Assassin's Creed: Revelations

"Bring me the answers and the road that leads to the truth. Reveal to me once and for all, how all of this will end."

- Ezio Auditore da Firenze, Assassin's Creed: Revelations E3 Teaser.

Assassin's Creed: Revelations is a game developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by Ubisoft. A direct sequel to 2010's Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Revelations is the fourth main installment, and direct follow up of Brotherhood in the video game series.

Gameplay
The gameplay system from Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood is the basis for Revelations, though Ezio's free-running and combat skills have been upgraded with new features.

Plot
The game begins where Brotherhood left off. Present-day protagonist Desmond Miles has fallen into a coma from the events of the previous games, and to save Desmond's mind, the Assassins put him into a specialized safe area of the Animus, called The Black Room. Upon awakening inside the Animus, Desmond meets the consiousness of Subject 16, who occupied the Animus before him. Sixteen explains that Desmond's mind is fragmented, and that the only way for him to separate the pieces of himself from those of his ancestors is to continue to play out their stories until there is nothing left for them to show Desmond, known as a Synch Nexus. Once he reaches that point, the Animus will be able to separate the three individual's memories.

Desmond enters the Black Room's memory corridor, which once again places him in the perspective of Ezio Auditore. Ezio has traveled to Masyaf to attempt to unlock the secrets, that Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad had previously discovered, and to find his true purpose in the struggle between the Assassins and the Templars. Upon arriving he finds the stronghold overrun by the Templars, who capture him and plan his execution.

Ezio escapes to the bowels of the fortress where he discovers the entrance to Altaïr's library. He learns that five keys are required to unlock the door, that the Templars have the first, and that Niccolò Polo's journal would lead them to the rest. Ezio pursued a Templar captain, Leandros, to the Atlas village and recovered the journal from him. He learned that the remaining keys lie hidden in Constantinople, and that the Templars hope to find the location of the Grand Temple in the library.

Upon arriving in Constantinople, Ezio is greeted by Yusuf Tazim, the leader of the local Assassins Guild and also befriends a young student. While searching for Niccolo's old trading post, Ezio comes across and befriends Sofia Sartor, a young Italian traveler and book collector, and quickly becomes infatuated with her. Having recovered his first key and an encoded map from the Yerebatan Cistern, which would lead Ezio to the keys, he learns that each one is encoded with Altaïr's memories, by having an Animus-like experience in which he relives key moments of Altaïr's life.

With the first key in his possession, Ezio manages to witness Altaïr's life two years prior to the events in Solomon's Temple, during a Crusader attack on Masyaf. With the help of a traitor, Haras, they manage to capture Al Mualim, but Altaïr arrives in time to save him. Ezio asks Sofia to help him track down the locations of the remaining four keys, while keeping his true intentions secret from her.

The second key shows Ezio the events that transpired after Altaïr killed Al-Mualim. Altaïr takes possession of the Apple of Eden and assumes the leadership of the Assassins. However, one of the Assassins, Abbas, who held grudge against Altaïr for spreading supposed lies about his family, suspects the death of Al Mualim was a coup, and that Altaïr did it just to attain more power, at any cost. After a short conflict between Altaïr and Abbas' supporters, the Abbas manages to steal the Apple from Al Mualim's study, but it proves too much for him to control, and begins to over-charge, slowly draining him of life in the process. Altaïr manages to deactivate the artifact and save Abbas in time however.

The third key shows Altaïr and his wife, Maria Thorpe when they return to Masyaf, after ten years of struggle to repel the Mongol invasion, having learned that Abbas staged a coup, seizing control of the Assassins and executing their youngest son Sef, while Templars managed to retake their archive on Cyprus, as Abbas sent no reinforcements there. Altaïr demands answers from Abbas, and it is revealed that Swami, one of Abbas' supporters, killed Sef.

Enraged, Altaïr uses the Apple to make Swami cut his own throat, but Maria attempts to stop him. In the brief moment of control, Swami stabs Maria through the back, before being killed by Altaïr. He is then forced to flee with his older son, Darim, and go into exile, where he remains for the next twenty years.

The fourth key shows Altaïr finally returning to Masyaf, finding it decaying after the twenty years of Abbas' rule, in which time his paranoia and madness weakened the Assassins and had undone most of the advantage the Order once had over the Templars. Altaïr manages to convince the Assassins to turn against Abbas, killing his captains on the way to the fortress, as they've betrayed the Creed. Upon arrival in the castle, Altaïr kills Abbas with the Hidden Gun, and takes back his rightful place as the leader of the Assassins.

