A Narrative Critique of Assassin's Creed 2

[@DukeofWhales]

TL;DW -- It’s fun. It’s fine. A much shorter video on Oxenfree is coming up next and then the Dragonborn DLC for Skyrim!

[@damz98]

My notification bell will be on 😂

[@abd1979o1]

Oxenfree is a great game, Unique dialogue system too.

[@Splitboltxful]

I’m excited for that! Also hoping you one day get to AC4 black flag lol

[@jackthomas8956]

Very excited for Oxenfree!

[@Shapeshiftergreen]

Id' love to hear your thoughts/ analysis on the Oxenfree sequel too.

[@clemdelaclem]

Whenever you cut to it I have laugh at how funny it is that in this game of historic drama the finale has you fist-fighting the pope

[@SpoopySquid]

Peak gaming right there

[@tactictoe]

My kind of holy war.

[@zurcus7224]

I hope whoever came up with that idea got a promotion back then

[@ericpeterson9110]

I think that was when the series really jumped the shark and am 100% here for it.

[@Joshua.R.]

Pumping out a 6 hour video as a a 30k sub channel, you’re insane

[@joeyjones4929]

Insane and goated

[@user-nx9ql9mj8i]

It’s amazing.

[@MrMiddleWick]

I'm a sucker for looong video essays to have in the background, surely I'm not the only one

[@Lux_Ferox]

Insane? I think it's a godlike move.

[@SeraCrysta]

Thats why he wont stay at 30k! So much effort and passion

[@RaptieFeathers]

I will never forget the insanely creepy puzzles telling the backstory and all of the stuff regarding the Apple and stuff. Gave me chills.

[@36shadowboy]

Absolutely, and I played the game without touching the first. So I was actually trying to piece together the implications of every little tidbit

[@CapnJigglypuff]

I started playing this game for the first time last week and was really blown away when I started on the glyph puzzles. These games can say there’s a global history-spanning conspiracy war all they want, but it be presented to us like this, through clues hidden inside of famous paintings and photos, in the shadows of real historic figures, feels so cool and so mysterious!

[@darkflame2067]

This Stuff was so good That Potential...but man how they wasted it

[@suittwo]

The Joan of Arc one legitimately frightened me my first time playing the game, but those side quests made the conflict feel so real in a way not many other games before or since have. As I’ve studied much more history since then, I’ve grown to appreciate the series in a new way.

[@tactictoe]

It was such a wild trip, I played it through with a friend, both in our late 20's having been fans of computer games and couldn't believe how far they had come, it felt like a whole new way to tell a story.

[@kirbyinhalesjotaro4471]

Including literal Machiavelli in a game and having him be surprised by the idea of not attacking someone directly is so funny to me

[@1RoundInTheChamber]

For real. The dude was so friggin slick we use his name as an adjective for being a conniving bastard, and here he's just...gobsmacked at a plan more subtle than charging at them while screaming bloody murder.

[@tj-co9go]

Machiavelli should have been a Templar leader or something, it feels like he wasted here. Or someone playing both sides or something. You really don't learn much about him despite his absolutely huge involvement in Florentine politics Of course there are a bunch of other Renaissance characters missing here, but you cannot include them all. Cannot figure out what Marcello Ficino or Pico della Mirandola could do here.

[@lukethelegend9705]

@@tj-co9goyeah Machiavelli in 2 and especially brotherhood just doesnt feel like machiavelli. It would’ve made so much more sense for him to have been a high ranking Templar, his ideology was so much more in line with them and not the Assassins

[@BoZoiD57]

Correct me if I'm wrong as it's been a couple years since I've played II and Brotherhood, but isn't the in-game justification because Ezio inspired Machiavelli to write The Prince?

[@karthikcv8104]

@@BoZoiD57 yes

[@nathangomez4409]

I don't think you should be so down on your work here. The Lord of the Rings is great and all, but I love video games, I love dissecting them, and I love hearing others do the same. I learn so much about storytelling through this style of content, and your work in particular is incredible. So many game critique channels are comfortable just summarizing the plot and providing no commentary or criticism on HOW a game tells its story. You actually have shit to say, and that's why I'll watch your essays every time. Cheers.

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

Main monitor channel + comment.

[@Shapeshiftergreen]

I'm surprised DukeofWhales hasn't made a patreon, this the kind of channel and deep analysis I'd love to support.

[@cloud_and_proud]

I think the assassination of Uberto being easy is sorta part of the point. He's easy to kill, because as it turns out he doesn't actually matter that much. Ezio is just lashing out at him out of vengence. Maybe he's powerful in Florence, but not in Italy at large.

