Assassin's Creed 2: The Review

I love video games. One of my dream jobs is to work in the video game industry. I could sweep Sony's floors part-time as long as they hook me up with video gaming gear (just kidding. I gots to get that paper too ya know). But you get the idea.

I have this fixation for gaming ever since I laid my hands on a Game Boy. That's right. The thick, white piece of plastic which got me addicted to Tetris. I even remember renting games from ACA Video (old skooool). I have moved with the times since then (I'll post on this soon, gotta get my facts straight), and now I've owned a PS3 for the past year or so.


Speaking of the PS3, it gave us, the gamers, one of THE BEST sequels EVER (Uncharted 2, GoW2, and tons of other sequels included).

See? Even The Louis Vuitton Don agrees with me.

On to the good part. I'll try not to post any spoilers.



Assassin's Creed was first unleashed onto the gaming world last 2007. To be honest it only got average reviews. It's strong points consisted of the great parkour aspect, the stealth as an alternative to head-on combat, it's violent nature, the amazing portrayal of Crusade-period-Middle Eastern cities, and last but definitely not the least, it's rich story both bridging the past with a more futuristic present.


Unfortunately it had its quirks, the worst being its VERY (understatement of the year) repetitive nature which gets boring over time. Without spilling any beans, the game will only let you complete a mission once you perform mini-missions which were pretty much the same for each major mission. Ugh.

At the end of the day, AC was an amazing experience. I lost track of how many times I played this just to relieve some work-related stress. Killing digital soldiers with the famed Hidden Blade WITH stealh was very rewarding, at least to my mood.

Pictured: Not a stealthy approach

AC2 continues the story from the first but does away with the boring narrative. You are shot into the action as the game starts. Also, your in-Animus avatar is changed. You are no longer living Altair's life, but another of Desmond's forefathers, this time a nobleman from Renaissance Italy. However, one major improvement from the first game can be highlighted here. In AC1, you are immediately thrusted into Altaïr ibn La-Ahad's life as a Master Assassin; you have all the equipment, skills, and know-how you need in order to proceed. In AC2 however, you start out as a bratty Ezio Auditore de Firenze and you GROW into an Assassin, rather than already experiencing being one. It's a nice change and it enables the player to have a bigger connection to the character; you literally live as the character in the game.


Present day events have been given more gameplay segments as well; you get to explore as Desmond Miles for a while. Which is good, because you can talk to Lucy Stillman (Kristen Bell) more.

If angels were real, this is how one would look like.

I'd like to say it: I have the biggest crush on Kristen Bell. I'd choose her over anyone, ANY DAY. Write that down. I just have this thing for smart, petite women. Moving on...



Another improvement they made is in the area of combat and movement. Gone are the days when you are frustrated that your characted climbs or moves in a funky manner. They added new animations and improved the parkour mechanics to make it seem more natural. Sure they might have messed up in some parts of it but no one can be perfect right? Most of the time you won't be able to notice them anyway so it's all good.

Combat has been changed as well. You now have more weapons to use. You can even disarm your opponents now! Fighting is also harder so you have to be smarter. Unfortunately it still isn't enough a challenge as I hoped it would be. But being unarmed and just killing your enemies with their own weapons, especially with all 20+ weapons having their own unique animation kills, is fun on its own.


One of the biggest improvements they made is to remove the repetitiveness of AC1. The previous game's mission structure went like this: Go to a new city > do mini-missions > Kill main target. So boring that you just wish the killing would just hurry the eff on. Although it's unique, it's not really that good. An assassin running around the city capturing flags? Why can't he just go to the damn temple and kill somebody? Please. He's an assassin for crying out loud.

AC1's mission structure in a nutshell.

AC2 did away with the boring mission structure and did what every sandbox game does: give you a marker for a required mission and gets the hell out of your way in case you wanted to explore. A bit conventional, but it works, especially since...


AC2 now has a lot of extra things to collect! For those who want to get 100% completion, this is for you. Italy now has a lot of little trinkets for you to find. Without mentioning spoilers, some of these are:


1) Assassin Tombs. There are 6 of them. Exploring these tombs and getting the special item within will enable you to get the strongest armor in the game.


2) Codex pages. These pages will expand the story and give you a better understanding of what happened after the 1st game and this one.


3) Treasure Chests. Hidden throughout Italy, it's your job to find 300+ of them.



There's more, but these things will spoil the story, so buy the game and find out for yourself.



AC2 also now has an in-game economy system. You need money to buy healing items, ammunition (yes you have a gun), armor, and weapons, among other things. This is for the collector in you.


With the fixing and enhancing of some mechanics from the first game, this game is a total masterpiece. The first one was good, but this one has a larger scope which was masterfully implemented.

Unfortunately, this game (as with any computer program in existence) suffers from some bugs and quirks as well: The draw distance is not that far, which requires you to move closer to a location in order to see the hidden items you are looking for (thank goodness for Eagle Vision), I have seen enemy soldiers walk on thin air during battle sequences, which makes it really unfair in a way. But you're a skillfull assassin with a lot of advantages, so I guess that's karma for you. Also the AI can be very annoying sometimes. For example, I hired some thieves, and they keep falling onto the Venice water when following me while I cross a piece of rope. And as I've said, this game is not that hard. However, the good outweighs the bad and does a good job of covering it up.




