Assassin's Creed Brotherhood

Brotherhood retains the core gameplay of its predecessor, with numerous significant additions. Knife, sword, and mace combat are now dual-wielded, along with throwing knives and the hidden weapon, respectively. This allows Ezio to seamlessly utilize ranged weapons in the heat of battle. Furthermore, a new killstreak feature enables Ezio to continuously shift between enemies and perform multiple takedowns and melee executions. Dual-wielding also allows Ezio to execute dual executions that synergize with the killstreak.

Ezio can now wield heavy weapons after upgrading his sheath and can throw them at enemies for instant kills, a feat also possible with the spears and halberds he collects. The crossbow has also been added to Ezio's arsenal, allowing for silent takedowns from a distance. Additionally, poison darts have been introduced as an extension of the Poison Blade, which can be obtained through upgrades from Leonardo da Vinci himself, along with the second Hidden Blade and the Gauntlet of Leap and Climb. Furthermore, each utility on Ezio's weapon wheel can now be manually assigned to one of the four hotkeys, instead of having a default configuration.

Horse mechanics have also been improved. Ezio can now ride through the city districts instead of just the countryside, and he can call on his horse at any time while roaming freely. Mounted combat now allows Ezio to use some of his ranged weapons, such as the Hidden Cannon and the crossbow. [1] Ezio can now also perform assassinations on horseback, as well as assassinate mounted enemies, and even kidnap them on foot. Instead of fast travel booths, there are tunnels, which Ezio can access to reach fixed points in Rome.

The renovation system, previously limited to Monteriggioni, has now been updated to encompass all of Rome. [1] The Borgias guard select areas of Rome with their towers, and to begin the renovations, Ezio must eliminate the tower's captain and then destroy it. Ezio must renovate shops and stalls, such as those of doctors, blacksmiths, art dealers, tailors, and banks, to fully restore Rome. Other buildings include horse stables and buildings for mercenaries, thieves, and courtesans, as well as various landmarks, such as the Pantheon and the Colosseum.

Later, Ezio manages to recruit apprentices to his cause. Several civilians harassed by the Borgias can be rescued by Ezio, who will swear loyalty to him once saved. In Rome, Ezio can order several apprentices to incapacitate guards at his command, and summon a rain of arrows once he has recruited enough. Ezio can also send apprentices to other countries in Europe and Asia to accept contracts, where they can gain additional experience, as well as money and trade goods for Ezio. The apprentices gain experience under Ezio's command, acquiring better equipment as they progress, until they can be fully initiated into the Order, where they receive superior equipment and armor and become full-fledged Assassins. The apprentices also occasionally participate in Ezio's missions, such as assassinating high-value targets and acting as his backup. [2]

Numerous side activities are available throughout Rome. In place of the Assassin Tombs are the Dens of Romulus, where the Followers of Romulus guard the keys needed to unlock Marcus Junius Brutus's armor and dagger, as well as his documents. Ezio also received special missions from Leonardo da Vinci, in which he was to destroy his War Machines—weapons of war located in undisclosed locations—before the Borgias could use them. In addition to Assassination contracts, Ezio now has special assignments for both Thieves and Courtesans. After renovating a significant portion of Rome, several repressed memories of Ezio's former lover, Cristina Vespucci, can also be relived. Feathers return as collectibles, as do Borgia banners.

In the modern era, Desmond has more freedom in his activities, as he can exit the Animus at any time outside of missions. When outside the Animus, Desmond can interact with the team and certain objects in his hideout, as well as log into his and the team's email accounts. Desmond can leave the Sanctuary to explore modern-day Monteriggioni for a limited time. Although there are no civilians present and few, if any, objects for Desmond to interact with, he can collect a total of five artifacts in Monteriggioni, all of which belonged to Ezio and his company while they were there. Once the time runs out, Desmond will simply return to the hideout and can leave again shortly afterward.

Introduced for the first time in the series is a multiplayer mode. Online players are presented as subjects participating in the first stage of Abstergo's Animi Training Program, which allows them to assume the roles of various notable Templars during the Renaissance. [1] There, they can compete against each other to progress through the ranks of Abstergo, as well as develop their own abilities through the Bleeding effect. Subjects play on digitally recreated maps of various well-known areas, where they can participate in several modes to compete or cooperate with each other. There are eleven playable maps: Rome, Florence, Venice, Siena, Forlì, Castel Gandolfo, Monteriggioni, San Donato, Mont Saint-Michel, Pienza, and the Alhambra; the last three are downloadable content included in the Animus Project Updates.

To progress in rank and experience, subjects had to accumulate points during sessions, and the method of doing so depended on the game mode. In addition to their avatars' weapons, subjects possessed abilities they could use against their targets to weaken them or gain an advantage. Predefined perks and streak bonuses granted the subject a passive advantage in each session.

Using the Animus 2.0, Desmond Miles attempts to relive one of his ancestor Ezio Auditore's later memories, hoping it will reveal the location of his Apple of Eden, which could allow the Assassins to avert the disaster foretold by Minerva. However, instead of entering the memory set in 1506, he is forced into a different one, which occurred during a battle in Viana. From there, as Ezio surveys the besieged Castle of Viana, he recalls the similar events of the Siege of Monteriggioni, forcing Desmond back even further, to a memory from 1499.

