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Product Description
Platform: Xbox 360 | Edition: Standard
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Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is an epic action game for Xbox 360 set across a blend of present and historical time periods, that places the player in the role of the leader of a Renaissance-era guild of assassins out for vengeance against the remnants of the Knights Templar. Set primarily in Rome, this sequel to the critically acclaimed Assassin's Creed II features returning characters from the previous game and includes new features such as the ability to command members of your guild in combat, a new arsenal of weapons and multiplayer game support in which players can assume different assassin characters.
Live and breathe as Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, in his enduring struggle against the powerful Templar order. He must journey into Italy’s greatest city, Rome, center of power, greed and corruption to strike at the heart of the enemy. Defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there will require not only strength, but leadership, as Ezio commands an entire brotherhood of assassins who will rally to his side. Only by working together can the assassins defeat their mortal enemies and prevent the extinction of their order. Multiple Ways to Play Expanding on the game world woven across the first two games in the franchise, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood provides players with multiple ways to play. In single player mode you take on an engrossing campaign playing as Ezio, the hero from Assassin's Creed II, who has now risen to the level of Master Assassin. Here players scour the expansive environment of Renaissance-era Rome, tasked with ridding the Eternal City of the continuing stain of the Templars and in the process ensuring the survival of the guild of assassins. You are not in this alone though. Additional AI members of your guild are at your command, and can be summoned to your aid if need be. In addition to this, for the first time in the Assassin's Creed franchise players can compete with other would-be assassins in multiplayer action. In multiplayer modes players choose from a range of Assassin characters, each with their own backstory, unique weapons and assassination techniques. Choose your assassin character, utilize the virtual reality capabilities of Abstergo Industries' Animus technology and match your skills against other assassins from around the world. There's no time like now to join the Brotherhood. Deadly Weapons Arsenal Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood features a wide variety of weapons, depending on the mode of play. In single player players primarily utilize Ezio's weapons of choice, the hidden blade and crossbow, while in multiplayer modes players gain access to a wide variety of weapon, depending on the character they choose to play as. Examples of this include: the Axe, wielded by the Executioner; the Fan, used by the Courtesan; the Syringe, the tool by the Doctor; the Dagger, used by the Priest; the Switchblade, carried by the Prowler; and the Claw, used by the Nobleman. Key Game Features
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Product Description
Live and breathe as Ezio, a legendary Master Assassin, in his enduring struggle against the powerful Templar Order. He must journey into Italy’s greatest city, Rome, center of power, greed and corruption to strike at the heart of the enemy. Defeating the corrupt tyrants entrenched there will require not only strength, but leadership, as Ezio commands an entire Brotherhood who will rally to his side. Only by working together can the Assassins defeat their mortal enemies and prevent the extinction of their Order. And for the first time, introducing a never-before-seen multiplayer layer that allows you to choose from a wide range of Assassin characters, each with their own unique weapons and assassination techniques, and match your skills against other Assassins from around the world. It’s time to join the Brotherhood.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
90 of 95 people found the following review helpful
Platform for Display:Xbox 360|Edition:Standard
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
First off, I loved the feel of Assassin's Creed, but hated the game play. Assassin's Creed 2 completely sucked me in and made me absolutely love the game. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood brought a big smile to my face that completely satisfied every impulse, knee jerk reaction to what I wanted from the second one.
It starts with a combination of two events. 1) Right after you defeat the Borgia pope you return to your Villa. This, of course, is where you are lead to your training sequences for the new maneuvers of the game (which incidentally is much easier to use. instead of going to your Villa to train you can simply hit Start and choose training). 2) You are taking part of the 2012 world of Desmond and your exploration of the Italy of that time, with its typical 21st century erosion on the old world. Both are fantastic. I couldn't help but love returning to the world of Ezio and exploring around. Even more so was the absolutely huge world of Rome, noticed straight away as you pan around to the distances. This is an absolutely different and way more majestic world than the world of Assassin's Creed 2. You know that although you will not travel to as many cities you will certainly explore more just by the huge size of Rome.
The graphics are amazing, touched up and refined from the last one. The controls are almost identical, allowing you to jump in to the game with ease. The added addition of the Brotherhood adds a lot despite the tendency to overuse your assassins and leave yourself vulnerable, when you would certainly want to use them. Regardless, the overall game play has improved, despite the fighting mechanisms still feeling a bit droll and not to unique.
