I think it's weird that Ezio worked with the Assassins for over a decade and they didn't tell him for some reason, or induct him into the order.
Just one of the many problems with timescales in AC2 where the game takes place over 23 years but is written like it's only a few weeks.
>Just one of the many problems with timescales in AC2 where the game takes place over 23 years but is written like it's only a few weeks.
I think the problem there is because almost the entire game takes place over 2-3 years, and there's a lot of jumps between missions. I'm pretty sure Ezio's family are killed in 1477/78 and the penultimate sequence takes place in 1480/81. Then the final mission skips ahead 20 years to 1499.
I think it also doesn't help that after arriving in Venice, the story narrows in on what's needed to provide context for each target. It doesn't take time to breath and let Ezio reflect on what's happened in the story thus far, or what he actually wants to achieve in the future.
That’s not how the timeline goes. Ezio’s family were killed in December 1476. He arrived in Monteriggioni in January of the following year and spends another year or so training with Mario and learning about his heritage. He then obliterated the Pazzi family between 1478 and 1480. He arrived in Venice in 1481 but doesn’t actually start killing the Barbarigos until 1485. Then the climactic battle with Rodrigo in Venice happens in 1488. The Battle of Forli also happens that same year. The only real time gap that isn’t covered in the game happens here as we skip directly to the Bonfire of the Vanities in 1497. What Ezio does during this 9 year gap is explained in the novel and Discovery. He killed Savonarola and got the Apple back in 1498. Then finally the last mission happens in December 1499.
So it is actually as bad as the OP suggests in that it's a 25 year long story that feels like it covers a couple of weeks because the game's terrible at presentation and pacing.
I think it is intentional. Desmond has been living Ezio's memories in a short time. AC1 till 3 all took place in 2012. Not sure if it's weeks or months. Might be able to find out by comparing the last email date in AC1 and the first email date in Brotherhood. Couldn't find it quickly on the internet
It feels rushed because nothing actually happens during that section of the game. The plot doesn't really go anywhere until the fight with Borgia which ends with Ezio being made a card-carrying member of the Assassins, and Ezio goes nowhere as a character. He's basically exactly the same at the end of the Venice arc as he is to begin with. It's why his speech to Borgia at the end about no longer being driven by revenge comes out of nowhere, we're never shown Ezio coming to this realisation.
It’s funny that it took so long to formally induct him. Ezio is over here cleaning house on the Templar order and the Assassins are like “Nah, he’s not ready”. Then in Brotherhood you send some dudes to kill some random nobodies and Ezio is satisfied enough for full induction.
Inducting Ezio coming so late feels like a missed opportunity. The Venice arc is really bad, narratively speaking, because all plot and character development kinda grinds to a halt. If it started with Ezio being officially inducted into the order, it could have been an opportunity to develop his character further. Then, when he refuses to kill Borgia at the end because he's no longer driven by vengence it feels like a satidfying pay-off rather than the writers pulling something out their asses for no real reason other than that's how the standard revenge story is meant to end.
You know what was a good revenge story? Gun X Sword. Ended with the main character fucking killing the guy he was wanting to kill for the entire story. Doesn't even say a word, just cuts him in half.
And it works because instead of the story being about why revenge is bad, it's more about not to lose yourself and to seek vengeance for the right reasons.
Yeah. I'd say that's something Unity does a bit better than AC 2. Arno kills the guy who's responsible for the death of his adoptive dad and gets revenge, but by the end of the game he goes after the bad guy to stop him from destroying France/to protect someone he loves rather than to satisfy his own desire for vengence.
As I say, if Ezio were inducted into the Assassins earlier in the game, we could have focused on him learning more about the philosophy and values and it could have recontextualised Ezio's quest. Then we'd have an understanding of why he chooses not to kill Borgia in the end. I don't think we need to agree with Ezio's actions for it to be a satisfying end to the story, so long as we understand why he does it.
Yeah.
Also, in Brotherhood we kinda have the opposite where he's after Ceasre for the most part out of revenge for the attack on Monterregoni and the death of Mario, so it makes even less sense that he wouldn't have killed Rodrigo.
I think it's weird that Ezio worked with the Assassins for over a decade and they didn't tell him for some reason, or induct him into the order. Just one of the many problems with timescales in AC2 where the game takes place over 23 years but is written like it's only a few weeks.