The fifth key shows Altaïr as a Mentor of the Levantine Assassins. Having seen the future through the Apple of Eden, he encodes his memories into the keys, and entrusts them to Niccolò Polo and his brother Maffeo, instructing them to hide the artifacts, after Altaïr and Darim escort the brothers through the village, with the power of the Apple to help repel the Mongol attackers.

Meanwhile, Constantinople is in chaos due to conflicts between Prince Ahmet and his brother Selim, who are quarreling over who will inherit the Sultanate. Caught in the middle of the conflict, Suleiman reveals to Ezio that he is an Ottoman prince and that he suspects the Templars are behind Ahmet and Selim's feud.

Suleiman asks Ezio to investigate the possible involvement of a Janissary captain, Tarik Barleti in the plot against the Ottomans. Ezio eventually uncovers evidence that Manuel Palaiologos, with Templar support, is attempting to raise an army to overthrow the Ottomans and reestablish the Byzantine Empire, and that Tarik has been providing him with a shipment of weapons.

Upon disclosing his findings to Suleiman, he asks Ezio to kill Tarik on the count of treason. Ezio agrees to do it, but dying Tarik reveals, that in reality he had attempted to lure the Templars out and learn their location. Ezio once again meets with Suleiman and presents the information that the Templars are based out in Cappadocia, and that is where Manuel fled. Suleiman provides Ezio with a ship to Cappadocia, and he travels there in pursuit of Palaiologos, but not before destroing the Great Chain, that the Janissaries have raised across the Golden Horn to prevent Ezio's escape after Tarik's murder.

Once in Cappadocia, Ezio meets one of Tarik's spies, Dilara, and after rescuing her comrades from Shahkulu, learns that the firearms Tarik sold to Manuel were defunct, but he had to provide the real gunpowder. Ezio then destroys its entire supply with a bomb, and pursues Manuel in the ensuing chaos. He recovers the final key, only to discover that Ahmet is the true mastermind of the Templar plot to discover the secrets of Altaïr's library. Realizing that Ahmet knows about Sofia, Ezio races back to Constantinople.

Meanwhile, inside the Animus, the entire environment of the Black Room begins breaking down as the Animus begins deleting unnecessary data. Subject 16 pushes Desmond through the memory portal, sacrificing himself to prevent Desmond from being deleted.

Ezio discovers that Ahmet has killed Yusuf and kidnapped Sofia. Ezio and the Assassins assault the Arsenal where Ahmet fled with his focres, and he proposes an exchange, the keys for Sofia's life. Ezio agrees to the trade, but immediately gives chase to Ahmet after he ensures that Sofia is safe. He manages to recover the keys, after a lengthy chase through the countryside, but before he can deal with Ahmet, Selim arrives with his armies. Informing his brother that Sultan Bayezid named Selim as his successor, he strangles Ahmet and throws him off a cliff to his death. Because Ezio is a personal friend of Suleiman, Selim decides to spare Ezio's life but warns him to leave Constantinople and never return.

Together, both Ezio and Sofia return to Masyaf, where Ezio explains the true meaning of the Assassin's Creed and uses the keys to unlock Altaïr's library hidden underneath the castle. Upon entering, Ezio finds the library empty except for Altaïr's skeleton, holding the sixth key. Taking it, Ezio relives yet another memory, of Altaïr sending his son Darim away with the books, and sealing himself inside the library with the Apple, until it can be discovered by the proper person. Ezio decides to leave the Apple in the library. He then begins speaking directly to Desmond, telling of his intention to finally retire from the life of an Assassin, believing that he has served his purpose. He expresses his hope that Desmond will be able to find the answers to the questions that he and Altaïr had suffered so much to uncover.

Desmond is the approached by Jupiter, another projection of a member of the First Civilization, similar to Juno and Minerva. He explains to Desmond that the First Civilization built numerous underground vaults that would independently study various methods to save the planet from destruction, with all of the data being transmitted to a central vault where he, Juno, and Minerva tested them. Six most prominent were chosen in the end, however, none of them were effective, and they failed to stop the solar flare that destroyed the Earth.

Jupiter continues telling Desmond that he has the power to save the planet from the second solar flare, and shows him the location of the central vault. Desmond then finally wakes up from the Animus to see Rebecca, Shaun, and his father standing over him. They had managed to smuggle him out of Rome and had taken him to America. Desmond's arm then glows with blue pattern, and upon seeing Ezio's Apple of Eden, he tells the other Assassins that he knows what they have to do.

Development
Revelations will be the final Assassin's Creed game to depict Altaïr and Ezio as main characters, as Assassin's Creed III will introduce a new protagonist.

Weapons
A new weapon called the hookblade was introduced, which allows Ezio to use ziplines throughout the city, speeding up navigation by around 30%. Additionally, a crafting system allows the creation of bombs, with options for up to 300 different types.

