Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is a 2010 action-adventure game created by Ubisoft Montreal and released by Ubisoft. It is the third main game in the Assassin's Creed series and the second part of the "Ezio Trilogy," following Assassin's Creed II from 2009. The game was first released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November 2010 and for Microsoft Windows in March 2011. A remastered version of Brotherhood, along with Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Revelations, was released as part of The Ezio Collection for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in November 2016 and for Nintendo Switch in February 2022.
The story is based on real historical events and follows a long-standing conflict between the Assassins, who work to protect peace and freedom, and the Templars, who seek peace through control. The story begins in the 21st century and features the game's main character, Desmond Miles, who uses a device called the Animus to relive the memories of his ancestor, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, to stop a predicted 2012 disaster. The main story takes place during the Italian Wars, from 1500 to 1507, and continues the events of Assassin's Creed II. In this game, Ezio fights the Templars, led by the powerful Borgia family, in Rome, where he works to rebuild the Assassin Brotherhood and free the city from Borgia rule.
Brotherhood includes an open world and is played from a third-person perspective. Players control Desmond and Ezio, using their combat, climbing, and stealth skills to complete missions and explore the environment. As Ezio, players can explore Rome freely to advance the story or complete side missions unrelated to the main plot. The game added a multiplayer mode where players take on the role of Templars in training. Additional content, such as the The Da Vinci Disappearance downloadable pack, was released to expand the game's story.
Like its predecessor, Brotherhood is often considered one of the greatest video games ever made. It received high praise for its setting, new features, gameplay improvements, and the addition of a multiplayer mode. While the story was well-received, some critics thought it was not as strong as the story in Assassin's Creed II. The game won awards, including a BAFTA for Best Action Game, and sold 7.2 million copies by May 2011. The final game in the "Ezio Trilogy," Assassin's Creed: Revelations, was released in November 2011.
Gameplay
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is an action-adventure, stealth game set in a large, open world and played from a third-person angle. The game includes both single-player and multiplayer modes, which was new for the series. In the single-player story, which takes about 15 or more hours to complete, players control Ezio Auditore da Firenze, a character from Assassin's Creed II. At certain points in the story, players switch to controlling Desmond Miles, who is reliving Ezio’s memories through a device called the Animus in the modern world. For the first time in the series, Desmond can leave the Animus to explore Monteriggioni, a city where Assassins have set up base, and search for hidden secrets. Desmond can also complete virtual training missions through the Animus, which test combat and free-running skills.
The game’s combat system has changed in Brotherhood. Attacking first is more dangerous than waiting for enemies to strike, which made fighting faster in previous games. Enemies in this game are more aggressive and can attack at the same time. Ezio can now use both melee and ranged weapons, including a hidden pistol, which was not allowed in combat before. After defeating one enemy, players can start a chain of quick kills to defeat multiple enemies. Ezio can also throw heavy weapons like axes, spears, and swords. New types of enemies were added, such as horsemen, soldiers with arquebuses, and guards from the Vatican.
The game introduces the Brotherhood system, which lets players recruit new Assassin helpers. To do this, players must destroy one of twelve Borgia towers in Rome where Vatican soldiers are stationed and rescue citizens being harassed by guards. These recruits can be sent on missions across Europe or called for help during missions. Completing tasks helps recruits gain experience, and players can customize their appearance, skills, and weapon training by spending earned points. However, Assassins can die on missions and will not return.
In Brotherhood, Ezio learns to use new tools, such as Leonardo da Vinci’s parachute for jumping from tall buildings, poison darts that act faster, and a crossbow. Side missions from Leonardo let players briefly use his war machines, like a cannon-equipped flying kite and a prototype tank, which he designed for the Templars. Ezio must destroy these machines and their blueprints to stop more from being made. Other side missions include assassinating Templar agents in Rome, helping three groups (Courtesans, Thieves, and Mercenaries) with challenges, and exploring underground areas to find keys to a treasure linked to a secret group that worships Romulus, the legendary founder of Rome. After completing certain tasks, players can also relive repressed memories of Ezio’s past lover, Cristina Vespucci.
