Da Vinci's Creed

The first 'spin-off' of the series, Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood was released in 2010. It revolved around Ezio Auditore da Ferenze, the grown-up protagonist of Assassin’s Creed II and his fight against the corrupt Borgia family. Unlike in the main game, however, Ezio was no longer traveling alone, but - as the name suggests - built up a brotherhood of Assassins. Brotherhood underpinned this storyline with a new game mechanic at the end of the 2000s.

This is because, as a pop-cultural medium, video games are subject to the laws of trending ideas just like films, fashion and art in general. In the field of games, for example, there was a phase in which every shooter protagonist suddenly ended up with a bow and arrow in hand. Or all games were just game-as-a-service and/or open-world. In the case of Assassin’s Creed it was the tower defense genre that surprisingly (and uniquely) made its entrance.

Games from the Assassin's Creed-series

Assassin’s Creed (2007)

Assassin’s Creed II (2009)

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood (2010)

That's right, one aspect of Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood was the defense of our headquarters against waves of increasingly powerful enemies marching through alleyways towards our hideout. Sounds stupid and certainly wasn't a big hit, but it didn't really disturb the flow of the game either. After all, the mini-game was not the core aspect of the assassination adventure, but a nice addition to a solid sequel. The same probably applied to the newly introduced multiplayer mode, which I never played.

To my recollection, Brotherhood's only shortcoming was the map limitations within Rome, which turned the Renaissance metropolis into an artificially restricted playing field. From a technical point of view and in light of the game's narrative focus, this decision is understandable - after all, we are liberating the capital from the influence of the Borgias district by district. However, the later Assassin adventures Unity (Paris), Syndicate (London) and most recently Mirage (Baghdad) have shown that a single set piece can also work without artificial limitations. Enough of that. Let me stop criticizing a 15-year-old game, especially since it should still be fun today and, like many of the old parts, more than deserves a remake or remaster.

Instead, I'll move on to the soundtrack review. As with the two main games, Jesper Kyd was once again in charge of the music and picked up where he left off with Assassin’s Creed II - at least stylistically. We can expect an interesting mixture of strings, guitar and echoing percussion, which, in combination with the vocals, lend the score an urgency that only Kyd's compositions possess.

The Brotherhood-OST, featuring 20 tracks, is significantly less extensive than the 35-track score of the main game. Even the Codex / Collector’s Edition s of little help here. Although it has 22 tracks, only three of them are new (Rome Countryside, Legacy of the Borgia Family, End Fight [Bonus]). At the same time, it lacks Apple Chamber and Infiltrating the Borgia Castle is identical in content to Flags of Rome from the OST - you win some, you lose some.

You would think that more of Assassin’s Creed II, which I gave 4/5 stars at the time, would actually be a good thing, wouldn't you? Theoretically, yes, but Kyd doesn't deliver a seamless sequel, instead turning his creation more in the direction of a thriller. This may be due to the story about the family of adversaries who spread their dark influence over the city, and whose themes, such as Borgia Occupation or Borgia – The Rulers of Rome, are darkly ominous in their search to team up with Left 4 Dead . The only notable exception is City of Rome , whose lively musical bustle seems almost cheerful in comparison to the rest of the OST and most reflects the youthful spirit of the main game.

In general, the operatic female voices in Brotherhood are more like wailing spirits than animated angels, which is why tracks such as Cesare Borgia, Flags of Rome, Brotherhood of the Assassins or Countdown often resemble a lament rather than the almost carefree Renaissance feeling of the main game. This is contrasted by the male choir in Villa Under Attack and Battle in Spain, which sings the brute relentlessness of our arch-rival Cesare as the main component of the theme.

But Kyd only dips briefly into the horror-esque soundscape and otherwise moves in the direction of thriller style action from The Da Vinci Code (The Pantheon, Countdown, Desmond Miles) or game series such as Tomb Raider (Echoes of the Roman Ruins) and God of War (Master Assassin, The Pantheon, Roman Underworld). Meanwhile we can take a detour into the sci-fi world of the Animus with VR Room and Apple Chamber.

Meanwhile, my personal highlights remain the chaotic The Brotherhood Escapes, which, not unlike Chariot Chase from AC II brings the breakneck escape of our protagonist and his compatriots before our inner eye. The second is Countdown, whose relentlessly ticking clock and rhythmic drumming create a nasty feeling of being chased. Add to that those breathy voices, the break in the middle and the confusion - it just fits.

Of the three tracks on the Codex / Collector’s Edition I like the inconspicuous Rome Countryside which slowly loses its sadness in the form of an aria and conjures up Witcher-esque landscapes with soulful strings towards the end. The experimental End Fight [Bonus] is also worth a mention: here, electric guitars meet Ave Maria and synths in a way that only an Assassin’s Creed can.

If you want to read more, take a look at this review on the Gamemusic website or check out my Gamerip review of the story DLC The Da Vinci Disappearance.