If you think about it, 'Assassin's Creed II' actually received very little in the way of hype ? especially compared to its predecessor. In my book, this is always a good thing.

Most of the time, when a game gets too much attention before its release, it ends up being a disappointment. The game itself might have a lot going for it, but it's almost impossible to live up to the ginormous expectations.

Of course, the distributors probably don't lose much sleep over it, as an over-hyped game normally sells rather fast. I guess the only ones that really suffer are the developer ("Your game sucked but the PR machine saved it.") and the gamers themselves, who just couldn't suppress the urge to spend money to satisfy their curiosity.

But every now and then a game slips underneath the hype radar and bombs us into sweet gaming nirvana. True, 'Assassin's Creed II' wasn't entirely silent, but I for one initially thought the exercise of developing a sequel to be more because of the first game's sales success (despite being mind-alteringly boring) than any honest attempt at making a better game.

Boy, was I wrong.

When the first previews and then later the reviews started coming in, I couldn't help but feel slightly optimistic that 'Assassin's Creed II' would sidestep its predecessor's irritations. It would be quite difficult, I thought, because the only way to make it less monotonous would be to seriously think outside the normal level design mould.

Because look, 'Assassin's Creed' looked awesome on paper: great visuals, 3D platforming alternated with stealth on the one end and brutal sword fights on the other. The same model worked for every 'Tomb Raider', 'Prince of Persia' and 'Splinter Cell' game. And this time it would be set in a sandbox-styled environment.

So why didn't it work?

Because those other games invested in proper mission design, making sure that you were never required to do the exact same thing over and over again. By the second assassination in 'AC', you were already yawning ? most gamers gave up after the fourth, unable to stomach trying to finish the game just so you could gain measly bragging rights.

It brings me unfathomable joy, therefore, to say that 'Assassin's Creed II' is nothing like its predecessor. It might look very similar in a few ways, but it's just structured so much better.

I normally judge the gameplay on how long it keeps my attention at a time. See, I have a rather short attention span and very rarely is a game able to keep me playing for more than half an hour at a time. With 'Assassin's Creed II', however, I had to force myself to stop playing.

The game does have a few niggles: the cutscenes are rather uninspiring, it's still difficult to control your character while running on rooftops or when trying to get away from enemies (although it's a great improvement over the first title), and the story isn't exactly the greatest ever told.

But somehow 'Assassin's Creed II' manages to keep you occupied without you feeling like you're engaging in slog work.

The major assassination missions are a great example of this: in the first game you had to do all these pesky little missions just so that you can have a go at the big target. The problem was that you knew you were busy doing something menial just so you could get to the actual mission. There was a continuous sense of driving around a traffic roundabout, waiting for the right set of directions before being able to take the correct turnoff and continue on your journey.

In 'AC2', however, every mission feels like you're progressing. This is done through various small elements that reward you for succeeding at any given mission. While ticking them off one after the other, you'll suddenly be presented with a mission that requires a little more effort, but the progression is so natural that it doesn't feel like this big mountain that needs scaling.

It's a clever way of keeping you going ? just like in other highly addictive games like 'Civilization' or, more recently, 'Trials HD' you're always telling yourself "just one more, then I'm done".

Thanks to the rich and ridiculously detailed environments you transverse ? not to mention the enticing side-missions to choose from ? playing 'AC2' feels like you're engaging in something worth doing.

There is very little to find fault with in 'Assassin's Creed II' ? in fact, after 'Uncharted 2' and maybe 'Modern Warfare 2', this is undoubtedly my favourite game of the year and an inspiring example of how to rescue a series.

9.4/10

Buy this game: PS3 | Xbox 360 | PC