Finally, after trying for awhile with little success I was able to get in and log on to the multiplayer server. This seems like a problem straight away because it shouldn't take 5-10 minutes to log in to a server, and then the next time you log in a matter of seconds. I found that after I waited for 5 minutes I had to cancel out and go back in in order to play. The play itself is a joy. You play anywhere from 6-10 people mixed in amidst a ton of "civilians" for about 10 minutes, stalking and hunting your prey or just straight up chasing them. This multiplayer has a much different feel than the typical slugfest and bullet ridden multiplayers of other games, simply because you literally have to get up close and personal before you can make your kill.
The campaign play is long and worth it, definitely not feeling like an add on and more so like a real stand alone game with its own merits. The multiplayer is well worth it as well, although not sure if the replay ability will get old or die down, something of which only time will tell. Add the two together and you have an absolute winner in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. A definite recommend.
5 stars.
Update: A direct comparison would show the following. AC2 has considerably more collectibles than ACB, but ACB's collectibles are much easier to find since maps are made available for any and all of them. That being said, there are a lot more side quests/missions that you can go on in ACB. When all is said and done I spent about 32 hours in AC2 and it took about 24 hours for ACB, athough there are still a lot of side quests to be completed (and clusters) and so it will take a bit more time. With game complete and all feathers, flags and treasures found, I am only at 51% sync, which shows that there are a good amount of hours left to be played. That being said I still haven't found all the feathers in AC2, and thus could still spend a lot more time there, so it is a wash. AC2 had 5 cities, plus a visit to the Vatican at the very end. ACB has just one large city, although you visit several other places on your missions.
I found that there was only one aspect that I wish were done differently which would have made the game that much better. You visit several villas when completing the quests to destroy DaVinci's war machines, as well as Firenze (sp?) and Viana Castle. It would have been so simple to make these places that you could visit and explore after you completed your mission. Viana Castle and its surrounding countryside, for example, would have been fantastic to explore and just run around. Instead you only visit it briefly and you are running and fighting the whole time you don't get to see it. Additionally, you don't get to climb up or explore around San Pietro. You see it always in the distance, then at the end you get to go up to its gates and then nothing. There is the Lair of Romulus that puts you in San Pietro but you are chasing a Cardinal at such a frantic pace you barely get to notice the huge and majestic building that would have been absolutely fantastic to just stop and hop from ledge to ledge. A simple touch to allow us to explore it after the game is compelte would have made this game that much better.
It starts with a combination of two events. 1) Right after you defeat the Borgia pope you return to your Villa. This, of course, is where you are lead to your training sequences for the new maneuvers of the game (which incidentally is much easier to use. instead of going to your Villa to train you can simply hit Start and choose training). 2) You are taking part of the 2012 world of Desmond and your exploration of the Italy of that time, with its typical 21st century erosion on the old world. Both are fantastic. I couldn't help but love returning to the world of Ezio and exploring around. Even more so was the absolutely huge world of Rome, noticed straight away as you pan around to the distances. This is an absolutely different and way more majestic world than the world of Assassin's Creed 2. You know that although you will not travel to as many cities you will certainly explore more just by the huge size of Rome.
The graphics are amazing, touched up and refined from the last one. The controls are almost identical, allowing you to jump in to the game with ease. The added addition of the Brotherhood adds a lot despite the tendency to overuse your assassins and leave yourself vulnerable, when you would certainly want to use them. Regardless, the overall game play has improved, despite the fighting mechanisms still feeling a bit droll and not to unique.
Finally, after trying for awhile with little success I was able to get in and log on to the multiplayer server. This seems like a problem straight away because it shouldn't take 5-10 minutes to log in to a server, and then the next time you log in a matter of seconds. I found that after I waited for 5 minutes I had to cancel out and go back in in order to play. The play itself is a joy. You play anywhere from 6-10 people mixed in amidst a ton of "civilians" for about 10 minutes, stalking and hunting your prey or just straight up chasing them. This multiplayer has a much different feel than the typical slugfest and bullet ridden multiplayers of other games, simply because you literally have to get up close and personal before you can make your kill.
The campaign play is long and worth it, definitely not feeling like an add on and more so like a real stand alone game with its own merits. The multiplayer is well worth it as well, although not sure if the replay ability will get old or die down, something of which only time will tell. Add the two together and you have an absolute winner in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. A definite recommend.
5 stars.
Update: A direct comparison would show the following. AC2 has considerably more collectibles than ACB, but ACB's collectibles are much easier to find since maps are made available for any and all of them. That being said, there are a lot more side quests/missions that you can go on in ACB. When all is said and done I spent about 32 hours in AC2 and it took about 24 hours for ACB, athough there are still a lot of side quests to be completed (and clusters) and so it will take a bit more time. With game complete and all feathers, flags and treasures found, I am only at 51% sync, which shows that there are a good amount of hours left to be played. That being said I still haven't found all the feathers in AC2, and thus could still spend a lot more time there, so it is a wash. AC2 had 5 cities, plus a visit to the Vatican at the very end. ACB has just one large city, although you visit several other places on your missions.