Assassin's Dens
The concept of Borgia towers has been expanded, and in order to neutralize the Templar presence, various assault scenarios must be completed. The liberated buildings will be known as Assassin Dens, though control over them may be lost to a Templar assault. These attacks will be triggered when the player's notoriety increases.

Controlling a den and its surrounding region will allow the player to upgrade all the shops and buildings in that area, including the den itself, which will provide more navigation options (like additional ziplines for the hookblade) in that part of the city. As an added benefit, controlling a den will change the character of the surrounding guards. Regular Ottoman patrols will continue to monitor the regions under control, and will still halt if illegal activities are committed, but won't be overly hostile.

Assassin's Dens can be protected by either the player or by an assigned Master Assassin, who will ensure the prevention of any further Templar attacks on the building.

Others
Seven Apprentices can be raised to level 15, the rank of Master Assassin.

Instead of only featuring normal secondary memories, Ubisoft has added new Random Events. These were intended to be more extensive, with Ezio finding a store owner being robbed or a child in need of help. In the game, Ezio is merely challenged to brawls or asked to help carry boxes to a dock.

Eagle Vision has been modified into Eagle Sense, which can allow the player to focus on a character and determine the route they have taken. This will thus give the player an estimation of where they will go, which could be useful for ambushes or locating a secluded place to strike a target.

Ezio will be searching for the seals containing Altaïr's memories, thus allowing the player to control Altaïr.

The modern day aspect of the game has also been upgraded with a new feature labeled "revolutionary gameplay," in which Desmond Miles needs to change the construct of his ancestors' memories and, in the process, unravel the future.

To do this, Desmond will enter the Animus and find a safe-mode called the Black Room, where he will reintegrate the splintered layers of his subconscious. Here, a great deal more about Desmond's own past will be revealed.

During a recent interview with gameplanet.com (a New Zealand based gaming website), Darby McDevitt stated that the majority of Desmond's gameplay will be within the Animus and indicated that there may be a very small portion in a different context.

The Desmond gameplay will be similar, in a way, to the Secret Locations that were seen in previous games. To quote Alexandre Breault: "The majority of the game-play in these Animus section focuses on movement, timing, and precision, but we also include some illusion based puzzles inspired by the work of Rene Magritte and Roger Penrose. The main goal here is to encourage the player to think and engage with the environment, not simply pass it by."

The game will also make updates to crowd mechanics, adding stalkers who run up to Ezio and attack him, preceeded by whispers, similar to Brotherhood's multiplayer. In the same vein of making the gameplay seem more real, mission givers will no longer stand motionless, ready to give Ezio a task – They will be real people, performing tasks of their own until Ezio approaches, and talks to them.

Multiplayer
Like its predecessor, Revelations comes with a multiplayer mode. It features new modes, maps and characters (with facial animations and expressions) to refine the experience.

Additionally, it has improved story and customization features, allowing the player to choose their own weapon (As well as a secondary weapon, which initially starts out as a hidden blade) and change their appearance, as well as edit clothes and other minor features.

Changes have been made from Brotherhood. No more skin replicates to make players rely more on their observation skills (Deathmatch is the only confirmed gametype to have this change). In a new mode called Deathmatch there is no compass, forcing players to carefully observe their surroundings in search of their targets. Another change is that the line of sight indicator is now the target's portrait and when their portrait outline turns blue it means they are within sight. A contested kill bonus will also be introduced which, is earned when stun and kill actions occur at the same time.

Like in Brotherhood, the Assassin always wins against their stunner when their actions occurred at the same time but, unlike Brotherhood, the Assassin will earn a 100 point bonus though he/she will also be penalized. The failed stunner will also earn a 100 point called Honorable Death. Abstergo credits will also be awarded to player after a match which, can be used to buy items in the shop. A breaker ability will also be featured, its function is to close chase breakers preventing a target from escaping or delay an assassin.

A new mode called Artifact Assault will also be featured in which the objective is to steal the enemy team's artifact and bring back to your team's base. Keeping track on multiple targets will also be easier as now there will be small target portraits next to your primary target's portrait, and since there are multiple target portraits out there, there is no real need to switch between targets like in Brotherhood. In team modes, teammates can revive other teammates who were stunned by an enemy teammate.

PlayStation Exclusive Multiplayer Beta
On September 3, 2011 PlayStation Plus members and PlayStation Uplay members were able to try the game's multiplayer portion, which ran until September 17, 2011. All PlayStation Network users were able to access the beta on September the 8th. During the beta players could play as nine new characters (Bombardier, Champion, Deacon, Guardian, Sentinel, Thespian, Trickster, Vanguard and Vizier); on three multiplayer maps: Knight's Hospital, Antioch and Galata; through four game modes: Deathmatch, Wanted, Manhunt and Artifact Assault. Two introductory tutorials were available that introduced Deathmatch, and taught the concepts of stunning and escaping a pursuer.

