Assassin's Creed 2 Trailer Debuts at E3 2009

As previously confirmed, Assassin’s Creed 2 is set in Renaissance Italy. The 15th century locale plays host to three distinct areas: Venice, Florence and Tuscany. Like its predecessor, Assassin’s Creed 2 will give you complete freedom to run, leap, climb and stab your way through a twisting narrative. This time there’ll also be flying and swimming thrown into the mix, although catching dysentery from Venice’s fetid canals is presumably not a new gameplay mechanic.

Ubisoft has also pledged to fix the repetition that marred the first game, as well as improving numerous other features. The crowd are now more than mere obstacles to trip you up when you’re fleeing from guards. You’ll be able to interact with everyone you meet (vocally, not just with your sword), unlocking mini-quests and generally finding things to do other than the same four missions.

Combat is also going to be tightened and made a bit more diverse, with different enemies posing different kinds of threats. Ubisoft will be paving the way to the launch with a series of short videos based on the Assassin’s Creed 2 universe, so keep your eyes peeled around autumn time.