When Ubisoft announced that a sequel to Assassin’s Creed II was on the way, it seemed like a no-brainer. Ubisoft has claimed that it is unlikely to develop any new IPs (intellectual properties) until the next generation of consoles, so its current library of titles — of which there are many — will be the focus for the company. And of those existing titles, Assassin’s Creed seems like the one with the most potential to expand on. The Tom Clancy games are always going to be around, but the universe created for Assassin’s Creed is ripe for expansion. Just look at the multiple comics for Assassin’s Creed coming out soon, and even the rumored (emphasis on the “rumor” part) animated series and Hollywood movie adaptations.
So when a new game was announced, it seemed obvious and welcome. But to put it out less than a year after the previous game? That seemed potentially problematic.
Activision does it with Call of Duty, and most sports games have annual entries, but sports are a different type of game, and the Call of Duty titles are developed by multiple companies with at least two years between entries. So many people feared that this new Assassin’s Creed would be little more than Assassin’s Creed 2.5.
Turns out they are right, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood basically takes the game created for ACII, adds a new setting with an original story, puts in a few new tricks, then ships it off with a multiplayer. Now, while that might not sound like a glowing endorsement, ACII was one of the best-selling and best-rated games of the current generation of consoles. It redefined open-world gaming, and delivered one of the most compelling stories ever written for a video game. ACB’s biggest problem is simply that it is competing against itself and the expectations of fans. If you can put those aside, and if you give the multiplayer a shot, then ACB jumps from being a little more than a lengthy add-on to one of the must-have games of the year.
