Book Review: Assassin's Creed 2 Collector's Edition: Prima Official Game Guide

This guide is an excellent complement to the game. 224 full coloured low gloss pages with simple yet elegantly illustrated hard cover. Alright, physical descriptions aside, let us focus on what's inside.

The guide is very well organized, and very detailed, which every game guide should be (though some are not). The mini "contents page" by the edge of every page is particularly useful at helping readers navigate to sections of the game or locate what they need.

The main part of the book essentially shows the detailed walkthroughs, including of course, the required maps, secret locations and detailed guides to resolve some of the in-game puzzles. The walkthrough details each memory sequence that the main character Desmond lives through, in chronological order.

Okay, now what makes this book a collector’s edition is of course more than the typical run-of-the-mill walkthroughs and item lists that you would expect to find in every other game guide. No, what makes this game guide worth buying is 3 things, the overall presentation, the “Discussion” and the artworks section.

The overall presentation

As a relatively picky player, I rarely fall in love with games. But Assassin’s Creed II is one of the games that I really, really like. The collector’s edition guide is a must-have if you are a fan of the game. It completes the game, and gives you a tingly feeling in your spine to have the game and the guide together as two halves of one collection. The guide is beautifully littered with illustrations on all its pages, from the detailed drawings of parts of Ezio Auditore’s weapons and costumes to the landscapes and cityscapes of Renaissance-era Italy.

The “Discussion”

It is not strictly a discussion of the game, more of a recap of the two games, Assassin’s Creed I and Assassin’s Creed II. Along with the recaps, the book also offers its own take on the interpretations of the game’s elements. What each element might signify, and how each element ties into the overall story. This in my opinion, is something that a lot of guides fall short on, when a player loves the game, they want to know everything about it, and with this guide, you get your questions answered and it allows you to immerse yourself much more deeply in the game and the world where the characters you play live in.

The bonus art work

The last 2 sections of the book contains the game developer’s thoughts and comments on the game, and features many pieces of concept art involved in the creation of the game’s many intricately designed buildings and landscapes. The last 20 pages includes artworks that were illustrated in the development of the game and are a delight to appreciate.

This guide is a very highly recommended complement to the game. Players who loved the game will definitely find this collector’s edition guide a very worthwhile purchase to complete their experience of the game. 100% of the game content detailed, excellently presented and thoroughly explored.

There's also the standard edition without the extra art gallery and behind-the-scenes commentary. But seriously, the Collector's edition is well worth the money.

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Also check out Assassin's Creed Limited Edition Art Book if you missed it.

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Assassin's Creed 2: Prima Official Game Guide:
Amazon.com | Amazon.ca | Amazon.co.uk | Amazon.fr | Amazon.de | Amazon.co.jp

Assassin's Creed II game:
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