Ubi: Brotherhood is not "Assassin's 2.5"

By Wesley Yin-Poole Published 19 July, 2010

"It's not a mission pack," either.

Upcoming stab-em-up Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is not Assassin's "2.5", Ubisoft has insisted.

Brotherhood, due out on the PC, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in November, comes only a year after Assassin's Creed II, which we liked very much indeed.

As a result some fans of the successful open world action series are sceptical about the game, which includes multiplayer for the first time.

Despite having only a year to create Brotherhood, developer Ubisoft Montreal has been able to make a game even bigger than its predecessor, outspoken associate producer Jean-Francois Boivin told Eurogamer.

"It's not a mission pack," he said. "It's not a 2.5. It's set in Rome, which is three times the size of Florence, which technologically is a challenge to do, just memory wise. You have this enormous playground to play with. And you have these new features, these new elements that bring a new twist and a new angle to Ezio's story.

"It's about Ezio teaching others how to become assassins. There are a lot of core features we worked on. We brought a lot of new, deep and vast features – the old Rome upgrade system, the economic system - the Brotherhood is a game in of itself.

"Plus we're bringing everything people loved about Assassin's Creed II. We took each feature and said, 'How can we make that feature better, or give it a bit of spice, a bit of Tabasco, or a bit of baby oil so it flows a bit better?' We will be extremely successful in convincing fans once they have the controller in their hands. Then the question is going to be, 'How did they do it in a year?' That's going to be the question that's fun to answer later on."

Boivin said Ubisoft Montreal was able to develop Brotherhood quicker than previous Assassin's titles because it had already established many of the base tools required to build the game.

"First of all we have extremely stable tools. We've been building Anvil [game engine] for six, seven years now. It's extremely stable. We have loads of tools that work super, super well.

"As you've probably read everywhere, Assassin's Creed 2 had hundreds and hundreds of resources all over the world. But then when you start submitting you ramp down a lot. We didn't do that. We just stayed right up there and kept our production velocity, starting right away.

"We already knew we wanted to do Rome. So the graphics team stayed the graphics team - bang, start building Rome really quickly. We know all our technical and design guidelines. How to build a city so Ezio can do some free running? The AI guys – how you can improve on NPC AI? How can we improve on the horse? How can we improve on the fights? We started working on that right away.

"Then the storyline. We already knew it was Ezio's story, and Patrice Désilets [now departed] already knew what the story was. So it was quick for us to do a story blueprint. Maybe two weeks after the release of Assassin's Creed 2 we already had the story down, and we probably started writing a few pages of script. Casting was already underway.

"The operative word here is velocity. And we still have people helping us. Our Singapore office is still working with us. The studio in Quebec City is helping us. It's a question of keeping going and making a full game in a year."

Boivin's comments mirror those of UK marketing boss Murray Pannell, who told Eurogamer he expects Brotherhood to outsell Assassin's Creed II.

Ubisoft showed Brotherhood off to press at E3 2010 last month. Christian Donlan was there for Eurogamer.

Two weeks ago Boivin told Eurogamer he doubted 2011 will see the release of an Assassin's Creed game, although Ubisoft mega man Yves Guillemot later poured cold water on the suggestion.

Picture of Wesley.

About Wesley Yin-Poole

Wesley is Eurogamer's news editor. He likes news, interviews, and more news. He also likes Street Fighter more than anyone can get him to shut up about it.

Read more articles from Wesley by visiting the Wesley Yin-Poole archive page.

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Comments (42) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • AnsemsApprentice #1 2 years ago

    I'm just not convinced, it's too soon for another game in my opinion. I might buy it when it's £15 but right now I just don't think it's worth it. Hope I'm wrong.

  • kangarootoo #2 2 years ago

    I don't get why people keep saying it is, just because its set in the same bloody country and time period.

    There are loads of things in this that AC2 didn't have. And from the sound of it, there is a lot more difference between AC2 and BH than there was between AC1 and AC2. Nobody whined then, so why now? I mean, what do people want from an AC2 sequel, Ezio Kart?

  • richarddavies #3 2 years ago

    Assasins creed 2 was an improvement on the first in every way so if there using that as a base and expanding even further im cautiously optimistic about this. "It's a me Mario"

  • makeamazing #4 2 years ago

    I'm looking forward to it, though a year isnt a lot of time in development terms... though if you read an article on EG about how they made AC2... they were pretty much close to the bone in making it.... so actually with the right people and tools in place, i can see how they can get it done in time... still its probably going to be tight for them.