[@CapnJigglypuff]

Borgia definitely strikes me as someone who would consider living in shame a harsher punishment than to be killed outright. To go on after having (what he believes to be) the power to tame God stripped away from him, knowing that his life’s work and the singular reason he became Pope, to open the vault, is the destiny of another man might be a greater cruelty to him than just having his throat opened up. Probably not what Ezio was going for, but it’s a reading.

[@scarlettTG2704]

Yeah that's exactly what I thought too, that to just kill him is the fate Borgia would prefer over being kept alive to stew in his failure and shame.

[@VeaFlea]

I also read this as the last time Ezio ever spares a major enemy precisely over what happens immediately after this in brotherhood 😂

[@ilsartobaldassarre]

I think Giovanni wanted to prosecute Francesco de' Pazzi for "scandal value". Directly killing him would have meant just one more templar out of the picture, but condemning him would have discredited all of his familiy and all his collaborators; striking a more significant blow to the templar order. It was not uncommon for powerful man to sue a member of a rival family, especially in the city-states of ancient Greece and of reinassance Italy. Anyway, so far, I've loved this video. Much love form Italy.

[@soggybogwitch]

Yeah, it makes a lot of sense for the Assassins to evolve like this, because the nature of political power was evolving. For Altair to run around literally assassinating powerful figures makes a lot of sense in the context of a war zone. These men's power is a martial one. But for Giovanni, his enemies power lies in the realms of politics and social life. Killing them raises eyebrows and suspicion, but if you "assassinate" their character, show conclusively that they're untrustworthy, their power collapses

[@jaredsimpson4701]

My god, why tf don't you have more subs? This content is insane. Almost SIX HOURS? You're the absolute maddest of lads, I look forward to 10 years in the future when we get a 30 hour long video on Baldur's Gate 3.

[@sentientmeat96]

I'll be there, comrade

[@skullbuster1220]

I’m only 45 mins in, but I want to say I’m glad a channel like yours exists, most long form video game critiques usually only take surface level looks at narratives, even when praising them, so to focus on so deep on everything narrative, especially for a video game isn’t very common, it’s appreciated and it adds extra appreciation to the games you cover

[@The-Bloke]

Agree with all here. FYI if you're looking for another long-form narrative critique KZbinr, then check out Noah Gervais if you haven't already. He is in my view the #1 for long form narrative/thematic video game critique (Duke of Whales is rapidly joining that tier as well!). Like Duke, Noah is all about story, character, themes. He has been going for 10 years and has hundreds of hours of top tier content, all with exceedingly good narration. He falls down a bit on technical aspects - you won't see any memes or clever editing - but his video game narrative analysis is, in my opinion, second to none on KZbin. His 9.5-hour Fallout series video is a standout, for example.

[@pkmn6620]

While this is new, I want to thank you for taking the time, care, and dedication to make a video on this game of this length. Showing love for these older games shows me and the community that the love for these games is still there, and still shared by the community. These games can and will be discussed on any and every level and it will never be enough to sum up all of the feelings shared by the collective community. These games are actually timeless. They will live forever. How blessed are we? To share our stories across generations.

[@tactictoe]

You know a video is good when you happily sit through every advert due to wanting that creator to have all of the revenue possible.

[@MrKakibuy]

I always thought assassins creed is fundamentally a story about existentialism versus external morality. I interpret the "nothing is true, everything is permitted" line as the idea of "existence precedes essence". With the idea is that if nothing is true (existence precedes essence), then humanity is free to define its own essence (everything is permitted).

[@matneptune]

In this house, we pretend Ubisoft didn't make Lucy a templar.

[@MrKakibuy]

the crappy flute noises really enhance the overall quality of the video

[@hunterfox6176]

FIVE. MONTHS. You vanish for five months, no word of any return and with so much left unsaid. I myself begun to fear you had died. And you return with *THIS?* My friend, this was well worth the wait, and well worth the time it took to watch. Welcome back!

[@cthulhufollower9329]

I can't wait to watch almost 6 hours video about a game i've only seen walkthroughs of.

[@Cirelion]

Okay I rarely comment but I have to disagree with your point about its-a-me Mario! It happens right after the tension dies down and it positively killed me laughing. Mario has a ton of development later on, so this one joke is honestly 100% worth it and it would be a lesser game without it. The fact that you personally don't like a joke doesn't make it "not worth it". Assuming that "nobody would laugh at this" is ridiculous when this one moment is iconic and well known and loved. Otherwise great video!

