As much as I enjoy the Assassin’s Creed
series, Brotherhood was not a game I had high hopes for. In fact,
leading up to its release, I had only watched the first couple trailers
before writing it off almost entirely. Why would I do such a thing? With
games like Call of Duty, Need for Speed, Guitar Hero,
and the annual sports titles dropping like clock work every single year
without fail (now, with the exception of Guitar Hero), I assumed
Assassin’s Creed was the latest franchise to receive the mandatory
sequel treatment. I was expecting the worst – a rushed, watered down
sequel that paled in comparison to its predecessor, of which I
thoroughly enjoyed. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Assassin’s Creed:
Brotherhood is a fully realized sequel, even more so than Assassin’s Creed II which laid the ground work.
For the first time in ther series, AC:B takes place entirely in one
city – Rome. There are no sprawling valleys to traverse between cities,
but there is stil a fair bit of travelling. Thankfully, you can purchase
tunnels which allow for fast travel. The city is oppressed by the
Borgia family, who run a military style dictatorship. Through-out the
city are Borgia outposts in the form of towers. It’s up to Ezio to
destroy the towers and liberate Rome.
AC2 introduced the Villa – your fortified home where you could upgrade the few shops that fell inside its walls. AC:B takes a different approach, in that as you liberate regions of Rome, shops must be purchased before they are of use. For each shop you renovate, Rome’s economy strengthens. And for every 20 minutes of in-game time, your cut is deposited into the local banks. The more shops you open, the greater your income. Of course, you also earn money by completing missions, stoping Borgia carriers, looting fallen soldiers, and finding treasures.
Looking Back
The original Assassin’s Creed almost looks like a tech demo in comparison to the games that followed. The gameplay and fighting mechanic were fully fleshed out, but it lacked any real depth in the story and mission structure. ACII corrected every flaw AC possessed, and built on the solid foundation. AC:B takes all that ACII had to offer, and expands it in every possible direction, making it the most enjoyable and satisfying of the three.Oh hai, Ezio!
It’s almost silly that the title isn’t Assassin’s Creed II: Brotherhood, as it picks up right where ACII left off, continuing the story of Ezio. At the end of ACII, Ezio and his band of friends and family are victorious in securing the Apple of Eden and defeating the Templar threat. While you get to reep the benefits of being a hero of sorts for the first part of the game, certain events unfold that leave Ezio with nothing but the clothes on his back, and the dagger attached to his wrist. As you might expect, he has to work his way back to the top, but this time he doesn’t have to do it alone.The Great City of Rome
Swan Dive! |
AC2 introduced the Villa – your fortified home where you could upgrade the few shops that fell inside its walls. AC:B takes a different approach, in that as you liberate regions of Rome, shops must be purchased before they are of use. For each shop you renovate, Rome’s economy strengthens. And for every 20 minutes of in-game time, your cut is deposited into the local banks. The more shops you open, the greater your income. Of course, you also earn money by completing missions, stoping Borgia carriers, looting fallen soldiers, and finding treasures.
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