<s>
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
a	O
2009	O
action-adventure	O
video	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
Ubisoft	O
Montréal	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Ubisoft	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
second	O
major	O
installment	O
in	O
the	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
series	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
sequel	O
to	O
2007	O
's	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
first	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
in	O
November	O
2009	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
later	O
made	O
available	O
on	O
Microsoft	B-Application
Windows	I-Application
in	O
March	O
2010	O
and	O
OS	B-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
in	O
October	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Remastered	O
versions	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
its	O
two	O
sequels	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	I-Application
Brotherhood	I-Application
and	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	I-Application
Revelations	I-Application
,	O
were	O
released	O
as	O
part	O
of	O
The	O
Ezio	O
Collection	O
compilation	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Device
One	I-Device
on	O
November	O
15	O
,	O
2016	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
on	O
February	O
17	O
,	O
2022	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
main	O
narrative	O
takes	O
place	O
at	O
the	O
height	O
of	O
the	O
Renaissance	B-Application
in	O
Italy	O
from	O
1476	O
to	O
1499	O
,	O
and	O
follows	O
Ezio	O
's	O
journey	O
as	O
an	O
Assassin	O
while	O
seeking	O
revenge	O
against	O
those	O
responsible	O
for	O
the	O
death	O
of	O
his	O
father	O
and	O
brothers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
features	O
a	O
large	O
open	O
world	O
comprising	O
several	O
Italian	O
cities	O
,	O
including	O
Florence	B-Application
,	O
Venice	B-Application
,	O
Monteriggioni	O
,	O
San	O
Gimignano	O
,	O
and	O
Forlì	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
which	O
have	O
been	O
accurately	O
recreated	O
to	O
fit	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
historical	O
setting	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Using	O
a	O
newly	O
updated	O
Anvil	O
game	O
engine	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
began	O
development	O
shortly	O
after	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
marketing	O
campaign	O
for	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
released	O
a	O
three-part	O
live-action	O
short	O
film	O
,	O
titled	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	O
Lineage	O
,	O
which	O
serves	O
as	O
a	O
prequel	O
to	O
the	O
main	O
story	O
and	O
stars	O
most	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
cast	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
development	O
,	O
two	O
chapters	O
—	O
titled	O
The	O
Battle	O
of	O
Forlì	O
and	O
Bonfire	O
of	O
the	O
Vanities	O
—	O
were	O
cut	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
due	O
to	O
time	O
constraints	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
eventually	O
released	O
as	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
expansion	O
packs	O
on	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
and	O
later	O
to	O
other	O
platforms	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additional	O
in-game	O
bonuses	O
such	O
as	O
missions	O
,	O
outfits	O
,	O
and	O
weapons	O
could	O
be	O
redeemed	O
through	O
Ubisoft	O
's	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
service	O
—	O
a	O
trend	O
that	O
would	O
continue	O
for	O
most	O
Ubisoft	O
titles	O
going	O
forward	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
release	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
received	O
universal	O
critical	O
acclaim	O
from	O
video	O
game	O
publications	O
,	O
with	O
praise	O
for	O
its	O
narrative	O
,	O
characters	O
,	O
world	O
design	O
,	O
and	O
improvements	O
over	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
;	O
however	O
,	O
the	O
PC	O
version	O
was	O
met	O
with	O
some	O
criticism	O
in	O
relation	O
to	O
the	O
digital	O
rights	O
management	O
system	O
,	O
and	O
thus	O
had	O
the	O
always-online	O
