The atmosphere. The characters. And above all, the gameplay. Assassins Creed: Brotherhood is the apex of what this series has achieved. As a fervent Assassins Creed fan who has played every main series console release, this has always been my favorite. The other Assassins Creed games do certain parts better, but none deliver a package as complete and satisfying as Brotherhood.
At the beginning of this sequel, players will find themselves in Ezio's shoes immediately (literally the next second) following the conclusion of Assassins Creed II in the Vatican. After having The Apple of Eden stolen and his home destroyed (all of those Florins pumped into Monteriggioni in ACII were for naught) Ezio attempts to rebuild the Assassin Order in Italy's center of power, Rome. Brotherhood has the addition of Niccolo Machiavelli and Leonardo da Vinci returns, but only in a minor roll which is unfortunate. Nevertheless, Brotherhood provides a breakout character in the antagonist, Cesare Borgia. Cesare is a man of pure ambition, relentless in his pursuits and merciless in his methods. His personality and those of his family members provide a perfect summation of the corruption of the period.
The power struggle in Rome gives the game a larger scope leaving players to feel like they are battling for Italy’s soul. Don't play this game expecting the strong, focused journey of Assassins Creed II, however. The story missions consist of assisting several different groups around Rome, who are only connected by their common hatred of the Borgia. This makes the story feel unfocused and disjointed, and there are only a few instances that give the feeling of genuine accomplishment against the Borgia. Of course, all of this is backed up with an incredible music score that matches the setting to perfection.
Without a doubt the combat mechanics of Brotherhood are its highlight and the best of the series. The combos and flow of combat is excellent and the fatality animations are eternally satisfying. The free roaming is accelerated compared to AC II and works very well (but the “jump glove” needed for jumping up walls should just come standard). The virtual training menu lets you hone your skills and compete against others for the top score. I found this to be infinitely replayable and do not understand why it was removed from future titles.
The economy of Rome is based upon the player purchasing/renovating shops and monuments throughout the city which then earn money for the player every several minutes. I have dubbed this practice housekeeping. If the player has been housekeeping consistently, they should already be earning more Florins than they can spend midway through the game making it feel more like a chore than actual progress. One of the better parts of the open world is unlocking areas to renovate by killing the local Borgia Captain and burning down his tower.
Every mission has a 100% completion objective. If you finish the mission without meeting this requirement you only get 50% completion mark. This adds an interesting dimension to the game and gives completionists something to work toward. Roughly half of the game's missions are side missions and these 100% completion objectives provide fun challenges make them feel worthwhile. That being said, the story missions are frequently more fun if you ignore the 100% objectives as they can feel unnecessarily restrictive.
The two major types of side missions are tracking down and destroying famous inventions of Leonardo da Vinci (unfortunately Leonardo does not appear in these missions) and defeating the Followers of Romulus which rewards the player with the game’s best armor. Both of these mission types provide some of the game’s best and most memorable sequences.
Ezio can also recruit Roman citizens to the Brotherhood (hence the name). These assassins are very useful if you’re trying to forgo a fight and the arrow storm ability is overpowered yet very satisfying. The Assassins’ AIs are well done but maintaining and leveling up the recruits can get tedious.
Admittedly, I was skeptical of the multiplayer. I was wrong. The multiplayer is surprisingly fun and the race to reach your target before you’re killed makes for pulse-pounding action. The power-up system gives you a number of nifty tools and myriad methods to take out your targets.
Assassins Creed: Brotherhood has its quirks and frustrating sequences just like any Assassins Creed game, but its outstanding combat mechanics, mission variety, immersive environment, and unique multiplayer experience make it the best Assassins Creed game to date. Gameplay 10/10. Story 7/10. Graphics 7/10. Music 10/10. Multiplayer 8/10.
Overall 9/10