I found that there was only one aspect that I wish were done differently which would have made the game that much better. You visit several villas when completing the quests to destroy DaVinci's war machines, as well as Firenze (sp?) and Viana Castle. It would have been so simple to make these places that you could visit and explore after you completed your mission. Viana Castle and its surrounding countryside, for example, would have been fantastic to explore and just run around. Instead you only visit it briefly and you are running and fighting the whole time you don't get to see it. Additionally, you don't get to climb up or explore around San Pietro. You see it always in the distance, then at the end you get to go up to its gates and then nothing. There is the Lair of Romulus that puts you in San Pietro but you are chasing a Cardinal at such a frantic pace you barely get to notice the huge and majestic building that would have been absolutely fantastic to just stop and hop from ledge to ledge. A simple touch to allow us to explore it after the game is compelte would have made this game that much better.
27 of 29 people found the following review helpful
By Ben Rowland
Platform for Display:Xbox 360|Edition:Standard
Fun:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Like many people, I enjoyed the first Assassin's Creed for what it was but felt that it was lackluster in it's mission variety and repetitive in nature. Assassin's Creed was leaps and bounds ahead of the original, and the good news is that Brotherhood is a continuation of that winning formula. Coming out a year after the previous game might make this seem like a glorified expansion at first glance, but Brotherhood is anything but that.
The story shifts back and forth between Ezio, returning home to find that war has broken out and his arch nemesis does some nasty things that warrants Ezio's motive for revenge and overthrowing him, and to Desmond in 2012 as he and the rogue scientists attempt to unravel the past in order to escape the murderous templars in the present. The plot is not overly engrossing, however it's the characters that bring everything to life and Brotherhood really excels in this area. Ezio is a compelling character a always, and the game is filled with a rich cast of colorful characters that are both new to the series and returning from the previous game. The difference in this game is that you are not supposed to run through the story on your own; you are expected to recruit assassin's to assist you througout the game and they are yours to summon whenever needed. Sadly, the AI is not spot-on and sometimes they are not as useful as you would hope, but they do come in handy when you are getting slaughtered in battle. A character in and of itself, the city of Rome is vibrant and bustling with interesting and sometimes amusing people. Beggars line the streets, prostitutes beckon you to hire them and groups of vigilantes gather in the public squares, all adding to a sense of realism that made the previous game so endearing. The bulk of the game is spent in Rome, which may feel like a step back from Assassin's Creed II, where you would travel between cities, but Rome is so vast and populous that you'll easily overlook this. The story missions are well paced and full of intense action, and the platforming segments in the shrines are fantastic as well.
The gameplay is largely unchanged from Assassin's Creed II and the free-running mechanic works as well here as it did before, so anyone familiar with the game can dive right in. Rome is a huge city with plenty of rooftops, so it's sometimes fun to just run around and take in all the sights. In addition to the story missions, there are various things you can do around town to earn money. Like Assassin's Creed II, there is an economy system here in which you purchase shops and they add to your treasury balance, which is essential for upgrading your weapons and armour. A new addition that's a nice touch are the areas of the city that are under the tyrannical rule of Borgia and his armies, and you can liberate these areas by destroying their towers and killing the captains. This adds some of the most intense and exhilarating moments in the game, since these tasks ramp up in difficulty fast. Graphically, this game is a sight to behold and it is easily on par with Assassin's Creed II. The character animation, cutscene quality and design of the city are all well done and, despite some noticeable pop-in, it provides a wonderful sense of immersion.
Like all video games, Brotherhood is not perfect and it does have it's share of flaws. The free-running mechanic is tight and responsive for the most part, but it is not always accurate. There have been several occasions where I meant to jump in one direction and I ended up going the other way, sometimes falling to my death or losing valuable seconds in some of the time-based objectives. This even happens when you are clearly facing a place where you can jump. Additionally, there is some glitchiness with your AI controlled assassins and even some of the friends you need to interact with. For example, they would get stuck in walls, stand there doing nothing or simply teleport to another area. It's not a huge problem, but it does pose some annoyances when you really need things to run smoothly. Thrown in to add a level of challenge, you can now achieve full synchronization by completing missions a certain way. For example, if you complete a mission in under a certain number of minutes, avoid losing health, or killing someone in a particular manner, you will achieve full synchronization and this will add up to achievement points/trophies. Unfortunately, some of the sequences are lengthy and it's disheartening to know that you've failed this so early into the missions. This does add some frustration, but it's hardly a deal-breaker and some might actually view this as a strength.
