AC2: Cheats

[Art Blade]

Edit: the link below actually doesn't contain cheats, only descriptions/hints. Nothing you wouldn't find out on your own.


One of the best cheat sites I know, here's what they have for AC2:

http://www.cheatbook.de/files/assassinscreed2.htm

[PZ]

This is a nice all-in-one page - appears to be quite accurate as far as I know.  :-X

[Art Blade]

just by the way, apparently there are still no cheats available for AC2. The link in the first post basically contains descriptions of certain elements of the game you'd happen upon anyway while playing even if you don't read those descriptions.

[mandru]

I've collected all 100 feathers and I get a cape that makes everyone I meet want to kick my butt?  ???

OK back on topic, my first impression with the game's sign in process where the first slot of three are automatically filled in with "Desmond", I can't help but think there has to be some developer back doors that would open a new game where the player's character would have preloaded equipment or abilities right from the start but still after all this time none of those code words have been leaked.

The only thing I've been able to find that approaches a cheat is through observing the psychology (what can be expected in their typical behavior) of how the characters within the game behave and learning to use their programmed responses against them.

Walking up instead of running behind a guard on a rooftop lets you get a lot closer before being detected.

Turning and facing a thief as he approaches scares him away but waiting a second longer and timing it just right to spin and slash the nuisance with the implement of your choice there's no chase.  I've even done this in front of guards without setting them off but they do get touchy if you try to loot the thief in front of them.

If a roof top guard (much slower than you) gets between you and a target you are chasing either on a cable, a bridging piece of lumber or spanning brick buttress between buildings that leaves you in a crouched position so you can't bring your weapon to bear what do you do?  Punch him in the head of course and knock him out of your way.

Sometimes just grabbing a roof top guard once he's put his bow away and drawn his secondary weapon and shoving him off the nearest roof edge (preferably with a long drop) is the fastest way to get clear of him.  I don't recall a roof top guard ever being able to break a grab attempt the way the advanced ground troops can so it's a weakness that can be exploited.

Line of sight plays a huge role in being detected.  So besides the obvious concealment among groups (don't try to blend with patrolling guards  :D), chimneys, hanging just over a roof edge, or around a corner using the third person wider perspective to scout and size up the lay of the land.

It does seem that once you've been detected the guards share a group consciousness where if one of them can still see you, keeping a direct line of sight, they all know where you are and are actively working on getting to you.  A side note on this is that Brutes can't climb and will taunt you from the ground yelling things like "Come down here and face me like a man!" but you can take enormous comfort in knowing that few things sink faster in water than a Brute and besides while they are standing there impotently screaming up at you (other than the annoying rock throwing thing) you can be setting up for an Eagle Strike.   >:D

If you can detect which guard from a patrol is taunting you he's the one you want to target mid-taunt.  He's wide open for attack but remember that works both ways.

Fierceness really does have a demoralizing effect on guards.  I made an Eagle Strike on a patrol of four guards, then on standing performed a clean double kill on the two remaining not realizing that there was a second patrol group right there (for some reason they didn't show on the mini-map  :o ).  The second patrol group which included two Brutes to my surprise panicked and fled to the compass points.   8)

When a patrol stops to investigate a dead body on the ground there is a moment or two where they are distracted caught in a programmed behavior loop and you can walk up behind them w@&k your mayhem to great effect.   ;D

That's just a few thoughts off the top of my head to start.

OK, so there's no revealed programmed cheat options but for those that have played and observed the game character's behaviors I'm sure there's lots more quirks that can be used to our advantage.  I'd like to hear them.

[spaceboy]

lol mandru -  This is some good stuff.  Great tips.

I'm thrilled to see how much you continue to enjoy the game, especially as you were uncertain about getting it.

Good job on the feathers, did you do that unaided or use a guide?  When I was about 70% complete I wound up resorting to a guide for the others.

[PZ]

I've collected all 100 feathers and I get a cape that makes everyone I meet want to kick my butt?  ???

^+-+

Good stories, mandru!  :-X

I was unaware that collecting all the feathers would give a cape that causes you problems - do you become notorious?

While I've never seen a cheat for AC2, you'll be pleased that the developers did a better job in AC:B.  For instance, in AC2, you can't replay the main missions like you can the side missions, but in AC:B, the main story line missions are re-playable.  Additionally, once you complete main memory sequences in AC:B to 100% synchronization, cheats are automatically unlocked - but you need to turn them on in the Options menu.

From your description of your adventures in AC2, I think that you'll have great fun in AC:B.

[spaceboy]

yeah, that's the Auditore cape if I recall.  You get a trophy on PS3 to visit all cities with it.  That was my last one to get Platinum, kind of like a run around Italy with a big FU to all the guards lol.

My one prob with AC:B is the cliffs in places which make you need to go around.  I like in the cities where Ezio can always pretty much go straight by just climbing whats in his way.  AC2 is great at that, but ACB has several areas where that is impossible and kind of annoys me.  Minor prob really, but just sayin'.

[PZ]

I know what you mean - although I appreciate that the developers were trying to simulate the seven hills of Rome, I lament the fact that Ezio can't climb the rocks, but instead, needs to find a road up.

