On paper, it's really not a combination that should work; a historical game that also doubles as a stealthy stab-em-up? Where's the gadgets? Yet Assassin's Creed brought plenty of new and exciting ideas to the table and the sequel improved on them massively. Gone was the repetitive nature of the original game; Assassin's Creed II was a much more streamlined experience with a story that constantly kept events moving. There was a better variety of missions too and combat was improved too; counter-kills were still important but it was impossible for the player to rely on them so much this time around. As a result, Assassin's Creed II is probably the finest in the series; the gameplay is at its finest and the story, built around new assassin Ezio, was well crafted, making us actually care about the protagonist's plight. This is the game that turned Assassin's Creed into a genuine force in gaming.