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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
@@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
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?
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
Agree with all here. FYI if you're looking for another long-form narrative critique UA-camr, 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 UA-cam. His 9.5-hour Fallout series video is a standout, for example.
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!
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.
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.
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!
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.
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).
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!
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.
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
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed your critiques of Skyrim and Dawnguard. Can't believe I didn't subscribe when I watched those. My job is somewhat monotonous and I listened to your videos as an audiobook. So when I searched you up during another boring workday to find this nearly 6 hour gem has been a blessing!! Thank you for your extensive analysis and your honesty.
I’ve been a fan for a while, and I’d like to say that these videos are so well crafted and thoughtful. Good video game story analysis is so hard to find, and it’s great to see people having in depth discussions about a genre of storytelling many have dismissed
I've never been a big AC fan and it took me a month to get through this video in many small sittings, but let me say that your breakdown was very thorough and thoughtful and I greatly enjoyed it
I rarely hit the “like” button on UA-cam. 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.
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
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!
I watched the AC1 video and 2 hours of this while I built a Lego project before settling in to watch the rest with my full attention and I really enjoyed your talks about the actual real life history and other more mythological/religious additions since when I played 1 and the Ezio trilogy originally I was a young kid who didn't fully grasp the full context for things besides 'traveling through history is fun' and having not replayed them in full since then, it was really interesting to hear all those added bits of context to the large whole. Totally earned my sub from these two videos and I will watch the rest of your work in due time!
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
Dude you are INSANE - your content is amazing, I've been binge watching your videos all week and now this? Incredible, hope you get the boost in popularity you deserve 🔥
This was incredible. I appreciate the time and effort it took to make this possible. Please take your time, enjoy the process as much as you can, and reward yourself for taking the risk of exposing aspects of your work to possible scrutiny. It takes courage to post anything online. To post something which took a lot of time and effort to craft is very commendable. I hope you appreciate how far you've progressed. It's healthy to take a step back and see that distance ventured :)
I'm only halfway through and I'm living for this. I wish we had more thorough and varied analysis of games like this. You're doing the Lord's work, my friend.
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 ❤
This video is really underrated and so is this channel. Ive never seen such a comprehensive analysis of AC2, amazing work. I hope you make an AC brotherhood video like this one!
Dude, I would like just to say that for the past year I started to enjoy way too much this type of videos on UA-cam. 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!
Been a huge fan of these AC videos so far. I love this mess of a series so seeing genuine analysis of it all that treats it seriously is wonderful stuff! Keep it up and I can’t wait to see more if you do any more on the series!
Really excited to see you covering these games. I played assassin's creed 2 so many times as a kid and was so excited to see Desmond and Ezio's story progress in brotherhood and revelations (played assassin's creed 1 afterwards and 3 on release). Unfortunately, some circumstances led to me stopping part way through blackflag, and after all of the quality issues with newer games I never really picked the series back up or had a chance to dive deep into all the lore and narratives. Your analysis is so thoughtful and I can tell you also hold a special place in your heart for them as well as the historical background they draw from. Perfect excuse to get back into the series, can't wait for the next one!
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.
Well this was a very fun bit to watch/listen to during my workweek. You've allowed me to revisit the nostalgia, and enjoy the deeper narratives that the writers were trying so desperately to squeeze in to the production schedule in a very casual and often times cheeky way! Thanks!
For real, this is amazing and exactly what ticks all my boxes. Thanks for putting this together, and I look forward to seeing you tackle the rest of the series.
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.
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!
I consume a lot of long form content but this video really sticks out as an extraordinarily well put together video essay. incredibly digestible. cannot wait to see you tackle brotherhood!
My friend, I love this, I thoroughly appreciate the work that went into this. Thank you for putting this together! Just wanted to let you know that I struggled with the sound mixing when you are talking with in-game dialogue in the background. Looking forward to future videos, much love x
I went to your channel page to look through the rest of your videos, and saw your comment about "second monitor" content, as I am watching this on my second monitor while working. I felt very seen by this. Good stuff, carry on.
Your critiques have been nothing short of well-written, entertaining, and informing. I especially enjoy the historical tangents, providing context for the people the creators were attempting to recreate and how they fit into this game. Thank you for this and all your other videos!
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.
Just got recommend your videos by UA-cam, 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
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.
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.
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
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..
