[h2]Introduction[/h2]
Assassin's Creed Brotherhood is one of those games that has stayed with me for years. It is a classic, not just because of its place in the series, but because of how strongly it captures what made the Ezio era special. The whole Ezio trilogy is close to my heart, and Brotherhood still feels like an important part of why that period of Assassin's Creed is remembered so fondly.
[h2]Comparison to AC 2[/h2]
Compared to Assassin's Creed II, Ubisoft made several changes that I really appreciate. The biggest one is the Brotherhood system itself: being able to call in assassins to help during fights makes Ezio feel less like a lone hero and more like the leader of a growing movement. It fits the theme of the game perfectly and makes combat more exciting, especially when you are surrounded and can suddenly turn the situation in your favor.
Combat also feels smoother thanks to the new ability to chain execution moves together. Once a fight gets going, Ezio can move from enemy to enemy with a flow that makes him feel experienced, dangerous, and stylish. This of course makes combat easier, but I believe that is a good thing since Ezio is supposed to be more experienced than before.
I also like the expanded economy system. Instead of mainly upgrading your base, you can buy shops and renovate Rome across the city, which gives exploration a stronger sense of progression. It makes Rome feel like a place you are actively taking back piece by piece. Unfortunately, the online-part of the “shop-system” no longer works since the servers are down, but it is still fun to buy buildings in Rome and see yourself get more wealthy over time.
That said, I do not think the story is quite as interesting as the one in Assassin's Creed II. Brotherhood has strong moments, and Rome is a great setting, but the main plot does not hit me in the same way. I also wish Ubisoft had made better use of Cesare Borgia. There are so much historical weight and dramatic potential there, but it feels like the game does not fully take advantage of it. This is something I have felt in other Ubisoft games too, where interesting antagonists or historical figures could have been used more effectively. Far Cry 6, for example, gave me a similar feeling with its main villain.
[h2]Soundtrack etc.[/h2]
One area where Brotherhood absolutely delivers is the atmosphere, and the music is a huge part of that. The soundtrack keeps the emotional identity of the Ezio games while giving Brotherhood a darker, more “Roman” feeling. The soundtrack makes the game feel grand without becoming overdramatic. The soundtrack really is top tier!
The Leonardo da Vinci missions (War Machines) are also a highlight. They are fun because they let you use inventions inspired by ideas Leonardo never completed during his lifetime, which gives those missions a playful mix of history, imagination, and classic Assassin's Creed spectacle. One of the missions is kind of annoying though, people who have played it probably know which one I am talking about.
For the ones that care about those things, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood does have achievements, but only in-game. Hopefully Ubisoft will change this, but I would not hope for it, since there aren't even achievements on Ubisoft Connect for it. Fingers crossed though!
[h2]Multiplayer[/h2]
I also want to mention the multiplayer, because Brotherhood had one of the most unique multiplayer modes I have played. Instead of just feeling like a standard competitive mode, it was built around hiding in plain sight, reading other players, choosing the right moment to strike, and trying not to reveal yourself too early. It felt very different from most multiplayer games at the time, and that made it memorable. Unfortunately, the official servers have been closed, so that part of the game is no longer available. There are still ways to play it through alternative methods, but it does not hit the same as it did when the multiplayer was properly alive. I would recommend playing the multiplayer mode in AC 4 instead if you are interested, servers are mostly populated during the weekends.
[h2]Conclusion[/h2]
Overall, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood remains a classic for me. It may not have the strongest story in the Ezio trilogy, but its gameplay improvements, usage of the assassin brotherhood, memorable setting, great music, and mostly fun side missions make it a game I still think about fondly. It is a great continuation of Ezio's journey, and a reminder of why the Ezio-trilogy remains one of the best game-trilogies ever.
[h2]Technical stuff[/h2]
Unfortunately, more modern hardware is too good for the game and to play it in the best way you should cap your FPS to 60. I did it with the Nvidia Control Panel, but those who have AMD should have another way to do it.
Also, to be able to play and enjoy the DLC, this guide can help you out: [url=https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2915720492] https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2915720492[/url]
The DLC is unfortunately not available directly due to Ubisoft closing the servers (stupid, I know). It is pretty easy to fix this, and I would say that is worthwhile content, especially “The Da Vinci Disappearance”. You should play it after you have completed the main story though to not get any spoilers.
