Assassin's Creed II (Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Windows)
common sense media says
Violence, sex, and revenge make epic game not for kids.
parents & educators say
- 60% say it's educational
- 48% say violence is an issue
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Assassin's Creed II is very violent and definitely not for children. Players assume the role of a deadly assassin who uses weapons such as knives, swords, and daggers to kill human targets. Deaths -- both those resulting from the player character's actions and those in vivid cut scenes -- are shown in graphic detail. Blood spills from wounds and the action is sometimes slowed down for dramatic effect. While somewhat gratuitious, there is no gore, such as hacking off limbs and such. Parents should also be aware of some sexual imagery and references in dialogue (but no nudity) and some strong language can be heard during dialogue sequences, too.
Educational value:
Players will get a good sense of Italy during this period thanks to the painstaking research by Ubisoft Montreal developers.
Positive role models:
Ezio isn't a good role model because his profession requires him to kill other human beings.
Ease of play:
A bit of a learning curve, but players who have played other action-adventure hybrids should be able to pick up on the mechanics and control pretty easily.
Violence:
The main player becomes a skilled assassin in the game, and performs a number of kills on targets. Some are quite graphic, such as stabbing and slicing with twin blades, after sneaking up on unsuspecting victims. Blood gushes out of wounds, and wet slicing sounds add to the realism. Some cut scenes show particularly intense and disturbing deaths, such as one in which a blade penetrates a man's neck and pins him to the ground.
Sex:
While there is no nudity in the game, there is some suggestive imagery. Players can undress a woman as a part of a seduction mini-game that shows her bare back side and clothes falling to the floor if you "succeed." Some animated sequences also show women -- sometimes in brothels -- engaged in dialogue that refers to the act of sex. As well, character backstories refer to such things as adultery, sodomy, prostitution, rape, and "page-boy fantasies."
Language:
The game contains swear words in both English and Italian. This includes "f--k" and "s--t", as well as hell and damn. These words aren't spoken often (as they are in a game like Grand Theft Auto IV) but they're in Assassin's Creed II. Italian profanity includes: "c-zzo" and "m-rda."
Consumerism:
Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
There are scenes with families drinking wine, but nothing excessive.
More on Assassin's Creed II
Screenshots
Review It
Based on 58 parent & educator reviews:
- 60% say it's educational
- 48% say violence is an issue
- 43% say language is an issue
- 34% say sexual content is an issue
Most useful reviews by all members
Robert J
parent of 14 year old
parent of 14 year old
Perfect for a Mature Child.
Assassins Creed 2 is a great game for children 13 and up. But that is only if they are mature enough to handle it.
Violence: first of all, you can turn off the blood, so the only blood you can see is in one cut scene when a man is killed. Though there are some violent acts that play out durring the course of the Game, there are however much more violent and "disturbing" games. Games such as Dead Space and Fallout 3 both have gore (e.g. limbs being shot or blown off, or decapitation). Assassins Creed 2 has no gore at all. in Assassins Creed 2, when somebody is stabbed there is a small spurt of blood that comes out of where the charactor was stabbed and they fall to the ground. There are many more violent games out there so this isnt all too bad as far as violence goes.
Language: The language in Assassins creed 2 isnt very light.
swears such as F*ck ans S*it can be heard in the dialogue but not too often. There are also some swears that are spoken in Italian. But is language is a problem, you can turn down the voice volume in the options and turn off sub title so you can hear the swears. (unless you can lip read lol)
Plot: The plot isnt the easiest to explain. You are a man in present day who is put into a machine that can let you re-live the lives of your ancestors. you are a decendant of a long line of assassins and when you go into the machince, thats when the game starts. you then take on the role of Enzio, a man who becomes an assassin so he can kill those who have wronged him and his family.
