SWS Review: Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

I know I said I would write this a long time ago, and I apologize that it took so long to get around to it, but better late than never, amirite?

Here goes:

Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is one of the best games of 2010. Not *the* best, mind you, but it certainly ranks as one of the most impressive titles to be released last year. As the much anticipated installment in the already enormously popular series, there was a lot of hype surrounding it, and I think that it is fair to say that it lived up to most, if not all, expectations. The graphics were stunning as usual, the already intuitive controls were fine tuned, the gameplay's variety was once again expanded, and the difficulty of the game was given a very firm turn up.

The story once again follows the footsteps of beloved Ezio Auditore da Firenze, picking up seconds after the ending of ACII. I don't want to include any spoilers, but the driving plot is that in order to stop the Templar Borgia family from taking over Rome, Ezio must rebuild the Brotherhood and wage a covert war. In order to do so, he utilizes the help of Machiavelli, Leonardo (Gone, sadly, are the emphatic "Ezio! So good to see you!"s of the last game), the Thieves Guild, the Mercenaries, the Courtesans, and eventually the newest recruits in the Brotherhood.

The missions are, in the grand scheme of things, structured similarly to those of its predecessors: do a bunch of shit to prepare for a final assassination that finishes a memory sequence. What sets ACB apart from the previous two installments, however, is the larger variety of campaign quests. Some are ultimately forgettable, but there are a number of memorable missions (including, among others, the Da Vinci War Machine arc). Also worthy of mention are the Followers of Romulus puzzles - incredibly long (relatively) and often difficult, these side objectives were a welcome break from the murderous hustle and bustle of Rome's above ground. [AN: I received the ultimate reward from the puzzles after finishing the campaign, and as such couldn't fully appreciate its benefits. I recommend you try to complete it as early as possible]

What I appreciate the most about this game is that it is much harder than its forefathers. I'm sure we can all agree that the original Assassin's Creed was baby town frolics. ACII stepped things up a bit but not enough to sate talented gamers. Brotherhood, on the other hand, proved to be challenging at times (much to my pleasant surprise). Enemy density, variety, and strength really upped the ante in combat, puzzles were made more convoluted, and even climbing routes merited the occasional scratch of the head. Ultimately, Ezio's inhuman athleticism and homicidal prowess wins the day, but with plenty of restarts and checkpoint reversions along the way. The inclusion of the 50 vs. 100% synch system for perfectionists (such as myself) really upped the ante, and while at times frustrating, made each mission more rewarding.

The graphics are stunning as always, and Ubisoft certainly takes its fair share of opportunities to show them off (especially during the panoramic sweeps that accompany every view point synchronization). The framerate also stays reasonably high - nowhere near COD's mindboggling 60 fps, but certainly high enough to keep visual junkies like me happy.

There are, of course, some flaws. Foremost are the overpowered weapons (cough crossbow cough butcher knife cough) and the endlessly talented Assassin Recruits. The unbelievable efficiency and nonchalance with which Ezio dispatches his unlucky foes is at times absurd. I would love to see a game option that ups enemy damage resistance to give the impression that their armor... you know... works. Complaint the second: the AI lacks the I. Too many times have I laughed out loud at how retarded some of the enemy NPCs are. An example, presented as a theatrical script:

[Ezio enters SL, running briskly]

Guard [yellow alert chevron filling]: Stop right there, criminal scum!

[Ezio, startled, jumps into a WELL]

Guard [alert chevron emptying]: Huh. Never mind that guy. [To his fellow guard] How 'bout them Packers?

There are a few other things that are more amusing than problematic (Ezio's magical horse, anyone?), but I won't spend time on them.

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The Rating System

1 Inu - This Inu is bad. It eats baby birds out of trees, craps in you shoes, and scares any potential female friends away with its ferocious demeanor.

2 Inu's - This Inu has been taken to obedience training, but failed. The dog tried hard, but just never got any of the tricks right.

3 Inu's - An average lovable Inu, sure its not gonna win any awards, but it is a faithful companion

4 Inu's - This Inu is special, he knows all of his tricks, everyone loves him, and he sits by your side every time you come back from the bar... alone.

5 Inu's - This is Inu is legendary. He is a dog among puppies. One day there will be movies made about how awesome he is.

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The Verdict: 4.4 Inus