More than a decade after its initial release in 2009, open world action-adventure title Assassin's Creed 2 remains one of the most beloved titles in the now long-running franchise. Following the mixed reception of the original Assassin's Creed, the second game is seen by fans as establishing a number of gameplay and story elements now considered franchise staples, such as enhanced interaction options with NPCs, overhead Eagle Vision, and a nonlinear story with multiple cities to explore. Since 2009, Assassin's Creed 2 has spawned several direct sequels and seen multiple re-releases, including as part of the 2016 Ezio Collection, which brought the title to PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.
Assassin's Creed 2 introduces Ezio Auditore da Firenze, the son of a wealthy Florentine family during the Italian Renaissance. Like the first Assassin's Creed, the story is presented as Ezio's modern-day descendant, Desmond Miles, who began as the series' primary character before being phased out in later titles, experiencing his ancestor's memories via a device called the Animus. Ezio, who begins his journey by seeking revenge on the men who murdered his father, eventually becomes a skilled assassin who opposes the Templar organization. His journey continued in two direct sequels, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Assassin's Creed: Revelations, which are collectively referred to as the "Ezio Trilogy."
Game designer Stanislav Costiuc, who also goes by "Farlander" online, released a 90-minute video to his YouTube channel in which he reviewed Assassin's Creed 2 (specifically the Ezio Collection remaster) from his unique perspective as an industry professional. Costiuc, who currently works as the Senior Game Designer at Firebyte Games, has previously worked for Electronic Arts, Peak Casual, and Assassin's Creed franchise publisher Ubisoft. He has taken the lead on games including Trials Rising, Watch Dogs: Legion, and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six Extraction, which is anticipated to release in early 2022.
In his review, Costiuc challenges the commonly held notion that Assassin's Creed 2 is "everything the first game should have been," arguing instead that it represents a major departure in the series' style and themes in a way later titles such as Origins and Odyssey are often cited as being - even featuring sneaky hints towards those later titles. He argues that, though the game adds many new gameplay elements and mechanics, these elements do not actually fix many of the problems identified with the original Assassin's Creed. Costiuc also argues that the game can be quite difficult and frustrating to play if players do not memorize and remember all the random and sometimes bizarre ways guards and NPCs will react to Ezio's various actions.
However, despite his criticisms, Costiuc ultimately gives Assassin's Creed 2 a fairly high score - 78 points out of 100 using his personalized "Stasocritic" system, which considers design, context, aesthetics, cohesion, and emotions. In particular, he praises the game for being a truly enjoyable and satisfying experience to play, despite its many flaws. While he personally felt disappointed that the game hewed closer to mainstream trends rather than maintaining what made the first title unique, he acknowledges its place within gaming history as a standard-setting open world game and the title that made so many people into fans of the franchise.
Costiuc has reviewed a number of other titles from a game designer's perspective; these videos are all available to watch on his YouTube channel. He is currently working on reviewing each title in the Assassin's Creed franchise in order, including spinoffs and expansions.
Assassin's Creed 2 is available for PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360. The Ezio Collection is available for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.