Ezio, the legendary Master Assassin, returns in his bid to topple the Templar Order. What originally seemed billed as an expansion to the critically acclaimed “Assassin’s Creed II” is actually a full-fledged sequel that offers tons of new features, many hours of gameplay and deeply delves into the formation of the Order of Assassins. “Brotherhood” begins immediately after “ACII.” Ezio makes his way back to his hometown, which is later attacked by the army of the evil Borgia family, and his uncle — who somewhat trained him as an assassin — is killed. From there, Ezio heads to Rome and slowly rebuilds the Order of Assassins while dismantling the Borgias’ control of the city.
The general gameplay hasn’t seen that many changes, though fighting has gotten a tiny overhaul. There is, again, a strong mix of story-driven missions and side quests. Also, there are tons of collectible items for those completionists out there.
Parkour-style free running is still the predominant mode of getting around — though horses can now be ridden in the city — and Ezio’s dual-blades are still the favored weapons for assassinating. This time around, assassinations can be chained together when you battle large groups, and there are a few new weapons to use, including the crossbow.
| ‘Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood’ |
| » Systems: Xbox 360, PS3 |
| » Price: $59.99 |
| » Rating: 5 out of 5 stars |
Much of the early part of the game is spent taking down Borgia towers. These quests entail assassinating the captain in charge of each tower to weaken the Borgia influence in each region. Completing these missions allows you to buy shops in the area to increase your income.
The only part of the game that is irksome is the new synchronization rating. Every mission has a 100 percent sync challenge, such as completing a mission in a certain amount of time. While beating those challenges isn’t necessary, it almost feels like you are failing the mission anyway, especially if it happens right near the end of the mission — which will happen a lot. However, the game offers the ability to replay all challenges at any time.
“Brotherhood” is the first game in the series to offer an online multiplayer mode. These small clashes are a cat-and-mouse chase with you stalking one player as a third stalks you.
The “Assassin’s Creed” series has made another large step forward, greatly advancing the storyline and keeping the gameplay fun. This is another one to add to the games shelf.
