One of the criticisms leveled against the original Assassin's Creed was that it started out strong but eventually got repetitive due to a lack of gameplay variety. That's one of the things Ubisoft is addressing in the sequel, which in turn brings the added bonus of longer play time.

An Ubisoft Q&A reveals that Assassin's Creed 2 will feature several different optional gameplay elements that "will add a lot of depth to the whole experience." These will also work towards further extending the gameplay time, which reportedly clocks in at more than the first game's 20 hours.

Those who happen to have both a PS3 and PSP will also be treated to some extra content on both consoles by connecting the PS3 version to the PSP title, Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines. There's more info on the game at the Q&A behind the source link.

The PS3, Xbox 360, and PC versions of Assassin's Creed 2 are planned for a simultaneous November 17 launch. The PSP title currently has an earlier release date of November 10.

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