PS3 Informer

Assassin's Creed 2 Features GTA Style Missions

Ubisoft has announced that its time-hopping stealth adventure game Assassin's Creed 2 will release simultaneously on all platforms this November 17, 2009. That means PC gamers, Xbox 360 and PS3 owners will all be able to pick up a version of the title on the same day. In a Q&A session with fans, members of the Ubisoft development team answered some pressing questions about the game and provided some very interesting details on the flying mechanic, Ezio's skills and more.

First, the flying mechanic was one of the more interesting parts of the playable demo shown at E3. Using wings created by Renaissance inventor Leonardo Da Vinci, Ezio can swoop and fly through the streets of Venice using the drafts of burning fires to add altitude to his gliding trajectory. While this looked pretty fun in the demo, it was hard to tell if this will be a one-off gimmick or a gameplay convention that is used throughout the adventure. Ubisoft responded to fans saying that it isn't quite sure yet what role flight will play in the main game:

"We have a lot of ideas around the flying machine and other new types of gameplay we are developing for the game. The Italian Renaissance was such a cauldron of creative minds that any game designer's dreams could come true in Assassin's Creed 2! More specifically, on the flying machine, we'll adjust our plans depending on the feedback we get from playtests."

The developers provided some other interesting details about the length of the main quest (longer than the 20-hour original game) as well as the weapons that Ezio will have at his disposal. They mentioned a hammer, axe and long pike among the new arms that Ezio can use to defeat enemy soldiers. Most importantly, fans will be glad to know that the original pattern of eavesdropping, pickpocket and punching bag missions has been completely revised in this game. No longer will the player have to slog through a line of repetitive subquests -- instead, missions will be doled out by various factions in the city Grand Theft Auto style.

"You can use certain groups to perform specific actions. Those specific groups are called factions. There are a few factions in the game. There will be the thieves, the courtesans and the mercenaries. Through the game, you will meet various faction leaders. For example, Antonio of the thief guild will ask you to do certain missions for him. Once you gain Antonio's thrust, the members of the thief guild will be fully operational to give you help and perform specific tasks. Each faction possesses their own unique skill for Ezio to use and manipulate his enemies with. For example, the courtesans will be able to go seduce and distract groups of guards letting Ezio sneak pass them unnoticed."

The development team says that all of the new missions crafted for Assassin's Creed 2 will be unique, without any repeating pattern. That sounds a lot more appealing than the first game, which managed to frustrate many gamers for being too repetitive. We look forward to seeing more of this game as we get closer to its release this holiday.

Ezio surprises a guard in Assassin's Creed 2.

[Source: Ubisoft Forums]