With regards to Rosa and Ezio's relationship, I believe the voice actress has sadly passed away during or after the recording of this game. Which explains why they couldn't add more scenes and dialogue with her and went with more depth being addednto her in the novel. Edit: I see you mentioned it later, well done, great research. 👌
What an incredible video. I started with your first AC critique and just finished this one. I really enjoy the pacing, critique, the way you present your arguments, how we always have synchronized video with your narration and your jokes as well are really on point. I also really enjoy that you repeat throughout your video some of the bigger arguments you will tackle later, such as Ezio sparring Borgia and Ezio's speech when Savonarola dies. I am not sure, but you usually repeat them only once or twice per chapter in the video. Which makes it really easy to watch a chapter, and come back later, and still be able to keep up with the bigger picture of the video. I feel you really did justice to both AC 1 and 2 and critiqued them on the the themes and points the games wanted to make. I am very much looking forward to seeing more critiques from you, especially on the AC franchise. I cannot imagine how much work are going into your videos. Great job and keep going. Also your content is main monitor worthy, not second :)
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.
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.
You know I just got done playing AC2, and I thought my growing disappointment after the incredible act 1 was just a personal problem. It's nice to see I'm not the only one who felt that way. Thanks for making this friend, I'm enjoying it.
This is an amazing analysis. I actually love the way you dont shy away from any topic, and you think far deeply about most things and every detail a majority of players would completely overlook, forget, or never even notice to begin with. Youre not judgemental, rather explorative and curious. You spent like 40 minutes discussing sex and religion in such a thorough and open minded fashion, and i really appreciate that kind of healthy open ended discussion. You definitely deserve more subs because you took so much time to do a proper deep dive on everything in the story. I love this kind of content, and its super refreshing to see others who actually think deeper about things and question everything. After all to question everything is part of the real assassin creed. (Also, i dont think the dlc is bad at all, its just the placement. Each part of the dlc should have been installed into a completely different part of the game.) (Also also im happy you called out machiavelli, hes one of the most intriguing, compelling and contoversial historical figures of all time, to see him Reduced to a figure head who does essentially nothing other than save ezio at the villa and somehow name him Íl mentore, he should have been such an interesting addition,with his radical political views and philosophical views on people and rule)
First off, huge respect for the insane amount of work that you put into this video. At first I wanted to just listen to it and/or have it in the background or on the second monitor but the editing and visuals support the voiceover so well that I decided to watch the entire thing instead. There is a lot of video, so obviously there is lots to talk about which I might do another time but for now I'd just like to mention that I appreciate the addtional research that you put in to have a better picture of the real historical people, politics and events and sprinkling them into this analysis really elevates these scenes. I also like that you do not hide your opinion about stuff that doesn't make sense and don't talk around retcons but just call them what they are. It's refreshing and gives a lot of character to your work and even though I might have some differing opinions, I see where you're coming from. I also like the idea in general to critique the narrative and not the game itself, as you said the game is fun but the story judged separately mostly doesn't hold up. Two things I'd like to address, especially since you had the part about you mispronouncing various terms in the video. One of which is basically irrelevant but the other one bothered me and I'd rather mention it than stay silently annoyed. 1. The word is "asterisk" not "asteriks". 2. Not sure why you pronounce "Altair" the way you do but the name is supposed to be pronounced "Alta-eer", not "Alta-air", "Alta-ehr", "Alta-yehr" or other variations that one can come up with. I'm not sure if you are aware of this because your pronounciation is inconsistent throughout the video with 5:15:43 being especially bad and 5:43:44 being fine. If you decide to not change it or if it's so ingrained already that you have a hard time changing it, that's fine but now I will at least not be bothered by myself not bringing it up when I had the chance. Looking forward to the Dragonborn DLC and future AC titles and depending on how long the Oxenfree video will be, also to that one. Cheers
I always interpreted the second act as Ezio growing detached and depressed. He's learned so much, about what was kept from him, why, and how much he's lost. He's not gained anything back, either, and the taste of revenge has grown... Sour. I interpret this bout of depressed tedium as a foreground that leads to his decision to spare his final target at the end of the game. He's just going through the motions, here, and even when he wasn't he gained none of what he lost. So, in the third act start, he's ruminating on that - and, eventually, wants to try and do something else. Something different. This depression also feeds into why they would imply killing is taking that weight, AND why Leonardo notices him changing. He's depressed, worn by it all, and exhausted mentally. And Leonardo is perceptive enough as an artist and creator to catch that This is just my interpretation, though, for why he feels so distant
You’re one of the only creators I’ve found on this website that can scratch that Noah Gervais itch, and honestly I can’t think of any praise higher than that. Keep it up!
