Viewpoint

Saito: "What is it with you Assassins and perching or leaping off every high point you can find? What are you, a flightless bird?"

Edward: "Take my word for it. There are some things you can only see from lofty heights."

—Shimazu Saito and Edward Kenway discussing the Assassins' use of viewpoints, 1725.

Altaïr on a viewpoint in Damascus

Viewpoints are an Animus feature that allows for greater synchronization between the source of the genetic memory and its viewer.

Typically, viewpoints within a given Animus simulation are placed on structures or natural land formations high enough for an observer to survey the surrounding environment. They range from church towers and roofbeams on a city's landmarks, to watchtowers and guard posts.

History

Antiquity

During the Peloponnesian War, viewpoints could be found on numerous landmarks across Greece, such as the Lightning Zeus statue on Kephallonia, the Statue of Athena in Athens, and the Temple of Athena Chalkioikos in Sparta. The misthios Kassandra frequently visited these viewpoints to take in her surroundings.

Viewpoints were also common in Egypt during the Ptolemaic dynasty, as many famous monuments such as the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Great Pyramid of Giza, and the Temple of Sobek in Krokodilopolis featured at least one. The Medjay Bayek of Siwa was known to regularly use viewpoints to survey the surrounding area and locate points of interest.

Middle Ages

In the 9th century, viewpoints could be found in both Baghdad during the Islamic Golden Age, and in England and Norway during the Viking expansion. The Hidden One Basim Ibn Ishaq and the shieldmaiden Eivor Varinsdottir regularly used viewpoints to observe their surroundings and find points of interest.

Altaïr performing a Leap of Faith from a viewpoint

During the Third Crusade, viewpoints could be found in the cities of Damascus, Jerusalem, and Acre, as well as the Kingdom, but not in Masyaf.

Each city contained ten to twelve viewpoints located on the highest buildings; such as a cross on top of a Catholic cathedral, the top of a lighthouse in the port-city of Acre, or a palace guard tower in the city of Damascus. Individuals adept in freerunning, such as Assassins, would climb viewpoints to survey the area and take note of the people within the city, and their movements.

Some viewpoints, such as watchtowers, had archers defending the position, or guards set around and below it, who could either fire arrows or throw rocks to prevent anyone climbing from reaching the top. At the very bottom of the viewpoint, carts or piles of hay were conveniently positioned, providing safe locations for the performance of a Leap of Faith.

Renaissance

During the Renaissance, viewpoints functioned much as they did during the Third Crusade, and some were located on famous landmarks of the era. Assassins made extensive use of these, and would not only be able to dive into carts and stacks of hay, but also into those of flower petals, leaves, and spices, as well as into bodies of water.

Ezio on a viewpoint in Rome

In the cities of Rome and Constantinople, various towers, such as Borgia Towers and Assassin Dens, possessed a commanding view over the surrounding area, and could be used for the same purpose as a viewpoint. Many viewpoints were located on famous monuments, such as the Pantheon, Colosseum, Hagia Sophia, and Topkapı Palace.

Golden Age of Piracy

During the Golden Age of Piracy in the Caribbean, viewpoints once again served the function of helping individuals survey the area. Edward Kenway made use of these viewpoints to reveal information about his surroundings. Once viewpoints were synchronized, they also served as locations for fast-travel.

During his later travels in Southeast Asia, Edward also made use of viewpoints on several occassions, such as at Sun's floating gambling hall in Macau, or in Manila, where he climbed atop the Manila Cathedral to locate Fort Santiago. A decade later, Edward's former quartermaster-turned-Assassin Adéwalé utilized viewpoints during his time in Saint-Domingue, in a manner similar to Edward.

American Revolution

Haytham on a viewpoint in Boston

Shortly before, and during the American Revolutionary War, viewpoints retained their function of providing an individual with bearings of the surrounding area, and were once again located on famous landmarks of the era, as well as high points in the Frontier such as trees on the hilltops.

Contrary to the viewpoints used by other ancestors, the ones in America revealed only small bits of landscape, leaving the area open to exploration even after all of the viewpoints were synchronized.

Haytham Kenway and Ratonhnhaké:ton utilized viewpoints in Boston, New York and the Frontier, and could perform a Leap of Faith to descend from them. In addition to previously seen places such as haystacks or water, they could also perform the maneuver into a moving cart, if it happened to be passing underneath the viewpoint. Aveline de Grandpré could also utilize viewpoints in New Orleans, the Louisiana Bayou and Chichen Itza in a similar manner.

