Refined Stabbing
Just a year after the spectacular "Assassin's Creed 2," Ubisoft Montreal has served up an equal, if not superior product, with "Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood."
While the lack of an almighty and legitimizing numeral in the title of this entry might suggest "Brotherhood" is an offshoot, this is far from the case.
Instead, "Brotherhood" delivers a fully developed story that takes place immediately after the events of "Assassin's Creed 2," as well as an ambitious multiplayer mode unlike anything available today.
The player once again assumes the role of both the modern-day assassin-in-training, Desmond Miles, and his Resonance-Era Italian ancestor, Ezio Auditore, as Desmond attempts to secure an ancient relic by reliving Ezio's memories through use of the Animus.
While the overall scope of the story and the terribly muddled final act may not stand up to the magnificent set pieces of "Assassin's Creed 2," the sequel excels in its refinement of gameplay and overwhelming amount of content.
Most noticeably different from other entries in the series is the very Brotherhood for which the game is named.
Approximately a third of the way into the game, the player is given the ability to recruit members to Ezio's assassin guild.
These non-player units can be sent on various missions to earn experience, money and tradable items or can be called into action to assist the player directly.
This greatly affects the way a player can choose to carry out an assassination, as it is the first time in the series they are not required to strike the killing blow themselves.
While the first two games had three moderately sized cities each, "Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" features Rome and the surrounding countryside.
Because of this, horses, which are now allowed to go into the city, are incredibly helpful when outside of Rome, but are cramped and unwieldy while in the city.
Players can also buy shops, banks and landmarks around Rome to receive discounts and earn a periodically deposited income.
Combat has also been changed through the inclusion of a small, but meaningful, tweak.
Although the parry and counter system from "Assassin's Creed 2" returns, the player can now rapidly press the attack button after killing an enemy to go into a chain of instant executions with other surrounding opponents.
This is by far "Brotherhood's" most polarizing aspect, as it can be viewed as either an incredibly satisfying addition or a game-breaking one.
As I tend to derive far too much pleasure from seeing hoardes of helpless guards pile at my feet, I did not take great fault with this addition but, at times, could not help but feel "Brotherhood" was a tad too easy.
On top of the lengthy story mode, Ubisoft Montreal has created a truly innovative multiplayer mode in which players assume the role of competing assassins in various game modes.
Across the modes players are tasked with either hunting or staying hidden from their rival assassins on a map populated by numerous non-player characters.
The result is a multiplayer that encourages stealth and the emulation of typical NPC behavior by the player to successfully evade or find their opponent.
Players earn experience points each round to unlock new abilities, weapons or character models.
Ubisoft has confirmed "Brotherhood" will receive additional multiplayer maps and modes starting with a free download pack in mid-December.
In a fourth quarter plagued by pushed back release dates and futile attempts to recapture the fervor of motion-gaming, "Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" is a content-rich and expertly crafted game that any fan of the series or non-traditional multiplayer should experience.
This review is based on my experience with an Xbox 360 copy of "Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood," which is also available for PlayStation 3.
Originally published in the Indiana Statesman.
