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ASSASSIN'S CREED:
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It’s fair to say that Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, the third instalment in Ubisoft’s adventure series, instilled scepticism in me. While Ubisoft took two years to craft the improved Assassin’s Creed II, Brotherhood would arrive just a year after its predecessor, something that left little time for improvements to be made. It had, in essence, joined the crop of yearly franchises which all, at some point, fall into decline. On top of that, the inclusion of a multiplayer component in a series known for its single-player adventures is enough to unease even the most hardcore fans. Scepticism aside, Brotherhood is a solid addition to the franchise, even if it has some flaws which hold it back from greatness.
Brotherhood recasts Ezio in the Animus world and Desmond in the real world. As Desmond and company are on the run from modern-day assassins, he relives the memories of Ezio. After securing the Apple of Eden in the previous game, Ezio’s Monteriggioni fort is attacked by the Borgia family. Furious from the death of a close friend, Ezio sets out to remove the rule of the Borgia clan from Rome by sabotaging key resources and killing close associates of its chief leader, Ceasare. The plot is pretty underwhelming, some interesting moments aside, as most of it remains at a middle-note throughout, and because we don’t gain the same sense of attachment and development as Ezio grew into the master-assassin in AC2, it’s harder to engage.
And this general bland tone filters into the main campaign itself. Many of the story missions lack punch and excitement; more often than not, missions require you to clumsily chase targets through platform-intense sections, tail certain people tirelessly for minutes at a time, fight through endless waves of mediocre combat and, perhaps most irritatingly, escort allies with somewhat poor A.I., which can lead to frustrating instances where they walk in all kinds of odd directions. There are some moments of fun however, particularly those which emphasize platforming without the pressure of chasing a target. These sections which let you leisurely test out one of the game’s strongest assets are a highlight for sure, as Ubisoft clearly have a knack for acrobatics. Unfortunately, the good are far outweighed by the other mediocre mission designs.
Brotherhood recasts Ezio in the Animus world and Desmond in the real world. As Desmond and company are on the run from modern-day assassins, he relives the memories of Ezio. After securing the Apple of Eden in the previous game, Ezio’s Monteriggioni fort is attacked by the Borgia family. Furious from the death of a close friend, Ezio sets out to remove the rule of the Borgia clan from Rome by sabotaging key resources and killing close associates of its chief leader, Ceasare. The plot is pretty underwhelming, some interesting moments aside, as most of it remains at a middle-note throughout, and because we don’t gain the same sense of attachment and development as Ezio grew into the master-assassin in AC2, it’s harder to engage.
And this general bland tone filters into the main campaign itself. Many of the story missions lack punch and excitement; more often than not, missions require you to clumsily chase targets through platform-intense sections, tail certain people tirelessly for minutes at a time, fight through endless waves of mediocre combat and, perhaps most irritatingly, escort allies with somewhat poor A.I., which can lead to frustrating instances where they walk in all kinds of odd directions. There are some moments of fun however, particularly those which emphasize platforming without the pressure of chasing a target. These sections which let you leisurely test out one of the game’s strongest assets are a highlight for sure, as Ubisoft clearly have a knack for acrobatics. Unfortunately, the good are far outweighed by the other mediocre mission designs.
You WILL shave!
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How cool would AC be in Victorian London? Just thinking out loud...
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Most of Brotherhood’s gameplay expansions relate to removing the Borgia influence. You must first kill a head commander specific to a section of Rome, then burn the nearby tower. This then clears Borgia from the area, and allows you to renovate buildings. These can be built into blacksmiths, doctors and stables to aid you in your quest, as well as fix aqueducts and rebuild landmarks. Each renovated building increases Rome’s economy, and every 20 minutes you gain money depending on how much you’ve renovated. It can become incredibly addictive, as seeking to fix as much of Rome as possible brings both financial and gameplay benefits. Discounts are added to stores, and you visually get to see the transformation take place. You’ll probably begin to take more interest in this side of gameplay than the bland story missions.