[@SolidStateSimulations]

Yeah. I think Duke's complaint might be because the line is very obviously a video game reference so it might be immersion breaking in a story that up to that point was taking itself seriously and so it leans a bit too hard on being a sudden shock moment where you notice the writer's presence, but it's not aggravating to the point of saying that it's completely unfunny. Maybe with a small tweak it could've worked so that everyone could be happy, but it's fine as-is in my opinion too. One thing I think Duke has not realized yet is the many parallels Assassin's Creed starts having to Metal Gear Solid ever since this installment, where I think Ubisoft have been more and more influenced by MGS' directing and writing, but tweaking it so to be more appealing to a western demographic by focusing on other kinds of humor. Everything from the way you have an entire cast of different and specialized secondary characters to a story that has an entire passage of time and some rather eccentric side characters plus the game design itself seem very inspired from Metal Gear. Heck, Brotherhood literally has VR missions and the overall design of the stealth gameplay prioritizes speed and concealment more than patience and caution like Splinter Cell and Thief. Metal Gear and Assassin's Creed from that point is all about running towards enemies and stabbing them in the face or hiding in plain sight in order to approach them directly in a stealthy way instead of sneaking slowly around them. This is a design philosophy that's seldom seen in stealth games. My point with this long ass paragraph is that the "it's-a-me, Mario!" line is the first indication that Assassin's Creed was undergoing a Metal Gear solidification (heh) that, to be honest, I'm mostly fine with. Really the only issue of AC2 is the lack of overall character depth in comparison to the first game because of the truncated narrative that purposefully wants to be more like a traditional action movie instead of a slow thriller film. What is ironic about my statement is that this aspect of the franchise was dropped ever since AC3 released, which ditched most of the Metal Gear influences in favor of trying to go back to being a bit more like the first game, but I feel like there were some missteps and Ubisoft kinda missed the point here or there and didn't actually learn any of the right lessons that could be learned from the Ezio trilogy, both the things it succeeds at and the things it's flawed at that could have been improved upon. Oh well.

[@Splitboltxful]

LETS FUCKING GOOOOO I just rewatched the first one last week and was definitely hoping more was to come. love ya duke

[@ikaemos]

3:21:30 If it helps assuage your horribly guilty conscience, the English dialogue isn't any more consistent than you with its pronunciations. I kind of like it, though. The script definitely made some _choices,_ being full of historical jargon, randomly waffling between languages, giving you double subtitles, etc. It all muddies the translation in a way where it isn't seamless - you're always noticing it... Much like a New York bartender would. On the other hand, the Italian dub is in (ahistorical) modern standard Italian. It's a shame; Florentine and Venetian are still extant, very distinctive, and mutually intelligible enough to not be foreign to the average Italian speaker. It's a good dub, but it removes that friction (and its accompanying texture) that's always present in the English VO.

[@stephencardone]

Finally a channel doing long-form plot analysis that's actually ANALYSIS and not just summary. The mix of history, critique and reflection is excellent. instant sub

[@dmcv99]

Finding your channel and watching your vids recently has been an absolute delight. You clearly put a lot of time and effort into your research and analysis of the games you decide to cover, and it shows! Lookin forward to more stuff in the future!

[@damz98]

Been waiting for your next video and finally here. 💪🏻 Loved the Skyrim Dawnguard essay and would really like to see one of the Dragonborn dlc.

[@picahudsoniaunflocked5426]

He says in the Pin it's the one after the next!

[@Kantorath]

I was thinking about replaying the early AC games, so now I have the conundrum of replying the games and reexperiancing the story that I haven't seen in over a decade, or watching this awesome video and loosing a lot the point of replaying them. So thank you for making this awesome video, but curse you for making this awesome video!

[@deltatkg5380]

I've been waiting a long time for this one. Loved the first assassin's creed video - I think so few people take these games seriously as a narrative or art. There's genuinely some interesting stuff in there and I'm glad there's someone out there going through the series to pick that stuff out.

[@Echantediamond1]

If you want more of stuff like this, Whitelight is an amazing creator who takes very deep dives and critiques at AC games and other popular franchises and titles

[@dreamergirl4vr]

Hey man - I have just watched both of your AC videos in full. I cannot commend your work ethic/quality enough. Instant rewatches and sub!!

[@gift-shop]

Your video on the first game is one of my all time favourite video essays, can't wait to dive into this one!!

[@chrpr2814]

Absolutely adored every second of this. Fantastic work and effort and incredibly thought provoking. Really made me want to replay with your analysis in mind. Excited for your next video!

