Visceral Games’ choice of source material, Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, seemed like an odd choice for an action game to me. A lengthy poem that focused on a Poet wandering through the multiple layers of hell, lead by a dead Roman poet, chronicling all the terrible things he witnessed did not sound like the sort of thing that would seem appropriate for a hack slash adventure game. Maybe I was just lacking imagination. Even now, after playing through the game, I am still left wondering just how suitable the poem is as source material for a video game.

The game itself wound up being criticised for it’s similarities to Sony’s God of War series. It’s one thing to be influenced by someone else’s work, but another thing entirely to copy wholesale. Having said that, this was not my only issue with the game. A reliance on cheap deaths, often dying simply because the game provided no hint that a one hit death was coming your way as well as awkward platforming, hampered my experience with the game considerably.

After playing through Dark Forest, I am reconsidering my stance on Dante’s Inferno’s awful platforming sections because, as annoying as they could be, they added considerable length to the game. The simple act of dying multiple times on the same acrobatic puzzle, or simply falling to your death because the ground beneath your feet collapsed without even the vaguest hint that it would happen, actually kept me playing the game. But what does this have to do with Dark Forest? Simply put, there are no jumping sections, there are no cheap deaths. Subsequently it lasts anything from 5 to 10 minutes on the standard difficulty, and at 400 Microsoft Points (about £3.40 or so), it does not exactly scream value for money.

IT WAS A METAPHOR!

The premise of this DLC is taken from a direct quotation from the poem:

“At the midpoint of the journey of life I found myself in a dark forest where the clear path was lost”

While the original text is clearly metaphorical, the designers have literally placed Dante in the middle of a dark forest with no idea where to go. I do not mean to sound snobbish, and I probably will, but this blatant disregard for the source material gets on my nerves a little. I’m sure that Visceral Games understand the metaphor, but the whole time I played through this add-on I could not help but think “it’s not supposed to be a literal forest, it is supposed to be despair!”.

Having said that it would make a rather poor action adventure game if this expansion had a middle aged Dante sitting around in his pants feeling sorry for himself, and it’s not like the actual game has a long history of being faithful to the source material either.

You spend much of your time pursuing a mysterious figure

Ignoring that minor gripe, in terms of gameplay Dark Forest is pretty much exactly the same as the disk game. It takes place after the introduction level, but before Dante makes it home to find Beatrice Murdered. If you have already completed the game then some of the mysteries in this expansion will seem pointless to you, seeing as you have already beaten it and know what’s going to happen. Enemies are mostly reskinned versions of enemies from the main game, and the path you follow through the forest is entirely linear. There are two major puzzles in this expansion, both requiring that you to be familiar with the points on a compass in order to navigate your way through a labyrinthine of portals as you pursue a mysterious figure. If you accidentally go through the wrong portal you are transported back to the start and must try again.

Enemies have received a new look

At first the puzzles seem a little obtuse, with a vague hint as to what you have to do. However, once you figure it out – particularly at the final section – it becomes incredibly easy. Between puzzles you fight off hordes of enemies which rarely prove to be much of a challenge. It is worth noting that I maxed out my character during my play through, and as such I was able to access all of my upgraded abilities from the start of this add-on. I assume that those of you that have not fully upgraded Dante will be able to use the experience gained from this DLC to boost his abilities.

And that is it. Once the short puzzles are solved, and the mystery figure is caught up with, it’s all over. You can play through the chapter again at any point in time directly from the main menu on different difficulties, but there is no real incentive to play again, save for an achievement that you are awarded if you make it through the dark forest without getting lost.

If Luke Cage Power Man and John Travolta had a baby, he would be Disco Dante.

Also included in this piece of DLC is a new costume for Dante, called Disco Inferno, which appears to blend John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever with Marvel Comics’ Luke Cage Power Man. It is an amusing enough distraction, but that’s all it is; a distraction, and seems a little out of place considering the serious tone of the rest of the game.