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!
My notification bell will be on 😂
Oxenfree is a great game, Unique dialogue system too.
I’m excited for that! Also hoping you one day get to AC4 black flag lol
Very excited for Oxenfree!
Id' love to hear your thoughts/ analysis on the Oxenfree sequel too.
Pumping out a 6 hour video as a a 30k sub channel, you’re insane
Insane and goated
It’s amazing.
I'm a sucker for looong video essays to have in the background, surely I'm not the only one
Insane? I think it's a godlike move.
Thats why he wont stay at 30k!
So much effort and passion
I will never forget the insanely creepy puzzles telling the backstory and all of the stuff regarding the Apple and stuff. Gave me chills.
Absolutely, and I played the game without touching the first. So I was actually trying to piece together the implications of every little tidbit
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!
This Stuff was so good
That Potential...but man how they wasted it
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.
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.
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
Peak gaming right there
My kind of holy war.
I hope whoever came up with that idea got a promotion back then
I think that was when the series really jumped the shark and am 100% here for it.
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.
Main monitor channel + comment.
I'm surprised DukeofWhales hasn't made a patreon, this the kind of channel and deep analysis I'd love to support.
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.
Also he's already a public figure so it's better to make him disposable so other Templar characters can remain in the shadows
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
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.
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.
I also read this as the last time Ezio ever spares a major enemy precisely over what happens immediately after this in brotherhood 😂
Including literal Machiavelli in a game and having him be surprised by the idea of not attacking someone directly is so funny to me
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.
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.
@@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
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?
@@BoZoiD57 yes
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
Agree with all here. FYI if you're looking for another long-form narrative critique UA-camr, 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 UA-cam. His 9.5-hour Fallout series video is a standout, for example.
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!
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.
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.
I'll be there, comrade
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!
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.
I can't wait to watch almost 6 hours video about a game i've only seen walkthroughs of.
the crappy flute noises really enhance the overall quality of the video
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).
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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
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
Casually drops a near 6 hour video about one of my favorite games? My man, keep it coming.
LETS FUCKING GOOOOO
I just rewatched the first one last week and was definitely hoping more was to come. love ya duke
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.
He says in the Pin it's the one after the next!
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.
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!!!
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.
Man, you're touching on what I've always felt about the first one-third of AC2's story. It's amazing. Then afterwards, it just falls apart.
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.
I recommend your stuff to everyone I know. To date, you have some of the most succinct narrative critiques I've ever heard.
This level of quality is so, SO good. I absolutely adore how much you examine the real history that inspired the events and figures in this game.
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.
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.
I thoroughly, thoroughly enjoyed your critiques of Skyrim and Dawnguard. Can't believe I didn't subscribe when I watched those. My job is somewhat monotonous and I listened to your videos as an audiobook. So when I searched you up during another boring workday to find this nearly 6 hour gem has been a blessing!! Thank you for your extensive analysis and your honesty.
I’ve been a fan for a while, and I’d like to say that these videos are so well crafted and thoughtful. Good video game story analysis is so hard to find, and it’s great to see people having in depth discussions about a genre of storytelling many have dismissed
I've never been a big AC fan and it took me a month to get through this video in many small sittings, but let me say that your breakdown was very thorough and thoughtful and I greatly enjoyed it
I rarely hit the “like” button on UA-cam. 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.
Been waiting for this one.
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
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!
Your video on the first game is one of my all time favourite video essays, can't wait to dive into this one!!
I watched the AC1 video and 2 hours of this while I built a Lego project before settling in to watch the rest with my full attention and I really enjoyed your talks about the actual real life history and other more mythological/religious additions since when I played 1 and the Ezio trilogy originally I was a young kid who didn't fully grasp the full context for things besides 'traveling through history is fun' and having not replayed them in full since then, it was really interesting to hear all those added bits of context to the large whole.
Totally earned my sub from these two videos and I will watch the rest of your work in due time!
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
Dude you are INSANE - your content is amazing, I've been binge watching your videos all week and now this? Incredible, hope you get the boost in popularity you deserve 🔥
Loving your content! keep diving into, critiquing, and analyzing my guy! You make some of the best video essays on the site
Awesome work, loved your AC1 video, really good analysis and not just recapping of plot. Can't wait to dig into this one.
