Summary
Assassin’s Creed 2marks the moment that made the entire franchise iconicand ensured its long life in the future. This happened because the game improved every single aspect of the first game, making the gameplay more engaging. However, one of the main aspects of the game was its dramatic story.
It follows the life of a young man named Ezio Auditore. Unlike Altair from the first game, Ezio is not an Assassin at the beginning of the game and only becomes a part of the order down the line as tragedy overtakes his family and he is forced to witness the deaths of his father and brothers, leading to an incredible transformation.
14Sequence 6
A Long Journey
An interlude sequence between Ezio’s missions in Florence and Venice portrays a journey between cities that he undertakes along with his friend, Leonardo. By that point, Ezio has become a trained Assassin and seeks to track down the man responsible for his family’s deaths.
This journey takes him on an epic chase through the city of Forli, where he meets a woman named Caterina Sforza. He rescues her during their first meeting but goes on to become a loyal ally to the Assassins. The sequence has engaging gameplay moments but is overall short.
13Sequence 12
The Battle Of Forli
Another sequence takes place in Forli towards the end of the game, and this time, it is under dire circumstances. Caterina is under assault from the army of the Orsi brothers, who want to claim the apple of Eden for the Templars. This results in Ezio fighting for the city and against both brothers.
The sequence utilizes Forli for a major plot that wasn’t done in previous sequences, granting it extra uniqueness and flavor. It also develops the character of Katerina and ends with a shocking twist: the apple of Eden is claimed by a man outside of the Assassin and Templar conflict.
12Sequence 5
Purging The Templars
The fifth sequence of the game is all about the ongoing hunt. After Francesco Pazzi’s death, his co-conspirators escape to Tuscany,and it is on Ezio to eliminate them all. The sequence is unique in that almost every memory includes a target the player has to eliminate.
This leads to some notoriously engaging sequences, like climbing one of the tallest towers in the town to kill a Templar preacher or stalking the enemy in the crowd. The story culminates with Ezio meeting Rodrigo Borgia, the man responsible for his family’s demise again.
11Sequence 10
Loose Ends
This sequence focuses on Ezio dealing with Silvio, the last major member of the Barbarigo family that still serves the Templars and Dante Moro’s bodyguard. It has multiple fight sequences and a fast-paced chase at the end, where Ezio has to eliminate their targets before they leave Venice.
The story highlight of the sequence is the introduction of Bartolomeo d’alviano, a fierce and fearless fighter who becomes Ezio’s ally and gets more of a spotlight in Brotherhood. Together, the two of them track Silvio and free Venice from the Templar influence.
10Sequence 7
The Thieves of Venice
This is the first sequence Ezio spends in Venice, one of the most beautiful locations in the game. A city by the sea that stands on the water is full of rowers and their gondolas, and unlike Florence, this is an unfamiliar place for Ezio, as this is his first visit.
He is introduced to the Barbarigo family, the Templar representatives in Venice, and Ezio’s new targets. Emilio Barbarigo, a wealthy merchant, becomes the target of the sequence, with Ezio teaming up with notorious Venice thieves who turn out to be Assassins in disguise.
9Sequence 1
The Golden Days
The first sequence of the game portrays everything Ezio’s life was like before learning about Assassins: parties, street fights, romantic nights with his crush—an idyllic life for a young man in the Renaissance. The memories reflect Ezio’s careless life as he travels around Florence, helps his family out, and doesn’t care about the future.
The atmosphere of the sequence changes drastically towards the end(symbolized by the guards appearing around the city) as Ezio’s father and brother get imprisoned. He desperately tries to save them and almost gets his wish, only to be betrayed by a family friend at the last moment. This traumatizes Ezio and sets him on the path of vengeance.
8Sequence 4
Return To Florence
After his family’s demise, Ezio stays away from Florence, but in sequence four,he returns to the city. The Pazzi family, being intertwined with the Templars, becomes Ezio’s main target, especially their patriarch, Francesco. He eventually gets killed as the Assassins reclaim Florence.
The sequence offers an introduction to the Assassin tombs as Ezio raids one of them during the story. He also learns the names and faces of many other Templar conspirators, all of which become Ezio’s main targets in the following sequences.
7Sequence 3
A Family Reunion
Sequence three is a breather after the dramatic tension of the second one. Ezio arrives at his uncle’s villa and reunites with Mario Auditore. His uncle tells him more about Assassins and their struggle against Templars, something Ezio doesn’t immediately accept.
The sequence culminates in an Assassin operation in Tuscany with Vieri Pazzi as the target. Ezio kills him and gets consumed by his rage and desire for vengeance, which leads to Mario teaching him an important lesson about not wallowing in his rage and hatred.
6Sequence 8
Saving The Doge
Sequence 8 is a controversial one, but it is undeniably unique from a gameplay standpoint. When Ezio is tasked with preventing the Doge’s assassination by Templars,he asks Leonardo da Vinci for help. Leonardo has been a good friend to Ezio across the game, and this sequence provides a culmination to his effort.
After a few memories focused on stealth and following, the game’s final mission sees Ezio use Leonardo’s apparatus to fly straight to the Doge’s palace, using the pyres set up around the city. Unfortunately, he’s unable to stop the assassination, which allows a Templar to become Doge.
5Sequence 11
Face To Face
A fairly short sequence concludes the Venice story part.After dealing with Barbarigos, Ezio hunts for the Spaniard himself. Eventually, he discovers Rodrigo Borgia and can converse with him, but it quickly devolves into a ruthless battle.
Ezio is saved by countless allies he makes over the course of the game, all of whom are revealed to be Assassins who were guiding and watching him on his path. While they cannot end Rodrigo, they strengthen their bond with Ezio and lay the groundwork for their future missions.