DRM	O
permanently	O
removed	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Considered	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
video	O
games	O
ever	O
made	O
,	O
it	O
sold	O
more	O
than	O
nine	O
million	O
copies	O
within	O
six	O
months	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
frequently	O
cited	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
that	O
brought	O
the	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
series	O
to	O
mainstream	O
popularity	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
spawned	O
two	O
direct	O
sequels	O
:	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	I-Application
Brotherhood	I-Application
(	O
2010	O
)	O
and	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	I-Application
Revelations	I-Application
(	O
2011	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
spin-off	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Discovery	I-Application
(	O
2009	O
)	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
which	O
expand	O
on	O
Ezio	O
's	O
story	O
while	O
introducing	O
new	O
plotlines	O
,	O
characters	O
,	O
and	O
locations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
next	O
numbered	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
series	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
III	I-Application
,	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
2012	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action-adventure	O
game	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
third-person	O
perspective	O
and	O
set	O
in	O
an	O
open	O
world	O
based	O
on	O
late	O
15th-century	O
Renaissance	B-Application
Italy	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Gameplay	O
is	O
nonlinear	O
,	O
and	O
focuses	O
on	O
hack	B-Application
and	I-Application
slash	I-Application
combat	O
,	O
stealth	O
,	O
and	O
exploration	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Animus	O
2.0	O
,	O
a	O
new	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
machine	O
of	O
the	O
same	O
name	O
present	O
in	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
,	O
provides	O
in-game	O
context	O
for	O
changes	O
and	O
additions	O
to	O
several	O
game	O
elements	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
young	O
Leonardo	B-Application
da	I-Application
Vinci	I-Application
is	O
present	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
aiding	O
the	O
player	O
by	O
creating	O
new	O
weapons	O
from	O
translated	O
"	O
Codex	O
pages	O
"	O
that	O
Altaïr	O
,	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
's	O
main	O
character	O
,	O
left	O
behind	O
for	O
future	O
Assassins	O
 '	O
analysis	O
and	O
insight	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Other	O
means	O
of	O
transport	O
available	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
include	O
horses	O
,	O
which	O
can	O
only	O
be	O
ridden	O
outside	O
of	O
the	O
major	O
cities	O
;	O
gondolas	O
,	O
found	O
most	O
prominently	O
in	O
Venice	B-Application
;	O
and	O
a	O
carriage	O
,	O
which	O
is	O
also	O
ridden	O
during	O
a	O
mission	O
involving	O
Leonardo	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Each	O
of	O
the	O
places	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
visit	O
is	O
more	O
detailed	O
compared	O
to	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
,	O
and	O
NPCs	O
have	O
a	O
more	O
human-like	O
behavior	O
;	O
for	O
example	O
,	O
civilians	O
can	O
sometimes	O
be	O
caught	O
coughing	O
or	O
sneezing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
the	O
player	O
can	O
hire	O
groups	O
of	O
mercenaries	B-Application
,	O
courtesans	O
,	O
or	O
thieves	O
to	O
fight	O
,	O
distract	O
,	O
or	O
lure	O
guards	O
,	O
respectively	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Six	O
additional	O
weapons	O
can	O
be	O
unlocked	O
in	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
by	O
connecting	O
the	O
console	O
to	O
a	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
which	O
contains	O
a	O
copy	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	I-Application
Bloodlines	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
One	O
can	O
dive	O
underwater	O
to	O
break	O
guards	O
 '	O
line	O
of	O
sight	O
,	O
and	O
blending	O
may	O
be	O
performed	O
with	O
any	O
group	O
of	O