The last thing I'll touch upon is the multiplayer, which is something very interesting and unique. You are thrown into a large area with other players, given a person to assassinate, and likewise someone is after you. The objective is to kill your target before you get killed, and the style in which you do it will determine how well you do. For example, if you run up and knife someone in the back, you've achieved your objective and move on. But if you do it with style and stealth, you earn more points. This is a refreshing change from all of these online shooters that mainly focus on kill streaks, so being a hardcore online player doesn't ensure that you'll do well here. It's definitely something different. On the other hand, the pace will definitely feel slower to those who prefer the breakneck pace of online shooters, so this is an acquired taste. If you don't like multiplayer, you don't lose out because the single player campaign is 20+ hours long and there is plenty to keep you busy.
The speed at which this game was released certainly attracted some sceptics, however I am happy to say that Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is every bit as fun, challenging and beautifully done as the previous game. Those expecting an entirely new game with a new plot and cast of characters might be disappointed, but anyone who loved Assassin's Creed II is really missing the boat if they don't pick this up as well. Highly recommended.
The story shifts back and forth between Ezio, returning home to find that war has broken out and his arch nemesis does some nasty things that warrants Ezio's motive for revenge and overthrowing him, and to Desmond in 2012 as he and the rogue scientists attempt to unravel the past in order to escape the murderous templars in the present. The plot is not overly engrossing, however it's the characters that bring everything to life and Brotherhood really excels in this area. Ezio is a compelling character a always, and the game is filled with a rich cast of colorful characters that are both new to the series and returning from the previous game. The difference in this game is that you are not supposed to run through the story on your own; you are expected to recruit assassin's to assist you througout the game and they are yours to summon whenever needed. Sadly, the AI is not spot-on and sometimes they are not as useful as you would hope, but they do come in handy when you are getting slaughtered in battle. A character in and of itself, the city of Rome is vibrant and bustling with interesting and sometimes amusing people. Beggars line the streets, prostitutes beckon you to hire them and groups of vigilantes gather in the public squares, all adding to a sense of realism that made the previous game so endearing. The bulk of the game is spent in Rome, which may feel like a step back from Assassin's Creed II, where you would travel between cities, but Rome is so vast and populous that you'll easily overlook this. The story missions are well paced and full of intense action, and the platforming segments in the shrines are fantastic as well.
The gameplay is largely unchanged from Assassin's Creed II and the free-running mechanic works as well here as it did before, so anyone familiar with the game can dive right in. Rome is a huge city with plenty of rooftops, so it's sometimes fun to just run around and take in all the sights. In addition to the story missions, there are various things you can do around town to earn money. Like Assassin's Creed II, there is an economy system here in which you purchase shops and they add to your treasury balance, which is essential for upgrading your weapons and armour. A new addition that's a nice touch are the areas of the city that are under the tyrannical rule of Borgia and his armies, and you can liberate these areas by destroying their towers and killing the captains. This adds some of the most intense and exhilarating moments in the game, since these tasks ramp up in difficulty fast. Graphically, this game is a sight to behold and it is easily on par with Assassin's Creed II. The character animation, cutscene quality and design of the city are all well done and, despite some noticeable pop-in, it provides a wonderful sense of immersion.
Like all video games, Brotherhood is not perfect and it does have it's share of flaws. The free-running mechanic is tight and responsive for the most part, but it is not always accurate. There have been several occasions where I meant to jump in one direction and I ended up going the other way, sometimes falling to my death or losing valuable seconds in some of the time-based objectives. This even happens when you are clearly facing a place where you can jump. Additionally, there is some glitchiness with your AI controlled assassins and even some of the friends you need to interact with. For example, they would get stuck in walls, stand there doing nothing or simply teleport to another area. It's not a huge problem, but it does pose some annoyances when you really need things to run smoothly. Thrown in to add a level of challenge, you can now achieve full synchronization by completing missions a certain way. For example, if you complete a mission in under a certain number of minutes, avoid losing health, or killing someone in a particular manner, you will achieve full synchronization and this will add up to achievement points/trophies. Unfortunately, some of the sequences are lengthy and it's disheartening to know that you've failed this so early into the missions. This does add some frustration, but it's hardly a deal-breaker and some might actually view this as a strength.
