One of the first things you can distinguish as you enter the E3 is a gigantic poster for Ubisoft's Assassin's Creed II, the recently announced action adventure and the sequel to the publisher's top-selling game from 2007. When Ubi officially confirmed the project, they didn't give us much info, aside from what we were able to scrape from various gaming mag previews and teaser trailers. Even so, there are a few known facts, such as the name of the main character, some of the gameplay innovations lined-up for the sequel, change of scenery (and a different era) and so on. We got a glimpse of the first actual trailer, which gave us a better idea of what's in store for gamers. Still, no gameplay was shown until now.

Hope he doesn't hit pavement...

The portion of Assassin's Creed II demoed at the show took place in Venice 1486. Ezio, the main character, goes on an assassination mission and his target is one Carlo Grimalde, described as one of the most influential men in the city. The nighttime level on display showcased large groups of people dancing and enjoying the city festival. As Ezio moves through the crowd, he seeks the prefect hiding spots to go past guards unnoticed. It's been made clear that at least 8 people have to be in a group in order for Ezio to conceal himself.

The change of scenery agrees with the sequel. It doesn't feel like any of the towns or places we've visited in the first game. Vibrant colors from fireworks and all sorts of additions to the backdrop were thrown in. The difference in architecture is noticeable. The developers obviously boosted the main character's interactivity with the living world and objects. Furthermore, this game is definitely an improvement over what we've seen in the first title. In fact, it's positively one of the most convincing depictions of a real-life environment we've ever seen in a video game.

Now, as for Ezio's endeavors, you'd be glad to know that the mission handler from the first game is gone. You don't have to run to him for instructions, advice or permission to carry out tasks. This diminishes the previous game's repetitive mission structure. Any crucial info is collected along the way, as you make your way towards the target. Killing enemies silently is, of course, the best way to keep a low profile. This hero seems to handle silent assassin moves faster and a bit more skillfully than Altair. We've particularly enjoyed the double assassin moves, as Ezio dexterously and stealthily takes out two guards at the same time.

The gameplay offers a range of new moves for gamers to utilize both in combat and during assassination attempts. The main character has a similar fighting style to Altair's and we've seen a few cool counter-attacks as Ezio fought a group of guards. If you see a weapon wielded by the enemy, you can snatch it from them with a speedy attack and then use it in battle. As for swimming, yes, it is in included. Ezio wasn't shown swimming during the demo, although he makes a quick leap into the water just at the very end of the presentation (we assume he survives this time... ;)). There was also a brief flight sequence, as the daring assassin hovers above Venice using Da Vinci's flying machine. It didn't appear to involve too much interaction aside from steering, albeit it did look impressive.

The best part is that if feels different, it looks different, but actually plays similarly to the original, so experienced gamers shouldn't have any trouble getting into the parkour-style mechanics.

Assassin's Creed II has tremendous potential. At this stage, it appears to be very well done. It's a game that certainly promises to deliver greater variety in terms of combat and mission structure. Keep an eye out for this one during Fall 2009.