange for obsolete strategic resources like iron, copper, stone, or marble. A Great Engineer can create a Creative Constructions headquarters.
• Aluminum, Co. provides Aluminum in exchange for Coal. Its headquarters can be created with a Great Scientist.
• Civilized Jewelers requires the Mass Media tech and needs a Great Artist to create its headquarters. The corporation consumes gold, silver or gems to generate treasury income and culture.
• Mining Inc. corporation's headquarters can be built with a Great Engineer.It consumes Coal, Iron, Copper, Gold or Silver and increases a city's production.
• Sid's Sushi Co. requires the discovering of the Medicine tech and the use of a Great Merchant to build its headquarters. This corporation uses Fish, Crabs, Clam or Rice to provide extra food and culture to cities. This corporation is named for Sid Meier, creator of the Civilization series.

Espionage

Espionage's importance in Civilization IV has been raised to compare with that of scientific research, culture, income from taxes etc. The new espionage slider allows the player to divert part of their income towards espionage activities against other civilizations. Once the player has reached certain thresholds of espionage investment, the player starts gaining some automatic intelligence benefits over rival civilizations.
The player can also send Spy units into foreign territory to gather further intelligence and to perform various missions of destruction and propaganda. Their role is a bit different, because spies are now invisible to all units, save for other spies. Great Spies are born in cities, like other Great Persons. Great Spies can perform typical functions like serving as a Specialist, starting a Golden Age, or building a unique building. Their special function allows them to infiltrate enemy cities, giving the player significant advantage in espionage against that civilization. Just like other Great Persons, they have unique names, and their appearance changes accordingly to the time period, e.g., a Great Spy in the ancient era shows up as a ninja, just as the Industrial-Age Great Spy appears as a tuxedo-sporting James Bond-style unit, complete with similar thematic music once a mission is performed.
Conversely, espionage has become somewhat of a hindrance in the pursuit of normal diplomatic victories. The act of catching opposing AI controlled spies will devastate your diplomatic relations with those players forcing you into a negative relationship that you cannot recover from. Even a friendly AI could potentially have a hidden -10 points from captured spies that will never allow a diplomatic victory, even through rampant generosity of resources, technology, gold, and all other attempts to negate the immense negative statistic. (This can be tested by saving an in-progress player vs CPU game and continuing it with players in place of the AI.)
Random events
The Beyond the Sword expansion reintroduces Sim City- and Alpha Centauri-style random events from the original Civilization game, which can cause the game to swing in the player's favor or present another obstacle the player must overcome. There are more than a hundred of these events, including natural disasters, such as earthquakes that can destroy buildings, and diplomatic marriages that might suddenly turn two former rivals into friends. Together these new events give each game a completely unique flavor. In addition, each game offers players the opportunity for rewards through the completion of special events in the form of missions ("quests").
Some examples of Random Events in the game include:

• Tsunamis
• Floods
• Discovery of new resources
• Earthquakes
• Diplomatic marriages
• Plea of help from another civilization
• Unexpected demands from citizens
• Hurricanes
• Global warming
• Bermuda Triangle accidents

Advanced starts

Advanced Starts are a pre-game setup phase players use to purchase cities, improvements, buildings, technologies, and units. It works in both single-player and multi-player. The player decides what to purchase and where to place it. When everyone is done, the game starts with players controlling relatively balanced, advanced empires with a working infrastructure. This mechanism is ideal for those who want to jump right in and experience a balanced game in a further era, without having to start it from the stone age.
Expanded Space Victory
To acquire a Space Victory, the game now requires the player's spaceship to reach Alpha Centauri, rather than simply launch. It is now also possible to build spaceships that fly faster than those of other civilizations, so that a player can achieve Space Victory, even if they finished building a spaceship after a competitor.
Expanded Diplomatic Victory
The new Apostolic Palace wonder allows the player to win an early diplomatic victory, centuries before the United Nations is due to make its appearance. The wonder is tied to the state religion of the player who built it. Depending on the influence of the Palace's religion on their civilization, players get votes to cast on decrees like holy wars, trade embargoes, or peace enforcement. It is later rebuffed by Communism and made obsolete by Mass Media. At this point, the more modern United Nations takes over many of its functions.
New game options
The expansion offers various new world-types and game options. The player will have the option to play as any leader-civilization combination, therefore allowing "what-if" possibilities. Also, a new feature is the option to only trade away player researched technologies. Finally players can choose the religions founded by specific technologies, so that the same religions will not be dominant in every game
New content
New content includes:

• 10 new civilizations and leaders (Babylonia, Byzantine Empire, Ethiopian Empire, Holy Roman Empire, Khmer Empire, the Mayans, Native Americans, Netherlands, Portugal and Sumer)
• 6 new leaders for existing civilizations (Abe Lincoln, de Gaulle, Boudica, Darius I, Suleiman the Magnificent and Pericles).
• 25 new units, 18 buildings and new technologies added primarily to the late game.
• 11 new scenarios.
• 6 new Wonders of the World.
• New diplomatic resolutions through the United Nations.

