We all have those friends that we see maybe once a year. We catch up, have a great time and depart, wondering why we meet so infrequently. During my first few hours with the single-player component of Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, I couldn't help but feel like that. Since 2007, spending time with Assassin's Creed has been a mixture of expectancy and reassurance. It's a dependable companion.

And jumping into Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, that familiar feeling washed over me. This was primarily the same experience I've been enjoying the last few years. The game picks up right where Assassin's Creed 2 left us, showing the consequences of Ezio's actions during the finale. As it turns out, not killing that one prominent figure was a bad move -- hindsight being 20/2 and all that.