Assassin's Creed Brotherhood Review

19 Nov 2010 at 11:05:52 by Nick Akerman
Systems used to review this title: (360)

The Apple of Eden. Centrepiece of Assassins Creed II, players spent the entire game searching for it's mystical glory. Unfortunately, all that hard work goes out the window within minutes of starting Assassins Creed: Brotherhood. With Ezio's uncle slaughtered, and the artefact stolen, there's no time for the Italian charmer to rest on his well-groomed laurels.

Entering a beautifully created Rome, it's not instantly obvious how versatile Ubisoft's world has become. Streets bustle as usual, guards march through town looking for a fight, and behind it all a major power struggle takes place. Ezio's main enemy is not the Templars this time, as they take a back seat to the rival Borgia family. Thriving under the influence of a dashing leader, they occupy key locations in the city. After already losing his grip on the coveted apple, Ezio quickly takes on the role of being Rome's liberator. As the city is so tightly guarded, he doesn't come alone.

It's an interesting set-up, as the narrative takes a back seat here. You'll be hard pushed to find yourself as attached to Ezio and the other leading roles, as the tale is a simple one. Instead of a hard-hitting plot, we're thoroughly spoilt for choice with things to do. All the usual feather collecting, extra assassination missions and challenges are here, but Brotherhood introduces something more diverse. There's a new set of enemies (in the form of Romulus followers) to take down; their lairs similar to the tombs of the previous title. These are excellently designed and fun to explore, with new obstacles such as fire standing in your route of progress. The city is also divided up into Borgia territory; each of which is patrolled by a set of guards and their captain. Eliminating the leading soldier plummets the area into a spell of vulnerability, meaning their watch towers become particular points of interest. When the coast's clear, Ezio can torch them to the ground, and start rebuilding that rejuvenated area.

 This kind of action is important throughout Brotherhood, as it opens the door for some serious money making. The economy played a minor part in Assassins Creed II, as you could fully upgrade Ezio's homeland through a simplistic menu. Now you must visit sites, pay for their renovation, and witness the change in emphasis. A once desolate street can be the perfect area for a blacksmith's; many of which offer discounts in exchange for the goods you find on your travels. Being the 1500's, never underestimate the value of a jar of leeches, as they could be the catalyst for you to walk around town wearing a swanky new piece of armour. The story forces you to pay for the construction of  safe havens such as a brothel and an inn, all of which add to your purse. As time rolls on, players who invest their money can expect a sizeable return when the power of Rome begins to shift.

Thankfully, spending some cash does improve your chances of getting through missions later in the game. After meeting old friend Leonardo Da Vinci, the difficulty begins to steadily ramp up. He's able to provide you with a second blade, or a much needed boost to your climbing skills (essential if you want to scale the tallest structures). Da Vinci's return also signals the arrival of some technological advancements for the enemy, as Borgia generals snapped up his invention services. It's pleasing to see Da Vinci back, even though your meetings are brief and full of caution, just in case the Borgia guards spot him giving out valuable information.

For the most part, Brotherhood's sequences are full of memorable moments. Certain missions are a cut above the rest, as you escape a Borgia base with horse, cart, and a rather large piece of weaponry. At one point, Ezio outlines a foe, and is tasked with climbing the Coliseum to track him down. After extensive research and planning ahead, you're forced to strike as the enemy performs in a stage play depicting the crucifixion of Christ. Slightly controversial, but it's executed brilliantly. There's some outstandingly slick cinematic moments too; the first of which places you just behind Ezio as he struggles to keep control of his horse when the city of Monteriggioni is ravaged by attack. Not everything is brash and in your face though, as Ezio lurks outside the window of his two most diligent rivals when they discuss their next course of action. Many aspects of the Assassins Creed experience have been fined tuned and seasoned, resulting in a product that oozes greater maturity.

When Ezio'ts liberation of Rome gathers momentum, Brotherhood's new features arise. As the name suggests, you can now recruit troubled townsfolk to join your assault against the Borgia contingent. By rescuing them they'll be in your debt and ready to help you out. Your recruited assassins can be called into action once every few minutes; something that makes the player feel incredibly powerful. There's nothing cooler than strolling up to some guarded ruins and giving a quick flick of the wrist to initiate an attack from your brothers. Watching them scamper over rooftops, dive out of haystacks and launching themselves off behemoth sized buildings makes the cause feel like it's worth fighting for. You're able to send them round the world on various missions, all of which provide them with experience and reduce their risk of being killed. Train them well enough, and they'll be able to clear entire paths of guards for you, meaning you can stroll in for the main kill with an undeniable swagger. If things get too tough, and you can't quite reach the vital execution, they can also be called in to land the pivotal strike.

Align your recruits with the slightly altered fighting system, and the combat itself becomes a little too easy. You can now streak one hit kills together, giving the impression that Ezio and his followers are unstoppable. Even the hulking foes, those who often put up a tougher fight in previous games, can be dealt with in this manner. It's remarkably slick, but there's no doubt the challenge has been eliminated from tackling multiple hostile forces.

Aside from the combat, other problems are minuscule. Missions that restart when you're detected break up the flow of play considerably, and often lead to frustration. Sections with modern day assassin Desmond, although vital to the plot, play host to some of the most cringe-worthy scripting possible. The supporting characters in these parts are inferior to their Italian counterparts, and Danny Wallace's voice grates every time he speaks. It's a shame, as for the most part, Brotherhood is voiced solidly. Ezio still has buckets of charm, and even in times of desperate measure, has the audaciousness to crack a joke about the ladies.

Brotherhood also introduces a much-anticipated multiplayer element. Interestingly, it tasks you with hunting an assassin, while also being hunted yourself. Ubisoft Montreal are hugely ambitious in turning the tables like this, and trying to eliminate your target without losing your own life ramps the intensity up quickly. Special abilities can be utilised, with the most useful changing your character model to blend in with the crowd. A slight tweak is made to the Alliance mode, which tasks teams against eachother, one hiding and the other hunting. Brotherhood provides a completely different multiplayer experience, one full of ambition and creativity- something the developers should be commended for.

It's encouraging to witness just how much Ubisoft Montreal care about the Assassins Creed franchise. Continual tweaks ensure a steady evolution is taking place. While the story isn't as memorable as the last game, there's a superb time to be had (and an amusing nod to Metal Gear Solid to look out for). With plenty of top-quality content to indulge in, this is far from the lazy sequel many were expecting. In fact, Ezio's second outing is one of the best releases of the year. Watching him become the godfather of the assassin's guild is almost as liberating as taking back the entire city of Rome; one Borgia at a time.

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