Assassin’s Creed II is still considered today as one of the best episodes of the popular Ubisoft series, capable of making numerous improvements to the progenitor released a couple of years earlier and introducing the beloved protagonist Ezio Auditore da Firenze, also the protagonist of the two subsequent iterations of the brand.
Compared to the first Assassin’s Creed starring Altair, the sequel changes not only the protagonist but also the historical setting, leading players to explore Renaissance Italy. So what year is Assassin’s Creed II set in? First of all, it is good to clarify that the events do not take place over the course of a single year, but cover a much more substantial period that also shows us the birth of Ezio himself (in this regard, here is when Ezio Auditore of Assassin’s Creed was born ).
However, the real adventure begins in 1476, in Florence: at the time Ezio is a 17-year-old teenager who enjoys the good life by attending the Florentine nobility, but his life will be turned upside down when he discovers the ties of his family with the Brotherhood of the Assassins and their endless war with the Order of the Templars. Following the hanging of his father and his two brothers, Ezio will begin his fight against the Templars, which will continue for decades to come.
The final phase of Assassin’s Creed II takes place in 1500: the game, therefore, covers 24 years in total and allows us to witness the growth of Ezio not only as a man but also as a member of the Assassins. As for the dates of his subsequent adventures, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood takes place in a period between 1500 and 1506, while the events of Assassin’s Creed Revelations take place between 1511 and 1512. Over the three games, the phase set in the present starring Desmond Miles takes place instead of in 2012.