4. The Humour
Never underestimate the power of giving the player a good laugh. Why? Because it makes your game memorable. There is a (now infamous) line from Creed 2 that references a certain tubby Italian plumber. That's just one example, but that kind of meta-humour goes a long way with gamers. It shows a level of understanding that the player can truly appreciate and makes them instantly feel part of the game a little more. Perhaps reflecting Ezio's easy charm, or maybe a push for a lighter tone to differentiate from the dull Altair, AC2 featured a boat load of humorous dialogue. The writing had a wit that lifted the game up beyond a mere stealth action title and we appreciated being entertained. The denizens of Italy had personality, they would comment on Ezio's wall-scaling antics - again the writers and developers were having fun, and the player has a little more fun too. There's not a lot of room for levity in AC3 and what little there is comes from Haytham, Connor's enemy., a wonderful foil for Connor's gruff, wild warrior. But even their relationship only serves to highlight how much Connor is out of his league when it comes to a battle of wits w his father. A more serious tone is never a bad thing, but AC2 literally built up so much good will with Ezio and the others, Connor comes across much like Altair, downright dreary.