The main setting of the game is Rome, which is in ruins due to the corrupt rule of the Borgia papacy and the Templars, who have taken control of the Vatican’s wealth. Like in Assassin's Creed II, players can invest in the city, watch it develop, and earn rewards. To renovate areas of Rome, players must first destroy nearby Borgia towers to remove Templar influence. This unlocks new missions and opportunities. Rome is much larger than Florence, the city in Assassin's Creed II, and is divided into five districts: Vatican (Vaticano), Central (Centro), Trans-Tiber (Trastevere), Country (Campagna), and Antique (Antico). Unlike earlier games, players cannot travel to other cities, but tunnels throughout Rome allow movement between districts. Some missions take players to places outside Rome, such as the harbor of Naples, the Alban Hills, and part of Navarre, Spain.
Horses are used more in Brotherhood, not only for transportation within the city but also for acrobatic moves and combat. Players can use ranged weapons while riding horses, and there are special assassinations involving horse-to-horse battles. The game also includes "merchandise lifts," which help players climb buildings quickly.
As in previous games, Brotherhood includes characters based on real historical figures, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Niccolò Machiavelli, Caterina Sforza, Rodrigo Borgia, and Cesare Borgia. Locations in the game include Rome’s Colosseum and Pantheon, as well as the town of Viana in northern Spain.
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood was the first main series game to include a multiplayer mode. Players take on the role of Templars in training at an Abstergo facility. They use devices called animi (plural of Animus) to access memories of old Templars and gain their skills through a process called the "bleeding effect." There are eight game modes (Wanted, Alliance, Manhunt, Chest Capture, Advanced Wanted, Advanced Alliance, Escort, and Assassinate) and maps, including areas from earlier games like Florence and new locations such as Rome, Castel Gandolfo, Siena, and Mont Saint-Michel. Multiplayer gameplay focuses on stealth and assassination, with players hunting targets while avoiding being hunted themselves. Points are earned by completing assassinations, defending against pursuers, or achieving specific goals. Players can unlock abilities, perks, and streaks by leveling up through experience points.
The multiplayer beta, available only to PlayStation 3 users, was announced at E3 2010. It started on October 4, 2010, with early access for PlayStation Plus members on September 27, and ended on October 18, 2010. Three maps were playable during the beta: Rome, Castel Gandolfo, and Siena.
Ubisoft announced that multiplayer servers for Brotherhood and other older games would shut down on September 1, 2022. This date was later changed to October 1, 2022. This means achievements and trophies related to multiplayer mode on original console versions can no longer be earned.
In the Wanted mode, at least six players compete on a map to assassinate each other. Each player is assigned a target and must kill them without being seen or killed by their pursuer. Players are hard to distinguish from non-playable characters (NPCs) on the map. If a player accidentally kills an NPC or is spotted, they are marked as a target.
Plot
Following the events of the previous game, Desmond Miles (Nolan North), Lucy Stillman (Kristen Bell), Rebecca Crane (Eliza Schneider), and Shaun Hastings (Danny Wallace) escape from the Templars who attacked their hideout. They establish a new base in the ruins of the Villa Auditore in Monteriggioni. After restoring power in the tunnels under the villa, Desmond uses the Animus 2.0 to continue reliving the genetic memories of his ancestor, Ezio Auditore (Roger Craig Smith). His mission is to find the Apple of Eden, which could stop a disaster that year, believed to be caused by the Templars.
Ezio's story continues in December 1499. He exits the Vault and escapes Rome with his uncle, Mario (Fred Tatasciore). Returning to Monteriggioni, Ezio explains what he saw inside the Vault to his fellow Assassins. He feels his personal revenge is over, but Niccolò Machiavelli (Shawn Baichoo) challenges Ezio's decision to leave Rodrigo Borgia (Manuel Tadros) alive. The next day, Monteriggioni is attacked by the Papal Army, led by Cesare Borgia (Andreas Apergis), Rodrigo's son. Cesare kills Mario and takes the Apple for the Templars. Ezio, injured, escapes and goes to Rome to seek revenge against the Borgias. There, he finds the Assassin Order has lost many members. He convinces Machiavelli to help rebuild the Guild and restore its strength.
