The water whispers through the canals at night, amplifying the voices of both the gentry and the less fortunate as they bustle through the streets of Venice. As Ezio Auditore, a young lord from Florence caught up in the vicious interfamily battles of the era, you drift unnoticed among them, master of disguise and predator all at once. Considering the inexhaustible supply of ripe gameplay moments like that, we have to admit that selecting 15th-century Italy as the setting for Assassin’s Creed 2 was pure genius.

But Assassin’s Creed 2 has a lot to live up to. Don’t gank us for saying this, but the first game was just a heartbreaking step or two away from brilliance. Can the sequel take it all the way there? After checking out both the team’s ambitious design goals and some early gameplay in action, we’re inclined to think so.

One of Ubisoft’s main focuses is a meatier story. “Ezio is a man with a lot of charisma and presence. He’s warmer and more of a free soul [than] the colder warrior that Altair was in the first game,” explains producer Sebastien Puel. “Altair always answered to orders given by his master, even if he sometimes questioned them. Ezio sets his own objectives and mostly answers only to his own will, which is at first driven by a desire for vengeance.”

Of course, Ezio’s tale is framed by Desmond’s exploration of his DNA memories (see sidebar, page 23) in the present. As Desmond sifts through Ezio’s pursuit of retribution against the ruling families of Italy who betrayed him, Desmond “uncovers a much bigger plot: a conspiracy rooted in Assassin’s Creed that still impacts his world — our very world,” reveals Puel. And while we can’t spoil anything, let’s just say that it’ll all take much longer than you probably expect.

Another focus is tackling the repetition of the gameplay in both the main and side missions. In fact, Puel tells us that “we’re working very hard on the structure so that players always have a fresh experience at every turn…[it’s] completely different. The main mission unfolds in a much more progressive and unpredictable way. No longer will you be expecting the same systemic mission to happen twice; [now] you can choose when you want to complete main and secondary missions, and you can choose when and how you discover the world and discover all its secrets.”

Yes, that means they’re dropping the mostly linear structure of the first game in favor of a more open approach that lets you determine when to activate and pursue a particular quest. According to Puel, Assassin’s Creed 2 has more than 16 main-quest missions where you never have to “do the same thing twice.” In one example he gave, you start out fighting alongside an ally, but when they get injured, you have to carry them to safety. After that, it’s time for revenge as you hunt down whoever harmed your friend.

Better yet, “the countryside plays more of a central role,” says Puel. Rather than one vast kingdom between cities, “there are smaller cities in the countryside, and players will have reasons to get involved in each of the countryside’s regions.” One example is Tuscany, a beautiful stretch of wine country that’s positioned between Venice and Florence in the game.

As for the side missions, Ubisoft’s not talking about them yet, other than to admit that less-popular ones like pickpocketing are history. Puel adds that “doing [side] missions will be rewarding in a way that gives you a purpose for doing them.”

One improvement that should make side quests less tedious is the new notoriety system. If you kill innocents left and right, the guards will instantly recognize you. But if you keep a low profile, you’ll be much more likely to slip past them. Fortunately, neither state is permanent: there will be ways to “cool off” your notoriety, and besides, the guards aren’t always as extreme in their never-ending pursuit of you.

Part of what should help build in more variety is the new faction system. Blending in with crowds was certainly a pretty big selling point of the original game, but now you don’t have to keep an eye peeled for groups of monks — you can mingle with any distinct pack of NPCs. Or you can find a friend. For example, if you get, um, cozy with the courtesans, you’ll be able to ask them to put on a show and seduce a group of guards while you sneak past. Or if you work your way into the thieves’ guild, “they’ll trust you and teach you their knowledge of the city and your targets,” Puel explains. “You’ll also be able to use them to fight alongside you, or to go steal from guards and lure them away from their spot.”

Inevitably, though, you’ll find yourself bolting pell-mell across the roofs with some enemies in hot pursuit, and Ezio will have more options than Altair ever did. A new climb-leap move lets you attempt a bold jump upward while climbing to either ascend faster or to reach an otherwise inaccessible handhold. And since Ezio was taught how to swim, he can dive into the canals of Venice to escape or to make an undetected approach. “We’re also working on making the free-running paths more identifiable so that players can recognize them and build up some spectacular escape/chase sequences,” Puel adds.

If you choose to turn and fight, however, the combat will present more options as well. Along with being able to disarm any opponent and pick up their weapon, Ezio packs two hidden blades (instead of Altair’s one), which presents an opportunity that Puel clearly relishes: “Imagine all the possibilities in new assassination moves, counters, and upgrades!” We’re also told that the same basic “puppeteer” control scheme returns.

And more assassination moves in general means that you’ll be able to strike from a wider variety of locations. Ezio can kill from hiding spots, roofs, ledges, the water, and more; that flexibility will probably be necessary with the beefed-up complement of guards you’ll face. They now come in three flavors, ranging from run-of-the- mill militia to leaders to elite warriors who have their own specialties, like agility or brute force. They’ll be a heap of trouble, but Ezio’s adventures already sound so compelling that we’re itching to take them on.