game The Best Assassin's Creed Game Will Be Free To Keep Next Week

[AKH]

Developer Ubisoft is offering up Assassin’s Creed II, one of the premier installments of its historical killer-for-hire franchise, to players for free starting next week. With the ongoing coronavirus pandemic forcing people to stay at home for long periods of time, video game companies are offering up top-tier games to download free-of-charge, hoping to give gamers something to pass the time with while in social isolation.

Released in 2009, Assassin’s Creed II continues the modern-day story of Desmond Miles, a seemingly unassuming bartender tasked with unraveling an ancient conspiracy by living through the memories of his distant ancestors. This includes Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a son of a nobleman during the time of the Italian Renaissance who seeks to avenge his father’s murder at the hands of the Templar, a shadowy organization bent on controlling the world. To this end, Ezio allies himself with famous historical figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Caterina Sforza as he trains in the way of the Assassin and travels across an open-world rendition of Italy in what many consider to be the best game in the Assassin’s Creed series. Now, players will be able to embark on this adventure for free starting next week.

Niko Partners Senior Analyst Daniel Ahmad broke the news on his Twitter page earlier this morning, posting a Chinese promotional image of Assassin’s Creed II being offered free to download on Ubisoft's Uplay service starting this Tuesday. In addition, both of the game’s follow-up spin-offs – 2010’s Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood and 2011’s Assassin’s Creed: Revelations – are apparently being offered at a discount. Check out the full tweet below

This is just the latest in a string of free offerings from online services like Steam and the Epic Games Store, which have provided players with a number of their most popular titles to download free-of-charge over the past couple of months. These have ranged from big-name titles like Ubisoft’s own Watch Dogs to quirky indie games like The Stanley Parable, and has served as an act of goodwill and fun distraction in the face of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Just a few weeks ago, Ubisoft itself offered up Rayman Legends for free on its Uplay service in a manner not unlike what it plans to do with Assassin's Creed II.

Having a hit title like Assassin’s Creed II available for free will be welcome news to both fans and newcomers, as the sequel made several improvements to the 2007 original’s open-world, stealth killing gameplay in addition to having one of the Assassin Creed series’ most well-liked protagonists and plotlines. Also, with several hours of runtime to its name, Assassin’s Creed II is a great way to pass the long days stuck at home during a pandemic. Players will be able to strap on the signature wrist-blades of Ezio Auditore da Firenze for themselves when Assassin’s Creed II becomes free-to-download this Tuesday.