The last thing I'll touch upon is the multiplayer, which is something very interesting and unique. You are thrown into a large area with other players, given a person to assassinate, and likewise someone is after you. The objective is to kill your target before you get killed, and the style in which you do it will determine how well you do. For example, if you run up and knife someone in the back, you've achieved your objective and move on. But if you do it with style and stealth, you earn more points. This is a refreshing change from all of these online shooters that mainly focus on kill streaks, so being a hardcore online player doesn't ensure that you'll do well here. It's definitely something different. On the other hand, the pace will definitely feel slower to those who prefer the breakneck pace of online shooters, so this is an acquired taste. If you don't like multiplayer, you don't lose out because the single player campaign is 20+ hours long and there is plenty to keep you busy.
The speed at which this game was released certainly attracted some sceptics, however I am happy to say that Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is every bit as fun, challenging and beautifully done as the previous game. Those expecting an entirely new game with a new plot and cast of characters might be disappointed, but anyone who loved Assassin's Creed II is really missing the boat if they don't pick this up as well. Highly recommended.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Platform for Display:Xbox 360|Edition:Standard
Fun:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood picks up right where Assassin's Creed 2 left off with Ezio in Rome. You do not need to play AC 2 to enjoy this game, but you will enjoy it more if you do.
High Concept: 10/10
Take a character like Batman, make him an assassin, drop him into Renaissance Italy, and surround him with corrupt government and church officials that need to be exterminated for the good of mankind! Allow this character to become a millionaire and renovate Rome while building a guild of Assassins.
Story: 10/10
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood has a story within a story. On the outside, you play Desmond, the ancestor of Altair and Ezio, who's hooked up to the animus (a virtual reality simulator) in order to uncover clues from the past to stop a diabolical secret organization by recovering a powerful magical artifact known as the "Apple of Eden."
In the Virtual World you are Ezio, an aristocrat who gets swept up in the political turmoil of 15th Century Italy. A change in the government makes you a fugitive, so you use your assassination skills to tip the balance of power and rescue Rome. You get your weaponry and gear from none other than Leonardo Da Vinci and you form the Brotherhood of Assassins with Niccolo Machiavelli.
Ezio is up against a megalomaniac named Cesare Borgia who wants to rule Rome. Under his influence, Rome begins to crumble. It's up to Ezio to cleanse Rome of his foul stench. Through the story, you meet many fascinating European historical figures with their own dark pasts. Similar to the Da Vinci Code, the story may have you questioning your beliefs, researching historical figures, or wanting to take a more active role in the world around you. It's rare that a video game story actually makes you want to rethink history.
Gameplay: 9/10
The combat is similar to Assassin's Creed 2, but the animations and gameplay are more fluid this time around. You can kill enemies with daggers, swords, hammers, maces, poison darts, crossbow bolts, throwing knives, a pistol, hired thugs, summoned assassins, and stun them with smoke bombs. The combat is also very easy. As you kill one enemy, you can insta-kill others by pointing the analog stick at them and pressing the X button. You can easily kill 12 guys in 20 seconds and you do feel like an assassin while doing it.
Although, the free running is good, it's not perfect. At times, Ezio may jump in the wrong direction and fall to his death. This is extremely rare, but when it happens, it sucks.
The Open World: 10/10
The problem with most Open World Games is that moving through the world to your next objective feels like a waste of time. You often spend 2-7 minutes just traveling. Well, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood has created some interesting ways to mitigate this.
This time around, it is a lot easier to get from one place to another in Rome. The overall land mass is a bit smaller than Assassin's Creed 2 and Ezio runs faster. You can also go about 25% faster by pressing the Y button to summon a horse, or horse-jack someone. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood also uses underground sewer entrances as "Fast Travel" Spots. Enter them, pick where you want to go on the map, and you teleport there.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood also rewards you just for playing, so there is NO Downtime between missions. The main objective of the game is to expunge the Borgia influence from Rome. You do this by assassinating the magistrates and burning down their watchtowers. As you destroy the tower, you are free to renovate shops, blacksmiths, and landmarks in the area. Improving Rome also pays you in dividends. Every structure that you renovate adds to Ezio's bank account every 20 minutes. You get paid for playing!
Another way to profit from downtime is the use of the Assassin's Guild. Halfway through the campaign, you get to recruit rebellious townsfolk to your cause. By using messenger pigeons, you can send your recruits on missions to gain more money for Ezio and XP for the recruit. It works similar to a Facebook Game. You scroll through a list of missions with a difficulty rating of 1-5. You choose which assassin(s) will perform the mission. The game gives you their % of success and the time it will take to complete the mission. You press a button to send them on their way. If they succeed, you get rewarded. If they fail, they die. As the recruits gain XP, you can upgrade their weapons and armor. This makes them more powerful when you summon them in game. So, as you are running through the world, you get text updates that say: Mission: Assassinate a Herald Complete. When the mission has been completed, you are free to upgrade them and send them on more missions. This is a really innovative idea with only one drawback. You have to believe that an assassin can travel from Rome to Constantinople, kill a guy, and return to Rome in 6 minutes. It's best not to think about it and just count your gold.