French Revolution

Arno on a viewpoint in Paris

During the French Revolution, viewpoints in Paris, Versailles and Saint-Denis retained their function of allowing individuals to survey the surrounding area, and being used as fast-travel points afterwards. However, they also gained an additional use during assassinations, as Arno Dorian could search for assassination opportunities or possible distractions to facilitate reaching his target.

Victorian era

In Victorian era London, numerous viewpoints could be found across the city, including on famous landmarks like the Palace of Westminster, St. Paul's Cathedral and Buckingham Palace. They functioned much as they did during the French Revolution, allowing Jacob and Evie Frye to observe their surroundings and, during assassinations, find opportunities to reach and eliminate their targets.

Animus

When Desmond Miles relived the memories of his ancestors through the Animus, viewpoints served an additional function. They would unlock parts of the Animus map, and displayed the location of various events that occurred throughout his ancestors' lives.

When he relived Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad's memories, he was required to climb a viewpoint whenever he entered a new city. On synchronizing with this viewpoint, the Animus map would display all the other viewpoints, along with the location of the Assassin bureau in the city. Climbing the viewpoints also allowed Desmond to find sources of information that he could investigate, and use to gain information on Altaïr's targets.

Viewpoints served a similar function in the Animus 2.0, through which Desmond relived Ezio Auditore da Firenze's memories. It also helped Desmond locate side memories, such as races, message deliveries, assassination contracts, and beat-up events.

When the memories of Shao Jun, Arbaaz Mir, Nikolai Orelov and Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia were relived at Abstergo Entertainment through the Helix Navigator, viewpoints were far less common and, once synchronized, revealed the locations of all nearby hidden items on the Helix's map.

The viewpoints present in the Animus Omega for the Identity Project did not reveal details about the surrounding environment, but rather unlocked a database entry for the landmark where they could be found.

Trivia

• In Assassin's Creed, the "Fearless" achievement could be obtained by synchronizing with all viewpoints.
• Many viewponts in Damascus and Jerusalem are borrowed from the Terrace in another Ubisoft game, Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones.
• In Assassin's Creed II, the "I Like the View" achievement could be obtained by synchronizing with ten viewpoints.
• In Assassin's Creed II, the "High Dive" achievement could be obtained when Ezio performed a Leap of Faith from the top of the Campanile di Giotto viewpoint in Florence.
• In Assassin's Creed III: Liberation, the "RHP Master" achievement could be obtained by synchronizing with all viewpoints.
• In Assassin's Creed, Altaïr could activate Eagle Vision once he had synchronized with the viewpoint. However, in Assassin's Creed II and Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, attempting to do so would simply have Ezio observe his surroundings again.
• In a number of the games, the highest point is either inaccessible or not a viewpoint. In Assassin's Creed, it was located in the fortress of Masyaf; in Assassin's Creed II, it was the Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore; in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, it was the Castel Sant'Angelo, and in Assassin's Creed: Revelations, it was the pinnacle of the Galata Tower, or one of the Hagia Sophia's minarets.
• Throughout the Assassin's Creed series, an Assassin could be on the viewpoint at the same time the eagle was, causing the eagle to clip through them.
• In Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines, viewpoints were referred to as "High Points."
• In Assassin's Creed III, Haytham Kenway and Ratonhnhaké:ton would stand straight up on a viewpoint, unlike other individuals who assumed a crouched position on them.

Gallery

Eivor on a viewpoint in Wincestre

Edward on a viewpoint in Kingston

Edward on a viewpoint in Manila

Adéwalé on a viewpoint in Tortuga

Aveline on a viewpoint in New Orleans

Appearances

• Assassin's Creed (first appearance)
• Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines
• Assassin's Creed II
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood
• Assassin's Creed: Revelations
• Assassin's Creed III
• Assassin's Creed III: Liberation
• Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag
• Assassin's Creed: Rogue
• Assassin's Creed: Unity
• Assassin's Creed: Syndicate
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: China
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: India
• Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Russia
• Assassin's Creed: Identity
• Assassin's Creed: Origins
• Assassin's Creed: Odyssey
• Assassin's Creed: Valhalla
• Assassin's Creed: Forgotten Temple
• Assassin's Creed: Mirage
• Assassin's Creed: Shadows