people	O
,	O
rather	O
than	O
only	O
a	O
specific	O
type	O
(	O
as	O
in	O
the	O
first	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Cities	O
also	O
contain	O
hidden	O
locations	O
such	O
as	O
catacombs	B-Application
and	O
caves	O
(	O
the	O
design	O
of	O
which	O
have	O
been	O
compared	O
by	O
the	O
developers	O
to	O
the	O
Prince	B-Application
of	I-Application
Persia	I-Application
series	O
)	O
,	O
where	O
the	O
objective	O
is	O
to	O
navigate	O
the	O
area	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Like	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
,	O
characters	O
based	O
on	O
historical	O
figures	O
are	O
present	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
including	O
Leonardo	B-Application
da	I-Application
Vinci	I-Application
,	O
Niccolò	O
Machiavelli	O
,	O
Caterina	O
Sforza	O
,	O
Bartolomeo	O
d'Alviano	O
,	O
the	O
Medici	O
family	O
,	O
the	O
Pazzi	O
family	O
,	O
the	O
Barbarigo	O
family	O
,	O
the	O
Loredan	O
family	O
,	O
and	O
Pope	O
Alexander	O
VI	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Locations	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
include	O
the	O
Tuscany	O
region	O
(	O
Florence	B-Application
,	O
Monteriggioni	O
and	O
San	O
Gimignano	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
Apennine	O
Mountains	O
,	O
the	O
Romagna	O
region	O
(	O
Forlì	O
)	O
,	O
Venice	B-Application
,	O
and	O
the	O
Vatican	O
(	O
only	O
available	O
during	O
the	O
final	O
mission	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
the	B-Application
events	I-Application
of	I-Application
the	I-Application
first	I-Application
game	I-Application
,	O
Desmond	O
Miles	O
(	O
Nolan	O
North	O
)	O
is	O
rescued	O
from	O
Abstergo	O
by	O
undercover	O
Assassin	O
Lucy	O
Stillman	O
(	O
Kristen	O
Bell	O
)	O
and	O
taken	O
to	O
a	O
safehouse	O
,	O
where	O
he	O
meets	O
her	O
team	O
,	O
consisting	O
of	O
historian	O
and	O
analyst	O
Shaun	O
Hastings	O
(	O
Danny	O
Wallace	O
)	O
and	O
technician	O
Rebecca	O
Crane	O
(	O
Eliza	O
Schneider	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Desmond	O
is	O
instructed	O
to	O
relive	O
the	O
memories	O
of	O
Ezio	O
Auditore	O
da	O
Firenze	O
(	O
Roger	O
Craig	O
Smith	O
)	O
,	O
born	O
into	O
a	O
wealthy	O
Florentine	B-Application
family	O
in	O
1459	O
,	O
during	O
the	O
Italian	O
Renaissance	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
his	O
father	O
Giovanni	O
(	O
Romano	O
Orzari	O
)	O
and	O
brothers	O
Federico	O
(	O
Elias	O
Toufexis	O
)	O
and	O
Petruccio	O
are	O
framed	O
for	O
treason	O
and	O
executed	O
by	O
corrupt	O
magistrate	O
Uberto	B-Application
Alberti	I-Application
(	O
Michel	O
Perron	O
)	O
,	O
Ezio	O
retrieves	O
his	O
father	O
's	O
Assassin	O
equipment	O
and	O
murders	O
Uberto	O
in	O
revenge	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ezio	O
and	O
his	O
remaining	O
family	O
—	O
his	O
mother	O
Maria	O
(	O
Ellen	O
David	O
)	O
and	O
sister	O
Claudia	O
(	O
Angela	O
Galuppo	O
)	O
—	O
flee	O
Florence	B-Application
and	O
head	O
to	O
their	O
ancestral	O
home	O
in	O
Monteriggioni	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
His	O
journey	O
spans	O
over	O
a	O
decade	O
and	O
leads	O
Ezio	O
to	O
make	O
several	O
allies	O
,	O
including	O
inventor	O
Leonardo	B-Application
da	I-Application
Vinci	I-Application
(	O
Carlos	O
Ferro	O
)	O
,	O
who	O
provides	O
him	O
with	O
equipment	O
based	O
on	O
information	O
left	O
by	O
the	O
Assassin	O
Altaïr	O
Ibn-LaʼAhad	O
;	O
statesman	O
Lorenzo	O
de	O
 '	O
Medici	O
(	O
Alex	O
Ivanovici	O
)	O
,	O
whom	O
he	O
saves	O
from	O
the	O
Pazzi	O
's	O
assassination	O
plot	O
;	O
and	O
Caterina	O
Sforza	O
(	O
Cristina	O
Rosato	O
)	O
,	O
the	O
Countess	O
of	O
Forlì	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Believing	O
Ezio	O
to	O
be	O
"	O
the	O
Prophet	O
"	O
destined	O
to	O
open	O
the	O
Vault	O
,	O
Mario	O
,	O
along	O
with	O
other	O
Assassins	O
,	O
formally	O
induct	O
him	O
into	O
the	B-Application
Brotherhood	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Inside	O
the	O
Animus	O
,	O
he	O
finds	O
glyphs	B-Application
similar	O
to	O
the	O
drawings	O
he	O
found	O
in	O
his	O
cell	O
at	O
Abstergo	O
,	O
which	O
,	O
when	O
deciphered	O
,	O
reveal	O
a	O
video	O
file	O
of	O
two	O
human	O
slaves	O
stealing	O
an	O
Apple	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