Missions: 6/10
The only flaw in this game that prevents it from being a true masterpiece is a handful of mission designs. Every Mission in the game has an objective, "Kill the Magistrate" with a condition "Avoid Detection" and an optional condition "Kill him with your hidden blade." The optional condition makes the game more challenging and gives you a 100% synchronization bonus. If you were to kill the magistrate with your crossbow, you only get a 50% rating for completing the mission. The synchronization bonus isn't really used for anything though, it just makes the game more interesting.
Some Missions are amazingly great and drive the story, while others are just plain bad.
Here are some tips for Mission Designers:
- If the Player can Fail a Mission within 1 second of starting it, while they are reading the objective, it is a bad mission.
- If you need checkpoints every 10 meters with a paragraph explaining what to do, it's a bad mission.
- If there is only 1 way to complete the mission and 142 ways to fail it, it's a bad mission.
- If the Player can fail a Mission because an arbitrary clock on the HUD hit zero, but Ezio still has a chance of completing the mission in the world (he's standing right next to the target with no guards around) it breaks game fiction and is a bad mission.
- If the Player can fail a Mission because an arbitrary distance counter on the HUD said you were too far from your target, even though you are in a locked room with the guy, it breaks game fiction and it is a bad mission.
- If the whole purpose of the game is to upgrade your weapons and gear and you have missions that forbid the player from using their weapons and gear that they have spent 15 hours upgrading it is a bad mission. (Especially when there are six in a row.)
- If the rules of the mission are inconsistent with 99% of the rest of the game, it is a bad mission.
Your mission designs should never get in the way of the Player feeling like an assassin.
Note: The game is broken into 9 Sequences. After you complete Sequence 7, the game becomes a linear string of missions that you cannot decline until you complete the game. If you want to do optional missions or upgrade your guilds, do this before you finish Sequence 7 or after you complete the main campaign!!!
Multiplayer: 6/10
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood features an interesting Multiplayer Mode where you are in a room of 200 clones. 6-8 of the people in the room are players. Some are trying to assassinate you while you are trying to assassinate someone else. There is no combat, you just press X to kill them for the most part. You are awarded "Style Points" for your kills. It is an interesting gameplay mode, but it lacks depth. As you gain XP, you can upgrade your character and unlock more gear like smoke bombs, disguises, throwing knives, and poison. The gear is designed to give you a better chance at killing your target or escaping from your pursuers. If an assassin is about to take you out and you see them coming, a B button icon appears above their head. If you press B you have a chance at punching them in the face, and stunning them to escape. There is a problem though. Pressing the B button doesn't aways work. I'm not sure if it is a latency issue or what, but it just seems odd that the game tells me to Press B to escape, I press B, and die. The game should give the player a 1.5 second invulnerability window to press B and escape. 60% of the time that I press B, I die. Games should never kill the player if they do exactly what they are supposed to do.
There are also some team modes where you work in groups to take out another team and they try to take out your team.
There are a few major drawbacks to the Multiplayer Modes. The wait times to actually join a game can be from 1 to 40 minutes long. To make matters worse, you can't do anything while you are waiting to join. You can't organize your gear, set your preferences, study the map, research the complex scoring system, choose the map that you want to play on... nothing. You just stare at a static progress screen. There are also a few problems with assigning targets. This is a major problem because the only way to score points is to escape assassins or assassinate other players. I've had 3 minute stretches of a 10 minute match where I wasn't assigned a target and nobody was sent after me. I could only wander around the level and watch everyone else outscore me.
If you can actually get into a game, the Multiplayer is pretty fun, but you can tell it's very rough. It's very simple and rewards you for playing, but it lacks the depth needed to keep people hooked for months. Read more ›
High Concept: 10/10
Take a character like Batman, make him an assassin, drop him into Renaissance Italy, and surround him with corrupt government and church officials that need to be exterminated for the good of mankind! Allow this character to become a millionaire and renovate Rome while building a guild of Assassins.
Story: 10/10
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood has a story within a story. On the outside, you play Desmond, the ancestor of Altair and Ezio, who's hooked up to the animus (a virtual reality simulator) in order to uncover clues from the past to stop a diabolical secret organization by recovering a powerful magical artifact known as the "Apple of Eden."