Review Round-Up

Graphics: 4/5 The graphics are in exactly the same style as the main game. The design of the dark forest itself is linear and, as the title suggests, dark. This is not exactly a problem, but it’s also not exactly ambitious.

Sound: 4/5 There are a number of cut scenes in this add-on with new dialogue included. The quality of voice acting is on par with the main game. The same can be said of the sound effects and music.

Gameplay: 3/5 While I had previously thought that Dante’s Inferno would have been a better game without the irritating platforming sections, and the numerous cheap deaths, it actually just leaves a fairly generic action game. Kudos should be given for the compass based light puzzles, which are enjoyable enough and don’t stick around to outstay their welcome.

Longevity: 1/5 Considering that Capcom recently released two large expansions for Resident Evil 5, Lost in Nightmares and Desperate Escape, with each of them costing the same price as The Dark Forest, I can’t really recommend this DLC. My first play through took 20 or so minutes, as I struggled to figure out what was required of me with the final section of the game. Once I had figured that out, I went straight into my second play through and completed it within 5 minutes.

Overall: 2 deadly sins out of 5. While the expansion is competent, and provides an experience in line with what we expected of the main game, it is incredibly short considering the price. When compared to what some other studios are doing for a similar price: i.e. Capcom, it becomes difficult to justify purchasing this add on.

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Game: Assassin’s Creed 2: The Battle of Forli & Bonfire of the Vanities & Secret Locations
Format: 360, PS3
Developer: Ubisoft Montreal
Publisher: Ubisoft

The Newb Review has something of a love/hate relationship with Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series. We weren’t the only ones who, to put it quite mildly, didn’t like the first instalment (for the full review click here) as despite huge sales, every games critic under the sun gave it the good, hard bashing it rightfully deserved.

It was to our surprise then that last year Assassin’s Creed 2 released and not only did it garner huge sales, but this time it was good. Very, VERY good in fact, a gargantuan improvement on its predecessor and subsequently it ended up being Crofterz personal vote for game of the year (although he was outvoted for The Newb Review Game of The Year Award, by about a quadrillion to one).

So naturally, since he enjoyed the game so much The Newb Review has sent him out to splash some cash on the 2 brand new(ish) DLC packs. Namely, sequence 12, The Battle of Forli and sequence 13, Bonfire of the Vanities & Secret Locations. Are they worth the money? Well, hold on… We’re getting to that bit now.

The Battle of Forli

The Battle of Forli is the first bit of DLC for Assassin’s Creed 2 and I said new(ish) before because well, it’s been out for a while now. It also caused a bit of an uproar because anyone who has played Assassin’s Creed 2 will know of the huge gap in the story between sequences 11 (where you acquire a piece of Eden) and 14 (where you go to the Vatican). In the story it says something about sequence 12 being corrupt!?

Well The Battle of Forli is that such memory. It has caused such a big outrage because, well, according to some (and I totally agree)… it should have been in the game in the first place! The time it takes to download the DLC is a clear indicator that the memory is already on the disc, so why not give it to us for free? Well they’ve got to make money some way right? Although this does seem like a cheap trick.

Is the DLC any good? Well it’s rather short for a start. Containing only 6 new missions, including another mission where you use Da Vinci’s flying machine. So for those who didn’t get the achievement for kicking people in mid-flight, you now have a second chance.

However, at 320 Microsoft moon points (and around £3 on PSN) I would’ve liked to have seen a little bit more bang for my buck. In fact, the only thing that warrants the 320 point/£3 price tag is that it fills in and completes the Assassin’s Creed 2 story. But again, the plot hole really shouldn’t have been there in the first place.

Even though there are painfully few of them, there is a nice variety of missions on offer. This is more of the same, but the inclusion of more assassinations, more target locating and more out and out fighting makes for a nice balance. The DLC is definitely more action orientated rather than stealthy (i.e. there’s lots of fighting) and all in all it does a really nice job of filling in the large gap in story. You get some interesting cut scenes that carry the story through well, the same great voice acting you’ve come to expect from Assassin’s Creed 2 and even a few new characters in the mix, as well as exploring a few characters that had seemingly minor roles in the original release.