Characters
So far, nineteen multiplayer characters have been revealed though only 16 feature in the actual game the rest coming in a DLC: the Sentinel, the Guardian, the Bombardier, the Vanguard, the Crusader, the Deacon, the Ottoman Jester, the Ottoman Doctor, the Thespian, the Charlatan, the Vizier, the Trickster, the Renegade, the Champion, the Count, the Corsair, the Privateer, the Brigand and the Gladiator.

Special Edition

 * A copy of Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
 * A copy of the game's soundtrack.
 * Two multiplayer characters, the Crusader and the Ottoman Doctor.
 * Turkish Assassin Armor for use in single-player.

Signature Edition
Note: This edition can only be obtained by pre-ordering Assassin's Creed: Revelations from GameStop in North America. It was available in Brazil by pre-ordering the game in some stores.
 * A copy of Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
 * A copy of Assassin's Creed.
 * A bonus single-player map, Vlad the Impaler's Prison.
 * Weapon capacity upgrades for the crossbow (+5), pistol (+2), and bombs (+3).
 * A multiplayer character, the Ottoman Jester.
 * A copy of the animated short film Assassin's Creed: Embers.
 * A copy of the game's soundtrack.

Ultimate Bundle (USA)
Note: This edition can only be pre-ordered online from GameStop's United States website, and is only available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
 * The Signature Edition of Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
 * An action figure of Ezio Auditore.
 * A replica of da Vinci's flying machine, for use with the Ezio action figure.

Ultimate Edition (Canada)
Note: This edition can only be pre-ordered online from GameStop's Canadian website, and is only available for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.
 * The Signature Edition of Assassin's Creed: Revelations
 * The White Edition of the Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia.

Collector's Edition

 * A copy of Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
 * Collectable casing.
 * A 50-page artbook.
 * A DVD of the animated short film Assassin's Creed: Embers.
 * A copy of the game's soundtrack.
 * A bonus single-player map, Vlad the Impaler's Prison.
 * Two multiplayer characters, Crusader and the Ottoman Jester.
 * 'Ezio in Altaïr's outfit' in-game skin.

Templar Collector Edition
Note: This edition is only available from OpenGames Italia.
 * A copy of Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
 * Collectable casing.
 * A 50-page art-book.
 * A DVD of the animated short film Assassin's Creed: Embers.
 * A copy of the game's soundtrack.
 * A bonus single-player map, Vlad the Impaler's Prison.
 * Two multiplayer characters, the Crusader and the Ottoman Jester.
 * An 8.5" figurine of Ezio Auditore.

Animus Edition
Note: This edition is only available in Europe and Australia (At EB Games Australia).
 * A copy of Assassin's Creed: Revelations.
 * Animus Content Box.
 * The Black Edition of the Assassin's Creed Encyclopedia.
 * A DVD of the animated short film Assassin's Creed: Embers.
 * A copy of the game's soundtrack.
 * A bonus single-player map, Vlad the Impaler's Prison.
 * Two multiplayer characters, the Crusader and the Ottoman Jester.
 * The Armor of Brutus outfit.
 * Weapon capacity upgrades for the crossbow (+5), pistol (+2), and bombs (+1).
 * An exclusive customization item.
 * Altaïr's Skin (Pre Order or Purchased at EB Games Australia)

Videos
Video:Assassin's Creed: Revelations E3 2011 Cinematic Trailer|E3 2011 Cinematic Trailer. Video:Assassin's Creed: Revelations - E3 2011 Teaser Trailer HD|E3 2011 Teaser Trailer. Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations Desmond Teaser Trailer|E3 2011 Desmond Trailer. Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations - Gamescom Trailer|Gamescom Trailer Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations Gamescom Walkthrough 2011|Gamescom 2011 Demo Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations E3 2011 Demo|E3 2011 Demo Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations - E3 Trailer Continued|E3 Trailer Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations: Hookblade Trailer|Hookblade Trailer Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations: Combat Trailer|Combat Trailer Video:Assassins Creed Revelations Single Player Story Trailer|Story Trailer Video:Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Making Bombs Trailer| Bomb Making Trailer Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations - No Mercy|No Mercy Trailer Video:Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Den Defense Trailer|Den Defense Trailer Video:Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Multiplayer Trailer|Multiplayer Trailer Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations - Life in Constantinople|Life In Constantinople Video:Assassin's Creed: Revelations - Regions Trailer|Regions Trailer Video:Assassin's Creed Revelations - Launch Trailer|Launch Trailer