[@skyfallshome8169]

I appreciate your essays so much. You speak very eloquently and bring up wonderful points. I know your channel isn't as big as it could be but for me it's a real treasure and if your work has no fans I am dead ❤

[@Gaming123ish]

I’m gonna have to lock in for this

[@BrotherLeandros]

My afternoon is cooked

[@darkflame1182]

Just got recommend your videos by KZbin, Hoping I see more from your channel and that you continue to cover Assassin's Creed serious. I enjoyed this video alot you got some great stuff going here

[@guffly]

This is actually insane. I’ve been missing your content since the fire watch and gollum episodes and was wondering if you left us, so glad you didn’t!

[@DespereauxHarvey]

Three days ago I was remembering your comment during your AC1 hinting at making more and wondered when those were coming. Thankyou for this. Well done

[@argirismichalostamos6191]

Dude, I would like just to say that for the past year I started to enjoy way too much this type of videos on KZbin. I love crawling to bed at night and watching a 30-minute or longer video for a game I used to play. Obviously, on this occasion, I had to break it into several parts which took me more than a week but I see this as a bonus. Whether it is an analysis of the content, a comparison, a praise, or a hate, it is always welcome whether I agree or not. I like it so much that some people have taken the time to build their statements as this was an essay. I really had fun watching your video to the very end. Make more whenever you can for other games as well!

[@LoganMcClain-d9l]

Just found your channel and wanted to say your videos are superb! Please continue with the Assassin's Creed series! Your analysis has shown me so much nuance and understanding that I never picked up on when playing these games as a kid.

[@АнандаФишер]

That's why I love your videos. You give so much of context for a simple phrase "Typical of Sixtus" that it's really interesting to watch.

[@haydenw7981]

five hour duke of wales vid dropped!!! Oh buddy we sleepin good tonight

[@user-uv2cp1qd1j]

2 hr video on AS1. 6 hr video on AS2. Time for an 18 hr video on brotherhood. A 54 hr video on revelations, and a 162 hr video on AS3. Cant wait!

[@baggie2911]

Jesus dude I i was gonna go to sleep but OK I'll stay up another 5 hours

[@CinematicSeriesGaming]

02:38:52 - I think you missed an important detail about AC lore. It doesn't matter that Desmond sees the memory of Altair in Acre without the Animus. AC1 established that the memories of ancestors are stored in the DNA. The moment the camera pulls away from Altair, and focuses on Maria's stomach, is a moment their son was conceived! Desmond is PHYSICALLY incapable of reliving any of Altair's memories from that point onward, because the DNA HAS BEEN TRANSMITTED to Altair's son. Because memories are stored in DNA, you can only have the memories of your ancestor that were recorded BEFORE they passed their DNA to their child (your next direct ancestor). After the love scene with Altair and Maria, Desmond would have the genetic memories of their son, not Altair. This is exactly why AC Revelations had to invent these memory discs that Altair used to pass his later memories to Ezio. This technology allowed Ubisoft to work around the limitation of DNA and show us glimpses of Altair's life AFTER he had a child, for example, when he was an old man. This is also a reason why AC Revelation's doesn't end with Ezio's death. It ends when Ezio settles down with Sofia. Within AC lore, you can NEVER see the memories of your ancestor's death. Why? Because the DNA with these memories could not possibly be passed on! A dead guy can no longer make a kid who could inherit the memories of dad's death.

[@Riggs_The_Roadie]

I forget where I read this but Rosa's voice actress passed away during or towards the end of development. Which explains her very truncated presence towards the back half of the game.

[@ydahshet9428]

I physicly cannot stop thinking. When i take showers or head to the bathroom I either need music or something to occupy my mind or ill start overthinking and potentialy getting panic attacks due to my own mind going too far. Longform and indepth analysis i can think about and agree/disagree and mumble arguments to myself about has been helping me through a rough patch as well as refreshing my memory on an old game i used to spend weeks with, so thank you. For eloquently and amusingly writing and voicing your thoughts in this way.