With	O
several	O
memory	O
sequences	O
too	O
corrupted	O
to	O
access	O
(	O
later	O
made	O
available	O
as	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
,	O
the	O
team	O
sends	O
Desmond	O
to	O
the	O
final	O
memory	O
in	O
1499	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Desmond	O
prepares	O
to	O
reenter	O
the	O
Animus	O
,	O
leading	O
into	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	I-Application
Brotherhood	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
when	O
Ezio	O
and	O
Machiavelli	O
arrive	O
in	O
the	O
city	O
,	O
they	O
find	O
it	O
under	O
siege	O
by	O
an	O
army	O
of	O
mercenaries	B-Application
led	O
by	O
Checco	O
and	O
Ludovico	O
Orsi	O
,	O
who	O
have	O
been	O
hired	O
by	O
Rodrigo	O
to	O
obtain	O
a	O
map	O
made	O
by	O
Caterina	O
's	O
late	O
husband	O
showing	O
the	O
locations	O
of	O
Altaïr	O
's	O
Codex	O
pages	O
,	O
which	O
in	O
turn	O
lead	O
to	O
the	O
Vault	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1497	O
,	O
after	O
searching	O
for	O
Savonarola	O
and	O
the	O
Apple	O
for	O
nearly	O
a	O
decade	O
,	O
Ezio	O
tracks	O
them	O
down	O
to	O
Florence	B-Application
,	O
where	O
Savonarola	O
has	O
used	O
the	O
Apple	O
to	O
remove	O
the	O
Medici	O
from	O
power	O
and	O
take	O
over	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ubisoft	O
's	O
Yves	O
Guillemot	O
officially	O
confirmed	O
that	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
in	O
development	O
on	O
November	O
26	O
,	O
2008	O
,	O
during	O
the	O
company	O
's	O
financial	O
performance	O
report	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
promotional	O
video	O
was	O
released	O
by	O
Ubisoft	O
on	O
April	O
6	O
showing	O
a	O
skull	O
,	O
some	O
hidden	O
blade	O
designs	O
,	O
and	O
Leonardo	B-Application
da	I-Application
Vinci	I-Application
's	O
flying	O
machine	O
on	O
a	O
scroll	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
interview	O
in	O
May	O
2009	O
,	O
Sebastien	O
Puel	O
stated	O
that	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
working	O
on	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
had	O
increased	O
to	O
450	O
members	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
development	O
team	O
's	O
size	O
had	O
tripled	O
since	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
June	O
1	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
released	O
a	O
new	O
four-minute	O
cinematic	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
trailer	O
at	O
E3	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
announced	O
at	O
the	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
panel	O
at	O
Comic-Con	O
2009	O
that	O
a	O
live-action	O
mini-series	O
,	O
consisting	O
of	O
three	O
episodes	O
and	O
titled	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	O
Lineage	O
,	O
would	O
be	O
released	O
showing	O
the	O
events	O
leading	O
up	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
the	O
history	O
of	O
Ezio	O
and	O
his	O
father	O
Giovanni	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
also	O
revealed	O
that	O
the	O
humorist	O
Danny	O
Wallace	O
would	O
be	O
voicing	O
a	O
new	O
character	O
in	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	O
Shaun	O
Hastings	O
,	O
a	O
sarcastic	O
historian	O
assisting	O
Desmond	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
October	O
20	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
announced	O
a	O
series	O
of	O
short	O
films	O
,	O
to	O
be	O
broadcast	O
via	O
YouTube	B-General_Concept
,	O
that	O
would	O
provide	O
additional	O
back	O
story	O
and	O
the	O
introduction	O
of	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
characters	O
found	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
shorts	O
,	O
collectively	O
called	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	O
Lineage	O
,	O
came	O
in	O
three	O
parts	O
and	O
were	O
developed	O
by	O
Ubisoft	O
's	O
Hybride	O
Technologies	O
,	O
who	O
previously	O
worked	O
on	O
the	O
films	O
300	O
and	O
Sin	O
City	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
12	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
released	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
themed	O
virtual	O
items	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Protocol
Home	I-Protocol
to	O
