Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood stabs PCs March 22, minus always-online DRM

As was the case with Assassin's Creed II, Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood will arrive on the PC several months after its console counterparts. Ubisoft has announced that the game is set to ship for Windows systems on March 22, roughly four months after it debuted to rapt reviews on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The system requirements for the PC version can be found below.

One thing Brotherhood won't have is Assassin's Creed II's controversial digital rights management system, which required a constant online connection to play until earlier this year. "Ubisoft confirms that the PC version of Assassin's Creed Brotherhood, after an initial login, will be playable offline in single-player mode," the company said in a statement provided to GameSpot.

Assassin's Creed II brought Ubisoft's signature action adventure series to Renaissance-era Italy with the introduction of protagonist Ezio. Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood's single-player component sees Ezio assuming control of an assassin network, commanding the combined effort to rid Rome of its corruption and the Templar order.

In Brotherhood's multiplayer mode, players can align themselves with the pharmaceutical company Abstergo--which kidnapped the series' contemporary protagonist Desmond--and aid the Templar order. Players have a range of characters to choose from in multiplayer, each of which has signature weapons and assassination techniques. Brotherhood's online component also includes a variety of competitive modes.

For more on Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, read GameSpot's full review of the game, which has already shipped 6.5 million copies.

ASSASSIN'S CREED: BROTHERHOOD PC SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Minimum Configuration:
SUPPORTED OS: Windows XP (32-64 bits) /Windows Vista(32-64 bits)/Windows 7 (32-64 bits)
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo 1.8 GHZ or AMD Athlon X2 64 2.4 GHZ
RAM: 1.5 GB Windows XP / 2 GB Windows Vista - Windows 7
Video Card: 256 MB DirectX 9.0-compliant card with Shader Model 3.0 or higher (see supported list)
Sound Card: DirectX 9.0-compliant sound card
DirectX Version: DirectX 9.0
DVD-ROM: DVD-ROM dual-layer drive
Hard Drive Space: 8 GB
Peripherals Supported: Keyboard, mouse, optional controller

Recommended Configuration:
Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo E6700 2.6 GHz or AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+ or better
Video Card: GeForce 8800 GT or ATI Radeon HD 4700 or better
Sound: 5.1 sound card
Peripherals: Keyboard, mouse, joystick optional (Xbox 360 Controller for Windows recommended)

Supported Video Cards at Time of Release:
ATI RADEON X1950, HD 2000/3000/4000/5000 series
NVIDIA GeForce 7/8/9/100/200 series