  • photoboy #5 2 years ago

    "It's set in Rome, which is three times the size of Florence"

    Yeah, but ACII had what, 5 or 6 cities? If Brotherhood has just 1 city I think it's going to be hard for Ubi to justify claiming this isn't much more than a mission pack with some multiplayer tacked on.

    Don't get me wrong, I'm buying this as soon as it's out as I loved ACII, but I wish Ubi would be a bit more honest that this is a rushed sequel. And besides if it's not ACIII and it's not ACII then what else can it be but AC2.5? They're jeopardising the quality of the games by trying to turn the series into an annual franchise instead of sticking to the 2 year life cycle they started with. Games this generation need two years to be made, trying to force a sequel in a year just isn't a good idea.

    It's no wonder Desilet's walked away from the series.

  • geeza2020 #6 2 years ago

    Hmmm, maybe this would have been a news story if Ubisoft HAD said that it is AC 2.5, or a mission pack, but instead its just an excuse to list all of the features in the upcoming game. Thanks for reminding me to spend money EG.

  • TruWari3r #7 2 years ago

    a) preordered this, I love AC and can't wait to go online

    b) "First of all we have extremely stable tools. We've been building Anvil [game engine] for six, seven years now. It's extremely stable. We have loads of tools that work super, super well."

    I hope they can fix that annoying screen tearing then

  • bodypopper #8 2 years ago

    Will the game throw money at you agan taking all the challenge out of spending time building up your character with hard earned funds?
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/10 @ 16:11

  • FreakyZoid #9 2 years ago

    Mmm, baby oil and tabasco. Don't want to get those mixed up.

  • AnsemsApprentice #10 2 years ago

    You can finish something quickly with the right ammount of people working on it, that doesn't necessarily mean you can do it well also.
    Edited by 2 at 19/07/10 @ 14:09

  • TheMitch #11 2 years ago

    They're now developing on PS3 as lead, the engine runs far smoother from what I've seen.

  • glaeken #12 2 years ago

    Of the cites in AC2 I found them all very samey anyway so yet another city built from the same assetts that is lots bigger is not really selling it to me as I am sure its going to feel exactly like the cities already in AC2.

    They need to do some quite different stuff within the city to enliven this one.

  • evilrobot #13 2 years ago

    Those pesky cashcows are roaming free! quick someone pass me the net! lets get these buggers back to Activision pronto!

  • Shikasama #14 2 years ago

    There are a lot of core features we worked on. We brought a lot of new, deep and vast features – the old Rome upgrade system, the economic system - the Brotherhood is a game in of itself.

    That's good, considering you are charging the full price for it.

    What a ridiculous thing to say. 'Buy this full price game! It's a game in of itself!' SERIOUSLY!'

  • Markitron #15 2 years ago

    Tho it is soon Ill give them the benefit of the doubt on account of how awesome AC 2 was. And ppl wrote them off after AC 1 failed to live upto the hype. He's also right to talk up the teams momentum, I just wish they had put it into AC 3 instead.

  • Jackface #16 2 years ago

    Mmm, spicey Tabascoey baby oil on my pizza...

  • Jackface #17 2 years ago

    @Shiksama: "What a ridiculous thing to say. 'Buy this full price game! It's a game in of itself!' SERIOUSLY!'"

    What he's clearly saying is that the game is so big and they've put so much into it that just one portion of the game is as good as many other full priced games, therefore the full AC3 game is, one can infer, even better value than other full priced games.

    What were you raging about, again?

    But some people just like to moan at every opportunity. Personally I'm looking forward to seeing what they've done with it. Never played AC1 but AC2 was a sublime gaming experience, for me.
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/10 @ 14:37

  • Jackface #18 2 years ago

    @Argentlupine: "Ah, but Ubisoft, I'm a fan on an internet forum, so I obviously know a lot more than you do about how Brotherhood is shaping up to be.

    /sarcasm"

    Good point, well made. :)
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/10 @ 14:38

  • Killerbee #19 2 years ago

    I'm just playing through Assassin's Creed II at the moment and it's a great game. Really enjoyable, beautiful to look at and the characters are all ones I want to see their stories through with - but although I readily admit I'm arriving late to the ACII party, it just feels a bit too soon for a follow up. I've nothing against sequels if they're good, but sometimes it's just nice to let a game (and gameplay style) settle in the memory for a few months whilst you go and play a few other games instead.

