Brotherhood is nothing like what I expected it to be when it was announced. I expected a multiplayer tack-on with little or no single-player, basically a glorified expansion pack to test the waters of implementing a unique kind of multiplayer before Assassin's Creed 3 hit shelves.
What I got was the story of how a hero becomes a leader.
Set directly after the events of Assassin's Creed 2, Brotherhood takes the story and runs, essentially answering most of the criticisms of the ending of the first game within the opening cutscene (including a ridiculous fist fight). While not adding any clarity to the current time story or the enigmatic figures that appear to be the literal genesis of life on Earth, Brotherhood delves deep into its main character Ezio Auditore.
Unlike the protagonist of the first AC, Altair, Ezio is more than a petulant puppet fighting to cut his strings. Set first on a mission of revenge during AC 2, Ezio ends that game a master assassin, and in his late 30's to early 40's. Satisfied he has avenged his family and brought justice to the best of his ability he retires to his villa and brings some female companionship. Deliberately low-key, this first set of memories creates a literal calm before the storm, comforting the player and pulling them back into the story.
The current time wrap-around story of petulant puppet and assassin to be Desmond Miles leads him and his cohorts Lucy, Shawn, and Rebecca to that same villa 500 years later, on a mission to use Desmond's genetic memories of Ezio to find the mysterious Apple of Eden, a weapon of unspeakable power. These modern day assassin's continue the millennia old battle against the Templars, figures that control and manipulate the people through governments and religion. While not as painful to play as the modern day sequences in AC 1 and more plentiful than those in AC 2, AC:B allows Desmond to grow into his newfound assassin abilities and as a character. Though still a puppet of powers greater than himself, Desmond ends AC:B able to fight back, mirroring the destiny of both Altair and Ezio. AC 3 will likely center much more on Desmond and the present day conflict than the memories of a past ancestor.
Through Desmond the player travels back to Ezio's Italy, to find that his lack of definitive action in AC 2 has come back to haunt him. His world destroyed and his family once again torn apart, Ezio works his way into Rome, to complete the job he started against the Borgia family.
Stripped of the armor, weapons and abilities gained in AC 2, Ezio is tasked with not only rebuilding himself, but the city of Rome. Dotting the landscape are familiar viewpoints and their "leaps of faith" but they are often tied to Borgian guardposts, which must be removed, freeing the area of the Borgia.
Like the upgrading the villa min-game in AC 2, Rome is populated with a variety of shops that add value to the cities economy as they are rebuilt once free of the Borgia. The economy then becomes a never ending faucet of funds that Ezio can dip into and reinvest in the city.
Iterating further on reducing the repetition of AC, AC:B is filled to the brim with challenges, side-quests and easter egg hunts along side the main and sub memories. "The Truth" puzzles, based around the enigmatic and very dead Subject 16, return as well but are not mandatory to the completion of the game. They serve only to add to the mystery of the backstory.
The titular "Brotherhood" consists of a new kind of mission: recruitment. Engaging the people of Rome as potential assassin's Ezio is then able to send them on missions to upgrade their stats and weapons. Once recruited, they become an extra tool in the arsenal as Ezio can deploy them at target with a point and whistle. Elegant and lethal, the Assassin recruits become an essential part of the late game, as Ezio earns his place as their leader.
Most striking is the growth of Ezio from boy to man in AC 2, and from man to leader in AC:B. Charismatic and conflicted about involving his family in his quest to destroy the Borgia once and for all, Ezio is steadfast in his loyalty but equally willing to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals. It is no small coincidence that like Leonardo da Vinci (who returns) in AC 2, Machiavelli becomes one of Ezio's most trusted confidants, but even he is expendable if the situation requires it.
A touching and unexpected aspect of the game is the inclusion of callback memories that take place during the events of AC 2. Charting Ezio's growth from teen to forty year old, these memories explore the choice made between love and duty. Ezio's reminders of the path not taken add a layer of empathy and sadness to his character and are stark indicators of the sacrifices made along the way.
While Desmond spends most of the game trapped in the basement of Ezio's villa, the interaction with the team and through email drives more backstory. The resulting spillover of empathy from Ezio's journey creates a desire to see Desmond find his path and grow into his destiny.
Shocking and oblique, the modern story ends on an intentionally dark note that reveals nothing and creates more intrigue for the inevitable AC 3. I sat in stunned silence as the credits rolled, confused and a little angry.
That is a very good thing.
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