I’ve been following the Assassin’s Creed franchise since the first screens were being pushed out by Ubisoft’s Montreal studios about this project. I’ve loved every twist and turn in the whole series (including debating the meaning of both games’ endings) as well as its innovative design. The Assassin’s Creed series really set the stage for the, “Kill your target by any means necessary; no seriously have fun” mentality that many gamers enjoy. Not only does the game grip the player through excellent gameplay and storyline, the graphics are stunning around every corner.
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood doesn’t miss the mark on all its hype, and surely doesn’t let the series down. The story continues where Ezio left off in the second game, and fights his way onward to Rome to finally take out the Borgia once and for all. What makes this game stand apart from the rest is not only the fact that the game begins to move away from just controlling Ezio by throwing you into the real world with Desmond, but also the ability to train up to twelve assassins to do your bidding at the drop of a hat. These followers, these members of your Brotherhood, are at your beckoning call. They gain experience as they’re used throughout the game by running missions around Europe. All of the experience is to better equip your Brotherhood with new weaponry, armor, and tactics.
Speaking of gameplay, there have been very few, but significant in playstyle, changes to the game. With the mindset of “Don’t fix it if it isn’t broken”, the AC team kept what works (which is just about everything). One of the biggest changes is the way combat is done. Combat in the previous games seemed like a waiting game. I would sit there for minutes just waiting to counter for the instant kills. With the new “Kill Streak” mechanic, you can go on the offensive without breaking stride, and without being penalized. If you kill one soldier with an assassination kill, your next strike will be an instant kill, and the strike after that. You can chain these kills indefinitely, provided you don’t get hit yourself. Excellent addition Ubisoft. Well done. There is still some silliness with the combat targeting system, like with the previous games, but it’s not a fatal flaw as it seems to be getting better.
In addition to all of this, Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood has finally added multiplayer! Put those stealth and assassination skills to the test against other players around the world in the ranked matches. As a member of Abstergo, you are a trainee, being put into a networked Animus to prepare for the upcoming battle against the assassins. The missions are simple, yet elegant. You can choose one of many different outfits and personas to play as while existing in the Animus with other people. There, you are given a contract to assassinate a target, as everyone else is given a contract as well. Sneak, stealth, and stab your way to the top by killing your targets in the order that they are given before you are assassinated. Kill your opponents using many different methods to gain experience and level up, unlocking new outfits, personas, and weapons. I truly enjoy this epic change of pace from the fast and furious FPS’s of late.
All in all, the game shows neigh flawless gameplay, and stunning immersiveness that just seems to get better with every new game.
Score: 10 / 10
Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood was developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft for the Xbox 360, PC and PS3 on November 16th.
Editors Note: While we received an Xbox 360 copy from Ubisoft for review, this review was based on a purchased copy from the reviewer.