Over the next three years, Ezio weakens the Borgias' control in Rome by sabotaging their resources and killing key people. He helps restore Rome to its former glory. After rebuilding the Assassins' strength, Ezio is named Il Mentore ("The Mentor") and becomes the leader of the Assassins in Italy. During this time, Ezio's sister, Claudia (Angela Galuppo), also becomes an Assassin.
After learning of Ezio's actions, Cesare confronts his father, Rodrigo, to ask for more money and the Apple. Rodrigo refuses, fearing the Assassins, and tries to kill Cesare with a poisoned apple. Cesare spits it out and forces it into Rodrigo's mouth, killing him. Ezio retrieves the Apple from St. Peter's Basilica and uses it to defeat Cesare's forces. Cesare is arrested by Pope Julius II's army after Ezio and the Assassins kill his remaining followers.
A few years later, Ezio uses the Apple to learn Cesare has escaped prison. He hides the Apple in a First Civilization Temple under the Roman Colosseum and leaves Italy to find Cesare. In 1507, Cesare, with help from John III of Navarre, attacks the city of Viana in Spain. Ezio fights Cesare on a castle's battlements. Cesare claims he cannot be killed by a mortal, so Ezio drops him off the battlements to his death.
Using coordinates from Ezio's memories, Desmond, Lucy, Shaun, and Rebecca travel to the Temple where Ezio hid the Apple. They plan to use it to find other Temples and keep the Pieces of Eden safe from the Templars. As Desmond enters the Temple, he sees holograms of a woman named Juno (Nadia Verrucci), similar to Minerva. She criticizes humanity's lack of knowledge and calls it "innocent and ignorant." She then yells, "We should have left you as you were!" Juno tells Desmond he is descended from her race and is their enemy. She says a woman must accompany him through "the gate" but must not be allowed to. She forces Desmond to stab Lucy, killing her. Desmond falls into a coma as the credits roll. Two men are heard discussing whether to put Desmond back in the Animus.
In 1506, Ezio visits his friend Leonardo da Vinci (Carlos Ferro) in Rome to ask for help securing a ship to Spain. Leonardo suggests meeting a ship captain but first asks Ezio to find his apprentice, Salaì (David Kaye). After a fight with Hermeticists, they return to find Leonardo's workshop abandoned. They deduce Leonardo was kidnapped by the Hermeticists, who forced him to take them to an underground temple. Salaì finds writings on the floor that suggest they should find five of Leonardo's paintings once owned by Ezio at Monteriggioni.
After recovering the paintings, Ezio finds diagrams hidden on them that reveal the location of the temple. Ezio kills the Hermeticists holding Leonardo hostage and explores the temple with him. They discover a vault built by the First Civilization, which contains only a pedestal. When Ezio touches the pedestal, it shows coordinates: 43 39 19 N and 75 27 42 W. Leonardo dismisses the numbers as meaningless, but Ezio says they are not for them. In the present day, two men are heard saying Desmond has fallen into a coma and that they have a location for the temple. One asks, "What are you waiting for? Let's go."
Development
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood was developed by Ubisoft Montreal. This studio also worked on the other main games in the series and was chosen to lead the development of the third game. A new game with multiplayer was announced in 2009 during a company report, but the name was not shared at that time. In early May 2010, a GameStop employee shared images of a pre-order box with the title Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood online. Ubisoft confirmed the images were real. Unlike Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood was not numbered because players and developers expected a new setting and ancestor, but the game continues Ezio's story.
Although Ubisoft Montreal in Canada led development, four other Ubisoft studios helped: Annecy, Singapore, Bucharest, and Québec City. The multiplayer mode was mainly created by Ubisoft Annecy, the same team that made the multiplayer mode for Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. Ubisoft planned to release downloadable content (DLC) after the game launched. Two free DLC sets were released: "Animus Project Update 1.0" and "Animus Project Update 2.0." The first added a new map, Mont Saint-Michel, and a new mode, Advanced Alliance. "Animus Project Update 2.0," released in January 2011, included another map, mode, and a player grading system. Ubisoft noted that differences in performance between the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 versions would likely be smaller in Brotherhood.
