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Name: Assassin's Creed II: Battle of Forli

The first of the DLC for Assassin's Creed II opens up a part of the game's storyline that was skipped over. The Battle of Forli hopes to launch us back into 15th Century Italy, before the final events of the full game. What does it add to the already supreme experience of the full game?

As you launch back into the story, you hear Rebecca and Shaun reveal that the corrupted part of Desmond's genetic memory has been repaired, conveniently. You then return to playing as Ezio, entering the city of Forli with your former sailing instructor and not-so-damsel-in-distress Caterina Sforza. You find that Forli has been taken over by a group of mercenaries led by two men collectively known as the Orsi Brothers. And so as an assassin, you spend the mission making their deaths happen, all the while returning the city to the benevolent power of Caterina.

Really, this DLC is just Assassin's Creed II all over again. There has been nothing added to make the experience any more wholesome than the original. It's simply an inconsequential segment of gameplay adds little to the overall plot except to fill out a few years of Ezio's life. At the same time, it is more of the same great gameplay that won so much praise when the game released last year. It has no relevance to the overall plot other than a short section at the end that only acts to extend the plot of the game unnecessarily. The whole purpose of this section it seems, is to put more story sequences in the city of Forli, which only acted as a halfway point between your villa and Venice.

One optional memory in this release will be useful to some players of the game. There was a trophy/achievement for killing an enemy while using a flying machine that was only available through a short, non-replayable sequence in Venice. If you didn't receive the reward then you couldn't receive it unless you were to play the game through again. However, on top of a lighthouse to the north of Forli, you are able to fly the flying machine across the city, allowing you to receive another chance at getting the accolade.

While there's not much more to add, it must be stated that the original game's high-quality cut-scenes are also present in this release. The presentation is just as strong as in the full game, with the writing being just as sharp, the animation being as lifelike as before, and the voice-acting doing a tremendous job of pulling you into the story. A worthy success, considering how little time you'll really be spending on it. With a playthrough lasting just over 45 minutes, there's not a lot to the experience, and it ends just as you're getting comfortable returning to Renaissance Italy.

The only trait that makes the Battle of Forli worth your time is the low price of the DLC. Hitting at only 320 MSP or £3.19/€3.99/$3.99, it's much cheaper than most other expansions that release. Considering that most don't continue to hold the same high production values or the same quality of gameplay, it's something that can be recommended to people who desperately desire more Assassins' Creed in their life. For everyone else, the limited content on offer, even missing out on DLC-specific trophies/achievements, is hard to stomach, feeling more like a tease than an actual product.