What it is
Assassin's Creed II is Ubisoft Montreal's 2009 action-adventure sequel, released in the UK on Tuesday, 17 November 2009. It replaces the first game's Crusades setting with Renaissance Italy and introduces Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a young Florentine nobleman drawn into the centuries-old conflict between Assassins and Templars. The Xbox 360 version remains a substantial single-player adventure, combining rooftop movement, stealth, sword fighting, exploration and a much broader range of missions than its predecessor.
- UK release
- 17 November 2009
- Platforms
- Xbox 360; also released on PlayStation 3, PC and macOS
- Developer
- Ubisoft Montreal
- Publisher
- Ubisoft
- Genre
- Action/adventure, stealth
- UK digital price
- £8.99+ on Xbox Store; DLC £2.69 each or £4.69 for the Bonfire and Secret Locations bundle
- PEGI
- PEGI 18 — extreme violence and strong language
- Online mode
- No — single-player campaign; legacy online features are no longer available
- Backward compatibility
- Playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S
- Game Pass
- Standalone game listed for purchase; The Ezio Collection is included with Game Pass Ultimate
Story and setting
The story begins with Ezio living as a privileged young man in Florence before betrayal destroys his family and sends him towards the Assassin Order. His pursuit of those responsible takes him through Florence, Monteriggioni, Tuscany, Forlì and Venice, with Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli and Caterina Sforza among the historical figures who become involved in his journey.
As in the original game, the Renaissance adventure is experienced through Desmond Miles and the Animus in the modern day. The two timelines gradually connect through conspiracies, ancient artefacts and clues hidden in the world. The game is more personal and character-led than its predecessor, with Ezio's development from reckless nobleman to trained Assassin providing the central arc.
How it plays
Assassin's Creed II is an open-world action adventure built around movement. Ezio can run across rooftops, climb towers, swim through canals, ride horses and use crowds to conceal his identity. The basic free-running system returns with tighter movement, while new activities make the cities feel less like a sequence of identical assassination arenas. You can take on story missions, courier jobs, races, assassination contracts and other optional tasks at your own pace.
Combat is built around counters, dodges, disarms and a growing selection of weapons, including swords, daggers, throwing knives, poison and the hidden blades. Double assassinations, ledge kills and a pistol built into Ezio's equipment give him more ways to approach a target. Money earned from missions, theft and exploration can be spent on weapons, armour, medicine and services, while upgrading the Auditore family villa creates a useful base and a regular income. The best diversions are the Assassin's Tombs, compact climbing and platforming challenges that test the movement system away from the open city.
DLC and later changes
The original Xbox 360 release was expanded with two paid story add-ons. Sequence 12: Battle of Forlì sends Ezio to defend the city alongside Machiavelli and Caterina Sforza. Sequence 13: Bonfire of the Vanities continues the Florence storyline, adds twelve memories, introduces a new district and gives Ezio the sprint-jump ability. The later Xbox bundle also includes three Templar locations originally associated with the Collector's Edition.
No multiplayer campaign or co-op mode was added. Ubisoft's current listing says the game's old online features are no longer available, while Ubisoft's service notices confirm that decommissioning affected some online functionality without stopping owners from playing the single-player game. There is no current publisher announcement of a new standalone patch, mode or remake for the Xbox 360 version.
Xbox versions, editions and UK price
The original game was released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC and macOS. Xbox Wire added the Xbox 360 release to Xbox One backward compatibility in 2015, and the UK Xbox Store currently lists the digital version as playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S for £8.99 or more. The same listing shows Battle of Forlì and Bonfire of the Vanities at £2.69 each, or a £4.69 Bonfire and Secret Locations bundle. Prices can change.
The Xbox 360 game is not the same product as Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection. That separate release contains Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood and Revelations with enhanced graphics and their solo add-on content. It is available on Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PS4, with the Xbox UK listing also showing Xbox Cloud Gaming and inclusion with Game Pass Ultimate. The standalone Xbox 360 version has no current pre-order programme; physical copies are now a second-hand purchase rather than a new release.
Reception and verdict
Assassin's Creed II was received as a major improvement over the original. GameSpot awarded it 9/10, praising its larger world, stronger protagonist, broader mission variety and more capable stealth systems. Metacritic records a 90/100 critic average for the Xbox 360 version from 82 reviews, placing it in the site's Universal Acclaim category. Contemporary coverage also noted recurring issues with combat, artificial intelligence, scripted missions and occasional visual or control quirks.
Those reservations still matter, particularly if you expect modern stealth systems or precise platforming. Even so, the combination of Renaissance Italy, memorable characters, brisk movement and a generous campaign makes this one of the more accessible entries in the older Assassin's Creed catalogue. On Xbox hardware, the backward-compatible version is the straightforward way to play the original release, while the Ezio Collection is the better option if you want enhanced presentation and the complete solo package.
Not yet confirmed
- No new standalone remake, remaster, Xbox 360 patch or additional game mode has been confirmed by Ubisoft as of 1 October 2026.
- Ubisoft has not confirmed any new UK physical edition or retailer launch for the original Xbox 360 release.
Assassin's Creed II: your questions
When was Assassin's Creed II released in the UK?
Assassin's Creed II was released in the UK on Tuesday, 17 November 2009.
Is Assassin's Creed II backwards compatible on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S?
Yes. The original Xbox 360 release is supported through Xbox backward compatibility and is listed by Microsoft as playable on Xbox One and Xbox Series X|S.
Does Assassin's Creed II have online multiplayer?
No. Assassin's Creed II is a single-player game, and Ubisoft no longer supports its legacy online features.
What DLC was released for Assassin's Creed II?
The Xbox 360 version received Battle of Forlì and Bonfire of the Vanities, covering Sequences 12 and 13. Both solo expansions are included in Assassin's Creed: The Ezio Collection.
Is Assassin's Creed II included with Xbox Game Pass?
The standalone Xbox 360 version is listed for purchase rather than as a Game Pass title. The separate Ezio Collection is listed as included with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on the UK Xbox Store.