Before the game's release, creative director Patrice Désilets left the project before the E3 2010 presentation. Ubisoft and production manager Jean-Francois Boivin said he took a "creative break" after completing his work on Brotherhood. A teaser trailer for the multiplayer mode was posted online before E3. A cinematic trailer and gameplay walkthrough were shown during Ubisoft's E3 2010 press conference. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood reached gold status on October 28, 2010, meaning it was officially completed and ready for release. The Microsoft Windows version supports 3D vision and multi-screen displays. It uses Tagès copy protection and Ubisoft's online services but does not require an always-on internet connection. A novelization of the game was published on November 30, 2010, and is a sequel to the previous novel.
Remastered versions of Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood, and Revelations were released as The Ezio Collection for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on November 15, 2016, and for Nintendo Switch on February 17, 2022. The remastered versions include support for UHD resolution on the PS4 Pro.
Music
The music in the game was created by Jesper Kyd, who also made the music for earlier Assassin's Creed games. The soundtrack was made available online on November 16, 2010. A physical CD version of the soundtrack was included with some retail copies of the game. However, the list of songs on the CD is different from the online version. The CD has 22 songs, including three that are only on the CD, but it does not include a song called "Apple Chamber" that is on the online version.
Retail editions
There are different special versions of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood available in various regions. Some retailers offer pre-order bonuses, which may differ depending on the store. Some retailers provided access to the multiplayer beta for the PlayStation 3 as a pre-order bonus. All PlayStation 3 versions of the game include free downloadable content called the Copernicus Conspiracy, which was released on the PlayStation Store on November 16, 2010. This content adds new missions featuring the Renaissance astronomer Copernicus. These missions include courier, assassination, and protection tasks, where players help Ezio stop a conspiracy against Copernicus and protect his ideas. The PC version of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood was released in Russia by Akella as an exclusive Collector's Edition that includes six metal figurines of multiplayer characters.
Downloadable content
Ubisoft's Uplay system allows players to earn points while playing the game, which can be used to unlock additional in-game items. These items include a Brotherhood theme or wallpaper for PC and PlayStation 3, Florentine Noble Attire, Armor of Altaïr, Altaïr's Robes, a Gun Capacity Upgrade, and the Hellequin character.
The Copernicus Conspiracy is a free downloadable content pack for Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. It was first released exclusively for PlayStation 3 when the game launched. Later, it became available on PC through a patch on May 23, 2017, on both Steam and Uplay. It was also automatically included in the Ezio Trilogy Collection for PS4 and Xbox One. The content focuses on Nicolaus Copernicus, a well-known astronomer who faces conflict with the Vatican over his efforts to teach the public about astronomy. The pack includes eight optional missions with tasks such as delivering items, performing assassinations, and protecting targets.
The Animus Project Update 1.0 added a new game mode called Advanced Alliance and a new map. Advanced Alliance is a version of the Alliance mode where identifying and engaging targets is more difficult, offering a greater challenge for players. This mode includes three teams of two players each, encouraging teamwork to succeed. The new map, Mont Saint-Michel, is located on a rocky tidal island in Normandy, France. Its narrow streets, high bell tower, and multi-level buildings create environments where players can move quickly and hide effectively.
The Animus Project Update 2.0 introduced a new map called Pienza and a new game mode called Chest Capture. Pienza features open plazas and narrow alleys surrounded by multi-story buildings, allowing players to blend into the environment. In Chest Capture, two teams of three players compete as Hunters and Protectors. Hunters, working with Templars, must steal items from chests scattered across the map, while Protectors try to stop them. The update also added a Templar Score feature to reward players for completing tasks. Advanced Alliance is included with this update, but the Mont Saint-Michel map from Update 1.0 is not. Players can only activate one DLC at a time, meaning they must choose between having the map from Update 1.0 or the new mode, map, and Templar Score from Update 2.0.