All in all, I give this game a:



Rating 4.5/5 a.k.a. Get your ass off your computer and buy this game (available for PS3, X360, and PC)





I can't wait for the 3rd (and last, from what I've heard) in the Desmond Miles storyline. Unfortunately, that means no more Kristen Bell...awww dammit.

I'm speechless...lol

UFC 107 Predictions and Observations

Ok so I just finished watching the Countdown to UFC 107 on UFC's official website and I observed some things:

1) With Marv Marinovich's conditioning program, BJ Penn's movement is more fluid and more explosive, and he's gonna tear Diego Sanchez a new a-hole. Just look at his new look:

BJ Penn's training gave him a more refined look.

2) Sanchez reminds me of a young Manny Pacquiao during his Blow-by-Blow days (Mannyyyy Paccquiiaaoooo........Pacquiaooooo): he rushes in the middle of the ring, peppers his opponents with punches, and hopes that he gets a TKO or KO. While it has worked so far in his career earning him numerous decision wins, he also has shown that unlike the Pacman, he has trouble finishing opponents off. He might have a very strong chin, but his KO power is suspect.

3) Frank Mir looks bigger. He realized that in order to have a chance at an improved Brock Lesnar, he needs to put on some size so that he won't get ground-raped again. Let's see the impact of his size gain on his already suspect cardio.

4) Mir's striking has improved. Joining Team Sityodtong and getting Mark Delagrotte as a coach will do that. Just look at Kenny Florian when he was there.

Kenny Florian pre-BJ Penn ass whupping.

So here are my predictions for this Saturday's (Sunday AM in Manila) UFC 107


1. Paul Buentello vs. Stefan Struve.


This was orignally Buentello vs. Todd Duffee. If you don't know who Duffee is, he's the dude who won his last fight by KO IN 7 SECONDS. Anyway he got injured and replace by another dude who likes to finish fights. And boy he finishes them quickly.


Here's the thing. Buentello is a Kickboxer. Struve can strike but prefers to use his jiu-jitsu. Style conflict? Only half of the story.

Kicks are used to:

a) Maintain distance from the opponent while delivering solid offense

b) Set up a leg kick-punch combination

c) Knock people the f out with head kicks (Cro Cop) , body kicks (El Guapo Rutten), or leg kicks (Brandon Vera) . Let's hope Buentello has good leg kicks. After all, he's gonna have some trouble getting a head kick KO against Struve, who's nearly 7-feet tall:

Pictured: Kickboxer vs. Tall guy.

Although Struve took this fight on a short notice, I have him by a KO win. Just too big and I'm sure he'll use his ground game to his advantage.



2. Kenny Florian vs. Clay Guida


I like watching these two guys fight (Guida especially) since they both have superb conditioning and a lot of heart. However, Guida hasn't really shown that he belongs in the LHW elite while Florian is looking to rebound from his 4th round murder by BJ Penn.

I'm looking at the fight to go to the ground with Florian using what Firas Zahabi taught him. After all, improvement in his ground game is the reason why he's joined Tri-Star Gym and train with GSP right?

Florian himself said it: He finishes fights. However, Guida has too much of a heart and a solid chin, and Florian too little KO power for this to not go the distance. I expect an all-out war with Florian winning by UD, and a lot of man-lovin being spread across the octagon.


3. Jon Fitch vs. Mike Pierce

Jon Fitch is one talented dude. He looked very good against GSP. He's been on the road to redemption ever since, using his superior technique to rack them points up.

Mike Pierce is a UFC newbie who won his first match in the Octagon. However, since the UFC WW division is running out of challengers to GSP, I see a very motivated Fitch taking this by UD.

Looking forward, GSP will destroy Dan Hardy, then Kos, then be set-up with another battle with Fitch. After that I hope a Penn-St.Pierre 3 happens.



4. Frank Mir vs. Cheick Kongo.


This is an easy prediction. Mir can't strike while Congo has no ground game. However, I expect Mir to pull a Tim Sylvia on this one and win by submission.


After the fight, I'm sure Mir will be talking a lot of trash to Mr. Lesnar. I don't know why he wants to do that though, I'm sure he doesn't want his face looking like this again.

Brock Lesnar's day job is rearranging faces. Coz he's a heel. Get it?

5. BJ Penn vs. Diego Sanchez

The main event. Nothing needs to be stressed more than the fact that BJ Penn is much more talented than Diego Sanchez. Sure "The Nightmare" is very relentless and has machine guns for arms but all fight fans know that if Sanchez keeps on throwing punches all night long he will either

a) get countered and be dropped

or

b) get taken down and submitted


He's the bigger dude in this fight, but it isn't time for Penn to relinquish the belt and fight GSP yet. I still want to see him destroy Maynard, Frankie Edgar, and Shinya Aoki (if ever he heads to the UFC).

