Does it kill or should it be killed…
Actual Beta ‘Killer’ Gameplay footage for you.
by exterminat
©2010 Nicholas Laborde
It’s that time of year again, ladies and gens: beta testing.
September is usually when the last wave of betas are released in an effort to cram some user feedback in before the November release.
The culprit in today’s spotlight is none other than Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood.
After extensive time with the beta, I’m here today to tell the doubters that they can now rest easy, for the multiplayer in AC:B lives up to the series’ name and is not merely a tacked-on addition to the game.
O Brother, Where Art Thou?
The first thought running through your mind when you think of having multiplayer in an Assassin’s Creed game is probably “how?”
It works quite simply: imagine playing the single player game, but you are also in the midst of several other human players. Conveniently, you’re all Templars.
You’re given an objective: assassinate a target. It’s as simple as that.
What appears on the surface as simplicity soon emerges with a surprising complexity and depth.
Going into this, I immediately thought I had just wasted two hours (and $18 USD for PlayStation Plus!) to play a worthless afterthought of multiplayer.
But when I realized that the targets were other players, an enormous grin formed on my face, and all bad premonitions had faded: Ubisoft had not disappointed.
At the current stage of the beta, the only game mode is called “Wanted.”
• Brotherhood Multiplayer Kills – Yeah, brotherly love
[Note: On October 4th, when the beta is opened publicly to all who received codes, the second mode will be playable.]
As I stated earlier, you have but one simple goal: assassinate an assigned player, by any means necessary.
If you look on the top-right hand corner of the screen, you’ll see an image of what your fellow brother in arms looks like.
On the bottom of your screen, you have an indicator that shows how close you are to the target.
So, it begins: the match starts, my target is selected. I make my way slowly through the crowd, making sure to keep a slow pace and mingling with the AI innocents that are roaming about on their market-related duties.
After walking a short while, I see my target and begin to close on him. Instantly, my vision narrows: I mark him with L1, and slowly approach him. Closer, closer, closer… BAM!
What I thought was an NPC doctor walking right next to him pulled out a knife and instantly slit his throat. (To mention, if you kill an NPC, you lose your current target as a punishment)
The bottom of my screen informs me that the target has been lost; killed by another Templar.
Without a thought, I blend back into the crowd and get away from that location.
This is where I realized that you are never alone, and you can even have multiple others trying to end your days as a Templar.
Location, Location, Location…
The beta offers two locations: a marketplace in Rome, and quite a strange location called Castel Gandolfo. The latter is strange in the fact that it is known to be the Pope’s summer “vacation” area.
The Rome map offers a nice insight into one of the most important cities on the planet at the time. You get the feeling that the city truly is alive; it’s a shame that contrary to the feeling of liveliness, eight Templars are out to kill each other.
Castel Gandolfo serves as a contrast to Rome. The setting has a far more business-like or formal feel to it (considering it’s the Pope’s vacation spot).
It’s enough to make you forget for a moment that “brotherly love” is about to be enacted on the back of your skull!
The Perfect Distraction
A major factor in all of these bigger events is the AI of the citizens roaming around throughout all of this ridiculousness.
Certain games with free-roaming multiplayer modes (such as GTA IV) have shown AI to be less than desirable (and to say they are an annoyance is an understatement).
This, I am proud to announce, is not the case with AC:B. Citizens have a life-like behavior that can easily be imitated by players.
Sometimes, they tend to walk odd ways and cause you to think that they are a player, and as a result, you just might fail your mission by going for them.
But do not fear failure, friends: AC:B does an excellent job of being user-friendly and encouraging you to keep on trudging forward.
Nearly everything you do gets you experience to level up. Leveling up enables you to customize your character with different abilities, such as cloaking as a random other Templar.
Miscellaneous items rewarded throughout the system range from smoke bombs and a hidden gun all the way to things such as poison.
A Lasting Impression
Most betas with concepts of this magnitude usually turn out to be a glitch-fest or literally a broken, unplayable experience.
AC:B surprised me yet again with the level of polish on the beta build.
The visuals look slightly better than AC2, all of the gameplay mechanics work like they are supposed to, and I have not experienced any major bug.
What I got out of this prelude to the public beta was that of an elegantly crafted multiplayer experience with much thought behind it (unlike the majority of multiplayer experiences these days).
From what little we are offered, I have been immersed into a unique, captivating, convivial atmosphere with an astronomical fun-factor.
I now am extremely eager for the 16th of November, and you should be too.
And even more Assassin’s Creed:
- Next Assassin’s Creed Teased Via Da Vinci Disappearance DLC (Spoiler Alert) - Read More
- The Assassin’s Creed Effect: 3 Templar Games in 2011 - Read More
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Review (Single Player)
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood Review (Multiplayer)
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood: (Almost) Modern Warfare – do you agree with new direction? Look Here.
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood novels HERE
- Assassin’s Creed Ascendance Animated Film teaser HERE
- Assassin’s Creed Brotherhood: Beta Kill Video and Verdict here.
- Assassin’s Creed 3 – Where and When to Next Part 1. – Read more.
- Assassin’s Creed 3 – Where and When to Next Part 2 – Read more.
©2010 Nicholas Laborde
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