Unfortunately, it all ends far too quickly and abruptly and the inclusion of the flying machine feels really tacked on. Labelled as a special memory on the map, the flying machine mission isn’t really a mission at all. Ezio seems to fly through the air, without any mission or objective to achieve, and leaves a large question mark over the choice to include it at all.

So let me get this straight, Ezio gets in the flying machine just to marvel at the breathtaking sights?

Review Round Up

Graphics: 4/5 – Nothing has changed graphically from the original game but the inclusion of a few more cut scenes really helps to drive the story.

Sound: 4/5 – Battle of Forli is full of the same great voice acting we’ve come to expect from Assassin’s Creed 2, it’s all very much more of the same.

Gameplay: 3/5 – Nothing new from what we’ve seen in the original game. There’s a nice variety of missions. however the fact that there is very few of them is a big killer.

Longevity: 2/5 – You’ll have finished this DLC in just about an hour, enough said.

Overall: 3/5 – 3 pointless flying machine set pieces out of 5. Overall The Battle of Forli does a good job of filling in the some of the plot holes in the original game. However, at 320 points or around £3 for PS3 owners, I can see why some would expect a little more for their money.

The Bonfire of the Vanities & Secret Locations

The Bonfire of the Vanities is the second pack of DLC released for Assassin’s Creed 2 and it’s the last missing sequence (sequence 13) in the Assassin’s Creed 2 story. Following on from where The Battle of Forli suddenly ended, The Bonfire of the Vanities has had something of a confusing release. So, let’s clear it all up once and for all (read this carefully, it may save you a few bob)… The Bonfire of the Vanities has been released in two editions, one that costs 320 Microsoft moon points (£3.19 on PSN) and one that costs a bit more, at 520 MSP (that’s £5.49 for PS3 owners). The first contains the Bonfire of the Vanities DLC, whilst the latter (the one that I bought, and shall be reviewing) comes with the DLC as well as the added bonus of some extra Templar lairs that previously only buyers of the black and white special editions of the game had access to.

Anyway with all that price juggling b*llocks out of the way, is the DLC any good?

Well, it’s certainly longer than Battle of Forli (it boasts 10 new missions and 3 Templar lairs), giving you far more content for your money. But the variety between missions is non-existent. In Forli you must eavesdrop, escort and assassinate, Bonfire of the Vanities is just a series of assassination missions. Of course, stabbing people in the neck is fun, but personally I wanted a little bit more variety. After all… it’s the spice of life.

In fact you could say Bonfire of the Vanities is the exact opposite of Battle of Forli. It’s certainly worth the price. It’s longer, has less variety and whereas Battle of Forli is all about action, Bonfire of the Vanities takes a more stealthy, relaxed approach as you plan the assassination and then execute.

The same great voice acting and cut scenes you have come to expect from Assassin’s Creed 2 are all present and correct, even if used a little more sparsely than in Battle of Forli. And of course the DLC pack, just like the previous, does a very nice job of filling in and completing the Assassin’s Creed 2 story arc.

Despite it’s lack of variety, the assassination missions themselves are still a lot of fun. You can easily avoid any monotony setting in by visiting the 5 or 6 new viewpoints and the 3 Templar lairs, which really made the DLC worth it for me.

Although the lairs offer little in terms of a reward past simple monetary gains, they act as a brilliant change of pace. The lairs are essentially  the same as the assassin’s crypts in the original release, which inherently means there’s nothing completely new, but coupled with the assassination missions, this makes for a nice overall package.

Unfortunately there is a catch. To fully sync Desmond with Ezio you must complete all DLC packs and the Templar lairs as well as all the other bonus objectives in the original title (such as those stupid pointless feathers). This is a very cheap and dirty move on Ubisofts part – the filthy, rotten b*stards! But then again, at 520 points/£5.49, you can’t argue with the price.

