For the love of all that is good and kind (and with murderous intent), if you want to finish the game without too much bile, play it sloooowly. One or half a mission a day, max. Only that way you can overcome the tantalizing repetitiveness of this otherwise great game. Or great potential, but flawed mechanic.

Is this game very offensive to Christians? I've heard that it is but I just want to know if I would be offended from playing it. What do you do in it? I'm pretty open minded about it but if its all about killing priests or something I probably wouldn't play it.

What are your personal views about the crusades? If you think they were a good thing then I'd avoid the game.

I don't really know that much about them or have any opinion on them. I just mean is the game really anti-christ or is it like a historical thing?

Well, I'm a Christian and I didn't find it offensive at all. Of course, I might not have been paying too much attention both times I played the game. Still, I don't remember anything that would be offensive to Christians.

in my opinion the game would have been way better off without the whole ancestral genetic memories and the going back in forth between past & present.

It's not anti-Christian at all it just portrays the crusades as evil (which they were).

Not anti-christ so much as anti Knights Templar and how some people will use their influence within the holy sea to further their own ends. Yes it does portray some of the popes as evil (which if you actually read your history books would be hard to disagree with) but it never attacks any religion directly.

Assuming you're somewhat open minded and not a blind zealot then nothing in AC1 or AC2 should offend you beyond "Oh man, do they have to remind us that Christianity actually did do this?"
Don't forget Pope Alexander VI in AC2.

Phosphenes, if you read this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_Alexander_VI and think that he and his family were a good example of upstanding Christians then you should probably avoid the AC series.

Yeah, I know that a lot of the people and things in the past were pretty bad. As long as it isn't saying something against the religion Its fine. Individuals I don't really care that much about.

No need to be concerned, enjoy the games. :)

* * * AC 1 and 2 plot spoilers * * *

Other than appropriating religious icons and attributing certain miracles of faith and belief as people under the influence (brainwashed) of said icon (AC1). Then appropriating the creation myth (Adam & Eve), tying it up with other mythologies and insinuating they where members of an advanced race (slaves to the gods?) who created items like the apple, then stole it and escaped, risking the destruction of the earth by some approaching disaster the gods where meant to defend against... (AC2)

This is from sketchy memory, there's probably a wiki out there with all the skinny.

Oh yes, I remember that whole brainwashing thing now. Still, I didn't find it offensive. I just let the story unfold in its weirdness and paid little attention to the game's explanation of miracles and such.

Well, now that I've played it a bit further, I might add, that despite the game tries to promote stealth, the actual game play has very little to do with it. As whole, the game is just more playable as more action oriented style than stealth. So in that respect the game does suffer from bit poor game design.

from a scale of 1 to 10 stars I could give it a 7 and pat the designers on back from a good effort.

AC2 is much much better. Plow through AC1 as you've already started it then jump into the next one. :)