Fans of Assassins Creed 2 may be aware of the missing 12th and 13th sequences in the game. While leaving the game incomplete is bizarre and frustrating, Ubisoft’s official statement blamed shortage of time for the missing sequences, adding that they would be released as future DLC. Now, almost two months later, the first instalment or sequence 12, named The Battle of Forli, is out. So is it really worth the extra money?
The Battle of Forli picks up right after Ezio joins the Order of the Assassins. Remember Caterina Sforza, the flirtatious woman you met at the docks outside Forli just before leaving for Venice? Teaming up with Machiavelli, Ezio must protect Caterina and the town of Forli from an assault. The Orsi brothers are leading the attack and it is up to you to stop them. Things heat up even more when Ezio realises that the attack may have been a decoy set up by the Spaniard in order to get his hands on the Piece of Eden.
[singlepic id=1784 w=450 float=center]
The episode offers a mix of combat and stealth. Initially you will be required to protect Caterina and Machiavelli from a horde of enemy soldiers and escort them safely into Forli. So expect a lot of bloodshed. The second half of the episode requires you to leave the city for an urgent assassination mission, which is easily the best part of the chapter. But while these missions may be fun at times, the experience is short lived. It won’t take you more than an hour to go through the entire sequence and since you can’t replay any story missions, once it’s over, it’s really over unless you start the entire game again.
The story takes a bit of an interesting turn at times and tries to fill in the missing part of the main story while setting you up nicely for the next chapter – The Bonfire of Vanities. The voice acting and presentation are more or less the same. The episode unfortunately does not offer any new weapons, enemies, places to explore or even Trophies/Achievements. It does, however, offer a special mission that allows you to have access to Da Vinci’s flying machine. So if you happened to miss out on the ‘kick a guard from the flying machine’ Achievement/Trophy, then this is your chance.
[singlepic id=1783 w=450 float=center]
Conclusion
On its own, The Battle of Forli is a bit disappointing and leaves you wanting more. The episode sets you up nicely for the next sequence, which makes you wonder why Ubisoft didn’t release both together at a higher price. But having said that, Assassins Creed 2 is a great game and getting the opportunity to play the game again will certainly excite fans. Priced at 320 Microsoft Points or $3.99 on the PSN Store, it is quite easy on the pocket. So if you are itching to play the game again, then you should check this out.
(+) Fun while it lasts
(+) Reasonably cheap
(-) Barely an hour long
(-) No new Achievements/Trophies
Title: Assassin’s Creed 2: The Battle of Forli
Developer/Publisher: Ubisoft Montreal/Ubisoft
Genre: Action-adventure
Rating: 18
Platforms: Xbox 360 via Xbox LIVE (320 MS Points), PS3 via PSN Store ($3.99)
Reviewed on: Xbox 360
Join the discussion at the IndianVideoGamer Community forums