Sexual content: This is a big deal with parents. when they see "sexual content" on the back of the box. Well lets get this out of the way, there is NO nudity. The Most graphic scene of sex is when at the very begining of the game when you start to play as Enzio. Enzio and his girlfriend are kissing and they get on their bed and then Enzio puts out the candle in the room and the screen goes black. Infering that they had sex. There is no Nudity at all aside from some cleavage you can see from women walking on the streets.
All in all I think this is a GREAT game for you child, and it is one of the best games of the year in my opinion.
The violence can be bad but can be toned down.
The language is somewhat crude, but you can mute the dialogue and turn off sub titles.
The sexual content isnt at all bad.
So if you have a Mature child (probably best suited for Mature 12 and 13 year olds.) that can handle some mature content. I think this is a great game that they should experience.
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supershadowaaron
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
Good game for all teens
its a cool game i recommend it for all teens its really fun i like it
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Assassin17
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
does it matter if kids know stuff and play it anyways????
i think the game should be for ages 10 and up because now a days more and more kids are learning about sexual stuff,so id let kids 10 and up play it as long as the parents ask us what we know about sexual stuff,violence,etc....
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SHARPSPEED
teen, 16 years old
teen, 16 years old
Perfect for older kids, but not for tweens
This is honestly one of the most fun games I've ever played.Who the Renaissance could be so much fun? Assassin's creed 2 is a great game that is surprisingly historically accurate and can be highly educational, and your kids will probably pay attention since half the time it's required. The gameplay can be complicated at first, but it becomes really easy over time.
However, the Violence is something to keep an eye out for if you have kids 12 and below. It doesn't get more "midevil" than this. Sexual stuff isn't bad, when it does appear it's quite brief. Ezio Auditore is somewhat of a good protagonist. "I only hurt those who hurt others", but that doesn't mean you should grab a knife and start killing corrupt officials. He IS an Assassin, after all.
All in all, Assassin's creed 2 is a great game, and can be a great learning experience.
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mrmom
parent of 10 year old
parent of 10 year old
Perfect for kids 13 and up
The raters are right, this game is not for kids... under the age of 10. I got this game for my 13 year old son and he loves it. Im not one of those parents who let their kids get whatever they want. Violence- in the game people will die, but on the good side blood is not that bad. it doesnt "gush" out (not like just cause 2) like they say up there. I let my kid get just cause 2 as his first M game because its not that bad, but its worse than this game. Of course you stab people but its not bad at all. Blood is not an issue if you have seen any action movie. (die hard is a good example)Sex- it is not an issue!!!!!! if you watch comedy central for 30 minuets, its worse than this, there are prostitutes you can hire to distract guards, but the only part of of them that are showing is there legs. everything and i mean EVERYTHING is covered besides that. Language-they say the F-word 5 times 3 in the biging one at the end, and one in the middle in italian! the s-word is not used more than 10 times but d*mn, godd*mnit, and h*ll are used frequently, those are the only words, (and crap).
Drinking-wine is only showed.
Overall- this game is appropriate for thirteen yearolds if they have seen at least 1 action movie, (or played just cause 2 which my son loves)
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Samtian
adult
adult
Only for Adults.
Concerns:Sexual Content/ There are characters with dress that do not cover the breasts. In a mission your character takes a womans clothes off, it shows her back. And it is implied they do it. Your character also goes into a sex house and talks with courtesans. There are also pictures of art with nudity on them.
Language: Definitely not for kids, swear words off all kind, and words such as vagina.
Role Models: The main character is encouraged to steal and kill, though the killing is for vigilante reasons.
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apple boy 2
teen, 17 years old
teen, 17 years old
great for boy pre-teens and teens
bloody, but his has some historical value and once you pick it up its really fun
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wrp9
kid, 12 years old
kid, 12 years old
Kids CAN handle this!!
some what educational, yet more of fiction. Although rated M, you have to trust your children. They CAN handle this. This is the only M game I have and it is just the kind of thing kids my age find interesting and fun. Give your child a chance. experiment with it. if you notice a negative change, take it away, but hear my plead: Kids CAN handle this stuff!