Killing is Ezio's business and in The Bonfire of the Vanities, business is good.

Review Round Up

Graphics: 4/5 – Like The Battle of Forli DLC, nothing graphically as changed… the game still looks incredible.

Sound: 4/5 – Again nothing has changed much from either the original game or the previous DLC. Great voice acting as per usual.

Gameplay: 3/5 – This time around there’s plenty of content for your buck. It’s just a shame it lacks variety. However the Templar lairs really do help to instil a bit of choice and fend off tedium.

Longevity: 4/5 – For your money you get a lot.

Overall: 4/5 – 4 spices of life (curry powder, paprika, cumin and and nutmeg) out of 5. Plenty of content for a fairly cheap price, just a shame the content had a bit more depth.

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In the world of entertainment there is an unwritten rule that sequels tend to be much worse than the original; the latest album from your favourite band is not quite as good as the previous album, your favourite author’s latest book just does not quite measure up to the last one, and the latest blockbuster sequel in the cinema comes across as being a bit samey and naff. Fortunately for those of us that play video games that same rule rarely applies, in fact you could easily say that the opposite is true. A prime example of this is Assassin’s Creed 2.

It is through playing this game that I have come to realise that just how bad the original Assassin’s Creed was. The original was a repetitive experience with a clumsy, cluttered, and incoherent narrative, full to the brim with pointless side missions and aimless flag collecting. It is almost like the developers thought of a series of ‘fun’ things to do with their impressive free running mechanic, but could not think of an actual reason to do any of those things. I am pleased to report that the team behind the sequel appear to have taken these criticisms to heart and have managed to make a far better game, with a wide variety of missions, and a beautiful open world to explore.

To set the scene, Assassin’s Creed 2 begins right where we left off at the end of the original; playing as Desmond Miles who has been captured by the modern day incarnation of the Knights Templar, and has been forced to relive the memories of his ancestors through a machine called the animus to discover the location of powerful ancient weapons called Pieces of Eden. As the game opens, Desmond is rescued by a small group of Assassins, the enemies of the Templars, and taken to their hideout and placed in their version of the animus in order to help them discover the secret of the Pieces of Eden. Fortunately the game opens with a flashback to the first game letting the player know the basics of what they need to know from the original’s story. This time, rather than controlling Desmond’s ancestor Altair during the Crusades, you control another one of Desmond’s ancestors Ezio Auditore in 15th Century Florence, Italy. Ezio is a young noble man when the game begins, but before long his family are betrayed, causing his father and two brothers to be hung for treason. Ezio retreats in to the mountains of Tuscany with his mother and sister where he meets his Uncle Mario, who trains him in the family business in order to get revenge on those who wronged his family.

During your travels you will venture to other cities, such as Venice and Rome, and the countryside between them. The mission structure of old – go research your target, return to the Assassin’s Bureau, go kill target – is gone. Now the game features a more dynamic and expansive mission structure with numerous types of missions, ranging from simple assassinations, to horse and cart riding, to prison breaks. There are a series of side missions that revolve around solving platforming puzzles to discover secret assassin tombs, and discovering hidden glyphs that have been hacked in the environment through the animus. When examining these glyphs you must solve a series of puzzles which are mainly picture hunt mini games with various key figures in history using the pieces of Eden. Other side missions include races, courier missions, and assassinations.

The controls have had a number of little tweaks made to improve them

Unlike the original you are able to blend in to any crowd of people just by standing in the middle of them. When you have successfully blended your character and the characters that shield you turn black and white. If you find that there are not enough civilians in an area to blend with, then you can hire prostitutes, mercenaries, or thieves in order to create some cover. Your hired help can also be directed at guards in order to create a distraction allowing you to sneak past unnoticed. As with the original you have a notoriety metre which determines how visible you are to guards – with a full metre guards will attack you on sight. In the original you only had to hide for a few moments to become inconspicuous, however in the sequel you have to try a lot harder to become anonymous. In order to become anonymous you must either assassinate an official, bribe a herald, or find wanted posters and pull them down. Amusingly these wanted posters tend to be high up out of the view of ordinary citizens, so they are actually very impractical as a means of identifying wanted criminals.
If you are forced in to fighting the guards you can now disarm enemies and use their own weapons against them, and the countering is a lot more forgiving.

