Although Gameloft has clearly put a hell of a lot of work into the mobile edition of Assassin's Creed II, the fact that it's released in advance of every other system speaks volumes about Ubisoft's attitude toward the platform.
The purpose of Assassin's Creed II on mobile seems to be to kickstart the promotion of its game on platforms that Ubisoft does care about, suggesting a lack of faith in this product.
Assassin's Creed II naturally becomes more of a linear platform game than the free running, free roaming fighting extravaganza we're going to see on the consoles. But that doesn't mean it has to be any less fun.
It is less fun, don't get me wrong. It just didn't need to be.
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Your main character, Ezio Auditore da Firenze (who replaces Altair from the previous game), begins each level with a quick chat with the game's narrator, Leonardo da Vinci, who tells you what's required in the next mission. Not that you particularly need telling, since your only real task is to get from the beginning (on the left) to the end (on the right).
These levels are admittedly diverse in their design, and spectacular to look at, but the free running movement that epitomises this franchise is rather ham-fisted. Much of the work is done for you simply by running into a wall, running off the platform or holding the 'up' button, at which point Ezio performs whatever agile feats are required of him.
In principle, this isn't a problem on its own, and it worked suitably well in the first game. But there's a distinct sensation here that your character isn't moving in the same direction as your controlling finger. Pressing 'up', then watching him jump left and right between walls dislocates you from the action, and makes something of a mockery of Ezio's athletics.
Action platformers have come a long way since the first Assassin's Creed, and aren't bolstered so easily by fast moving, automated characters and detailed visuals. Retreading Altair's old ground feels like a wasted opportunity for Ezio's otherwise invigorating adventure.
Combat and assassinations are equally simplistic, with either a quick tap on the '5' button or a few seconds of mashing being all that's required to deal with the enemies. The game does feature some decent quirks however, such as pursuing your mark before they get away, sliding down a zip line or flying da Vinci's birdlike hang glider, and are pretty much the game's saviour.
The outstanding graphics and occasional unique twist to the gameplay mechanics do keep you playing longer than Assassin's Creed II probably deserves, but as a promotion for the forthcoming console sequel it fails to climb to the lofty heights of its lineage.
In an effort to provide a good-looking free running experience, the developer has created a game with very little substance. The occasional twist in the gameplay mechanics and the stunning Renaissance backdrops go some way to redress the balance, but there's only so much they can do to rescue Assassin's Creed II from a premature death
hmmm., i tried the touchscreen version and it seems a decent game, way better than the 6 rating given for the game. Given the java platforms restrictions em not sure if the rating justifies the game.
Though there are a couple of control modes virtual pad and Style box it would have been better if the game could be played without having to slide out the X1 keypad
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