promote	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
game	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	I-Application
Bloodlines	I-Application
for	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
.	O
</s>
<s>
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
virtual	O
items	O
and	O
an	O
Ezio	O
costume	O
were	O
also	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
Marketplace	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
's	O
avatars	B-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
November	O
19	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
more	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
virtual	O
items	O
were	O
released	O
in	O
PlayStation	B-Protocol
Home	I-Protocol
,	O
along	O
with	O
a	O
costume	O
for	O
Ezio	O
,	O
which	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
26	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
player	O
could	O
obtain	O
and	O
roam	O
PlayStation	B-Protocol
Home	I-Protocol
in	O
it	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
3	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
more	O
15th	O
century	O
Italian	O
renaissance	B-Application
themed	O
items	O
were	O
released	O
in	O
Home	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ezio	O
's	O
"	O
Purple	O
Assassin	O
"	O
costume	O
is	O
available	O
to	O
download	O
on	O
LittleBigPlanet	B-Application
,	O
as	O
of	O
December	O
8	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
is	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
to	O
be	O
linked	O
to	O
Ubisoft	O
's	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
feature	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Progression	O
through	O
the	O
game	O
allows	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
members	O
to	O
acquire	O
points	O
that	O
can	O
be	O
redeemed	O
for	O
bonuses	O
for	O
use	O
in	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
including	O
a	O
new	O
crypt	O
to	O
explore	O
and	O
an	O
Altaïr	O
costume	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
novel	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	O
Renaissance	B-Application
(	O
by	O
Oliver	O
Bowden	O
)	O
,	O
was	O
published	O
by	O
Penguin	O
Books	O
in	O
November	O
2009	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
part	O
of	O
this	O
campaign	O
,	O
PC	O
users	O
were	O
able	O
to	O
redeem	O
a	O
free	O
digital	O
copy	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
(	O
among	O
other	O
games	O
)	O
via	O
the	O
Ubisoft	O
website	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
There	O
are	O
several	O
different	O
limited	O
editions	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Included	O
also	O
are	O
three	O
bonus	O
areas	O
and	O
missions	O
,	O
an	O
art	O
book	O
,	O
a	O
DVD	O
with	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
soundtrack	O
,	O
one	O
premium	O
PS3/Xbox	O
360	O
theme	O
,	O
behind	O
the	O
scenes	O
videos	O
,	O
and	O
2	O
desktop	O
wallpapers	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
much	O
complaining	O
from	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
fans	O
that	O
they	O
were	O
unable	O
to	O
complete	O
the	O
game	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
need	O
to	O
complete	O
the	O
three	O
Templar	O
Lairs	O
(	O
only	O
available	O
on	O
the	O
"	O
White	O
"	O
or	O
"	O
Black	O
Edition	O
"	O
)	O
to	O
earn	O
100%	O
synchronization	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
released	O
"	O
The	O
Complete	O
Edition	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Included	O
in	O
the	O
package	O
are	O
download	O
codes	O
for	O
the	O
two	O
DLCs	B-Protocol
,	O
Battle	O
of	O
Forlì	O
and	O
Bonfire	O
of	O
the	O
Vanities	O
and	O
the	O
three	O
Templar	O
Lairs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Eventually	O
a	O
"	O
Deluxe	O
Edition	O
"	O
was	O
also	O
released	O
,	O
containing	O
the	O
three	O
bonus	O
areas	O
&	O
missions	O
and	O
the	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
Battle	O
of	O
Forlì	O
and	O
Bonfire	O
of	O
the	O
Vanities	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
"	O
Deluxe	O
Edition	O
"	O
as	O
of	O
now	O
is	O
available	O
only	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
through	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
and	O
PC	O
through	O
Epic	O
Games	O
