For my second game to review, it is the return of our Italian shadow hero. And this time he has friends of a similar background.
The story is a direct continuation from Assassins Creed 2. How direct? Well you start as Ezio right where you left him, in the hall of Minerva, right after the beat the stuffing out of the new pope. It is here we begin our journey, Ezio returns to Monterrigioni with his Uncle Mario and the Apple of Eden. He relaxes and takes the time to savor his previous victory. Only it does not last. Now this is something I like about video games, when they take something you know and are familiar and then completely wow you when they have made changes, and they don’t tell you in a book or notification, they let you play and find out yourself.
For example, I was riding on a horse with Mario back to the gates or Monterrigioni, and instinctively, I dismount at the stables, since in the last game we had to walk inside cities. Guess what? Mario continues talking and RIDES INSIDE without skipping a beat. Right there, I was like, “Wow what? You can do that now?!” And they did not stop there, there were cannons to play with and an epic horse ride through a crumbling town.
Along side that, the combat has been further improved, allowing Ezio to not only fight on horseback, he is also much much more offensive based. Three strikes on an opponent and you get him immediately with an execution, which then if you are nearby another enemy, gets you another execution right away. And this builds up, you can keep on chaining executions over and over without getting hit if you time it right. Combat also gets much more fun with the addition of many new weapons, for example we can now carry heavy arms such as longsswords and heavy maces, as well as the addition of a crossbow, which is extremely accurate. Combine this with newer execution styles, which include the use of your hidden gun, and you have a one man army.
But thats where they take it further. Later in the game, you will be tasked with rebuilding the order or Assassins in Rome. And it is here, in the run down city that was once magnificent, you shall fight citizens who are fighting their own wars with the Borgia, seeking peace and the return of power to the people. You shall then recruit them and train them as well as send them over foreign land to take up missions which are told on the Facebook page Project Legacy. Your recruits gain levels and obtain better equipment too, as a bonus, you can actually give extra training using the Facebook as well as it links to your PS3 save file, really neat.
Coming together for the ride is of course some of our very favorite characters. In fact one in particular will play a very cool and vital side mission for you. Here’s a tip, it includes war machines, which you yourself will find, use and ultimately leave in shambles after.
And with each mission completed, he’ll find time to get you better stuff. Cool and awesome devices, like this one:
No more fears of slipping up and desynchronizing! And speaking of synchronization, there is an added challenge now to all memories sections. Each section will have a rule or requirement to meet, as it is the goal for the player to get 100% synch. The standard is set because that was how Ezio actually completed it in reality. And to make things easier for replay, Desmond can review and replay any memory he wants. (Or we want.) The story is amazing, in the sense that it fits in perfectly with what has been happening so far, and the development of Rome, which gosh darn beautiful, makes it feel as though this game was part of the original AC2, and was left out only because it would make the game too big to enjoy at once. But that too has been taken to another level with the Mulitplayer section.
Story is, Abstergo has begun training their own army of Assassins, using the bleeding effect from the Animus. Thus each player will be a Abstergo agent undergoing training. There are many class types to choose from, like the Courtesan, the Barber (rather Sweeny Todd like), the Executioner, and the Engineer(Sniper). Each one is mainly cosmetic but can also be a strategic choice, because how a game works is that, based on which character the players choose, the world will be inhabited with A.I crowds who look exactly like them and move rather randomly to cause confusion to players. So if one or more players have the same skin, there will be a much tougher time finding the right mark. Tools and upgrades are awarded with consecutive levels, and points are scored based on how undetectable you manage to make your kill. There is also various bonuses in achieving a variety of kills as well as how unique you corner your kill.
All this expands the series to lengths that most other games do, but which they tend to fail in attracting and keeping interest. AC Brotherhood makes online play addictive and extremely challenging as you try kill your target while dodging the attention of your pursuers. Abilities you gain such as Morphing, Templar Vision and Hidden Guns, make your methods varied and unique. You can play silent and deadly or go right out for as many kills as you can. And the better your score, you’ll take the lead, which will have even more pursuers on your tail as you try ever so hard to survive the round.
I am very satisfied with what this game has given me to experience and Ubisoft is acing it with every release of the series. Rome is rich and lush with detail and huge in size. As you rebuild it piece by piece, you start to see the love the creators have put into each and every detail. The Colosseum is an epic of place to explore and the citadel to the Castello is quite a sight.
For anyone who loves this series, this is a must have in your library, and you will love the game and how it has grown to what it is from its very grassroot of the first Assassin’s Creed. The ending will grip you, and the puzzles from Subject 16 are present with even newer revelations to be made. I’ve already finished it, and am still replaying the missions for 100%. There are some nice bonuses if you do. Anyone who loves an epic, will certainly find this game to be the perfect thing to whet their cravings. See the story of Ezio unfold and see Desmond in the year 2012 uncover a secret that has been lost to humanity for so long. Viva de Assassino!