In the Virtual World you are Ezio, an aristocrat who gets swept up in the political turmoil of 15th Century Italy. A change in the government makes you a fugitive, so you use your assassination skills to tip the balance of power and rescue Rome. You get your weaponry and gear from none other than Leonardo Da Vinci and you form the Brotherhood of Assassins with Niccolo Machiavelli.
Ezio is up against a megalomaniac named Cesare Borgia who wants to rule Rome. Under his influence, Rome begins to crumble. It's up to Ezio to cleanse Rome of his foul stench. Through the story, you meet many fascinating European historical figures with their own dark pasts. Similar to the Da Vinci Code, the story may have you questioning your beliefs, researching historical figures, or wanting to take a more active role in the world around you. It's rare that a video game story actually makes you want to rethink history.
Gameplay: 9/10
The combat is similar to Assassin's Creed 2, but the animations and gameplay are more fluid this time around. You can kill enemies with daggers, swords, hammers, maces, poison darts, crossbow bolts, throwing knives, a pistol, hired thugs, summoned assassins, and stun them with smoke bombs. The combat is also very easy. As you kill one enemy, you can insta-kill others by pointing the analog stick at them and pressing the X button. You can easily kill 12 guys in 20 seconds and you do feel like an assassin while doing it.
Although, the free running is good, it's not perfect. At times, Ezio may jump in the wrong direction and fall to his death. This is extremely rare, but when it happens, it sucks.
The Open World: 10/10
The problem with most Open World Games is that moving through the world to your next objective feels like a waste of time. You often spend 2-7 minutes just traveling. Well, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood has created some interesting ways to mitigate this.
This time around, it is a lot easier to get from one place to another in Rome. The overall land mass is a bit smaller than Assassin's Creed 2 and Ezio runs faster. You can also go about 25% faster by pressing the Y button to summon a horse, or horse-jack someone. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood also uses underground sewer entrances as "Fast Travel" Spots. Enter them, pick where you want to go on the map, and you teleport there.
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood also rewards you just for playing, so there is NO Downtime between missions. The main objective of the game is to expunge the Borgia influence from Rome. You do this by assassinating the magistrates and burning down their watchtowers. As you destroy the tower, you are free to renovate shops, blacksmiths, and landmarks in the area. Improving Rome also pays you in dividends. Every structure that you renovate adds to Ezio's bank account every 20 minutes. You get paid for playing!
Another way to profit from downtime is the use of the Assassin's Guild. Halfway through the campaign, you get to recruit rebellious townsfolk to your cause. By using messenger pigeons, you can send your recruits on missions to gain more money for Ezio and XP for the recruit. It works similar to a Facebook Game. You scroll through a list of missions with a difficulty rating of 1-5. You choose which assassin(s) will perform the mission. The game gives you their % of success and the time it will take to complete the mission. You press a button to send them on their way. If they succeed, you get rewarded. If they fail, they die. As the recruits gain XP, you can upgrade their weapons and armor. This makes them more powerful when you summon them in game. So, as you are running through the world, you get text updates that say: Mission: Assassinate a Herald Complete. When the mission has been completed, you are free to upgrade them and send them on more missions. This is a really innovative idea with only one drawback. You have to believe that an assassin can travel from Rome to Constantinople, kill a guy, and return to Rome in 6 minutes. It's best not to think about it and just count your gold.
Missions: 6/10
The only flaw in this game that prevents it from being a true masterpiece is a handful of mission designs. Every Mission in the game has an objective, "Kill the Magistrate" with a condition "Avoid Detection" and an optional condition "Kill him with your hidden blade." The optional condition makes the game more challenging and gives you a 100% synchronization bonus. If you were to kill the magistrate with your crossbow, you only get a 50% rating for completing the mission. The synchronization bonus isn't really used for anything though, it just makes the game more interesting.
Some Missions are amazingly great and drive the story, while others are just plain bad.
Here are some tips for Mission Designers:
- If the Player can Fail a Mission within 1 second of starting it, while they are reading the objective, it is a bad mission.
- If you need checkpoints every 10 meters with a paragraph explaining what to do, it's a bad mission.
- If there is only 1 way to complete the mission and 142 ways to fail it, it's a bad mission.
- If the Player can fail a Mission because an arbitrary clock on the HUD hit zero, but Ezio still has a chance of completing the mission in the world (he's standing right next to the target with no guards around) it breaks game fiction and is a bad mission.
