Why You Can Trust CNET You can get Assassin's Creed 2 for free until Friday
Join Ezio on his excellent first adventure through Renaissance Italy for free on PC, and keep it forever.
Assassin's Creed 2 set the template for the series, and it's a fun ride. Also, free is a reasonable asking price.
If you're looking for some nostalgic gaming while you're stuck at home due to the coronavirus epidemic, perhaps an escape to virtual Renaissance Italy is in order. You can download the classic 2009 adventure Assassin's Creed 2 on PC for free until Friday, via Uplay.
Unlike Assassin's Creed Odyssey, which was free for a weekend last month, you can keep Assassin's Creed 2 forever.
Slipping into the stylish robes of charming assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze, you can explore Florence, Venice, Tuscany and Forli. Developer Ubisoft managed to improve upon the 2007 original in pretty much every way, and set the tone for a series that's been going strong ever since.
Also, the bad guy becomes the Pope, which isn't a spoiler since this game is very loosely tied to real-life history. You get equipment from Leonardo da Vinci, whose works of art continue to fascinate the world to this day. He probably didn't hang out with a clan of assassins in real life, though.
After this game, Ezio starred in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and Assassin's Creed: Revelations. The current offer isn't available for PS4 or Xbox One, but you can play remastered versions of all three of his adventures in The Ezio Collection.
