Other Platforms: PS3, PC
There was some speculation prior to Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood that it would be a worthless addition to the series. Some believed that it was pointless as it would be Assassin’s Creed 2.5 rather than Assassin’s Creed III, that it would offer nothing to the overall plot and instead just continue the story of Ezio Auditore da Firenze rather than the story of the Templars and Assassin’s in 2012. Desmond Miles and co. would not receive any forms of development and everyone would be disappointed at some form of recycled gameplay.
I was not one of those people. I have always had faith in the Assassin’s Creed series and was certain that AC:B would be a welcome addition to the series. There were naysayers but I would not listen to them and I was looking forward to the new game.
I was absolutely right.
I tried to go into the game with as little information as possible. All I knew was that you would control Ezio again and... that’s it, actually. I tried as hard as possible to get no information off of anyone so that anything that happened in-game would be a surprise to me.
AC:B takes place directly after AC II, having Desmond and the other Assassin’s arrive at the Mario’s villa. Through a secret passage into the villa you control Desmond using the parkour that we would see Altaïr or Ezio use. It’s a welcome inclusion to have a full section of the game devoted to utilising Desmond and his new-found abilities outside of a warehouse and now in the outside world and helps show the development Desmond has gone through mentally.
At the beginning of the game as Ezio we are shown one of the new inclusions of the game: using weaponry and machinery. The sections using these are not common and only last for a short period of time, but they do well to break up the game and show us the many skills Ezio is capable of, as well as showing the extent of Ubisoft’s game-making capabilities. The villa is attacked by Rodrigo Borgia’s men after Ezio chose not to kill the pope. The villa is destroyed and Ezio is shot. He escapes to Rome and, with Machiavelli, sets to rebuild the Assassin brotherhood within the walls of Italy’s capital and destroy the Borgia influence in Italy, and thus in Europe.
The entirety of the game takes place within Rome, apart from a few asides. This at first seems like it may be a touch less open world that the other games in the series, however it suits the story perfectly. Ezio is focusing purely on Rome and taking out the Borgia. The rest of Italy is not necessary to keep tabs on. Rome is a fairly large map, so the player does not feel too hemmed in and sections of the city open up depending on the DNA Sequence you have accessed.
A new feature added to the game, due to the fact that Ezio is creating a brotherhood, is recruiting and training new Assassins. This is done through a guild management screen, in which you can send your recruits to different parts of Europe to go on missions in order to weaken the Templar influence. Though you do not embark on these missions the mere feeling that you are able to lead this group of Assassins makes the player feel as if they are truly a leader.
There are many parts of the game that are not story based, however take your attention. There are several side-missions to take your fancy, as well as a very interesting back story, telling the tale of Ezio and his past love, Cristina. Though not essential, this adds a lot more depth to the character of Ezio and shows us how much he has changed over the years of being an Assassin.
Rome can be renovated by buying different shops and landmarks, similar to the upgrading system in AC II. This part of the game is a good addition and makes you feel as if you are having an effect on the city, however it can be extremely infuriating when you get to a shop to but some more ammunition or some medicine and you find it has not been bought yet. Spending all your money on that shop, you then discover you do not have enough money to buy what you wanted. Nonetheless, it’s a nice way to integrate the player into the city of Rome.
It is evident that the developers have put a great amount of time in developing the city of Rome, as it looks beautiful, from the surrounding green land to the more urban areas. Furthermore, the game controls wonderfully, though there are still some of the niggling problems with some parts of the free-running, though these problems are few and far between.
Combat is far superior to the combat in any of the game’s predecessors, with Ezio being able to deal with more enemies at once and the range of weapons allows for more enjoyable fights. The game even includes the crossbow, which was missing from the first game in the series, which allows us to be able to deal with distant targets more effectively, keeping with elements of stealth that the game likes to try and force upon us. The stealth aspects are sometimes lacking, however are pretty solid.
The game overall features an astounding storyline and develops all characters, with an ending that is nothing short of mind-blowing. Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood is the strongest in the series (on consoles, at least, though I doubt the handheld games are anything compared to the three console games). If you have the chance to get this game then do so!
Final Verdict: 10/10
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