DEAD OF KNIGHT; THE NEW ASSASSINS CREED HAS FEW CHINKS IN ITS ACTION-PACKED ARMOUR.

Byline: KEVIN LYNCH 

GAMES

ASSASSINS CREED II **** pounds 49.99 Xbox 360, PS3

While technically brilliant, 2007's Assassins Creed was the epitome of a game rushed out to meet its Christmas deadline.

The glorious visuals and freerunning slash and dash action played out over an awe-inspring Crusades era Holy Land setting was let down by repetitive gameplay that left you feeling you were playing the same level on a loop.

Thankfully, Ubisoft have used the past two years well, expanding upon the framework laid out by AC II's predecessor to come up with a game that's hard to match for scale and scope.

In a plot too convoluted to go into here, AC's protagonist now finds himself incarnated as Ezio, a privileged young noble in Renaissance Italy who's been betrayed by the rival ruling families.

First impressions aren't great, with characters having some decidedly iffy facial animations. Thankfully, it's a marked contrast to how things look when you eventually start to take control of Ezio across some wonderfully atmospheric renderings of 15thcentury Italy.

It soon becomes clear that missions and side quests are far more varied and fun with improved combat and some new gameplay elements.

You can now swim, shoot using a primitive gun and use money to hire services or buy gadgets and equipment from an array of characters that include a young Leonardo Da Vinci.

Less linear than before, the game now plays out a little like Grand Theft Auto, allowing you to duck in and out of the story and missions.

It allows you to wander around the sumptuous historical locations at your leisure. In fact, the game actively rewards exploration with six secret locations that include catacombs and caves that each reveal Prince of Persia-style acrobatic, puzzle-or-stealth challenges.

A game that gets better as it goes along, AC II is everything that the original wasn't, delivering the sort of epic, sprawling adventure that its predecessor merely hinted at.

CAPTION(S):

ITALIAN JOB: Improved visuals and better action