The Da Vinci Disappearance is a downloadable content pack originally available on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live. It adds new content for both single-player and multiplayer modes. For single-player, it includes eight new missions, two of which take place in new locations, and ten achievements. The storyline, set before the final memory sequence of the base game, follows Ezio as he investigates the disappearance of his friend, Leonardo da Vinci, in 1506. For multiplayer, the DLC includes two new game modes, a new map, and four new characters.
The PC version of the game includes all DLC and updates for free, but players must activate them through Uplay. In March, the "Da Vinci Edition" of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood was released for consoles, including the base game and the Da Vinci Disappearance DLC. This DLC also serves as the technical Animus Project Update 3.0, which adds preorder multiplayer characters, the Harlequin and Officer, and a special preorder-only Drachen Armor for Ezio.
Reception
Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood received praise from critics when it was released. Websites that collect reviews, such as GameRankings and Metacritic, gave the Xbox 360 version scores of 90.55% and 89/100, the PlayStation 3 version scores of 89.92% and 90/100, and the PC version scores of 87.64% and 88/100. The game won the "Best Action Adventure Game" award at the Spike TV Video Game Awards in 2010. It was also nominated for seven British Academy Games Awards in 2011, including "Best Game," and won an award in the "Action" category. During the 14th Annual Interactive Achievement Awards, the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences nominated Brotherhood for "Adventure Game of the Year" and for outstanding achievements in "Game Direction," "Online Gameplay," "Original Music Composition," and "Sound Design."
The multiplayer mode was praised at E3 2010, where it was shown for the first time. GameTrailers called it the "Best Multiplayer Game" at the event. Critics generally liked the multiplayer portion of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. Game Informer gave the game a 9.25/10, saying the ability to gather followers was a major improvement over the previous game and calling the new multiplayer mode unique. The magazine also gave high marks for the game's graphics, sound effects, and voice acting.
Eurogamer gave Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood a perfect score of 10/10, praising the story's maturity. It highlighted a mission in which the character Ezio stops an assassination in the ruins of the Roman Colosseum during a play about the death of Jesus Christ. The review noted that creating such a scene required skill and care, and that the developers handled it well. It also said the game created an interesting mystery around its characters, included collectibles and secrets, and encouraged players to explore.
The Da Vinci Disappearance add-on received positive reviews and has a Metacritic score of 75/100.
Reviews for the delayed PC version of the game questioned why it was released later than the console versions. The PC version was nearly the same as the console versions but had better graphics and some extra content. Most reviewers praised Ubisoft for removing digital rights management (DRM), which had caused problems with the PC version of Assassin's Creed II, and for offering all downloadable content (DLC) for free.
The game sold over one million copies in less than a week after its release. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood became Ubisoft's fastest-selling game in Europe. It also had the best launch in Europe for Ubisoft and was the best-selling game launch for the company as of November 2010. By May 2011, Ubisoft announced that the game had sold 7.2 million copies, and total sales for the entire Assassin's Creed franchise reached 29 million copies.
Sequel
On May 5, 2011, Assassin's Creed: Revelations was announced as the next main game in the Assassin's Creed series. The game takes place in Constantinople during the height of the Ottoman Empire. It is the last major game in the series to feature Ezio as the main character. The story follows Ezio as he searches for secrets about the Assassins and discovers a library built by Altaïr Ibn-LaʼAhad, the main character of the first Assassin's Creed game. Altaïr can also be played in Revelations through special flashback missions. The multiplayer mode from Brotherhood returns in Revelations and includes more modes, maps, and characters. The game was released on November 15, 2011.
On September 17, 2018, Triton Noir announced a board game titled Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood of Venice. The game is set in 1509, two years after the events of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood and before Revelations. It includes characters from the games, such as Ezio, Leonardo da Vinci, and Lucrezia Borgia, as well as new characters like Alessandra. The game was developed by Thibaud de la Touanne and is expected to take more than 20 hours to complete. Originally planned for release in November 2018, it was delayed and finally released in May 2021 in Asia and in June 2021 in Europe and the United States.