Despite this major flaw in design, the problems with the previous game’s missions are gone. They are no longer repetitive, but varied and straight forward. Players that want to move on with the story are free to do so, though the campaign will be extremely short and likely rather difficult due to a lack of funds. Those that wish to do side quests and find collectible items will be rewarded with long hours of play. Even the assassination missions vary in their style. The pointless collection of flags has been replaced with collecting monetary treasures, Codex pages, seals, glyphs and feathers. Each collectible offers an in-game reward in some manner, and are much easier to locate than the previous game.

In particular these items will be highlighted in Eagle Vision, which is a much more useful tool than ever before. Allies and hiding spots are highlighted, but hidden treasures stand out against the rest of the environment. The player is also capable of moving while using this vision mode, though the rest of the HUD is gone. Even so, it’s incredibly useful for those tough to find feathers and glyphs.

On the whole Assassin’s Creed 2 is a major improvement on the first game. It doesn’t merely have more stuff, but has taken a completely different approach to the idea of the first game. The story executes much more cinematically while offering even more side missions. Collectibles are still there but are more varied and provide some sort of bonus. Combat can still be easy but you must first learn each foe’s vulnerability. At the same time, the cost of this approach has hurt some aspects of what made the first game great. Particularly the enjoyment of roof tops and actual assassinations as opposed to sloppy murder.

Yet there is no doubt that Assassin’s Creed 2 is, on the whole, better than the first. This is a franchise that is going places, and if any sequel dominates your holiday wish list it should be this one.