Doing your voice overs in a blanket fort while drinking tea sounds absolutely lovely
This was incredible. I appreciate the time and effort it took to make this possible. Please take your time, enjoy the process as much as you can, and reward yourself for taking the risk of exposing aspects of your work to possible scrutiny. It takes courage to post anything online. To post something which took a lot of time and effort to craft is very commendable. I hope you appreciate how far you've progressed. It's healthy to take a step back and see that distance ventured :)
I'm only halfway through and I'm living for this. I wish we had more thorough and varied analysis of games like this. You're doing the Lord's work, my friend.
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 ❤
This video is really underrated and so is this channel. Ive never seen such a comprehensive analysis of AC2, amazing work. I hope you make an AC brotherhood video like this one!
Dude, I would like just to say that for the past year I started to enjoy way too much this type of videos on UA-cam. 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!
Been a huge fan of these AC videos so far. I love this mess of a series so seeing genuine analysis of it all that treats it seriously is wonderful stuff! Keep it up and I can’t wait to see more if you do any more on the series!
Really excited to see you covering these games. I played assassin's creed 2 so many times as a kid and was so excited to see Desmond and Ezio's story progress in brotherhood and revelations (played assassin's creed 1 afterwards and 3 on release). Unfortunately, some circumstances led to me stopping part way through blackflag, and after all of the quality issues with newer games I never really picked the series back up or had a chance to dive deep into all the lore and narratives. Your analysis is so thoughtful and I can tell you also hold a special place in your heart for them as well as the historical background they draw from. Perfect excuse to get back into the series, can't wait for the next one!
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.
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!
Well this was a very fun bit to watch/listen to during my workweek. You've allowed me to revisit the nostalgia, and enjoy the deeper narratives that the writers were trying so desperately to squeeze in to the production schedule in a very casual and often times cheeky way! Thanks!
So happy to have another video to watch from you. Really like longer videos too
In this house, we pretend Ubisoft didn't make Lucy a templar.
For real, this is amazing and exactly what ticks all my boxes. Thanks for putting this together, and I look forward to seeing you tackle the rest of the series.
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.
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!
I consume a lot of long form content but this video really sticks out as an extraordinarily well put together video essay. incredibly digestible. cannot wait to see you tackle brotherhood!
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!!
My friend, I love this, I thoroughly appreciate the work that went into this. Thank you for putting this together!
Just wanted to let you know that I struggled with the sound mixing when you are talking with in-game dialogue in the background.
Looking forward to future videos, much love x
I went to your channel page to look through the rest of your videos, and saw your comment about "second monitor" content, as I am watching this on my second monitor while working. I felt very seen by this. Good stuff, carry on.
Your critiques have been nothing short of well-written, entertaining, and informing. I especially enjoy the historical tangents, providing context for the people the creators were attempting to recreate and how they fit into this game. Thank you for this and all your other videos!
One of the best channels working right now! Love your videos man, keep it up!
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.
Another wonderfully thoughtful narrative analysis, your channel is a real gem!!
Just got recommend your videos by UA-cam, 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
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.
Yooo i just started playing through the ac series from the start and i loved your ac1 video after i finished the game myself. This vid is just in time
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.
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
Yeeeeah dude! I'm gonna seriously listen to this a couple times, then fall asleep to it for years. Thanks man!
The only AC game I can keep replaying and have as much fun as I had when I was younger playing it for the first time.
five hour duke of wales vid dropped!!! Oh buddy we sleepin good tonight
I needed something to listen to in the background while I collect everything in Assassin's Creed.
Ok, now I'm really forward to the AC3 video
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..
With regards to Rosa and Ezio's relationship, I believe the voice actress has sadly passed away during or after the recording of this game. Which explains why they couldn't add more scenes and dialogue with her and went with more depth being addednto her in the novel.
Edit: I see you mentioned it later, well done, great research. 👌
What an incredible video. I started with your first AC critique and just finished this one. I really enjoy the pacing, critique, the way you present your arguments, how we always have synchronized video with your narration and your jokes as well are really on point.
I also really enjoy that you repeat throughout your video some of the bigger arguments you will tackle later, such as Ezio sparring Borgia and Ezio's speech when Savonarola dies. I am not sure, but you usually repeat them only once or twice per chapter in the video. Which makes it really easy to watch a chapter, and come back later, and still be able to keep up with the bigger picture of the video.
I feel you really did justice to both AC 1 and 2 and critiqued them on the the themes and points the games wanted to make.