Another new addition is the ability to recruit Assassins. Destroying Borgia towers allows up to ten recruitable assassins, which can be gained by saving them from the guards. Assassins can be summoned into battle to aid you with combat or assassinations, and you can call in three groups of three recruits at a time or use all three of your calls to summon an arrow storm which kills all nearby enemies. Assassins can sent out on special tasks, where they gain XP depending on the Job level. The higher their level, the more challenging the jobs they can take and the bigger the rewards, both for them with XP and you in terms of profits. If you can max out their level to ten, they are enrolled as true assassins by Ezio himself. Assassins are both useful during combat, especially at higher levels, and a fun little side-task which you can optionally undertake.
Outside of that, much is the same as the last two games. Platforming is still great, with a real sense of freedom in what you can scale. If it can be grabbed on to in real life, chances are Ezio can grip it in Brotherhood. Combat, on the other hand, remains mediocre, with waves of enemies waiting their turn for Ezio to slash their throats, taking out any intensity in the sword fighting. It boils down to waiting until enemies attack and countering their moves, which grows tiresome quickly. Ancillary activities return, including the platform-focused Tombs which are usually a joy to explore, as well as dozens of flags and ten feathers to find. If you loved the previous game, Brotherhood offers more of the same, albeit with a weaker story campaign.
Another new addition is the ability to recruit Assassins. Destroying Borgia towers allows up to ten recruitable assassins, which can be gained by saving them from the guards. Assassins can be summoned into battle to aid you with combat or assassinations, and you can call in three groups of three recruits at a time or use all three of your calls to summon an arrow storm which kills all nearby enemies. Assassins can sent out on special tasks, where they gain XP depending on the Job level. The higher their level, the more challenging the jobs they can take and the bigger the rewards, both for them with XP and you in terms of profits. If you can max out their level to ten, they are enrolled as true assassins by Ezio himself. Assassins are both useful during combat, especially at higher levels, and a fun little side-task which you can optionally undertake.
Outside of that, much is the same as the last two games. Platforming is still great, with a real sense of freedom in what you can scale. If it can be grabbed on to in real life, chances are Ezio can grip it in Brotherhood. Combat, on the other hand, remains mediocre, with waves of enemies waiting their turn for Ezio to slash their throats, taking out any intensity in the sword fighting. It boils down to waiting until enemies attack and countering their moves, which grows tiresome quickly. Ancillary activities return, including the platform-focused Tombs which are usually a joy to explore, as well as dozens of flags and ten feathers to find. If you loved the previous game, Brotherhood offers more of the same, albeit with a weaker story campaign.
You can have any model, as long as it's a horse
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Ezio likes to start the day with a bacon bap and a stroll around the market
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Perhaps the most noteworthy addition to the series is a new Multiplayer component, and it’s surprisingly awesome. Three modes are present: Wanted - a variant of free-for-all that tasks you with taking out specific targets while avoiding those targeting you, Alliance compiles three teams of two players and requires co-op tactics for success, and lastly Manhunt pits two teams of four against each other. Perhaps the biggest reason why this mode succeeds is that it still keeps key tenets of the series at heart, with a huge focus on stealth through blending in with the crowds, and most games never boil down to mindless killing because significantly more XP is given for well timed stealth kills rather than exposed ones.
Brotherhood looks mostly identical to AC2. That’s no bad thing of course: the sandbox of Rome is incredibly detailed, with fantastic lighting throughout each area. Ezio’s acrobatic animation is fluid and beautiful, though sadly combat still looks a little choppy. And, like AC2 before it, cut-scenes present characters who look considerably uglier up close. There’s also weird moments when Ezio implies he is putting on a disguise, only to remain in his same outfit. The audio sees most of the last game’s cast returning, and they do just as good a job as before. The music feels sweeping when placed right, but more often than not it chimes in at the most random of moments, such as epic orchestral scores playing as you merely free-roam around the city, nulling the impact somewhat.
