Play Assassin's Creed II: Discovery Online

Summary

Assassin's Creed II: Discovery drops the series into a 2.5‑D side‑scroller, letting me swing, roll and climb across rooftops with the same fluid momentum that defines the franchise. The game pushes me to choose between stealth, chase or free‑form missions, each with its own timer and restrictions, so a single level can feel like a puzzle, a sprint or a quiet hunt. Guard archetypes range from hulking Halberd Guards to agile Captains, and I can dispatch them with hidden blades, a sword, or throwing knives, even chaining attacks to break their defenses. A pressure‑bar clash system adds a quick test of strength when I lock swords with an opponent. The DSi camera even lets me snap a photo and see my face plastered on the in‑game wanted posters.

Beyond the core action, the title sprinkles five collectible types—memory paths, Renaissance maps, knives, wanted posters and hidden art pieces—that unlock challenge rooms and Animus hacks, from cosmetic skins to movement boosts. These hacks are limited to one at a time and force a level restart after use, keeping the experience balanced. The challenge rooms sit in the Animus corridor, echoing the series’ tutorial style, and reward extra synchronization points for perfect runs. The game also tracks synchronization by rewarding time, damage and kill counts, encouraging me to replay levels for 100 % completion. All of this packs a surprisingly deep replay value into a handheld format.

Critics generally praised the title, with IGN and GameZone both handing it an 8/10, while GameSpot gave it a solid 7/10. The Metacritic score sits at 69/100, reflecting a mix of admiration for the animation and frustration over occasional clunky controls. Official Nintendo Magazine Australia noted the shift to 2D as a bright spot but called the mission design a missed opportunity. Still, many reviewers felt the game serves as a fun companion to the console version, especially for fans eager to explore Ezio’s Spanish adventure.

Storyline

In Assassin's Creed II: Discovery, set in 1491, Ezio Auditore is summoned by his ally Antonio de Magianis to Venice, where he meets Luis de Santángel, a representative of Christopher Columbus. Luis asks Ezio to protect Columbus from an assassination plot tied to the Templar Grandmaster Rodrigo Borgia, and after foiling the attempt, Ezio retrieves a crucial atlas of travel routes for the upcoming expedition.

Ezio then travels to Spain, first to Barcelona, where he discovers the local Assassin headquarters seized by Inquisition soldiers. With the help of Raphael Sánchez, he uncovers a list of captured Assassins, kills inquisitor Gaspar Martínez, and learns that the Inquisition, led by Tomás de Torquemada, is acting on Borgia’s orders.

In Zaragoza, Ezio witnesses an execution ordered by the Inquisitor Liorente and Torquemada, rescues the remaining Assassins, and eliminates Liorente. Raphael reveals himself as Queen Isabella’s treasurer, explaining that the Inquisition is a Templar scheme to purge the Moors from Spain.

The story moves to Granada, where Ezio reunites with Luis, now an Assassin at the royal court, and helps free King Muhammad XI, who has been held captive to prolong the siege of the Alhambra. After thwarting further Inquisition raids and saving Columbus from a second Templar attack, Ezio watches the explorer set sail, while Torquemada escapes, leaving the future of the Spanish Brotherhood uncertain.