I am very much looking forward to seeing more critiques from you, especially on the AC franchise. I cannot imagine how much work are going into your videos. Great job and keep going.
Also your content is main monitor worthy, not second :)
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.
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.
You know I just got done playing AC2, and I thought my growing disappointment after the incredible act 1 was just a personal problem. It's nice to see I'm not the only one who felt that way.
Thanks for making this friend, I'm enjoying it.
This is an amazing analysis. I actually love the way you dont shy away from any topic, and you think far deeply about most things and every detail a majority of players would completely overlook, forget, or never even notice to begin with. Youre not judgemental, rather explorative and curious. You spent like 40 minutes discussing sex and religion in such a thorough and open minded fashion, and i really appreciate that kind of healthy open ended discussion. You definitely deserve more subs because you took so much time to do a proper deep dive on everything in the story. I love this kind of content, and its super refreshing to see others who actually think deeper about things and question everything. After all to question everything is part of the real assassin creed.
(Also, i dont think the dlc is bad at all, its just the placement. Each part of the dlc should have been installed into a completely different part of the game.)
(Also also im happy you called out machiavelli, hes one of the most intriguing, compelling and contoversial historical figures of all time, to see him
Reduced to a figure head who does essentially nothing other than save ezio at the villa and somehow name him Íl mentore, he should have been such an interesting addition,with his radical political views and philosophical views on people and rule)
Makes me happy to see a dedicated video about AC2, my fav AC game. Well done!
My afternoon is cooked
I never watch videos this long but your points, editing and everything you added made it a great couple hours to kill. Great vid!
YES IVE BEEN WAITING FOR U TO DROP I LOVE YOU BRO
I can only speak for myself but the "It's a-me, Mario!" is my most remembered thing about this game I was playing with my brother and we both laughed
I cannot wait for future videos on the AC series, regardless take your time making videos you enjoy. They're always a worthwhile watch
The nostalgic voice lines…. The writing in this game was brilliant
First off, huge respect for the insane amount of work that you put into this video.
At first I wanted to just listen to it and/or have it in the background or on the second monitor but the editing and visuals support the voiceover so well that I decided to watch the entire thing instead.
There is a lot of video, so obviously there is lots to talk about which I might do another time but for now I'd just like to mention that I appreciate the addtional research that you put in to have a better picture of the real historical people, politics and events and sprinkling them into this analysis really elevates these scenes.
I also like that you do not hide your opinion about stuff that doesn't make sense and don't talk around retcons but just call them what they are. It's refreshing and gives a lot of character to your work and even though I might have some differing opinions, I see where you're coming from. I also like the idea in general to critique the narrative and not the game itself, as you said the game is fun but the story judged separately mostly doesn't hold up.
Two things I'd like to address, especially since you had the part about you mispronouncing various terms in the video.
One of which is basically irrelevant but the other one bothered me and I'd rather mention it than stay silently annoyed.
1. The word is "asterisk" not "asteriks".
2. Not sure why you pronounce "Altair" the way you do but the name is supposed to be pronounced "Alta-eer", not "Alta-air", "Alta-ehr", "Alta-yehr" or other variations that one can come up with.
I'm not sure if you are aware of this because your pronounciation is inconsistent throughout the video with 5:15:43 being especially bad and 5:43:44 being fine.
If you decide to not change it or if it's so ingrained already that you have a hard time changing it, that's fine but now I will at least not be bothered by myself not bringing it up when I had the chance.
Looking forward to the Dragonborn DLC and future AC titles and depending on how long the Oxenfree video will be, also to that one.
Cheers
I always interpreted the second act as Ezio growing detached and depressed. He's learned so much, about what was kept from him, why, and how much he's lost. He's not gained anything back, either, and the taste of revenge has grown... Sour. I interpret this bout of depressed tedium as a foreground that leads to his decision to spare his final target at the end of the game. He's just going through the motions, here, and even when he wasn't he gained none of what he lost. So, in the third act start, he's ruminating on that - and, eventually, wants to try and do something else. Something different.
This depression also feeds into why they would imply killing is taking that weight, AND why Leonardo notices him changing. He's depressed, worn by it all, and exhausted mentally. And Leonardo is perceptive enough as an artist and creator to catch that
This is just my interpretation, though, for why he feels so distant
You’re one of the only creators I’ve found on this website that can scratch that Noah Gervais itch, and honestly I can’t think of any praise higher than that. Keep it up!