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Hidden Blade x2
teen, 14 years old
teen, 14 years old
Fun game that may not be so fun for parents.
Nothing an intelligent 12 or 13 year old can't handle. You have to be ok with blood. There is a lot. Much more than the first one. It spews out when you assassinate someone. Also some of the moves are jaw dropping. I would look it up on youtube. Top ten kills in Assassin's Creed 2. There is also sexual content. One of the people you work with is a women up for hire, if you get my meaning, wearing a nun's habit. And during one of the cutscenes your character touches her breasts. Not nudity though. Never at any time do they show a women's, for lack of a better word, t**s. They do have a cutscene where you have a "sleepover" at your girlfriends house. In the morning, her father catches you and sends the gaurds after you. There is also girls up for sale through out the game. You can hire them, but not in the way you think. They are just use to distract gaurds. They wear clothes that shows cleavage. When you use them to distract gaurds, they stand in front of the gaurds provactively and say phrases like, "Oops! I think something fell down the front of my dress!" The gaurds then stand in front of them and waves their fists and jeer. To get a better idea of what I mean, go to youtube and type ways to distract gaurds in assassins creed 2 (you might have to do a little digging). The language can get a little colourful at times. Your main character's friend drops the F-bomb all the time (this is in the present). In the past, people say ba***do, italian for a kid without a father, and holy s**t and d**n. There is a few refrences to alchol. Whenever you are climbing people say stuff like. "Holy s**t! Its a drunk man!" and "He must have been drinking the good stuff." This is also one of the best games I ever played. If your kid knows whats bad and whats good in real life, and if he is over 13, I'd let him get it. hope it helps!
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Brooklyn33392
adult
adult
Not Very Good So Far....
So far, Haven't been impressed, due to the sexual content. Ubisoft DID NOT have to put that crap in this game. The first Assassin's Creed was an epic game, and it had NO sexual content. Big let down for me.
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christian_parent
parent of 15 year old
parent of 15 year old
Good for teens
It has a lot of violence, but it honestly isn't that bad. Nothing kids won't see in an action movie. The main character, Ezio, is an assassin, but he only kills evil people and is protecting himself and avenging the murder of his family. There is a little sexual content, but once again, it's not what someone might see in a PG-13 movie. THe language is probably the worst part, but any teenager hears it all the time at school. This game also has educational value because it takes place in a very accurately depicted era of Renaissance Italy.
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Cess711
kid, 11 years old
kid, 11 years old
A fun game for all teens, but not for kids.
I have it, I got it for christmas, and completed it, but it lasted a while, it's a hard long lasting game. It's a fun game, with addicting and exciting missions. The story is good, but it is all elvolved around revenge. The language is mostly used at the beginning, where you hear a few f**ks, and there is a lot of Italion swearing if translated can be m*****f**ker. You can counter, where you can kill with style. Once i stabbed someone in the neck and blood splattered out. Nearly every kill there is blood. Ezio takes off a womens clothes which fall to the ground. You don't see it, but they clearly have sex. All in all, a good game, but inapropiate for some.
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Ezio3946
parent of 12 year old
parent of 12 year old
r u kidding me common sense?!
this game is pretty violent but with the option to turn off blood its not that bad.there is some questionable art in the art stores that u want to stay clear of and there is one sexually related scene in-game that is easily skippable. there are a few F bombs but not that many.the up-sides are that the gameplay(missions, side missions free roaming, EVERYTHING) is great, the graphics are superb especially Ezio's character model, the sound effects, music , and voice acting. i think any rather mature 9 year old could play this no problem.
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The-Joker
adult
adult
Really?
