Played as part of the Ezio Collection

Link to my Brotherhood review: https://backloggd.com/u/RedBackLoggd/review/535532/


The Da Vinci Disappearance takes place right before the final sequence with Cesare, but canonically after the completion of the modern-day. William Miles is heard off-screen telling the Assassins to continue processing a restored memory in spite of Desmond’s catatonic state as it could lead to a vital discovery. The placement is sensible, though the Ezio Collection makes the odd decision to have it available from the get-go once Rome opens-up. While I suppose nothing spoilery is discussed, I ironically feel it would’ve been better to have it be mandatory before the commencement of Sequence 9 (ironic due to me complaining about the compulsory nature of ACII’s DLCs): not only does it not kill the pacing (if anything, it would alleviate the pacing degradation brought about the rapidashery of the final act), but in a way it builds-up to the ending by tying back to previous scenes (more on that below).

I digress. Ezio has returned to his old friend in order to procure a ship to pursue Cesare. While eager to help, Leonardo is unfortunately preoccupied with the absence of his student, Salaì. Ezio successfully finds the acolyte gambling away, but the two are attacked by members of a cult group called the Hermeticists who have kidnapped Leonardo for the purposes of opening a hidden vault. The secret to locating them lies in five paintings da Vinci discreetly marked, their canvases strewn throughout Italia. It’s up to the famed Assassin to get them back and piece the puzzle together.

It’s hard not to look at this premise and think of the mediocre Copernicus Conspiracy (https://backloggd.com/u/RedBackLoggd/review/533988/). Both involve you having to rescue a famous Renaissance Polymath by completing a series of bland, list-based tasks. Luckily, the quest for the portraits is far from dull, largely due to a surprisingly fun narrative element. The five paintings are acquired in memories built around memorable characters and/or linear set-pieces. With the former, I’m not going to tell much as I don’t want to spoil the fun, but let’s just say you remeet some familiar faces, and Ezio’s interactions with them are absolutely golden.

With the latter, it’s interesting as you essentially get a revised, condensed, and ultimately more entertaining version of what was present in The Bonfire of the Vanities (https://backloggd.com/u/RedBackLoggd/review/513832/). For those who didn’t play that add-on (and I certainly wouldn’t blame you), Ezio was tasked with taking-out a number of lieutenants, this endeavor being conducted through specially-built areas. While I appreciated what the developers were trying to do, the reality was a less-than-savory affair courtesy of the poor stealth mechanics of ACII combining with tight spaces that mashed enemy vision cones galore.

In The Da Vinci Disappearance, Ubisoft Montreal opted for a more straightforward scheme wherein you move through linear pathways with set stop-and-go moments (i.e., guards arrive/depart at convenient times for you to traverse). While fans of ACI’s and (later AC Unity’s) blackbox featurettes will find this non-player-driven pathfinding disappointing, those who enjoy more cinematic-like experiences in video games (like myself) will be entertained. It’s hard not to feel like a badass as you make auspiciously-designated moves through deadly areas.

The last act materializes in that aforementioned Vault and, unfortunately, the layout of it harkens back to ACII’s tombs over Brotherhood’s in the sense that it is, more-or-less, a glorified obstacle course with levers to pull. As usual, the aesthetics are gorgeous, particularly with the ancient mystical theme, but I can’t say I found it to be a compelling ending.

With regards to the antagonists, the Hermetecists, themselves, they’re not particularly engrossing; however, that’s due to the lack of development over deficiencies in their ideology as, conceptually, they’re far from a generic evil cult. They’ve got interesting ideas about eliminating the world’s vices through the power found in this Isu Repository, with their leader having a decent monologue to the point where I couldn’t label him an outright bad guy. I just wish they, as a whole, had been given more narratorial weight.+

One of the more surprisingly strong facets of the game is Salaì. These kinds of young, brash, over-confident male characters have a tendency to come off as more annoying than congenial. Yet I have to give Ubisoft credit- Salaì’s interplays with Ezio are humorous, and not only did I end up liking him, but I found his (implied) relationship with Leonardo to be unexpectedly well-framed. Though they have limited scenes, you more than understand why they care for each other, and while Ezio’s acceptance of his friend’s sexual orientation was far from revolutionary in 2010, it makes for a sweet moment nonetheless.

No technical changes or gimmicks have been implemented here.

Overall, I was amazed by how much I ended up fancying The Da Vinci Disappearance. It isn’t quite the mystery thriller its title would lead you to believe; however, it’s the first strong story DLC in the AC franchise and wholly worth your time.








+Their obsession with Pythagoras and his ideals no doubt brings to mind AC Odyssey. Well, rest-assured, Odyssey does an exceptional job of tying back to this DLC, from the use of blue light to the depiction of Pythagoras having an exceptional understanding of the world via non-human means. For those who criticize Odyssey as being a game that disparages the series’ lore, I present this as a prime piece of counterevidence: maintaining canonical-connections with a DLC, of all things, is the epitome of mythos respect.