BJ Penn by submission. This WILL be the fight of the night.

Yes, I am a HUGE BJ Penn fan, but logic dictates that he is the more superior fighter. After all, he'll fight you to the death (0:08 mark).

This Layout Sucks, I Know

Yeah this layout sucks. Unfortunately I didn't have the time last night to photoshop a banner (I already have the design :) ). Expect it to be up tomorrow. Until then, I guess the updates will have to do. I'm in the process of coming up with a couple as of this moment. Why do I have so much time? Secret.

The Hendo Effect

Ok so after weeks of negotiations and numerous reports already posted predating the actual signing, Dan Henderson has officially signed with Strikeforce. For those not familiar with MMA, or associate MMA with purely the UFC, Strikeforce is somewhat the #2 MMA promotion in North America. It's the MBA to the PBA, the D-League to the NBA, TNA to the WWE. In short, it's where UFC-rejects (with a few exceptions, I will detail this in a while so chill.) come to fight.

I will say this is a big signing for Strikeforce, as it really beefs up its (thin) roster and creates some interesting fights.

This isn't a big loss for the UFC. Its middleweight division, although ruled by some thin, Brazilian dude, has some talent in it. Hendo was supposed to challenge Anderson Silva, but Dana White felt Vitor Belfort (a man Hendo already beat) should get the first shot, given that he just murdered Jim Ca...oh yeah, Rich Franklin.

How do you say L-Ooo-S-EERR in Portuguese?

Also, Silva hasn't been tested well on the feet and The Phenom would do just that. So what happened after this was announced?

Hendo signed a 4-fight, 16-month contract with SF. Being a fight fan, these are some matchups that I want to see:

1. Hendo vs. Cung Le

Cung Le is undefeated. He's a striker. He moonlights as a movie star (?). He's never fought an elite wrestler before. This will be 3 rounds of ground rape en route to a Hendo GNP win.

2 . Hendo vs. Robbie Lawler

Lawler (they say he's part Filipino, but he looks like BJ Penn) is a UFC vet with a penchant for knocking people on their asses. He was a former SF Middleweight champ but lost to eventual champ Shields. He trains with Matt Hughes at H.I.T. Squad so you know he SHOULD know how to wrestle. But hey, Hendo knows how to knock people out too, just ask Mike Bisping:

Another picture from the revolution.

I'm a fan of Lawler and I'd like him to get a shot at Anderson Silva but I see this as a UD loss for Lawler.


3. Hendo vs. Renato "Babalu" Sobral

No, this isn't the dude who usually provides comic relief in Filipino movies, but he got his nickname from a brand of bubblegum he chews.

Not Pictured: Babalu the fighter.

If Hendo decides to go the LHW route, he'll probably get this man first. Although he already beat him once, it was a close fight that could have gone either way. From SF's perspective, this will be a great No. 1 contender match, with the winner (most probably Hendo by UD) facing....


4. Hendo vs. Gegard Mousasi

This is THE LHW matchup everybody wants too see and I know he will eventually get a chance at The Dreamcatcher. Unfortunately, Mousasi is just too talented and Hendo too old. The only chance Hendo has of winning this fight is to get it on the ground and try to negate Mousasi's obvious striking advantage. But even if it does go there, Mousasi has shown he can finish fights on the mat as well. Besides, the dude hasn't lost in 3 years. Sorry. Mousasi by KO


The ones above are once that would PROBABLY happen, but there are two fights that I would really pay to see. Drum roll please!

No drums? Well here, impatient bastard:

1. Vs. Frank Shamrock

Ahhh the battle of the old people. But these aren't geriatric ones people, these are legends of the sport, with Shamrock having proclaimed himself as one since the beginning of time. I expect this to be fought in the clinch and on the ground especially with both men being superior grapplers. I'm a big fan of The Legend, but I know Hendo will take this one via UD.



The Shamrock fight will gather a LOT of attention, but that's not even close to the attention that will be attracted IF and WHEN Hendo fights this guy...



2. vs. Fedor Emelianenko

Ahhh MMA's golden goose. Dana White's wet dream. This man might not look the part, but he can kick some ass. 31 to be exact. Fedor's record should be 32-0-1, but he suffered a lost due to a freak situation in which Tsuyoshi Kohsaka opened a cut due to an ancient technique called I-missed-a-punch-but-your-forehead-still-hit-my-elbow. But past is past, and Fedor hasn't lost IN 9 YEARS. Beat that. Although this fight will probably never happen unless they agree to a catchweight of let's say 215, Hendo is at a BIG disadvantage here. It's David vs. Goliath, but in this fight Goliath is 10x bigger, 10x stronger, and 10x more intelligent (a single rock? really?!?). Fedor by 1st round murder.

If you don't believe me, look at the man and tell me he isn't a killer:

Cherry-Popping

So this is the first post. After suggestions by some friends, I've finally decided to try this "blogging" stuff. I've always wanted to do it, but I never had any good material to write about. But then I realized that I have EVERYTHING to write about. That's right. So sit back, relax, and enjoy all the crap I'm gonna be posting from now on. Ok? Ok.