The Hidden Blade Assassin's Creed in Depth

When Brotherhood was first announced, a lot of gamers assumed that the continuing adventures of Ezio would amount to little more than an add-on to the existing game. That might have been fine, but Ubisoft has far bigger ambitions in mind for this latest installment. The company took the opportunity at E3 to show off the many ways that the new Assassin's title will stand out from its predecessors.

The biggest change is the addition of multiplayer. Dr. Vidic is using the dozens of Animus machines seen at Abstergo in the second game to train his Templar to fight Desmond and the other Assassins. In Brotherhood, players adopt the roles of these trainees as they learn the arts of subterfuge and deceit.

We played a thrilling new game mode called Wanted, in which every player slips into a unique Renaissance persona, from enticing courtesan to sneaking prowler (?). Every player is assigned a target--another player hidden in the crowd. Simultaneously, each player is being hunted as well. Amid the many similar-looking figures walking the streets of the city, it's a genuine challenge to pick out your target. On defense, you can protect yourself by keeping a low profile and blending well with the crowd. Inevitably, someone makes a wrong move, and the chase is on. The franchise's rooftop chases carry a much greater threat when a real player is on your heels. Special abilities allow players to morph and hide in the environment, or gain special offensive strikes like a long-range gunshot (oh, great, like the noobs won't be using THIS in every match). The ultimate effect is a brand-new dynamic multiplayer all about deception and agility--a perfect pairing to the single-player experience.

That single-player campaign is receiving some equally exciting additions and developments. As the story begins, Ezio has struck down the corrupt pope and returned to his villa in Monteriggioni, only to have it besieged by more of the devilish Borgia family. All the hard work building the villa is lost as cannons and siege towers assault the walls.

When the day is done, Ezio has lost everything, and is forced to begin anew in Rome. Now fully trained as a master assassin, he begins to gather fledgling recruits to his cause. Even as he wanders the streets of Rome fighting the Borgia, he continually grows and trains his troops, sending them off on assassination missions across Europe to prepare them for the fights that lie ahead. Every member of your brotherhood gains levels and abilities, and can be called upon in exciting Brotherhood Assistance Moments (BAMs) to strike out at enemies. Call down an assassin from the rooftops to stab a rilfleman lookout. Send a flurry of crossbow bolts into a phalanx of guards. Have your men hurl a bevy of smoke bombs into a well-protected church. The game does an amazing job of communicating that Ezio is now the leader of a small army, and the player gets to reap the reward of that sensation.

Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood had a surprising and exciting showing this year, sweeping aside many doubts about the viability of a sequel so soon after the last installment. While we're eager to see where the next generation of the franchise is headed with the inevitable Assassins Creed III, this year's E3 made it clear that another future with Ezio should be more than worth our time and attention.

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