AC2 expansion

[JRD]

From IGN


Ubisoft Dates First Assassin's Creed II Expansion

January 22, 2010 - The first downloadable expansion pack for Assassin's Creed II is set for release next week, publisher Ubisoft confirmed this morning via Twitter.

Battle of Forli, the first of two planned DLC packs for the title, will be available worldwide on January 28 for 320 Microsoft points or $3.99 on PlayStation Network. The second pack, The Bonfire of the Vanities, has no set release date, but will be available sometime next month, presumably for the same price.

And just as a reminder, each pack will require about 1GB of free memory space, so fans may want to do some house cleaning this weekend to prepare.
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Meanwhile in PCland......................  :(

[PZ]

Exciting news JRD!  My only worry is the size of the download and my satellite connection - I'll probably try it anyway, but I might be throwing the $4 down the drain  :D

[spaceboy]

Thanks for the info JRD!  Can't wait for you PC guys to start playing though  :(

PZ, I hope the dl works for you, try choosing background download while your sleeping and nothing else running back and forth on your internet connection.  Sounds silly but I've had to do that myself.

[JRD]

Can't you stop and resume the download?
At least on STEAM you can dl anything while STEAM is on, if you shut down and restart in the morning it will resume from the last point!

[spaceboy]

yeah, you can pause or even shut off and it'll resume.  It's just touchy sometimes that the dl gets corrupted.  It has to do the PSN servers or how the packets are sent - but big downloads have had some issues.  1GB is pretty big.

[Art Blade]

I can already smell how I won't be able to get any DLC, yet again. Why can't they just offer DLC and Disks?  :D

[JRD]

I can already smell how I won't be able to get any DLC, yet again. Why can't they just offer DLC and Disks?  :D

To prevent piracy, I guess... they verify if you are running an original version of the game and then allow you to dl whatever content they make available.
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I know, I know... not of much help for you Art  ;D

[fragger]

I can already smell how I won't be able to get any DLC, yet again. Why can't they just offer DLC and Disks?  :D

That would be the customer-friendly solution, but as JRD said, they're probably paranoid about piracy. In any event, we PC-ers have been waiting several months for the game itself as it is, so if that's any indication, DL content probably won't be available for PCs until about April/May :D

[Art Blade]

However, the PC release of AC1 started off with more goodies than the console version. Maybe we'll start off this time with DLC already incorporated into the game. :)

[PZ]

That would certainly ease the pain of having to wait the extra time  ;)

[JRD]

I found a review of The Battle of Forli at IGN this afternoon (boring day at the office   ??? )

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Assassin's Creed 2 was my favorite game last year, so I was pretty excited to dig into the first downloadable episode. One hour later it was over and I had once again seen all there is to see in the game. The Battle of Forli, the first of two planned expansions, has its moments but they will be over before you know it. Assassin's Creed 2 doesn't allow us to replay story missions, so once you've finished the DLC there's no going back. It's still a very fun game, though, and four dollars isn't going to break the bank. As long as you keep your expectations in check you'll enjoy your return to Renaissance Italy.

The Battle of Forli is set towards the end of Assassin's Creed 2, just after Ezio joins the order of assassins. Remember Caterina Sforza, the woman you met briefly on your way to Venice. She takes center stage here and it's great to spend more time with this strong female character. As the episode opens Forli is under attack and Ezio must help defend Caterina's city and family. The situation becomes even more serious when Ezio realizes the whole attack may have been a distraction in order to get to the Piece of Eden. The story and voice w@&k are still very good, but there are a couple instances of lazy presentation. While the city is under attack, for example, all of the merchants are oblivious to the onslaught and are still happily hawking their wares, trying to get you to stop and shop. Now is not the time to dye my clothes, dude!

For the first few missions you'll be escorting Caterina around the city, battling hordes of enemies in order to keep her safe. The second half gets back into the good ol' stealth stuff, which I found to be the stronger part of this episode. There are a couple interesting twists to the story and a few gaps in the main plot are filled in but it ends rather anti-climactically. After finishing a routine mission Rebecca (the Animus operator) tells you the data is corrupted and the fun is over. Stay tuned for the exciting conclusion, I guess.

The Battle of Forli is built out of existing Assassin's Creed II components: that means no new locations, enemies, or weapons. There aren't even new achievements or trophies to earn. It does open a "special mission," however, that grants you access to Da Vinci's flying machine whenever you like. This gives you a second chance at getting that achievement/trophy for kicking a guard while flying. But really, we shouldn't have to pay four bucks to take another crack at an achievement.

Closing Comments
The first expansion for Assassin's Creed II is a little underwhelming, but there is short-lived fun to be had with it. There is only around an hour of gameplay included, but the four dollar price tag is also easy on your wallet. Fans can expect a nice mix of combat and stealth gameplay in The Battle of Forli. While you won't visit any new locations, Caterina Sforza is a strong addition to the cast. This battle may be more of a skirmish, but it's enjoyable while it lasts.

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Not too exciting, is it??  :(

[PZ]

Good one, JRD - I was wondering how it would play out, and your post exactly fits the bill.  Based on the writer's description, I can imagine how it will play (he/she has done a good job of getting the point across).  It is a bit disappointing to hear that there are no new areas through, because the map seems to have an undiscovered place that is not exposed by visiting the existing view points.  I was hoping that the area to the west of Forli would open up into new maps.

I disagree on the replay value however; although you cannot repeat the main game missions, you can re-do the assassin's tomb missions, which are all very enjoyable even though they are linear - it is just plain fun to go through again.  You can also re-do any of the assassination side missions (they are numerous) - I've several that are favorites, and have replayed them several times each, and look forward to doing them again.  In a way, it is like replaying the FC2 missions using a different approach - lots of replay value.  For instance, there was one in which I was to kill someone wandering the countryside.  The first time I went through, it was Rambo style, hacking my way into, and then out of the area.  The second time I went in more stealthy, and approached him from behind, delivering a poison vial, then stealthily moving away - the guards are never on alert until the person actually dies.  The third time, I hired a group of thugs who kept the guards busy until I delivered poison to the hapless victim - lots of replay value.

There is a great variety of assassination mission styles, some timed, some not so you never are at a loss for different things to do.

[Art Blade]

thanks for the information, JRD  :) :-X

At least we can play, and the flying machine sounds fun.

[fragger]

Yes, thanks for that, JRD :)

[spaceboy]

some chap on the PS forums who LOVES AC2, played it like 9 times through was disappointed with the DLC, and not just in the amount of gameplay but in the presentation of some of the characters, particularly one baudy moment by Caterina Sforza.  He felt it kind of went campy and did not follow the character of the rest of the game.  I may wind up passing for now (I've got enough games to play).  Maybe they'll offer a bundle for both episodes once BOTV drops.