Store	O
and	O
Steam	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Windows	O
version	O
now	O
requires	O
a	O
one-time	O
online	O
activation	O
,	O
after	O
which	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
its	O
activation	O
key	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
Account	O
will	O
be	O
bound	O
together	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
offline	O
,	O
even	O
with	O
the	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
Launcher	O
forced	O
to	O
run	O
in	O
Offline	O
Mode	O
in	O
the	O
Settings	O
Menu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Even	O
in	O
Offline	O
mode	O
,	O
users	O
can	O
log	O
in	O
into	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
,	O
provided	O
they	O
have	O
already	O
logged	O
in	O
online	O
with	O
a	O
legitimate	O
e-mail	O
account	O
when	O
they	O
started	O
using	O
the	O
software	O
for	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
score	O
to	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
composed	O
by	O
Jesper	O
Kyd	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
14	O
tracks	O
of	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
were	O
also	O
released	O
on	O
the	O
game	O
disc	O
available	O
with	O
the	O
special	O
pre-order	O
Black	O
edition	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
the	O
marketing	O
,	O
"	O
Genesis	O
"	O
by	O
Justice	O
was	O
used	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Visions	O
of	O
Venice	B-Application
"	O
trailer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
On	O
December	O
1	O
,	O
2009	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
announced	O
The	O
Battle	O
of	O
Forlì	O
,	O
the	O
first	O
of	O
several	O
downloadable	B-Protocol
content	I-Protocol
(	O
DLC	B-Protocol
)	O
expansions	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
versions	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Intended	O
to	O
flesh	O
out	O
Forlì	O
and	O
the	O
character	O
of	O
Caterina	O
Sforza	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
only	O
a	O
minor	O
role	O
in	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
DLC	B-Protocol
was	O
released	O
on	O
January	O
28	O
,	O
2010	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
followed	O
by	O
Bonfire	O
of	O
the	O
Vanities	O
on	O
February	O
18	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
which	O
sees	O
Ezio	O
returning	O
to	O
Florence	B-Application
to	O
deal	O
with	O
Girolamo	O
Savonarola	O
during	O
the	O
mass	O
burning	O
of	O
sinful	O
objects	O
in	O
the	O
city	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
is	O
because	O
the	O
two	O
sequences	O
were	O
originally	O
intended	O
to	O
be	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
,	O
but	O
were	O
cut	O
due	O
to	O
time	O
constraints	O
and	O
later	O
released	O
as	O
DLC	B-Protocol
.	O
</s>
<s>
For	O
example	O
,	O
The	O
Battle	O
of	O
Forlì	O
features	O
a	O
replayable	O
memory	O
(	O
the	O
only	O
one	O
in	O
the	O
entire	O
game	O
)	O
of	O
Ezio	O
piloting	O
Leonardo	O
's	O
flying	O
machine	O
over	O
Forlì	O
,	O
and	O
Bonfire	O
of	O
the	O
Vanities	O
adds	O
in	O
Florence	B-Application
's	O
southern	O
district	O
(	O
which	O
is	O
inaccessible	O
in	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Subsequent	O
re-releases	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
include	O
both	O
expansions	O
,	O
without	O
the	O
possibility	O
of	O
skipping	O
them	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ubisoft	O
's	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
system	O
enables	O
further	O
in-game	O
enhancements	O
which	O
can	O
be	O
redeemed	O
by	O
points	O
that	O
are	O
given	O
when	O
playing	O
the	O
game	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
available	O
awards	O
are	O
an	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
theme	O
or	O
wallpaper	O
for	O
PC	O
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
,	O
five	O
additional	O
throwing	O
knives	O
,	O
Altaïr	O
's	O
outfit	O
and	O
the	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
exclusive	O
Auditore	O
Family	O
Crypt	O
map	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
These	O
three	O
dungeons	O
—	O
Palazzo	O
Medici	O
,	O
Basilica	O
di	O
Santa	O
Maria	O
Gloriosa	O
dei	O
Frari	O
and	O
Arsenale	O
di	O