Really? It is too bad for kids. No, it isn't. I can tell ya now, I own Assassin's Creed, it was full of true historical info. Now they released the second. It is full of art, historical info, and famous historical characters. It says it lets you kill humans in a graphically violent way, well, I say what humans? There are no humans. It is just a computer program. The problem is not the games. It is the fact that kids do not understand that these are nothing more than computers.
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hunter98
kid, 13 years old
kid, 13 years old
the best assassins creed yet
this is my favorite assassins creed the language is not constant but there is some through out the game sexual content you just see a womans back for like 15 seconds violence is pretty bad like stabbing your hidden blade into peoples face overall its an iffy for ages 12 and up
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Assassin 17
adult
adult
ITS EPIC
i thinj the game is not that bad for kids ages 12 and up because if you take blood off and sound its an ok game.i think the game is epic also its a bit educating because it shows leonardo de vinci.
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CertainAgeReviews
parent of 13 year old
parent of 13 year old
Good for 14 and up, and iffy for 12s.
This game is only somewhat educational, in the whole the guy is in Italy respect, indubitably though, this is ON for ages 14 and up. The "sex" is not a problem, a 14 year old has learned this stuff in school, and a bare backside is not really that big of a deal. As much as this game has lots of killing in it, it is no worse than any other games. Really!
My 14 year old absolutley loved it, and I personally think that it was OK for him. He isn't the absolute most mature 14 year old, but it is still okay
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Gaming Dad44
parent of 14 year old
parent of 14 year old
Great for 13 and up
This game is based off of actually a very realistic and detailed version of Italy, where you can explore Venice, Rome, and much more. Now, the violence in this game isn't bad at all, in fact I have seen worse in some rated T games. Language might be a tad over normal, but it can be easily turnned off in the options menu. Sexual Content is very Pg-13, and only shows a women's back, nothing else but her back. This is a great game with few flaws, and most 13 year olds should handle it.
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Gimmick
parent of 10 , 12 , and 14 year old
parent of 10 , 12 , and 14 year old
BUY NOW
Fantastic game. Epic, sweeping landscapes and loads of violence. The most violent parts of this game is were you see, up close, what you are doing to a main target. This includes: slitting throats, stabbing them loads of times in their chests and other stuff as well. There is only 1 f-bomb I've noticed in the game. All the other swear words are Italian, so the only way to notice them is to play with the subtitles on. Right, people are saying "there is loads of sexual content in this game, my child is not allowed it now!" well, there isn't. Near the start of the game there is a part were you see a womens back, but that's no big deal. There are some mild, rare sexual comments but you hardly notice them. Now, on to the good stuff. There are huge, beautiful buildings and loads of famous landmarks to be seen and climbed all over the city. There is great combat and loads of combos and stuff to learn. You can run, jump, swim and climb all over Venice, Florence and other places. There are funny cutscenes, different story and side missions, tons of weapons and a long, compelling story to go with it. Brilliant, just brilliant.
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protectiveparent93
parent of 17 year old
parent of 17 year old
Firstly, this game isn't excessively violent. It does have blood (which you can turn off). This site bothers me so much. It's always so inaccurate. The game does start off as a revenge plot. This is because the main character's parents have been betrayed and publicly hung. Who wouldn't want revenge? If someone hung your family what would you want? But Ezio gets his revenge rather quickly and then realizes that it didn't matter that much to him. He then begins tracking down his family's killers (it turns out there was quite a big scheme). As the story progresses, he gains respect for those he kills and is killing more because he is trying to stop the "bad guys" from completing their plan. Eventually, the Templars (bad guys) succeed in getting their leader to become the pope. This synopsis does not go into the entirety of the game. The game is in fact much more deep and epic than this. The storyline is amazing. Never has a game had such an amazingly planned out story. It starts off like you would expect. A simple revenge story. It becomes an extremely epic story where the world is at stake and the future is being controlled with the past. I got the chills at the end of this game and have literally teared up while talking about it. It is amazing. There isn't actually much sex in this game. It's not really even to suggestive. Buy this game!
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