    If Brotherhood lives up to ACII's standards, I'll certainly get it - I'm just not sure it's a clear pre-order for me, and that's largely down to the timing.
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/10 @ 14:54

  • CatWeazle #20 2 years ago

    This is probably based on a bunch of features which didn't make the cut for AC2.. Multiplayer, etc. In which case its possible that they can make a decent game out it. But everyone's aware that this smells like cash-cow development..

  • FuzzyDuck #21 2 years ago

    Of course this is cash cow territory, but if they can build on and improve AC2 then a jolly good gaming experience it will make.
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/10 @ 18:51

  • enfilade #22 2 years ago

    Sigh. If they call it Assassin's Creed 3, everyone complains that the core characters and national location are the same as AC2, so it's OBVIOUSLY not a proper sequel worthy of a full RRP.* Ubisoft loses.

    If they don't call it Assassin's Creed 3 and use a subtitle instead, then it's OBVIOUSLY not a proper sequel worthy of a full RRP. Ubisoft loses.

    Frankly, I'm just glad for the new content. AC2 was freaking incredible.

    *Of course, no game is worth the full RRP, especially since almost no game ever is sold at the RRP anyway.
    Edited by 2 at 19/07/10 @ 15:08

  • bratmandu #23 2 years ago

    Given the improvement of AC2 over 1, I'd be optimistic about this. It's a great game engine. I wish it had more stealth in it though. God I miss Thief.

  • ronuds #24 2 years ago

    Seems to me like just about everything in Brotherhood is the same as from ACII, but for the locale.

    That's an expansion...

  • bratmandu #25 2 years ago

    Hmm if I could only find some sort of extreme fitness system maybe I could run around the rooftops like Ezio. Unfortunately as far as I know, no such system exists at a reasonable price.

  • Kaminari #26 2 years ago

    Back in the day, we used to call these half-point sequels "expansion disks".

    Chaos Strikes Back, anyone?
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/10 @ 16:33

  • kangarootoo #27 2 years ago

    @ronuds

    "Seems to me like just about everything in Brotherhood is the same as from ACII, but for the locale."

    If that how it seems to you, then it seems to me that you don't actually know anything about this game.

    Did the online play aspect escape your attention? What about building and controlling a network of assassins?

    Did those additions slip you by because you were so obsessed with the historical setting? Or were you just pretending to be ignorant of them to make your point (in which case I'm not sure that pretending to know nothing about the title in question is really the best way to make that point).

  • TRUTH #28 2 years ago

    I found most of ACII missions rather repetitive - and 95% of the time they were dealt with 3 options (a) run in assassinate target - run out; (b) hire help - assassinate and run away; (c)just kill everyone... That's all there was!. Also the other missions where just follow (which was so easy) target to destination. This was hardly taxing. You could pass the whole game using these 3 options - and no real skill in fighting; just counter attack or use your fist, which actually worked better then weapons. Also what the hell did the poison do ?

    All the side missions are simply fetch, kill, deliver - that really do nothing ( i skipped them after they got boring quickly, and never really did much to my story or skill or extras). Only the optional tombs where worth the trouble.

    ACII was built around repeating the same missions, using the same methods - I'm quiet surprised gamers never picked this up!!!...It was complained about alot in AC 1.
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/10 @ 17:49

  • timberwolf #29 2 years ago

    Not convinced... pushing multiplayer and mentioning the actual square footage of the game rather than play time. hmmm. I'm guessing all the inovation is in the online which i have no interest in.

  • sarcasmoidosis #30 2 years ago

    "mentioning the actual square footage of the game rather than play time"

    AC is becoming more and more of a sandbox game. Who mentions playtime in a sandbox?

  • trip919 #31 2 years ago

    Hmmm... I'm reassured by this personally. Can't wait to jump back into Ezio's shoes.

  • ronuds #32 2 years ago

    @ EarlBassett

    Your point?

    @ kangarootoo

    Wow - multiplayer and a network of assassins! The quintessential additions to any single-player-focused game. They shouldn't even call it Assassin's Creed anymore then - because it's a completely different game! I'm blown away!

    /sarcasm

    BTW - I did know about these features and it still doesn't seem like I should be paying full price for this. No matter... I'm sorry I've disrupted your little AC world. I still want to buy this, but I'll wait until it is massively reduced in price.