Thus, this is how the Civilization IV final roster looks:
Civilization	Unique Unit	Unique Building (added in Warlords)	Leader/s	Capital
American	Navy SEAL	Mall	Washington, Lincoln, Roosevelt	Washington
Arabian	Camel Archer	Madrassa	Saladin	Mecca
Aztec	Jaguar	Sacrificial Altar	Montezuma	Tenochtitlan
Babylonian	Bowman	Garden	Hammurabi	Babylon
Byzantine	Cataphract	Hippodrome	Justinian	Constantinople
Carthaginian	Numidian Mercenary	Cothon	Hannibal	Carthage
Celts	Gallic Swordsman	Dun	Brennus, Boudica	Bibracte
Chinese	Cho-Ko-Nu	Pavilion	Qin Shi Huang, Mao Zedong, Taizong (in the Chinese version)	Beijing
Dutch	East Indiaman	Dike	Willem van Oranje	Amsterdam
Egyptian	War Chariot	Obelisk	Hatshepsut, Ramesses II	Thebes
English	Redcoat	Stock Exchange	Elizabeth, Victoria, Churchill	London
Ethiopian	Oromo Warrior	Stele	Zara Yaqob	Aksum
French	Musketeer	Salon	Louis XIV, Napoleon, de Gaulle	Paris
Germans	Panzer	Assembly Plant	Frederick, Bismarck	Berlin
Greek	Phalanx	Odeon	Alexander, Pericles	Athens
Holy Roman	Landsknecht	Rathaus	Charlemagne	Aachen
Incan	Quechua	Terrace	Huayna Capac	Cuzco
Indians	Fast Worker	Mausoleum	Asoka, Gandhi	Delhi
Japanese	Samurai	Shale Plant	Tokugawa	Kyoto
Khmer	Ballista Elephant	Baray	Suryavarman II	Yasodharapura
Korean	Hwacha	Seowon	Wang Kon	Seoul
Malinese	Skirmisher	Mint	Mansa Musa	Timbuktu
Mayan	Holkan	Ball Court	Pacal II	Mutal
Mongolian	Keshik	Ger	Genghis Khan, Kublai Khan	Karakorum
Native American	Dog Soldier	Totem Pole	Sitting Bull	Cahokia
Ottoman	Janissary	Hammam	Mehmed II, Suleiman	Istanbul
Persians	Immortal	Apothecary	Cyrus II, Darius I	Persepolis
Portuguese	Carrack	Feitoria	Joao II	Lisbon
Roman	Praetorian	Forum	Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar	Rome
Russian	Cossack	Research Institute	Peter, Catherine, Stalin	Moscow
Spanish	Conquistador	Citadel	Isabella	Madrid
Sumerian	Vulture	Ziggurat	Gilgamesh	Uruk
Viking	Berserker	Trading Post	Ragnar	Nidaros
Zulu	Impi	Ikhanda	Shaka	Ulundi

General changes

• Improvements in AI (Artificial Intelligence) for harder games across all difficulty levels. The AI player will attempt more ways to win than before. It is also better at warfare (particularly naval operations) and economic management.
• Early-game units now have different regional art styles and motifs.
• On-map ocean trade routes that enhance the importance of the navy
• Colonies can split off from their motherland to form new civilization
• The foreign advisory screen has been overhauled.
• Beyond the Sword includes some material from the previous Warlords expansion pack, specifically the core game features, but not the Warlords scenarios. 

New scenariosThe expansion delivered 11 new scenarios. Some were developed by the fan community, and were critically well received. The following scenarios are included.

• Afterworld

This single player scenario was designed by Firaxis' Tim McCracken featuring a Science fiction/Horror/Role Playing Game theme where a team of "Gravebringers" are sent to a world inhabited by human robots to retrieve research. In this squad based tactical scenario the player must fight against zombies and the undead. This scenario is also unusual in that it does not contain many aspects of Civilization IV like leaders, cities or technologies.

• Broken Star

Russia is divided, and a civil war is coming. To unite the Motherland the player may purchase military units from the U.S. or promotion upgrades from the Chinese Black Market; conscript the Russian people or bribe enemy forces; or even deploy the ultimate in doomsday weaponry, the nuclear bomb.

• Charlemagne's Wars

This scenario is based on the wars fought by Frankish king and later emperor Charlemagne in Europe during the late eighth and early ninth centuries. The scenario introduces a bevy of Medieval units such as the Mounted infantry and Supply Train. Players gain favor from Rome by spreading Christianity and destroying Islam. When a player gains enough favor he/she may be rewarded with the powerful Papal Pikeman

• CIV Defense

In CIV Defense, Civilization IV becomes a single player tower defense in which players start with a small amount of cash to buy an advanced start and to get a single city going before the game starts. The player is confronted with 20 waves of enemies who try to capture their cities. Between each wave of attacks, the player receives gold for each city that survives, using it to acquire new units, cities and technologies.

• Crossroads of the World!

A late medieval age scenario where the player carves out a fortune from the riches of fourteenth-century Africa, Arabia, and Persia. Victory is achieved by trading, betraying, and battling one's way towards control of the Crossroads of the World.