Upon exiting the vault beneath the Vatican after hearing Minerva's message, Ezio discovers that Rodrigo Borgia has escaped. Noticing that the Staff has been left behind, he attempts to retrieve it from where it was impaled in the ground; however, it descends and becomes sealed.

Mario Auditore then calls out to his nephew from the entrance, and he and Ezio force their way out of the Vatican. Ezio, torn between throwing the Apple into the Tiber River, gives it to Mario for safekeeping. They both ride back to Monteriggioni.

However, Ezio soon discovers that the Templars still wield vast power and influence in Italy when Cesare Borgia, son of Rodrigo Borgia, lays siege to Monteriggioni. Cesare's army, composed of soldiers, siege towers, and cannons, attacks with all its might, destroying much of the town and village. The attack ends with Monteriggioni in ruins, Ezio gravely wounded by arquebusiers, and Mario killed by Cesare himself. Although Ezio attempts to pursue his uncle's assassin on horseback, he collapses on the way to Rome due to his injuries.

At that moment, Desmond awakens from the Animus parked in the back of the Assassins' van. The group has arrived at Villa Auditore, in present-day Monteriggioni, their last refuge in Italy. Lucy Stillman explains that they need to retrieve the Apple of Eden from Ezio, as she suspects Minerva somehow altered it by touching it in the Vault.

Desmond, Lucy, Shaun Hastings, and Rebecca Crane then head to the Villa, seeking the safety of the underground Sanctuary, which should protect them from Abstergo's cell towers. However, finding the door locked, Desmond and Lucy set off in search of another way in. After forcing their way through the secret passage that Ezio and the citizens used to escape the Borgia attack, they clear the way for Shaun and Rebecca.

Inside the Sanctuary, Desmond sees an aged Ezio, his face showing the effects of the Bleeding, and deduces that he must have returned to the villa many years after the attack, though for an unknown purpose. He also finds a symbol Ezio drew on the wall and, using Eagle Vision, sees a series of numbers hidden beneath it.

Then, the four Assassins set up the Animus 2.0 and Desmond returns to Ezio's memories, and Lucy believes that improving his synchronization with Ezio will allow Desmond to access the memory that reveals the location of the Apple.

Ezio regains consciousness in a small house in Rome, where the woman tending to him tells him that a man brought him there and provided him with new armor and clothing. After leaving the house and receiving medicine from a doctor, Ezio sets out to meet with Niccolò Machiavelli.

Through Machiavelli, he discovered that Rome was in ruins and that its citizens were oppressed by the Borgias. Later, he also stumbled upon the Followers of Romulus, a clandestine sect allied with the Templars, and explored one of their hideouts: Nero's Golden Palace.

Based on Tiber Island in the heart of the city, Ezio embarks on his mission to liberate the city from the influence of Caesar and his generals. To achieve this, Ezio re-establishes relations between his Assassins' Guild and the other guilds in the city, specifically the Courtesans' Guild (led by Madonna Solari and later by Claudia Auditore), the Thieves' Guild (led by La Volpe), and the Mercenaries' Guild (led by Bartolomeo d'Alviano).

Ezio then begins rebuilding the Brotherhood by recruiting apprentices, most of whom are impoverished citizens who also wish to liberate their city from Borgia oppression. Once a recruit completes their training, Ezio organizes them into teams and sends them on missions across Europe.

Later, Ezio begins to weaken the Borgia influence in Rome by destroying several Borgia towers and assassinating their captains. He also sabotages Cesare's forces by attacking his arsenal, his military funding, and the support he receives from French forces. To this end, he destroys Leonardo da Vinci's war machines and assassinates two of Cesare's key generals: his banker, Juan Borgia, and the French general, Ottavio de Valois.

Later, Ezio learns that Pietro Rossi, an actor and Lucrezia Borgia's plaything, possesses a key to Castel Sant'Angelo. Knowing he will need it to assassinate Cesare and Rodrigo, Ezio tracks down Micheletto Corella, Cesare's personal assassin, who ordered Pietro's murder. After rescuing him from being stabbed with a spear during his performance and from the ailments caused by the poison, Pietro gives the Assassin the key to the castle.

Upon completing these tasks, Ezio brings Claudia into the Assassin Order and Machiavelli appoints him to become the new Mentor of the Italian Assassins.

Shortly after, Ezio infiltrates the castle, where he witnesses Rodrigo's murder at the hands of his own son. Cesare forces Lucrezia to reveal the location of the Apple of Eden and rushes to retrieve it from St. Peter's Basilica. However, Ezio manages to reach the Apple before Cesare and subsequently uses it to demilitarize the remnants of Cesare's army.

In a final battle, Ezio and his fellow Assassins fight Cesare and his surviving men at the gates of Rome. Cesare is arrested by Fabio Orsini on the orders of the new Pope, but not before declaring that he will not be chained for long and that he will never be killed by human hands.

Later, Ezio tells Leonardo about Cesare's comments, which are troubling him. Leonardo suggests using the Apple to verify Cesare's statement. After some hesitation, Ezio decides to follow his friend's advice and discovers that Cesare is planning to escape from prison. Ezio declares that he needs to leave immediately, reassuring Leonardo about his concerns for the Assassins' Guild he is leaving behind, saying, "I built this Brotherhood to endure, with or without me."