Assassin's Creed II

Haters be damned, this game's a ton of fun. Ezio's a fantastic protagonist, the Italian Renaissance atmosphere is awesome, and the soundtrack is intoxicating.

What an improvement in this one. This is a game to play. This is an empire to build, a family to elevate. And it happens at such a great time in history. I really enjoyed that side. The flipside with Desmond was starting to show signs of flaw, though.

AC2 takes the somewhat barebones experience that was the original, and improves it on every level. Ezio is a brilliant protagonist, the story is engaging, and renaissance Tuscany a wonderful rich game world to explore. Sure the years haven't been too kind to it (as evident when playing the remastered version released in 2015) but it's still one of my all-time favorite games.

Addressing almost every notable flaw from the original AC, AC2 is one of the definitive examples of a game developer learning from their mistakes and following up with a far superior game. Taking control of the charismatic Ezio Auditore through renaissance Italy, AC2 is arguably the high point of the free running, stab and slash franchise. The modern day Desmond sections are dull as always, but I loved this game on PS3 and will definitely replay it again in the future.

Now we're talking. This improved on almost every aspect of the first game. Ezio is a great character (he got 3 whole games to himself) and the Italian Renaissance era is captured beautifully.