Assassin’s Creed II (Speciální Limitovaná 3 Disková Edice)

Assassin’s Creed II is an action-adventure game set in Renaissance Italy during the late 15th century, where players control Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young nobleman who joins the Assassin Brotherhood after his family’s betrayal and murder by corrupt Templars. As Ezio seeks vengeance and uncovers ancient secrets related to the eternal conflict between Assassins and Templars, players navigate bustling cities like Florence, Venice, and Rome, employing stealth, combat, and parkour to assassinate targets and unravel a conspiracy that spans history and the modern day through the Animus device.

Assassin’s Creed II (Speciální Limitovaná 3 Disková Edice): Review

Introduction

In the annals of video game history, few titles have redefined open-world exploration and historical fiction quite like Assassin’s Creed II. Released in 2009 as a cornerstone of Ubisoft’s ambitious franchise, the game transported players to the vibrant chaos of Renaissance Italy, blending parkour-fueled action with a conspiracy-laden narrative. But this review focuses on the Speciální Limitovaná 3 Disková Edice—a special limited 3-disc edition for Windows, launched in March 2010 by Ubisoft Entertainment SA. This Czech-localized collector’s item elevates the core experience with tangible extras: the full Assassin’s Creed II game, a DVD of the prequel short film Assassin’s Creed: Lineage complete with a behind-the-scenes documentary, and a bonus disc packed with highlights from the series’ past and future. As a game historian, I argue that this edition isn’t just a repackaged hit; it’s a time capsule of Ubisoft’s early 2010s multimedia empire-building, offering fans deeper immersion into the Assassin’s Creed lore at a pivotal moment when the franchise was exploding from cult curiosity to global phenomenon. This review dissects its components exhaustively, revealing why it remains a must-have artifact for enthusiasts.

Development History & Context

The Speciální Limitovaná 3 Disková Edice emerges from Ubisoft Montreal’s storied development pipeline, where Assassin’s Creed II itself was born in 2008-2009 amid the studio’s push to refine the formula established by the original 2007 game. Directed by Patrice Désilets, the vision was bold: address the first game’s repetitive missions and limited world by crafting a sprawling, era-specific adventure in Renaissance Italy. The team, including writers like Darby McDevitt, drew from historical consultants to authenticate settings like Florence and Venice, while leveraging AnvilNext engine precursors to enable seamless parkour and crowd simulations—technological feats constrained by Xbox 360 and PS3 hardware limits of the era.

By March 2010, when this edition hit Windows PCs in the Czech market, the gaming landscape was shifting. Ubisoft was capitalizing on the franchise’s momentum post-launch success, with Assassin’s Creed II having sold millions and earned Game of the Year nods. This special edition reflects localization strategies in Eastern Europe, where physical media bundles were prized amid growing PC piracy concerns. The inclusion of Lineage—a 36-minute live-action short directed by Desmond Norville, produced as a direct-to-video prelude starring Ezio Auditore’s father—highlights Ubisoft’s multimedia ambitions, shot in 2009 to bridge cinematic and interactive storytelling. The bonus DVD, teasing games like Brotherhood (2010) and beyond, underscores the era’s trend toward transmedia franchises, influenced by Hollywood’s reboot craze and competitors like Uncharted. Technological constraints, such as DVD capacity limits (these discs maxed out at standard single-layer specs), forced curation of highlights, but it positioned this edition as a gateway for European fans into the series’ expanding universe, amid a market dominated by annual blockbusters and the rise of digital distribution.

Narrative & Thematic Deep Dive

At its heart, Assassin’s Creed II—the edition’s core offering—weaves a dual-layered tale of personal vendetta and ancient conspiracy, themes amplified by the extras in this 3-disc set. The plot follows Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young noble whose family is betrayed and executed by Templar agents in 1476 Florence. Guided by mentor Giovanni (explored in depth via the Lineage DVD), Ezio rises from vengeful youth to master assassin, allying with historical icons like Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli across 15th-century Italy. The modern-day frame, involving descendant Desmond Miles reliving memories via the Animus, ties into Templar-Assassin conflicts over Pieces of Eden, culminating in revelations about humanity’s origins.

Characters are richly drawn: Ezio’s arc from impulsive hothead to philosophical guardian embodies themes of free will versus predestination, echoing Renaissance humanism. Dialogue crackles with wit—Ezio’s banter with Leonardo, voiced by Canadian actor Roger Craig Smith, blends historical accuracy with levity, while subtitles in Czech (likely included in this edition) make it accessible without diluting the script’s poetic flair. Underlying motifs probe power’s corrupting influence: the Templars’ quest for control mirrors real papal corruptions, while Assassins champion liberty, drawing parallels to Italy’s fractured city-states. The Lineage DVD adds layers, detailing Giovanni’s 1501 missions against Borgia spies; its documentary dissects creation challenges, like casting period-accurate actors and syncing with game lore, revealing how it humanizes the Auditore lineage. Themes of legacy persist—the bonus DVD’s highlights preview Brotherhood‘s Rome conquest, reinforcing the franchise’s cyclical vendettas. Flaws emerge in pacing: side quests can feel narratively thin, but the edition’s extras mitigate this by providing canonical depth, making the story feel like a serialized epic rather than isolated game.