Perhaps suffering the fate most annual games fall victim to, Brotherhood feels more like a step sideways for the Assassin’s Creed series than a leap forward. There’s some good additions, such as the exciting multiplayer component and fun little micro-management side tasks. But though they’re enjoyable, the fact that the main meat of the experience is a disappointing single-player campaign brings the experience down. And while it still offers some of the best platforming, combat is still severely lacking. If you can get past the dull campaign, there’s certainly plenty to do, but most will probably tire of the bad before they can explore the good.
Brotherhood looks mostly identical to AC2. That’s no bad thing of course: the sandbox of Rome is incredibly detailed, with fantastic lighting throughout each area. Ezio’s acrobatic animation is fluid and beautiful, though sadly combat still looks a little choppy. And, like AC2 before it, cut-scenes present characters who look considerably uglier up close. There’s also weird moments when Ezio implies he is putting on a disguise, only to remain in his same outfit. The audio sees most of the last game’s cast returning, and they do just as good a job as before. The music feels sweeping when placed right, but more often than not it chimes in at the most random of moments, such as epic orchestral scores playing as you merely free-roam around the city, nulling the impact somewhat.
Perhaps suffering the fate most annual games fall victim to, Brotherhood feels more like a step sideways for the Assassin’s Creed series than a leap forward. There’s some good additions, such as the exciting multiplayer component and fun little micro-management side tasks. But though they’re enjoyable, the fact that the main meat of the experience is a disappointing single-player campaign brings the experience down. And while it still offers some of the best platforming, combat is still severely lacking. If you can get past the dull campaign, there’s certainly plenty to do, but most will probably tire of the bad before they can explore the good.
PIXEL SECONDS: ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD (PS3)
Barely twelve months on from the release of mammoth hit Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft Montreal were back with a successor and, given the relative time constraints, the end result is pretty impressive. Continuing the story of enigmatic assassin Ezio Auditore, Brotherhood is staged in just the one city, rather than the four seen in ACII, but whilst it feels a little less of an epic, it’s still an inviting quest. Rome looks gorgeous and is fun to explore, and there is of course a wealth of side-quests to undertake, including some excellent platform challenges courtesy of the Romulus Lairs. Brotherhood by-and-large plays like its predecessors, but there’s now an element of micro-management in the form of hiring and training assassins, the upshot being you can call them to your aid in battle, and whilst hardly world-beating, it’s a neat little addition. The big gamble comes in the form of Online Multiplayer, seeing a rather unusual take on the deathmatch formula. A valiant and creative effort, but if nothing else, it proves that some games are better off without multiplayer, as there’s little to compete with the single-player experience. An abrupt, schlock ending disappoints, but Brotherhood is still an intelligent and eminently stylish adventure game that’s sure to please fans wanting more energetic action. [7] – Tom Clare © 2013
Barely twelve months on from the release of mammoth hit Assassin’s Creed II, Ubisoft Montreal were back with a successor and, given the relative time constraints, the end result is pretty impressive. Continuing the story of enigmatic assassin Ezio Auditore, Brotherhood is staged in just the one city, rather than the four seen in ACII, but whilst it feels a little less of an epic, it’s still an inviting quest. Rome looks gorgeous and is fun to explore, and there is of course a wealth of side-quests to undertake, including some excellent platform challenges courtesy of the Romulus Lairs. Brotherhood by-and-large plays like its predecessors, but there’s now an element of micro-management in the form of hiring and training assassins, the upshot being you can call them to your aid in battle, and whilst hardly world-beating, it’s a neat little addition. The big gamble comes in the form of Online Multiplayer, seeing a rather unusual take on the deathmatch formula. A valiant and creative effort, but if nothing else, it proves that some games are better off without multiplayer, as there’s little to compete with the single-player experience. An abrupt, schlock ending disappoints, but Brotherhood is still an intelligent and eminently stylish adventure game that’s sure to please fans wanting more energetic action. [7] – Tom Clare © 2013
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