[@ragnarth_781]

When I was younger, the first game I bought for the PS3 was AC1 (because I liked the cover lol), and I simply fell in love with the concept-the freedom of movement, the implied philosophy, the sci-fi aspect, and all the mystery. But when I got to AC2, I felt something was missing. It was prettier, bigger, lighter, but where had the ambiguity, the philosophy, and even the investigations that made the assassinations feel earned gone? The targets looked and acted like inherently bad guys most of the time. I love Ezio's charisma and journey as much as the next person, but the revenge story felt a bit short for me. The things I liked the most were the little pieces of lore scattered around the world. I must be one of the few who prefers Altair's arc overall, not because it's better or more enjoyable, but because it's bold, provocative and unique. The problem isn't Ezio himself, but that his journey became the template for subsequent entries, to the point that revenge became a regular theme in Assassin's Creed. Ezio's family somehow became the theme of the franchise in overused remixes. When Unity last tried (and failed) to bring some ambiguity to the characters, this "formula" was abandoned in favor of a much more generic RPG style that undermines a focused narrative. Origins was again a revenge-for-family plot, with little to no introspection from the protagonist, and somehow this was meant to instigate the birth of the Brotherhood. After that, there were almost no themes related to the Assassins, their creed, or beliefs. Instead, we are playing through Isu mythology and ending important modern-day plots in comics. It's sad that AC1's potential was rarely revisited in future entries, and somehow it became the ugly duckling of the series.

[@DarkDaneAJ-Jamaa]

Only an hour and 25 minutes in, but dude, you’re nailing it on the head for my thoughts about this game. I literally clipped the moment where Ezio is just repeating “I don’t know” to his family’s questions. Such a gem. Also, concerning Vieri: I feel no one has taken such a sympathetic view of his character as you have. People in general fail to see the deeper dimensions of his character, and I’ve always seen him as a, as you put it, “dark mirror” to Ezio’s character; he wasn’t some inherently evil monster, but a kid, just like Ezio, set on a different path due to factors outside of his control. I also wish that AC2 touched more on the religious philosophy that was so heavily present in AC1, with the Renaissance being the perfect time period in which to do this. In short, you’re taking the words out of my mouth. Great video and I’ll probably come back when I’m done just to lay more praise on you.

[@iTzyaboifumbl3s]

Watching you cover this and AC1 so far has reminded me of why I loved these games growing up, and how far the series has fallen. I even enjoyed AC3 more than I did Black Flag. But nothing compares to the feels I got in Revelations with Altair's death, I legit wept. Cannot wait for you to get to the Altair missions in Revelations. I remember being so obsessed with him as I'd always had a fascination with the Knights Templar even before discovering Assassin's Creed, which I think is why AC1 sticks with me, finding those Red helmet Templar Basterds I spent so many hours trying to find them all.. I also just found Altair so mysterious and cool, I even bought all the books that expanded his stories. I am of the same opinions with the majority of your cons, I love that you made sure to make a big deal out of this games AC title drop as it's probably my favourite in the series. Looking forward to the Brotherhood video, which I hope is minimum 10 hours long, I've been listening to "Ezio Family" and "Echoes of Roman Ruins" from the soundtracks on repeat since watching your AC1 video. I'm fighting the urge to watch your Skyrim videos because I know it'll make me want to play it and I'm trying to do a min max Oblivion playthrough currently. Keep up the awesome work bro

[@deeayenn]

Excellent work. My thanks for covering a game I thoroughly enjoyed but have limited time to likely play again. Bonus points for the Mitchell & Webb at the end..

[@teotsukka]

Been waiting for this one.

[@Headbanger203]

Casually drops a near 6 hour video about one of my favorite games? My man, keep it coming.

[@DLibera]

María Auditore was obviously SAed. She looks unharmed, she's catatonic, and she's a woman. And I do think the game should've addressed that with more seriousness. I mean, I understand not wanting to name the deed, but at least she should've been avenged somehow.

[@MomijiSour]

I don't know if it's intentional in the text, but I think Ezio deciding to fistfight Rodrigo can work thematically when you take Altair's "I have no answers to our apparent hypocrisy" into account. For all the philosophizing and ideological waxing that Assassins do over the centuries, for all their high-minded ideals and Ezio's speech, at the end of the day, his journey comes down to a contest of violence, and he seems to recognize that. In a more tightly written third act, I think we would have more explicit wondering by Ezio if that is the way to go about things, and his shedding of every pretense to just beat Rodrigo half to death and then spit the Assassin's Creed in his face and walk away to claim Rodrigo's life's prize in front of him could be him rejecting the idea he's anything other than a murderer when it comes down to it. That would be a much, MUCH darker direction for Ezio, and it doesn't really work with Brotherhood and Revelation but, y'know, it could have been interesting... I also completely forgot about Teodora's "sex as love and sex as religious liberation" thing... Looking back on it, I saw it as a joke on her part, a sort of wink and nod about her dressing as a nun, but seeing how much they flesh it out knowing how the company was for women at the time is a little disgusting.