Venezia	O
—	O
similar	O
to	O
the	O
base	O
game	O
's	O
Assassin	O
Tombs	O
but	O
without	O
special	O
rewards	O
other	O
than	O
treasure	O
,	O
were	O
originally	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
Black	O
Edition	O
"	O
(	O
European	O
and	O
Australian	O
release	O
)	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
with	O
one	O
included	O
in	O
the	O
"	O
White	O
Edition	O
"	O
and	O
two	O
in	O
the	O
North	O
American	O
"	O
Master	O
Assassin	O
's	O
Edition	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ubisoft	O
subsequently	O
offered	O
them	O
as	O
DLC	B-Protocol
via	O
PlayStation	B-Device
Network	I-Device
and	O
Xbox	B-Application
Live	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
costume	O
dye	O
is	O
unlocked	O
by	O
entering	O
a	O
code	O
obtained	O
after	O
buying	O
the	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
3D	O
mobile	O
game	O
from	O
the	O
Verizon	O
App	O
Store	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Upon	O
release	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
received	O
universal	O
acclaim	O
on	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
with	O
generally	O
favourable	O
reviews	O
on	O
PC	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Review	O
aggregator	O
site	O
Metacritic	O
gave	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
version	O
a	O
score	O
of	O
91	O
and	O
the	B-Operating_System
Xbox	I-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
version	O
a	O
90	O
,	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
highest-rated	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
franchise	O
on	O
the	O
site	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
an	O
exclusive	O
review	O
by	O
Official	O
Xbox	B-Device
Magazine	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
scored	O
9/10	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
According	O
to	O
pre-official	O
sales	O
estimates	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
announced	O
that	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
sold	O
1.6	O
million	O
copies	O
worldwide	O
during	O
its	O
first	O
week	O
of	O
sale	O
,	O
representing	O
a	O
32	O
percent	O
increase	O
over	O
the	O
first	O
week	O
retail	O
performance	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
At	O
the	O
2009	O
Spike	O
Video	O
Game	O
Awards	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
was	O
named	O
Best	O
Action	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
,	O
and	O
IGN	O
named	O
it	O
as	O
the	O
Action	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
for	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Game	O
Informer	O
also	O
named	O
it	O
as	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
has	O
been	O
nominated	O
for	O
the	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Animation	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Art	O
Direction	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Visual	O
Engineering	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Gameplay	O
Engineering	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Original	O
Story	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Original	O
Music	O
Composition	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Sound	O
Design	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Outstanding	O
Achievement	O
in	O
Game	O
Direction	O
"	O
,	O
"	O
Adventure	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
and	O
"	O
Game	O
of	O
the	O
Year	O
"	O
at	O
the	O
Interactive	O
Achievement	O
Awards	O
(	O
now	O
known	O
as	O
the	O
D.I.C.E.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
April	O
2020	O
,	O
Game	O
Informer	O
ranked	O
the	O
game	O
as	O
the	O
fifth	O
best	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
series	O
to	O
date	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Windows	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
uses	O
Ubisoft	O
's	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
platform	O
,	O
which	O
includes	O
a	O
digital	O
rights	O
management	O
(	O
DRM	O
)	O
system	O
that	O
initially	O
required	O
all	O
users	O
to	O
remain	O
connected	O
to	O
the	O
Internet	O
while	O
playing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
,	O
the	O
company	O
argued	O
that	O
there	O