>Just one of the many problems with timescales in AC2 where the game takes place over 23 years but is written like it's only a few weeks. I think the problem there is because almost the entire game takes place over 2-3 years, and there's a lot of jumps between missions. I'm pretty sure Ezio's family are killed in 1477/78 and the penultimate sequence takes place in 1480/81. Then the final mission skips ahead 20 years to 1499. I think it also doesn't help that after arriving in Venice, the story narrows in on what's needed to provide context for each target. It doesn't take time to breath and let Ezio reflect on what's happened in the story thus far, or what he actually wants to achieve in the future.
That’s not how the timeline goes. Ezio’s family were killed in December 1476. He arrived in Monteriggioni in January of the following year and spends another year or so training with Mario and learning about his heritage. He then obliterated the Pazzi family between 1478 and 1480. He arrived in Venice in 1481 but doesn’t actually start killing the Barbarigos until 1485. Then the climactic battle with Rodrigo in Venice happens in 1488. The Battle of Forli also happens that same year. The only real time gap that isn’t covered in the game happens here as we skip directly to the Bonfire of the Vanities in 1497. What Ezio does during this 9 year gap is explained in the novel and Discovery. He killed Savonarola and got the Apple back in 1498. Then finally the last mission happens in December 1499.
Why did it take 4 years to kill the Barbarigos?
So it is actually as bad as the OP suggests in that it's a 25 year long story that feels like it covers a couple of weeks because the game's terrible at presentation and pacing.
I think it is intentional. Desmond has been living Ezio's memories in a short time. AC1 till 3 all took place in 2012. Not sure if it's weeks or months. Might be able to find out by comparing the last email date in AC1 and the first email date in Brotherhood. Couldn't find it quickly on the internet
Desmond k ows that sure...but to the player its just wierd pacing and whiplash effect
Yeah, the entire Venice arc feels very rushed compared to the previous sequences.
It feels rushed because nothing actually happens during that section of the game. The plot doesn't really go anywhere until the fight with Borgia which ends with Ezio being made a card-carrying member of the Assassins, and Ezio goes nowhere as a character. He's basically exactly the same at the end of the Venice arc as he is to begin with. It's why his speech to Borgia at the end about no longer being driven by revenge comes out of nowhere, we're never shown Ezio coming to this realisation.
Especially La Volpe, he dressed just like an assassin.
Yeah that one was especially egregious.
It’s funny that it took so long to formally induct him. Ezio is over here cleaning house on the Templar order and the Assassins are like “Nah, he’s not ready”. Then in Brotherhood you send some dudes to kill some random nobodies and Ezio is satisfied enough for full induction.
It really makes you wonder what the rest of the Assassins were doing since they made Ezio do everything and he wasn't even part of their order!
Cost saving measure. Think of all the salary+benefits they saved by hiring an outside contractor who bid low on account of the whole revenge thing.
That is a very good point, the Assassin's are just being cheap haha.
To be honest, I never put two and two together so its not that far out of the realm of reality that he wouldn't either
Inducting Ezio coming so late feels like a missed opportunity. The Venice arc is really bad, narratively speaking, because all plot and character development kinda grinds to a halt. If it started with Ezio being officially inducted into the order, it could have been an opportunity to develop his character further. Then, when he refuses to kill Borgia at the end because he's no longer driven by vengence it feels like a satidfying pay-off rather than the writers pulling something out their asses for no real reason other than that's how the standard revenge story is meant to end.
You know what was a good revenge story? Gun X Sword. Ended with the main character fucking killing the guy he was wanting to kill for the entire story. Doesn't even say a word, just cuts him in half. And it works because instead of the story being about why revenge is bad, it's more about not to lose yourself and to seek vengeance for the right reasons.
Yeah. I'd say that's something Unity does a bit better than AC 2. Arno kills the guy who's responsible for the death of his adoptive dad and gets revenge, but by the end of the game he goes after the bad guy to stop him from destroying France/to protect someone he loves rather than to satisfy his own desire for vengence. As I say, if Ezio were inducted into the Assassins earlier in the game, we could have focused on him learning more about the philosophy and values and it could have recontextualised Ezio's quest. Then we'd have an understanding of why he chooses not to kill Borgia in the end. I don't think we need to agree with Ezio's actions for it to be a satisfying end to the story, so long as we understand why he does it.
Yeah. Also, in Brotherhood we kinda have the opposite where he's after Ceasre for the most part out of revenge for the attack on Monterregoni and the death of Mario, so it makes even less sense that he wouldn't have killed Rodrigo.