Game Informer has decided to make us all happy over the weekend, by releasing the first solid information about Assassin’s Creed II, including screenshots presenting the new look of the main character (a new ancestor of Altair/Desmond) fighting sequences and, as we were told a long time ago, swimming. Italian website mondobox has all the scans, so if you want to see even more images, follow the link.

But some of the details on Assassin’s Creed II are here and most of them are really interesting. For example, just as the teaser let us imagine, the game is set in 1476 and Da Vinci’s workshop is set in the game. Of course, we will have a host of new weapons to choose from and big personalities to meet (like Machiavelli, Lorenzo de Medici and more).

We’ll see a new notoriety system in Assassin’s Creed II, we will be able to glide on Da Vinci’s flying machine and we’ll fortunately (from my point of view) have no more ease dropping and pick pocketing missions. Also, items and bonuses will be awarded to players who will have to fight elite enemies, each with unique abilities, attitudes and weaknesses (we heard mentions of archers, heavy armored troops and so on) and all ready to probe the hiding places with weapons if you think you’re there. Cool!

And that’s about all we have summed up right now regarding Assassin’s Creed II. Oh, and one more thing: the new main character’s name will be Ezio Auditore de Firenze. Not the coolest of them all, right?