[@_ChiaroScuro_]

Hello Duke, I finished to watch your video today and it has been a pleasure for me. It's so well narrated, I think you nailed what this franchise is all about. Thank you for your hard work it was done beautifully.😊 Also Im Italian and I wanted to say that you didn't butchered the names but told them with the correct pronunciation

[@witchfynder_finder]

Babe wake up Duke of Whales dropped a 6-hour video on a game I've never played

[@witchfynder_finder]

Okay but seriously I really love the fact that you call your videos narrative critiques and then actually deliver narrative critique. So many channels on KZbin think ALL they have to do is rehash the story with some commentary thrown in here and there and that that counts as a critique, but the fact you actually go in-depth and explain what's going on to make the story tick and provide extra information, little nuggets on historical references and such, that's what elevates something to an actual critique. Love your shit, can't wait for the next video on a game I've never played.

[@Smarod]

Something i absolutely LOVED about the bleeding effec scene during AC2 was that my first ever game in the franchise was bloodlines. That's a PSP AC game that sees altair in Cyprus and maria is a VERY prominent cast member in it. while there was no concrete romance between them, there was clearly something there. To have it pay off in this way was fantastic, almost cathartic

[@thisisaformality]

I audibly shouted "LETS GO!" when I saw this video was up, and I'm not kidding. I love your essays man and I cant wait for the next one!!!

[@pypayapypaya8365]

I've only ever had a passing interest in the Assassin's Creed series so this video and your own on AS1 is my only extended exposure to the franchise. All of your videos that I've seen have been quite excellent and thought-provoking. You've quickly become one of my favorite channels and I hope to see more from you in the future. :-)

[@Riggs_The_Roadie]

I know it'll be a bit of a wait but I'm looking forward to the video on Revelations. Despite it's flaws in terms of gameplay, I really think it brings the Altair and Ezio storilines to a satisfying conclusion.

[@yodavapes6066]

4:25 Jedi stuck in a pee prison

[@vik.6103]

This video is simply fantastic, the passion and the will to deliver a well thought analysis are evident and i already watched it twice. My only regret is that as someone who was horribly disappointed with the finale of ac3 and stopped following this series completely with that game (and would only return for a reboot in the original spirit by some great writer - i know it won't happen) and has completely stopped caring and playing these games i am unable to start an interesting conversation about the series due to more than ten years having passed, erasing a good chunk of my memories about the story. Still, i am looking forward for a video on ac brotherhood, revelations and 3. Grazie e ciao from Italy!

[@Surobaki]

Wow, such a cool narrative retrospective! So excited to watch this one at my next toilet break

[@hunterandersen4172]

Keep making these narrative critiques! I love them I’ve seen all your videos already and when I first stumbled on your channel I didn’t realize it was so new, I thought this guy does a good job he has to have tons of other games covered. And you don’t! I love the assassins creed games and im looking forward to hearing everything you have to say for all them.

[@Finbars9]

Your comments about Giovanni hoping to change the direction of the brotherhood reminds me of the book Underworld, which I'd highly recommend giving a read. it follows Henry Green from Syndicate in his youth. Despite my problems with Syndicate's narrative, this book is one of the most interesting explorations of the brotherhood we've ever got. Henry is unable to kill, no matter how much he tries, and despite his skills ends up failing as an Assassin. It questions how unchangeable the brotherhood's tactics have been over the centuries, despite the Templars being so clearly willing to alter and update to the times

[@_kalia]

Gods, I love these narrative analysis videos. The AC1 video was great but I really saw what makes your videos shine in the Gollum one; the amount of consideration and insight you put into it makes these videos such enjoyable and thought-provoking watches. My memory of AC2 is very rusty, but I'm sure I wouldn't have considered half of these details without this analysis.

[@audax117]

1:05:54 They are calling Abstergo Animus primitive because in a technical view it is old and wasn't as advanced, for example, because of it Altair couldnt swim, climb fast, etc. It isn't explaining why he's so "boring" in the first game but actually explaining why the first game is so primitive

[@gav7428]

I wonder if Silvio and Dante are a Sopranos reference

[@jyaw16]

I was originally pretty critical of AC2's story, for its messy timeline and lack of depth, espcially just coming off AC1, but your video helped me see the nuance in AC2's story, to see the finer details that my dissatisfaction initially clouded. I love the possibility of Giovanni's desire for a more "civilised" and lawful brotherhood, unknowingly going back to Altaïr's conclusions/questions within the codex. Now i'm eager to hear your critique on Brotherhood, which I feel has the weakest story of the Desmond saga, to see if there was anything I missed too, or if Brotherhood's story actually sucks. Don't worry about the length, I would watch it even if it was 8 hours. Thanks for the great video.