- If the Player can fail a Mission because an arbitrary distance counter on the HUD said you were too far from your target, even though you are in a locked room with the guy, it breaks game fiction and it is a bad mission.
- If the whole purpose of the game is to upgrade your weapons and gear and you have missions that forbid the player from using their weapons and gear that they have spent 15 hours upgrading it is a bad mission. (Especially when there are six in a row.)
- If the rules of the mission are inconsistent with 99% of the rest of the game, it is a bad mission.
Your mission designs should never get in the way of the Player feeling like an assassin.
Note: The game is broken into 9 Sequences. After you complete Sequence 7, the game becomes a linear string of missions that you cannot decline until you complete the game. If you want to do optional missions or upgrade your guilds, do this before you finish Sequence 7 or after you complete the main campaign!!!
Multiplayer: 6/10
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood features an interesting Multiplayer Mode where you are in a room of 200 clones. 6-8 of the people in the room are players. Some are trying to assassinate you while you are trying to assassinate someone else. There is no combat, you just press X to kill them for the most part. You are awarded "Style Points" for your kills. It is an interesting gameplay mode, but it lacks depth. As you gain XP, you can upgrade your character and unlock more gear like smoke bombs, disguises, throwing knives, and poison. The gear is designed to give you a better chance at killing your target or escaping from your pursuers. If an assassin is about to take you out and you see them coming, a B button icon appears above their head. If you press B you have a chance at punching them in the face, and stunning them to escape. There is a problem though. Pressing the B button doesn't aways work. I'm not sure if it is a latency issue or what, but it just seems odd that the game tells me to Press B to escape, I press B, and die. The game should give the player a 1.5 second invulnerability window to press B and escape. 60% of the time that I press B, I die. Games should never kill the player if they do exactly what they are supposed to do.
There are also some team modes where you work in groups to take out another team and they try to take out your team.
There are a few major drawbacks to the Multiplayer Modes. The wait times to actually join a game can be from 1 to 40 minutes long. To make matters worse, you can't do anything while you are waiting to join. You can't organize your gear, set your preferences, study the map, research the complex scoring system, choose the map that you want to play on... nothing. You just stare at a static progress screen. There are also a few problems with assigning targets. This is a major problem because the only way to score points is to escape assassins or assassinate other players. I've had 3 minute stretches of a 10 minute match where I wasn't assigned a target and nobody was sent after me. I could only wander around the level and watch everyone else outscore me.
If you can actually get into a game, the Multiplayer is pretty fun, but you can tell it's very rough. It's very simple and rewards you for playing, but it lacks the depth needed to keep people hooked for months. Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Pretty good game...
Not as good at the original 2nd assassins creed though, but better than revelations or the 3rd assassins creed. Read more
Published 1 day ago by Ashley Tolfo
4.0 out of 5 stars
Playing Experience
I was unsure if I would like the game or not but purchased primarily becuase of the relatively low cost. I must say I have been having fun with this game. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Thomas A. Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
So fun!
A great game & again an improvement on the last installment. New weapons & better playability. Very enjoyable & lots of fun to play! All the things you love about Assassins Creed!
Published 5 days ago by J. Beyer
4.0 out of 5 stars
Alright
The game was alright in itself. As a fan of Assassins Creed II, I anticipated getting AC3, not knowing that AC: Brotherhood and Revelations were the direct sequels and AC3... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Ryeran
4.0 out of 5 stars
The good....got better
After playing AC2 I was worried that I wouldn't like this one thqat much. i was wrong. This game was enjoyable from start to finish. It kept me playing until I fell asleep. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Romezarelli
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it. Must get!
I recommend to play Assassin's Creed, and Assassin's Creed II before playing this. You'll have no clue what's going on. I loved the storyline, gameplay and sidegames. Read more
Published 1 month ago by William C. Chow
5.0 out of 5 stars
Right on time
This product came on time. Im a big AC fan! Will buy more in the future as the franchise grows.
Published 1 month ago by immortald
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of the series so far
I have enjoyed all of the AC games.
The installment was my favorite so far.
The storyline is the best.
The installment was my favorite so far.
The storyline is the best.
Published 1 month ago by J. Coscarella
4.0 out of 5 stars
And Im not really a gamer
I just got my first xbox 360 and I wanted to learn how to play the types of games my nephews play so I got this game. Read more
Published 1 month ago by keyettia williams
5.0 out of 5 stars
gracias
muy muy buen producto muy bien hecho y lo estoy disfrutando, muchas gracias soy de bogota colombia america del sur
Published 1 month ago by nicolas
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Platform: Xbox 360 | Edition: Standard
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