• Fall from Heaven: Age of Ice

A plot-heavy fantasy scenario set in the world of Erebus, home of the popular Fall from Heaven public mod^[ and made in cooperation with Firaxis staff and members of the mod team.
The scenario begins 350 years into the Age of Ice. Mulcarn, the God of Winter, reigns and the world is little more than a frozen wasteland ravaged by blizzards. Mankind has lost the knowledge gained during the previous age and has broken into small tribes fighting for survival. The player controls Kylorin, an ageless hero, who needs to recover the pieces of the legendary sword "The Godslayer", and defeat Mulcarn with it.

• Final Frontier

The Final Frontier space scenario adapts Civilization into space with a brand new tech tree, units and terrain. The sides are different extrasolar colonies that have now lost contact with Earth. Over the course of the scenario, clues about what happened to humanity's home planet are revealed. The focus is not on building cities, but colonizing entire star systems.

• Gods of Old

Gods of Old is the standard game, based on principles of Sumerian religion. Each of the seven Ancient Sumerian gods in the game has a special ability and can unleash calamities such as earthquakes and floods.

• Next War

A futuristic sci-fi scenario with clone armies and mechanized units set in the 2050s. This scenario is available as an expansion on the Epic game as well as being a standalone scenario.
The World is divided into four huge empires: The Pan-Asiatic People Co-Operative-led by The Glorious Leader (Qin Shi Huang) (China, Japan, Siam and East Russia), America Inc.-led by Mr. Big (George Washington) (North America, Britain, New Zealand and Australia), The Great Southern Empire-led by The Lady (Hatshepsut) (Africa, Middle East and South America) and Europa-led by His Excellency (Alexander the Great) (Europe, Algeria, Turkey and West Russia). You can also build Biological Bombs to destroy other empires and Nuclear bombs to do even more damage.

• Rhye's and Fall of Civilization

Nearly all standard civilizations available in Beyond the Sword are made available to play in their proper geographic and historical locations. Features such as dynamic historical city names, unique historical victories, and the new stability system enhance both the historical feel and the game play. Scripting of the AI encourages the world to develop in a similar path to real history, yet with an element of unpredictability to keep the game fresh.

• World War II: Road to War

Play as the Allies or Axis in the European Theater starting in either 1936 or 1939 or the Pacific Theater starting in 1936 of the Second World War. Some of the countries playable are Germany (Vice Chancellor Von Papen), Japan (Admiral Yamamoto), The United States (President Roosevelt), France (De Gaulle), Great Britain (Churchill), and the USSR (Stalin). 
Modding
In general, with the exception of Final Frontier, the "external mods" (official mods originally made by users, instead of by Firaxis) had the best reception: "Rounding out BtS is a selection of mods and scenarios. Some are the best of the mod scene, others Firaxis designs. Sadly for Firaxis, it's the already existing mods that shine - the excellent fantasy-set Fall from Heaven, the intriguing, history-following Rhye's and Fall of Civilizations, and WWII: The Road to War.
For example, Rhye's and Fall of Civilization was called "one of the most exciting and robust mods you'll ever see for any game" in Yahoo! Games review,and "a fresh new coat of paint to the core Civilization gameplay" in the Gamespot one.French magazine Cyberstratège reckoned it the best of the scenarios released in Beyond the Sword, assigning the best mark (9 of out 10) among them. Whereas the standard, epic game takes historical civilizations from different eras and locations on the planet and starts them each in 4000 BC on a random map, Rhye's and Fall of Civilization puts the civilizations into their proper time and place in human history. The mod is also notable for the addition of features meant to enhance the historical feel of the game such as a stability system (civs truly can rise and fall), plagues, historical place names, and scripted AI behavior that mirrors real Earth history. An added victory condition, the Historical Victory is also added. This victory requires the player to meet certain conditions that are unique to each civilization, for example the Americans must not allow European cities in North America by a 1900 and Arabia must spread Islam to 40% of the world in order to win.
Another notable Beyond the Sword mod Fall From Heaven II was created by the fan-team who were involved in developing the scenario Age of Ice. It is set in a dark fantasy world directly after the scenario, at the end of an ice age and the rebirth of civilization. FfH rebalances the game to emphasize warfare with small, enduring groups instead of human waves; adds a magic system with caster units and "mana" resources; and changes religions and civilizations from being mostly interchangeable to "wholly different experiences."
A full-length review in Pelit magazine awarded FfH 92% describing the mod as "a clump of clichés at first sight" that turns out to be "the finest fantasy strategy since Master of Magic and the best times of Warlords." The reviewer further complimented a strong backstory ("for a mod") and an extensive manual and Civilopedia. He criticized technical problems with online multiplayer, problems that are largely beyond a mod's capacity to fix, some problems with sound and high system requirements.
Civilization II and Civilization III both included popular World War II scenarios and Civilization IV is no exception. Beyond the Sword introduces a fan-created mod, The Road to War. "The Road to War offers three variants - Pacific 1936, Europe 1936, and Europe 1939 - as well as a host of different scenario-specific units."
References wikipedia
External links

• Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword - Official site, 2kgames
• Sid Meier's Civilization IV: Beyond the Sword - Firaxis Games
• Civilization series at Wikia

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