Skip to main content

Assassin’s Creed II Free to Kill Again with New DLC

Assassins Creed II Bonfire of the Vanities
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Videogame publisher UbiSoft today announced that the second installment of downloadable content (DLC) for its hit action-adventure Assassin’s Creed II, entitled Bonfire of the Vanities, will be available February 18th via the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. Allowing access to new areas of Florence, hitman hero Ezio will also gain the ability to “spring jump” or perform parkour-like moves as he travels through the game’s Renaissance Italian settings.

Picking up where the original storyline left off, 10 new missions will be offered that see you pairing with Machiavelli himself to take on the mad monk Savonarola. The package will cost just $5, slightly more than original expansion pack Battle of Forli, but also offer a greater variety of assignments to take on, and help fill in additional gaps in the main game’s storyline. Just remember to wipe up all the blood after you’ve finished playing – it’s bad enough having to explain away those Dorito crumbs and pizza stains on the rug to the wife as is.


Recommended Videos

Assassin’s Creed II has been skulking into gamers’ living rooms at an alarming rate. Last week, Ubisoft said the Renaissance-era action adventure had shipped 8 million units worldwide since its November launch for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. To keep gamers entertained by protagonist Ezio’s cold-blooded machinations, Ubisoft has lined up a pair of Assassin’s Creed II add-on packs, the first of which, Battle of Forli, went online late last month.

Today, Ubisoft said the second batch of downloadable content, titled Bonfire of the Vanities, will be available through Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network on February 18. As previously announced, Bonfire of the Vanities will cost $5 (MSP400), $1 more than the Battle of Forli add-on.

For the extra dollar, gamers will at least see a bit more content. The DLC includes 10 memories to work through, up from the six that were included in Battle of Forli. Ezio will also be granted the new spring-jump ability, and the pack also unlocks a new district in Florence for players to explore.

Scott Steinberg
Former Digital Trends Contributor
You can’t play Baldur’s Gate 3 on Xbox, but you can play these 6 Game Pass RPGs
A player conversation in Baldur's Gate 3.

Baldur's Gate 3 just launched on PC on August 3 and comes to PlayStation 5 shortly on September 6. Unfortunately, an Xbox Series X/S version of the RPG does not have any concrete release date. Developer Larian Studios explained in a community post that this is because it doesn't "want to compromise on quality and feel it would be a shame to downscale to 30 [frames per second, aka fps] or make other compromises to hit an arbitrary date." Still, it's disappointing that Xbox players can't get in on the fun anytime soon. Thankfully, there isn't a shortage of alternatives on Microsoft's gaming platforms.
Xbox Game Pass is home to dozens of RPGs, many of which share the same computer-RPG roots as Baldur's Gate 3. While Xbox players might not be able to enjoy Larian Studios' shockingly thorough and immensely enjoyable Dungeons & Dragons CRPG just yet, they can't go wrong playing these six titles right now. 
Fallout: New Vegas

Where Baldur's Gate 3 may be the pinnacle of fantasy RPG games inspired by Dungeons & Dragons, Fallout: New Vegas is that for postapocalyptic RPGs. This game from Obsidian Entertainment and Bethesda Softworks -- both of which are now owned by Microsoft -- first released in 2010. Despite some in-game glitches that still persist, the Xbox 360 version of Fallout: New Vegas on Xbox Game Pass is just as enthralling of a role-playing experience as it was nearly 13 years ago. The Xbox 360 version can even be played at 60 fps on Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S, thanks to the FPS Boost feature.
Like Baldur's Gate 3, it's a faithful follow-up to some classic CRPGs that give players a massive amount of choice as they complete their adventure however they see fit. You can have endless fun exploring the world and creating experiences that feel personal to you while dealing with its eclectic cast of factions and characters. While it's a bit rough around the edges in certain aspects, New Vegas is still one of the best RPGs ever made. As such, it's worth replaying or trying first the first time if you want to play an RPG, but can't experience Baldur's Gate 3 right now.  
Pillars of Eternity and Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire

Read more
How to remove a PS5 faceplate and install a new one
A PS5 sitting in a wood toned entertainment center, showing off it's new red cover.

The real beauty of the PS5 is in how great the best PS5 games look. The console itself, well, that's another story. We love the design of the best PS5 controllers, but the system itself is kind of an eyesore, but that doesn't have to be the case. If you install a new, colorful cover, you won't have to be embarrassed when you bring your friends over to play some multiplayer games together. If you want your system to really tie your room together, this is an essential PS5 accessory we will help you install in no time.

Read more
We ranked all the best (and worst) video game system startup sounds
The GameCube startup screen appears mid animation.

First impressions are important. That’s true both in people and video game consoles.

The first time you boot up a new gaming system can be a magical moment when done right. There’s always a built-in bit of tension anytime you get a new video game console, as you gingerly unbox it and set it up. That prelude can feel like an orchestra tuning its instruments, building anticipation for the moment where you’ll finally get to power it on and hear the opening notes of a long symphony. And I’m not just speaking in metaphor here; I’m talking about the all-important console startup sound.

Read more