[@cthulhufollower9329]

Hell yeah! New video!

[@theoroderick782]

Wow how did I not find you earlier, still 2atching the first AC critique video but I'm hype for this one 6 hours is crazy😂😂😂

[@astaBeta59]

Another thorough, compelling video. I've never played the AC games but devoured this. I would do unspeakable things to listen to you talk about Disco Elysium, if you've ever played it

[@saurovaki]

Hell yeah I was stalking your channel waiting for an upload but I think I’ll just turn notifications on 👊🔥

[@TheEvilShepard]

This was great. Some of my random thoughts: I was way too young to understand the plot and the deeper meanings of the story when I played AC1 and the Ezio trilogy games for the first time. I adored AC2 and had a lot of fun (yes) running around and being a cool assassin and basically ignored all the modern day Desmond stuff. I am still somewhat lukewarm about it, but I can now kinda appreciate what they were going for originally. And yet, the ending for Ezio in Revelations still stuck out to me. While the game itself is not that great in my opinion, it was worth it to see Ezio in the library with Altair. Really looking forward to you discussing that moment, as I enjoyed a lot of your thoughts here. Great work, and thanks for making this. Cheers.

[@noa8316]

I really appreciate you taking the time to give your informed thoughts on this story. The assassin's creed games mean a lot me (especially the Desmond games) and I really get a lot out of your videos and analyses to bolster the depth of my connection to these stories. I especially liked your video comparing Beowulf to the story of Skyrim.

[@soggybogwitch]

I'm at like the 2 and half hour mark and I really think that the choice to have Ezio spare Rodrigo gets more bizarre gets more bizarre when you realize there was a really good alternative beat if you wanted to show the character development that they're trying to. Final mission: your objective is to kill Rodrigo Borgia without harming anybody else. Ezios seen the same characterization of these henchman that we have through the course of the game. Most of these guysbarent villains, they're not stone cold killers, they're just people caught in the Templars web and they're SCARED. The real conclusion should be, yes Rodrigo Borgia has to die, but nobody else does.

[@pastlife960]

Thank you for such an in depth review!

[@weaselbun]

I'm glad to see someone mention it. AC1's strength is how much it makes you question if Assassins and Templars are even right or how similar they think AC2 has such shallow, comically evil Templars that it muddies the perspective conflict for Assassin Good Templar Bad. The feeling permeates throughout Ezio's story

[@helpimdming3910]

Loving your content! keep diving into, critiquing, and analyzing my guy! You make some of the best video essays on the site

[@pamelaguerra3768]

I am aware that this is a weird thing to say but I wish you would write fanfiction

[@lGipsyDanger]

I get that 😂😂 He would do a fantastic job

[@darkflame2067]

40:13 What an Abysmal Ranking of the Robes Like Damn AC 2 is S Tier

[@yardengarde5681]

After a few days of watching I can say a huge thank you for this beautiful video, excited if you review brotherhood

[@darkflame2067]

Almost 6 Hours of a Narrative Critique of my favourite Game? We going in Boys

[@Eli-do4hh]

What a great video. I truly hope you continue onto AC3, especially as an American giving the setting

[@FilipKolomyjec]

Sorry to be this guy in a room, but about this probability thingy with keypad: the number of all possible tries of three different combinations is 24*23*22 (Desmond wouldn't pick the same combination twice). The number of all wrong triples of combinations is 23*22*21 (we choose only from 23 wrong combinations). So the chance that he wouldn't guess it in three tries is 21/24=7/8. He has 12.5% chance of succes. Still pretty low, but better than 4.5%. 1/22 would be the chance of guessing correct combination, assuming you've already tested two combinations before and were incorrect. But you need to multiply this by the chance of not guessing these two previous combinations (23*22)/(24*23)=11/12 and add the chance of getting it right in two tries (1/12) which yields 1/8. Putting that aside, it's great that you've made such extensive analysis. Though they is plenty of AC content on youtube, they rarely dwelled on narrative in an interesting way.

[@Inerrant1]

The timeline shenanigans seem like such an unforced error. They could have written plot elements like ciphers Leonardo has to spend years deciphering, moving fictional meetings around in the timeline, or maybe to have the Templars... like... actively resisting and complicating the Assassins' plans?

[@jakobchristiansson]

This is really impressive work my guy! Truly. I can hear your imposter syndrome and i'm here to tell you, (futile though it may be) that your channel is a black swan as far as i'm concerned. Top quality content that oozes care and effort, and I appreciate it very much! I respect and admire the hell out of your work bud! Definitely my new go-to channel for video game analysis, and its also great to fall asleep to! 😁 I feel like I speak on behalf of every viewer here when I say, that your work merits your pride. Because it's honestly very impressive!

