Who did not heard about pirates? They're everywhere, into books, movies and into games. Those from Flying Lab Software have noticed that the romantic conquerors are lacking from "serious" MMORPGs so that in 2008 they invaded the seas with the Pirates of the Burning Sea. Since then, things have changed and, eventually, last year they moved the game on a free-to-play model- you can play for free, but you must pay for certain facilities if you really want.

<-300x250 Medium Rectangle - center->

Just like in their golden era from the XVII th century, the pirates are not hunting themselves the seas in Pirates of the Burning Sea but lead heavy battles with the European explorers, trying to seize the sunny Caribbean. You will have to choose one of these factions and if you decide to fight on the side of Europeans you can follow one of three careers: Freetrader, Naval Officer or Privateer. If you like exploring and the commerce, you will choose the first option, because Freetrader is the perfect class for PvE, negotiation skills giving you the chance to get more money when you finish a mission.

Neither on the PvP side is not bad, but here it takes a bit more work and a few skills that you can only develop at a higher level to do not to be surpassed by someone who clearly benefit from bonuses for combat.

Naval Officer is the tank that you can find in any MMO and use the most powerful vessels and objects that are not available to a Freetrader or Privateer. Increasing in level is also very easy with highly developed defensive skills and a short time of loading cannons, advantages which may prove crucial for longer naval battles. Even so, they are very vulnerable to a Privateer. The last mentioned are representing the class that prefers quick battles, and especially direct battles, of collision, resembling in some respects with a Cutthroat. But the most important skill of a Privateer is that it can immediately send the captured vessels to its own nation, thus gaining large amounts of money.

On the other side, the pirates have only two careers: Cutthroat or Buccaneer. The two are very similar, both having the Scavenge ability that allows you to instantly destroy a captured ship and to empty all the cargo deck, but the chance of a Cutthroat to obtain a “ship deed”  enabling him to use that type of vessel is much smaller than that of a Buccaneer. In return, the advantage of Cutthroat is “Take Command”; skill that once activated makes the first boat that you defeat to enter in your possession.

In terms of appearance, it is true that the graphics engine is a bit outdated, but it still manages to create some attractive cities and ships (the capitals of nations worth visiting at least to be admired). In its turn, the music is in tune with that from Pirates of the Caribbean, the sounds of cannons from ships giving a sensation that you will rarely meet in an MMORPG, so that the atmosphere is always of quality. Due to its complexity, especially for a free-to-play game, Pirates of the Burning Sea is a title that deserves your attention even if you are not necessarily fans of pirate stories.

Although there is no number in the title, Assassin's Creed Brotherhood continues the action exactly where it ended its predecessor, Assassin's Creed 2, and from many points of view can be seen as Assassin's Creed 2.5. Thus, Ezio Auditore da Firenze returns victorious from Rome after confrontation with Rodrigo Borgia, the beginning of the story being one apparently calm, where players can explore the villa Monteriggioni and to discover some new things introduced in Brotherhood (such as "elevators" or the possibility of using cannons). But the silence is quickly shattered by Cesare Borgia, Rodrigo's son, who kills one of your best friends.

<-300x250 Medium Rectangle - center->

After he manages to save his family, Ezio decides that it is time to make a visit to Cesare in Rome to square accounts once and for all. When arrived in the citadel of the Seven Hills, you will discover that the biggest city created so far in the series of Assassin's Creed (about three times larger than Florence) is practically under martial law, Borgias exercising their influence through the 12 towers under the command of trustworthy captains.

Despite the vehement desire of Niccolò Machiavelli, the Murderers Order is not ready to confront with the Knights Templar. Therefore, your first objective will be to reconnect with the three known factions - the mercenaries, the thieves and courtesans to get the necessary help to start the release of Rome. To remove the harmful influence of a certain area you will have to fire the Borgia tower, which controls the district, which will allow you to renovate the nearby shops and access certain missions, the guards being also less in number. To do so, you will have to kill the captain charged with the protection of the tower, each with its own specific.

In terms of updates, we can include the possibility of using the horse inside the city, which will greatly facilitate travel from one end of the map to another, at list until you finish the grid of tunnels that serve as fast-travel system.

The most significant change to single-player mode is the option to train other assassins to help you during missions. Their number depends on how many Borgia towers you have destroyed, so you can have up to 12 recruits.

Exploring crypts of master assassins from the previous game is replaced with the parchment search and the levels are somewhat more elaborated, Leonardo da Vinci will also ask for help, being forced by Cesare to build war machines. The action from "present" is also more developed, having the opportunity to explore some places practically in to two different eras.

The music composed by Jesper Kyd is once again at a height, and in addition to new songs such as Countdown, Master Assassin, City of Rome and The Brotherhood Escapes, it has been infiltrated emblematic songs from its predecessor, including Ezio's Family and Leonardo's Inventions songs.

You will also be pleasantly surprised by the optimization of the game, Brotherhood running much better than its predecessor and being more technically refined.

Although you cannot say that is an impressive evolution from Assassin's Creed II, Brotherhood is undoubtedly a more refined version of its predecessor, and the introduction of a highly addictive multiplayer transformed it into the best title of the series so far.