Review by David Jenkins - The original Assassin's Creed really didn't deserve to be the massive hit it was.

As usual though, a fancy marketing campaign won out over cautionary reviews and as a result a sequel has turned up just two years later.

And thank goodness it has, because it's an object lesson in how to address the flaws of an earlier game and evolve it to something like its full potential.

Like most of the sequels this year, the basic set-up of this game is essentially identical to the original.

The story is still handled in a pretty sloppy manner, but this time boring present-day bartender Desmond gets to experience the life of his Italian ancestor Ezio Auditore da Firenze - who also happens to be a hoodie-wearing assassin fighting the Knights Templar.

Clearly such things run in the family.

The most obvious flaw in the original was the complete lack of variety in missions and the fact that many of the constantly repeated elements (such as the infamous sitting on a bench eavesdropping) were extremely dull.

This sequel acknowledges the fault and does its level best to fix it.

The style of the missions is now much closer to Grand Theft Auto, with more imaginative and cinematic set pieces.

The GTA influence can be felt elsewhere too, with much more side missions and far more to do in each locale.

At times it almost feels like a Rare-style collectathon, but at least you're never forced to traipse across half the game world just to get a new mission.

Not with the slick new parkour system (shown off to particular effect in the new catacomb platform sections) and new abilities like swimming and gliding.

Combat is also a lot more fun than before, and although it retains its rhythm action influence it's more forgiving and the chance to steal an enemy's weapon comes in very handy.

Your stealth options have increased too, as you can now blend into any crowd, throw out coins or hire ladies of ill repute to put on a distraction.

There's also a side game where you can invest in your town to earn extra cash.

Apart from all the mechanical improvements to the game, one of the most welcome is simply the increased sense of fun, in part due to the far more sympathetic character of Ezio.

You could argue this has merely become the game the original should have been, but it's still a hugely enjoyable romp.

It's not quite as good as the somewhat similar Arkham Asylum, but at least the series now deserves its success.

IN SHORT: A vast improvement on the flawed original, with much more variety and a much greater sense of fun.

PROS: Greatly improved mission design, combat, movement, weapon variety and even a better lead. Huge game world.

CONS: The storytelling is still lumpen and the facial animation surprisingly poor. Some elements still lack depth.

SCORE: 8/10 Out: Now 20/11 (UK)