[@diamonddog5190]

Your side tangent about killing the guard first made me pause the vid just to appreciate the level of analysis you put towards the narrative of not only the game but its mechanics and systems

[@diamonddog5190]

To add on. Your emphasis on the statue being allegory towards ezio like 👑👑👑

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Regarding what Nolan North said about the "original" plan for Desmond, we have to remember that that it's still conjecture. He wasn't a scriptwriter, he just heard about various things. In fact, I would dare to propose a notion that Desilets & co. never truly had a concrete trilogy plan. Whenever he talks about that stuff, he's always quite vague, isn't he? The most concrete piece of info we got was that, seemingly, the ending would've featured Desmond & Lucy boarding a First Civ spaceship, yeeting off into outer space and re-starting the human race on another planet. Which, honestly, I'm not sure how that's supposed to connect to the core freedom vs. control philosophical conflict. Because what's going to stop that new human race from repeating it?

[@Dave-sw3fq]

Awesome work, loved your AC1 video, really good analysis and not just recapping of plot. Can't wait to dig into this one.

[@AwfulWaffle8474]

As a military guy and and uncle, when at 1:08:40 would be something I would do to my nephew if my name was Mario. It encapsulates the fun uncles are but we can be serious when we need to be. Also i believe this scene was to reassure Ezio that he's with family and he shouldn't be treated as a hostile. You could also say it allows a little bit of levity for the player after being bombarded by death and destruction ala Saul Goodman. I think you overanalyzed this tbh.

[@audax117]

Exactly what I thought. Bro overanalyzed way too much stuff that is meant to just be funny to ease us a bit after so much action and violence

[@ThumbSipper]

49:22 another interpretation for that name is that it could be a triple entendre. While in Italian "colta" (or "colto" for the masculine)can absolutely mean "plucked" it can also mean "cultured" or "learned", and it would make sense since the database informes us that the courtesans in this particular bordello where known for being educated in various arts like poetry. That's how I always read that anyway

[@oklywright8886]

I rarely hit the “like” button on KZbin. But you absolutely deserve it. You 100% deserve a million + subs, & I have no doubt given a little more time & a few more videos you’ll get there. Your voice, speech, analysis & quality are all already on the level of a MASSIVE channel. Keep going man, whatever goals you have I’m certain you’re gonna smash them.

[@redblobdude]

Dude. Holy shit. I stumbled on your channel when I found your Firewatch video and loved it. I’ve since watched all your other vids save for the first one on Oblivion since I’ve never played it. Now, I remember your channel and come to check if you have any new videos just to find a 6 hr long vid on one of my favorite games of all time. Keep doing what you’re doing man. Idc what the numbers say, this shit is gold.

[@whiteoctober4582]

Small mistake I picked up on, Jacopo is Francesco's uncle not his father

[@eringrl101]

Odyssey is the first game I’ve really liked in the AC franchise in a while. I never got the charm of Black Flag that everyone else seems to, and I can’t say I understand the weird cultural retcon in the fandom that Unity is “actually good.” There’s something compelling in Odyssey that reminds me of ACII and Brotherhood. The teenager who played those games and desperately wanted to go see Italy bc it was beautiful and interesting and had a dumb little video game to inspire them, really came back to life all these years later because Greece and Kassandra were that compelling. I can’t say the same for Valhalla, a game so dour and unpleasant that I almost didn’t finish it. When AC does something right, it almost feels like an accident.

[@waswer6901]

So glad youtube reconmended me your channel right after you posted your first video. Love the content, absolutley top tier stuff to play in the background whilst I'm doing other things, keep up the good work my guy

[@Cosminator0407]

Brother, your video is longer than a call of duty single player campaign, but it’s fire though. Keep em coming

[@BigDaddyBeige]

Love how Shaun and Desmond go from not liking eachother much to being best friends

[@CinematicSeriesGaming]

43:00 You're absolutely right. Killing these 2 guards always felt wrong to me. In my playthroughs, I would always block their attacks until the dialogue is exhausted and then run away without killing them. I think it makes more sense story-wise.

[@ubername51]

I watched all six hours of this video and I loved every minute. I hope you keep up your videos because they get me through my 10 hour shifts and the way you articulate your thoughts and analyze various sections of this game REALLY made me want to play them again!

[@phantomtheives]

Ngl the Leonardo QTE caught me so off guard I instinctively hit the right button. I would've never forgiven myself had I not hugged my boy.