One thing I did not add in the review (damn word limit): One feature is lacking, and it will piss players off: They added secondary objectives to memories, that have to be completed to get 100% Synchoronizations. Stuff like "do this in less than X minutes" "without taking damage" "without killing anyone." However they do not give you the ability to reload from the last checkpoint. In AC 2, its no problem, coz if you fail a memory, its over, and you go back to the checkpoint. in ACB, failing at a secondary objective doesn't prevent you from finishing the primary, and even IF you fail the primary, when you resume at the checkpoint, your secondary will be marked as "failed" already. The only way to try again is to restart THE WHOLE mission. Which is annoying as all hell on some of the harder missions.
...grey scenery? Overall, your assessment is something I agree with, but AC:B is by far one of the most colourful games grounded in reality out there. As it should, considering it's based around the Renaissance.
Not saying the game is ugly, just that rome is mostly grey, with little variety compared to AC 2 and it's various cities and colors (Beige Florence, Brown and Green Forzi, Grey and Blue Venice). You see more green in the countryside, but otherwise it's grey gallore. Beautiful, Yes, but grey.
Well...grey IS the color of stone...
At least grey won't blind you quite as much as white in the first game.
I always thought there was more peach/red and white in Rome...
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Like Assassin's Creed 2. But More.
If you liked Assassin's Creed 2, you will like Brotherhood. The game has very little in terms of new mechanics compared to the original, and of the new ones it does have, only 2 or 3 have a significant impact on the gameplay. This means that this game will do little to change your opinion from it's predecessor. If you loved it, you will love Brotherhood. If you despised AC2, then you will despise this one as well.
But let's talk about the gameplay on it's own merits. While small in numbers, most changes are for the best. The game's combat has been overhauled with both a kill streak mechanic, and the ability to use ranged weapons in melee. This makes the combat more dynamic and easier. The ability to recruit your own assassins and use them in combat is very useful, though it does feel a bit overpowered at time, as battles that could be difficult can be simply ended by summoning 6 assassins to your side, or raining arrows across the battlefield. The ability to fire poison dart at range makes the poison from AC2 a most powerful and useful tool on sneaking missions, while the crossbow is so useful you will wonder why you even bother carrying throwing knives anymore. Other additions. like the parachute, are minor and while fun, they rarely end up playing a big role in the game. One small thing I must give the devs credit for is the new colors to customize Ezio's outfit. No longer dominated by browns and greys, Ezio can wear colorful outfits that are a welcome sight in all that grey scenery.
The game's story is good, though it is not without problems. It is slightly shorter than AC2's, but features more sidequests to make up for it. Many returning NPCs are featured. As the original game had something of a problem where many of Ezio's allies would be introduced and given so few lines we rarely ever got much of a glimpse of their personality, seeing many of them return is a welcomed addition. The downside is that the enemies are lackluster. Only Cesare and Lucrezia get any real personality. Gone are the pre-assasination video briefings made by Shawn. They are replaced by boring text files. Also disappointing is the lack of impact your recruits have on the story.
As I have had trouble finding enough players to play online, I cannot offer much of an opinion on the multiplayer part of the game.