This week, Ubisoft released Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, the latest title in the critically acclaimed series full of historical mysteries, stealthy action, and futuristic technology. Writer Jeffrey Yohalem talks to Fast Company about the games’ narrative, its influences, and how he meshed Renaissance Italy with the modern world.

Kevin Ohannessian: Many narratives end with the protagonist hitting a pinnacle as a messiah, leader, or ultimate bad ass. Assassin’s Creed II ended this way, but Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood actually continues with Ezio on top–shaping the brotherhood’s strategies and recruiting new assassins. Was it difficult to continue that path?

Jeffrey Yohalem: The story solution was easy: Ezio needed to face a new challenge, the difficulty came in convincing the rest of the team that he couldn’t be on top just yet. Many saw him as the leader of the Assassins at the end of Assassin’s Creed II, which is not actually the case, Mario and Machiavelli are the leaders. So, I ended up attempting to achieve a balancing act. Ezio is the powerful Assassin we know from the end of ACII, but he must also engage in a power struggle with Machiavelli to become the Assassin leader. Ultimately, Ezio spends the game proving to Machiavelli that he is fit to lead. So in Brotherhood he must reach a new, higher, pinnacle.

Read the full article at Co.Create.