There are a number of new enemies, including large armoured guards armed with either long swords, axes, hammers, or spears, all of which you can take from their dead bodies and use. While the weapons you loot from dead bodies cannot be kept for very long, you can purchase a number of various swords and knives, each with different properties from blacksmiths located all around town. Your armour can also be upgraded and repaired at the blacksmith. Every item you purchased can be accessed from your uncle’s villa in the hills if ever you feel the need to change equipment. Speaking of your uncle’s villa, you can invest your money in the town it is located in with the aim of making it more prosperous and improving the daily income the town will provide for you as it’s patron. There are a number of collectible items in the game, and unlike the original, these collectibles actually contribute towards unlocking items, and improving your town’s economy.

There are 30 pages of the Assassin’s Codex hidden around the world which when translated can be used to upgrade your equipment and increase your health. The most important Codex entries are earned by completing missions, so you will not be able to miss out on the best upgrades. It is worth noting that in order to access the final level you must have all 30 Codex pages, but that should be no problem by that point.

One of the new upgrades is a second wrist blade, meaning you can kill two targets at once.

As with the original, Assassin’s Creed 2 features real life historical figures as characters, such as the translator of your Codex entries, Leonardo Davinci, and people like Niccolo Machiavelli and Pope Alexander VI. Each city has a number of famous landmarks, and while I cannot attest to the accuracy of the city design, the cities have a very authentic look to them, especially Venice. The story takes place over the course of about 15 years and while the city does not change very much over that time they do a decent job of making each period of time fairly distinctive, such as the section of the game that takes place during the Venice carnival. A day and night cycle has been added to the game, and the guards change shift at dawn and dusk, which can give you the chance to sneak in easily. However you would need to either be incredibly fortunate to stumble upon this realisation, or just a very patient person, especially when you can just hire a group of people to distract the guards, or even just chuck a handful of coins on the floor and sneak in during the commotion. Still, I guess it is nice to have the option.

The depiction of Venice in particular is very impressive

It may seem as if the entire purpose of this review has been to criticise the original, but at the time I enjoyed Assassin’s Creed a great deal despite it’s flaws. I make the comparisons between the two games, apart from the obvious reason, because the sequel truly improves upon almost every issue that any one could have had with the original. The only real issue with the game is that at times during combat the camera angles can be counter productive, often obscuring your view behind a tree or a crate, when in tight spaces. Other camera issues can occasionally cause you to veer off in the wrong direction, which can be frustrating when in a situation where you need to have precise control over your character. There may also be a slight issue with accessibility with the story, as if you have not played the original then it may come across as being a little confusing at first. Considering the fact that the game has a lengthy story with dozens of side missions and collectibles to discover, and so few substantial flaws, it is hard not to recommend to everyone.

REVIEW ROUND UP:

GRAPHICS: 4/5 The environments are incredibly detailed and some of the character models are very detailed. However there are a few characters that look very bad in comparison to the others.
SOUND: 5/5 The music, while being subtle, is very good and suitably dramatic when needs be. The voice acting is impressive.
GAMEPLAY: 4/5 There are a wide variety of mission types spread out through the main story, with a number of side missions. Improvements to the combat and general mechanic of anonymity make the game a lot more playable than the original.
LONGEVITY: 5/5 Including collectible feathers, crests, codex pages, and statues that actually unlock special items can keep you playing after completing the lengthy story mode.
OVERALL: 5 Assassinations out of 5 – A nice long single player experience that does not outstay it’s welcome, featuring a nice mix of missions, and collectibles that are actually fun to search out.