[spaceboy]

yeah I get the faithful recreation idea, but I just want a few more areas where he can climb up from ledge to ledge, there are a few, but not enough.  Or simple rock outcroppings on a sheer cliff..little handholds. 

btw I did get through the mist on all but one last Borgia tower.  I don't think I'm missing a way to get to it, but maybe I am.  I've progressed further along, but gotten recently enthralled with Lair so taking a hiatus from Rome. :P

[mandru]

I'm thrilled to see how much you continue to enjoy the game, especially as you were uncertain about getting it.

Good job on the feathers, did you do that unaided or use a guide?  When I was about 70% complete I wound up resorting to a guide for the others.

As I've noted elsewhere ( http://openworldgames.org/owg/forums/index.php?topic=2017.msg34587#msg34587 ) I am enjoying the historical content as well as the combat mechanics now that I'm starting to figure out the controls.

I had hit 87% on the feathers unaided and had to refer to the guide for the last unlucky 13.  ;)

I used the Animus desktop DNA secondary memories records to find how many feathers remained in each city to zero in on where I needed to focus my search and as it worked out twelve feathers were scattered over various cities.  I had managed to sweep my villa's town clean by that point but my heart sunk when I realized in the whole city of Venice with its four districts I had only missed one solitary feather.   :'(

I saved the Venice feather for last and of course that one missing feather was in the fourth district I searched about halfway through its check off list.   :D

On a side note when there's clear sunny skies if you can look into one of the wells and see the clear blue reflected in its depths a body dropped into that well takes an amusingly long time to sink out of sight.  I discovered this by contaminating every well I could find with dead guards in Venice after finding that last feather.   >:D

[PZ]

..little handholds. 

btw I did get through the mist on all but one last Borgia tower.  I don't think I'm missing a way to get to it, but maybe I am.  I've progressed further along, but gotten recently enthralled with Lair so taking a hiatus from Rome. :P

Hand holds are a great idea!  That would be more in keeping with the nimble way that Ezio typically navigates through Rome.

Is this the same Borgia tower that you mentioned before?  If you're well along in the game (I forgot exactly how far) then you should have access to the area unless you've encountered a bug.

[PZ]

On a side note when there's clear sunny skies if you can look into one of the wells and see the clear blue reflected in its depths a body dropped into that well takes an amusingly long time to sink out of sight.  I discovered this by contaminating every well I could find with dead guards in Venice after finding that last feather.   >:D

Cool - the extra tidbits that one can find within open world games never ceases to amaze.  :-X

[spaceboy]

your well story reminds of a time in AC2 that I had hired some courtesans for company, when we wound up getting attacked by guards.  The only time I saw courtesans having to fight and defend themselves.

In the aftermath, there was one dead lady,  I felt horrible!  Anyways, I unceremoniously picked her up and dumped her in a well, to the gasps of her remaining friends and general horror of the nearby citizens.

I didn't have time for a proper burial...hey, Venice is a rough town.

[mandru]

 ;D @ spaceboy and his story.

It seems that the courtesans are better at blocking grabs and tackles than even the most trained guards.   :-D

I guess that would come from their experience of dealing with occupational hazards.   ^+-+

[Art Blade]

I always enjoyed throwing guards down churches, the fall is rather long and down there are usually a lot of people scurrying around the body once it hit the ground. Fun to watch from high above :)

[PZ]

Funny stories!  ^+-+

The courtesans in AC:B are particularly vicious - in addition to knifing hapless victims, they also carry poison.  It is funny to watch them nonchalantly walk by a group of guards and watch one or more guards fall down, obviously poisoned.  :-()

[spaceboy]

I havent used courtesans too much in ACB, but online the Courtesan you can play as is elegantly brutal - uses a hidden blade in her fan.  Each of the characters online have their own kill animations which is pretty neat.

[mandru]

Guards and plummeting!  A winning combination.   >:D  :-X

Is it JC2 that has the grapple I've seen the video clips of?  There were a lot of times playing through AC2 that I thought that grapple concept would come in real handy but I guess it would have made climbing unscalable walls like the Palazo de Medici in Florence possible and changed the programmers navigation design too much.

The citizens reaction when you loot a body is funny.  When I hear "You'd rob the dead you @#*%?"  In my inner voice I always answer "They weren't dead when I found them" or "They get pretty upset if you try to rob them while they're still alive."

[Art Blade]

yes, JustCause2 sports a grapple and a paraglider :)

and LOL @ comments about robbing the dead  ^+-+

[PZ]

Dang, I wish that I could do online!  :D

mandru - yes, JC2 has the grapple, and is still one of my favorite games of 2010.  Having something like that in the AC series would make it so much more open world! 

The outrage of the citizens is outrageously funny, and I often rob them just to have the experience.  :-()

[mandru]

I thought I'd mention this as a point of interest but when I ran a Google search a moment ago for AC2 cheats to see if anything new has turned up over the last month this very thread (plus a couple others) here at OWG came up as the first hit.

Hows that for drawing power?  ;D  :-X

[PZ]

We do seem to be becoming more popular on the search engines.  One of the AC:B topics is now second only to Art's tips/tricks thread in view count - over 4000 in the last month or so.  :-X