were	O
numerous	O
checkpoints	O
spread	O
throughout	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
During	O
the	O
following	O
weekend	O
,	O
the	O
DRM	O
servers	O
for	O
Silent	B-Application
Hunter	I-Application
5	I-Application
and	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
were	O
,	O
according	O
to	O
Ubisoft	O
,	O
affected	O
by	O
a	O
denial-of-service	O
attack	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Following	O
the	O
series	O
of	O
server	O
outages	O
,	O
Ubisoft	O
offered	O
owners	O
of	O
the	O
Windows	O
version	O
all	O
DLC	B-Protocol
from	O
the	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
Black	O
Edition	O
(	O
despite	O
already	O
having	O
the	O
Battle	O
of	O
Forli	O
and	O
Bonfire	O
of	O
the	O
Vanities	O
DLC	B-Protocol
incorporated	O
into	O
the	O
story	O
mode	O
from	O
the	O
beginning	O
by	O
default	O
)	O
,	O
or	O
a	O
free	O
copy	O
of	O
Heroes	B-Application
Over	I-Application
Europe	I-Application
,	O
Tom	B-Application
Clancy	I-Application
's	I-Application
EndWar	I-Application
,	O
Tom	B-Application
Clancy	I-Application
's	I-Application
H.A.W.X	I-Application
,	O
or	O
Prince	B-Application
of	I-Application
Persia	I-Application
(	O
2008	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Windows	O
version	O
now	O
requires	O
a	O
one-time	O
online	O
activation	O
,	O
after	O
which	O
the	O
game	O
,	O
its	O
activation	O
key	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
Account	O
will	O
be	O
bound	O
together	O
and	O
the	O
game	O
can	O
be	O
played	O
offline	O
,	O
even	O
with	O
the	O
Uplay	B-Operating_System
Launcher	O
forced	O
to	O
run	O
in	O
Offline	O
Mode	O
in	O
the	O
Settings	O
Menu	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
same	O
rule	O
for	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
on	O
PC	O
now	O
applies	O
to	O
any	O
Ubisoft	O
game	O
on	O
PC	O
that	O
once	O
required	O
a	O
persistent	O
online	O
connection	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
none	O
of	O
these	O
changes	O
affected	O
the	O
Mac	B-Operating_System
OS	I-Operating_System
X	I-Operating_System
version	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
which	O
still	O
requires	O
a	O
constant	O
Internet	O
connection	O
and	O
players	O
still	O
lose	O
progress	O
if	O
the	O
Internet	O
connection	O
is	O
disrupted	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Discussions	O
about	O
details	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
III	I-Application
were	O
already	O
present	O
before	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
,	O
with	O
the	O
game	O
staff	O
's	O
notion	O
of	O
possibly	O
having	O
a	O
female	O
descendant	O
in	O
England	O
during	O
World	O
War	O
II	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Ubisoft	O
's	O
Philippe	O
Bergeron	O
stated	O
that	O
potential	O
settings	O
could	O
include	O
England	O
in	O
the	O
Middle	O
Ages	O
,	O
during	O
the	O
era	O
of	O
King	B-Application
Arthur	I-Application
,	O
and	O
feudal	O
Japan	O
,	O
the	O
latter	O
of	O
which	O
had	O
been	O
a	O
"	O
personal	O
favorite	O
"	O
of	O
many	O
in	O
the	O
staff	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
on	O
March	O
1	O
,	O
2012	O
,	O
the	O
setting	O
for	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
III	I-Application
was	O
revealed	O
to	O
be	O
colonial	O
Boston	O
during	O
the	O
American	O
Revolution	O
,	O
starring	O
a	O
Native	O
American	O
protagonist	O
named	O
Ratonhnaké:ton	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Two	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
games	O
were	O
released	O
concurrently	O
with	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	I-Application
Bloodlines	I-Application
and	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
:	I-Application
Discovery	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
direct	O
sequel	O
,	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
:	I-Application
Brotherhood	I-Application
was	O
released	O
on	O
November	O
16	O
,	O
2010	O
,	O
for	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
3	I-Operating_System
and	O
Xbox	B-Operating_System
360	I-Operating_System
,	O
continuing	O
directly	O
after	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Assassin	B-Application
's	I-Application
Creed	I-Application
II	I-Application
.	O
</s>