    And obviously I'm not the only person who is viewing the situation in this way, seeing as Ubi made a statement about it!
    Edited by 1 at 19/07/10 @ 19:58

  • Xardan #33 2 years ago

    I didnt know its going to be set in Rome. I'm interested now. Thats the one thing i was disappointed with in ACII (not being able to explore Renaissance Rome).

  • darkmorgado #34 2 years ago

    One question I have is whether the new game features Desmond.

    If I recall correctly, the new game hasn't been given the number "3" because it sticks with an established time period and doesn't advance the present-day plot. So how is this extra stuff justified with regards to the animus? Desmond is already now a super-duper assassin. What is he gaining by going back to the animus and Ezio?

    In terms of features, I'd like to see the mansion upgrade feature come back with a lot more depth. Too much of it in the last game felt like "hunt the collectible" with no real benefit (like the paintings), so it would be nice to see it used as more of a skill-upgrade system (get more paintings, maybe get a better understanding of the local geograpghy and see collectible hotspots, for example).

    I just hope that the main single-player campaign isn't hobbled by the multiplayer feature. I don't want to end up relying on a retarded AI companion (*cough* sheva *cough*). I'd rather the whole "brotherhood" aspect is restricted to MP.

  • Daeltaja #35 2 years ago

    Can't wait personally. Loved AC2, possibly my favorite game of 2009. Even if this was a 20 hour expansion, I'd be more than happy, more of the same ain't always a bad thing. If the game keeps up the pace and quality of the E3 gameplay footage, we might just be in for a pleasant surprise.

  • TRUTH #36 2 years ago

    AC II missions and side quest where way to repetitive. Also the assassins where always carried out the same three ways!...The whole gameplay was generally do the same missions over & over; using the same methods (hire mob then kill, kill-run, kill all, follow)

  • darkmorgado #37 2 years ago

    @Argentlupine

    I get what you're saying, but if Desmond isn't involved, what's the point? The whole context of the series so far has been about Desmond learning skills from his ancestors. In that context, revisiting Ezio without Desmond seems a bit... redundant, so i can understand the "2.5" criticisms being levied at it. The core story is about Desmond, not Ezio. So the extension of Ezios story without Desmond, on top of the lack of a "3" on the title, does make it feel more like an expansion pack than a true sequel.

    Don't get me wrong - I love AC2 (huge improvement on the first game, and ignoring the hugely dodgy DLC issues), but it seems all this protest about calling it an expansion actually reinforces the argument that its not a full sequel. They could at least do some rebranding exercise and call it "assassin's creed: chronicles" or somesuch, as they have made it so clear that the core franchise is about Desmond and that "true" sequels should only focus on new time periods and ancestors.
    Edited by 1 at 20/07/10 @ 00:36

  • Shikasama #38 2 years ago

    Jackface - Who was raging?

    He is releasing a full price game, then telling us how amazing it is that it has the content of a full price game. I reserve the right to find that ridiculous.

    Your eagerness to get on a horse so high notwithstanding.

  • Blahsum #39 2 years ago

    The reason why I see this as AC 2.5 is the story. The ending of the last game doesn't really allow for this, especially when you take not of how Altair is distanced once he impregnates the female assassin. Granted, the end of AC2 does not quite pull such a trick, but the woman you encounter at the end does make it very clear that Ezio was jut a means to an end for their message. Driving out a game now, this quickly, really smacks a bit of Ubisoft looking at its books instead of the series.

    That said, I can't blame them. I'm probably just a bit annoyed that they go around pretending this is not the case.

  • Ryze #40 2 years ago

    They should start another franchise using the same game engine. It's obvious that people will be sceptical that this is a cheap cash-in. Also, some will get Assassin's Creed fatigue, and the sales will suffer.

    Make yourselves a 'Assassin's Red Dead Dedemption'.

  • kangarootoo #41 2 years ago

    @ronuds

    Whether you think those features are a "quintessential additions to any single-player-focused game" (until the addition of multi-player, what else could it possibly be?) isn't relevant. They exist, and that is enough to make "everything in Brotherhood is the same as from ACII, but for the locale" either ignorance or a lie.

    "BTW - I did know about these features"

    So it was the latter then. Well done you.

  • Rubarack #42 2 years ago

    A cash in by any other name would smell as cheap.

    It doesn't matter where they set it, who they feature or what they call it it's going to reek of a cheap cash in as long as they try to rush it out without spending time to properly implement some new features.