Gameplay Mechanics & Systems

Assassin’s Creed II‘s mechanics revolutionized action-adventure, and this edition faithfully delivers the PC-optimized build with mouse/keyboard controls and mod-friendly files. Core loops revolve around freerunning traversal—Ezio’s fluid parkour system, using high-profile (overhead) and low-profile (blending) mechanics, lets players scale cathedrals or leap between rooftops with intuitive counter-counter systems. Combat evolves from the original’s button-mashing to a one-button execution chain: counter enemy strikes with timed parries, then assassinate in brutal finishers using hidden blades, swords, or improvised weapons like benches. Progression ties to a robust economy—collect feathers for map reveals, invest in Monteriggioni villa upgrades via Leonardo’s inventions (e.g., dual blades or poison darts), and synchronize viewpoints for eagle-vision scanning.

The UI is minimalist yet effective: a radial menu for weapons, DNA strands for skill trees unlocking health/smoke bombs, and a notch-based notoriety system where guards hunt based on reputation, encouraging desynchronization (reload) or blending. Innovative systems shine in naval missions (brief but tense) and tomb puzzles—platforming challenges guarding Assassin seals that boost upgrades. Flaws persist: repetitive tailing missions and occasional AI glitches in crowds persist on PC without modern patches. The edition’s value lies in its completeness—no DLC required—plus the DVDs, which indirectly enhance replayability by contextualizing mechanics like the hidden blade’s origins in Lineage. Overall, it’s a tight loop of exploration (80% of playtime), combat (15%), and narrative beats, with the PC version’s higher resolution amplifying immersion over console ports.

World-Building, Art & Sound

This edition immerses players in a meticulously recreated Renaissance Italy, from Florence’s Duomo to Venice’s fog-shrouded canals, where art direction fuses historical fidelity with fantastical flair. Visuals, powered by the Anvil engine, render bustling markets with thousands of NPCs simulating daily life—vendors hawk wares, scholars debate—creating a living tapestry. Art style evokes oil paintings: warm terracotta hues at dusk, intricate fresco details in Da Vinci’s workshop, and dynamic weather affecting stealth (rain slicks roofs for slippery climbs). The Lineage DVD’s live-action footage complements this, showing real-world inspirations like Italian villas, while the bonus disc’s montages preview visually bolder sequels.

Sound design elevates the atmosphere: Jesper Kyd’s orchestral score blends choral chants with electronic pulses, syncing to eagle-vision dives or combat flourishes—think haunting strings during Auditore family tragedy. Voice acting is stellar, with Ezio’s Italian-inflected English (or localized Czech dubs if included) conveying gravitas; ambient sounds—clanging bells, murmuring crowds—forge authenticity. These elements synergize: a synchronized viewpoint reveals panoramic vistas, Kyd’s crescendo swells, pulling players into the era’s philosophical ferment. Minor critiques: texture pop-in during fast traversal, a 2009-era limitation, but the edition’s soundtrack media tie-in (links to Spotify/Apple) extends the auditory experience post-playthrough.

Reception & Legacy

Upon its 2009 launch, Assassin’s Creed II garnered near-universal acclaim, scoring 90+ on Metacritic for revolutionizing open-world design—praised for narrative depth and traversal, critiqued mildly for repetition. Commercial triumph followed: over 8 million units sold by 2010, fueling Ubisoft’s annualization strategy. This 2010 Windows edition, while niche for Czech collectors, rode that wave without dedicated reviews (MobyGames notes none), but its physical extras appealed to an era pre-digital dominance, emphasizing tangible value amid Splinter Cell and Far Cry bundles.

Legacy endures: it birthed the Ezio trilogy, influencing Watch Dogs and Far Cry series’ worlds. Industry-wide, it popularized historical parkour (echoed in Shadow of Mordor), while Lineage pioneered game tie-in films, inspiring Warcraft (2016). Reputation has solidified as a high-water mark—remastered in 2016’s Ezio Collection—its themes of resistance resonating in modern discourse. For collectors, this edition symbolizes peak physical media, preserving a moment when games felt like epic artifacts.

Conclusion

The Speciální Limitovaná 3 Disková Edice of Assassin’s Creed II transcends its base game by bundling a landmark title with lore-expanding extras, capturing Ubisoft’s 2010 vision of interconnected storytelling. From Ezio’s poignant journey to innovative mechanics and evocative Renaissance splendor, it delivers a masterclass in immersive design, tempered by era-specific limitations. As a historian, I verdict it an enduring classic: 9.5/10, essential for understanding gaming’s narrative evolution and a testament to physical editions’ charm in a digital age. If you’re a franchise devotee, hunt this rarity—it’s more than a game; it’s history in three discs.