Assassin's Creed II: Discovery (Nintendo DS) - Review by Andrew

Introduction

DS owners were pleasantly surprised this time last year when it was announced that they would get their very own version of the game of the moment: Assassin's Creed. The Ubi Soft title had been covered by just about every corner of the media for several months but thanks to developers Gameloft, Nintendo fans could now play it on the move. Unfortunately gamers who wanted to relive the console experience were instead presented with a rather pedestrian adventure/platformer with very little in the way of actual assassination. It did look good but the shallow gameplay meant many gamers overlooked it altogether. It's a year on now and not only are we onto a sequel for the franchise but also a new developer. Have they got it right this time around?

Gameplay

This latest DS version of Assassin's Creed involves you playing as the Italian assassin Ezio as you travel though a variety of European locations. There are both stealth based and fast combat-action levels, all of which are quite short helping to heighten the gameplay experience. The stealth missions challenge you to reach a given location without causing too much of a stir. You won't instantly fail the level if you're seen once and you will be given three chances before it's all over. It's a case of staying in the shadows and meaning you have to take them out. You will, though, be spotted quite frequently to begin with so this is where it's beneficial to watch the guards' movements for a while and only strike when you are certain you are out of view. There are thankfully plenty of checkpoints so you'll never have to replay the whole level on too many occasions.

The action levels help to demonstrate just how fast and athletic Ezio is and these take place both on the rooftops and streets of Europe. One thing you'll quickly notice about these levels is their design, somehow all the rooftops seem to be deliberately angled for speed allowing you to enter into a kind of 'Sonic the Hedgehog' type gaming. Should you hit a wall though, Ezio will not only stick to it but he also has the ability of climb up, spider-like, before pulling himself over a ledge to safely. You'll also be able to swing on poles and discover secret areas, not unlike Ubi Soft's own Prince of Persia. The actual battling here is more focused on swordplay and while you can use your stealth kills it's much more difficult to sneak up on guards when there so much going on.

Controls

Because of the complexity of Ezio's moves be prepared to give your fingers and thumbs a full workout. Thankfully the majority of this is very responsive and new moves are delivered thanks to Metal Gear Solid VR type training sessions, which are neatly slotted in between the various levels. The only real problem we encountered was that some of the Stealth Kills could be activated when you are still a considerable distance away from your intended target, which does feel like cheating really.

Graphics

The 3D engine is really quite impressive allowing you to run though the gloriously detailed streets and rooftops of ancient Italy and Spain. The character animation is equally impressive and all the on-screen characters move in a fluid and realistic manner. Most pleasing of all though are the actual kills where the camera will zoom in demonstrating just how much time and effort the developers have dedicated to this section of the game.

Sound

The entire game features a wonderfully epic soundtrack, which really must be listened to through headphones to get the full effect. Elsewhere, every line of dialogue is perfectly delivered and the sound effects are great too.

Dual screen

While there's no real use for your trusty stylus, DSi owners aren't overlooked as by using your camera you can transfer your own image to one of the many wanted posters you can collect along your journey.

Final comments

While there was a great deal to celebrate in last year's Gameloft developed outing, it did suffer from drifting too far away from what fans wanted: stealth kills. Fortunately Discovery has more than enough to please even the most bloodthirsty of gamers. There is a huge amount of satisfaction to be had by sneaking up on a guard and taking him down before he can alert others to your presence. The rest is a neat balance of Prince of Persia type platforming and a rich immersive storyline. In fact, other than the rather abrupt ending, there's little to dislike here and if you are a fan of the console versions then this is a perfect handheld companion.

Pro: Great Design and Animation, Good Balance of Genres
Con: Main Campaign Not Long Enough
Final score: 8.1

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