Assassin’s Creed II dev diary talks economy, crowds and more

Ubisoft has released a second developer diary video for Assassin’s Creed II with some details on how the world new protagonist Ezio will be killing people in works.

Integrating an economic system, Ezio will be able to steal from anyone in the world instead of only pickpocketing mission-specific characters. The money he acquires can be used to purchase new equipment, eliminating the contrived restrictions placed on Altair by the Guild leader in the first game in favor of allowing players to acquire skills in the order they choose.

The members of the criminal underworld who will assist Ezio on his mission of revenge get fleshed out a little bit in the video as well. They comprise three different groups, with their own abilities, and Ezio will be asked to perform tasks for the leaders of these groups in exchange for their help.

Another interesting bit comes from mention of the personalities in the game. While I’ll admit to being a little bit annoyed at the inclusion of Leonardo Da Vinci as someone who provides Ezio with some wonderful toys, I’m very curious at the role Niccolò Machiavelli will play in the game. I’m torn as to whether or not I should hope that the man best known for his political treatise, The Prince, winds up the story’s villain.

Hit the jump to check out the video. On the whole, I’m still firmly on the fence about the game, but it does sound like Ubisoft is making an effort to produce a more dynamic game this time around.