"Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" is challenging, but rewarding

Sometimes, the best things in life are the things we have to work for. Where's the fun in having everything just handed to you without effort put in to provide satisfaction? Like a fine lady of high society, "Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" refuses to give itself up to anyone who isn't willing to put in the effort to bond with it. Give it a little time, however, and the reward it yields will provide worthwhile reward.

Continuing where predecessor "Assassin's Creed 2" left off, "Brotherhood" follows series protagonist Desmond Miles and his crew of technicians who help him to use the Animus, a machine that allows its users to relive the memories of their ancestors. Descending from a long line of Assassins, Desmond's mission is to relive the memories in order to uncover a conspiracy spanning centuries and still affecting society. Desmond does this by going through the life of his ancestor Ezio Auditore da Firenze, an assassin from Renaissance era Rome, who is gathering a resistance to overthrow the tyranny of the Borgia family.

Both plotlines are compelling on their own, but the way they tie themselves together is what sticks with you. Although the Animus sections of the game overshadow the modern day segments, the story is still a beautiful mix of science fiction and historical fiction.

The game play shows significant improvement over the series' predecessors. The controls for movement have been polished to allow for easy maneuverability in crowds, as well as exploration that feels a little bit more natural. Climbing and jumping is still a bit finicky, which means that mastery of the exploration controls still takes a lot of practice, but it is fun once you get the hang of it.

The same can be said for the combat. Although confusing at first, once learned, the fighting system of the game contains a certain elegance that I've never seen in the combat of any other game. Despite minor camera frustrations, deflecting a sword blow to stab through your opponent offers a unique satisfaction that makes the frustration worth suffering through.

The recreation of Renaissance era Italy in "Brotherhood" provides for some of the most fun I've ever had in a sandbox game. From burning down Borgia towers, to chasing targets on the move, I can never say that I was bored playing this game's campaign. There is always something to do, and while the tasks may be similar, I never had the same encounter twice.

The single-player campaign would probably be worth the price of admission alone, but multiplayer is where the game shines brighter than ever. After choosing and customizing a character model, players are treated to what I can only describe as the tensest game of manhunt ever made. The players are dropped onto a map containing not only players, but several computer controlled noncombatants. The goal is to seek out and kill your opponents. However, the game penalizes you for killing civilians, making the ability to make use of your radar and blending in with the crowd key to success. It is easily one of the more unique multiplayer modes I have experienced in years.

Despite minor graphical hiccups, the only real problem with "Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" is its steep learning curve. Although I now have a full understanding of how to explore the world of "Brotherhood," it took me hours of play and practice to fully grasp how Ezio reacts to climbing points and footholds, and even now I've occasionally died after accidentally jumping off of building to points that seemed easily accessible. Combat is even harder, as until you learn how to properly counter and dodge, you will die often. The controls are by no means broken, they simply leave little room for error. Unless you have a mastery of the previous game's controls, you will have to practice before going on the job.

Minor grievances aside, however, "Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood" is a fun adventure game that should offer more than enough bang for your buck. As a skeptic of the series up to this point, I can now say that I am officially sold on this series as a franchise and eagerly await what will come next.

Verdict: 4 out of 5 stars