Assassin's Creed Revelations
The story is set in a fictional history of real world events set in three time periods, and features three returning protagonists; Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad in 12th and 13th century Masyaf, Ezio Auditore da Firenze in 16th century Constantinople, and series protagonist Desmond Miles in 21st century America.[4][5] The main story follows the Assassin Ezio's journey to unlock the secret of Altaïr's vault in Masyaf using disc-like artifacts containing Altaïr's memories. Intersecting with these historical events are the modern day activities of Desmond, who relives Ezio's memories to find a way to fight against the Assassins' enemies, the Templars, and to prevent the 2012 apocalypse.
Assassin's Creed: Revelations is set in an open world and presented from the third-person perspective with a primary focus on using Ezio's, Desmond's, and Altaïr's combat and stealth abilities to eliminate targets and explore the environment. One of the protagonists (Ezio) is free to explore the Assassin Base in the city of Constantinople and the city itself to complete side missions away from the primary storyline.
Although critical response towards the game was positive, many noted a decline in quality in comparison to previous titles in the series. In spite of this, the game was still a large commercial success, out performing the sales of its predecessors. The game was followed by Assassin's Creed III in October 2012, a direct sequel that continued the story of Desmond Miles and introduced a new 18th century playable character.
Main article: Gameplay in the Assassin's Creed series
The main protagonist, Ezio, can use the hookblade to access ziplines across the environments. The hookblade is one of the new features introduced in Revelations.
Also added and expanded are seizing districts of the city from the Templars. While capturing a district is very similar to Brotherhood, the Templars will attempt to recapture districts, which Ezio must defend using a "tower defense" minigame, where he controls a group of Assassins from rooftops against several waves of Templar soldiers and siege equipment. Similar to Brotherhood, initiates can be sent on missions to other regions, eventually wresting control from the Templars, and then using the city to produce a stream of income and new Assassin recruits. The game is playable in full 3D across three platforms: PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360, with the console versions supporting both stereoscopic 3D mode for 3D HDTVs and for 2D HDTVs. All Revelations gameplay and cinematics have S3D support.[9]
Multiplayer
Multiplayer gameplay also makes a return in Revelations. The mode expands the basics of online modes from Brotherhood with new characters and locations. Players are able to customize their characters' appearance. Matchmaking and game interface are also improved. Ubisoft says that while the component is returning, they're putting greater focus towards the narrative, as it's the heart of the franchise.[10] As players level up in the multiplayer game, they move up in their Abstergo Templar rank and gain access to more information about the company.New multiplayer modes are added to the already existing modes, including "story-oriented quests", as well as a much requested Capture the Flag mode. Some multiplayer maps are based in the island of Rhodes.[11] Among the new additions is a new multiplayer mode — Deathmatch — which differs from the previous multiplayer gameplay in that there is no compass pointing toward your assigned target, rather, there is a box in the top right of the screen where your current target is displayed, which glows blue when you enter the line of sight of your target. There is also Simple Deathmatch, which also removes the abilities and perks from the players.
The multiplayer function is protected by the Uplay Passport system on PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360,[12] which requires a code for access. Codes are included in all new copies of the game, but are tied to a single Uplay account. This means that players who purchased their copy second hand will need to purchase a new code to access the multiplayer. Uplay players can buy a new Passport code online or activate a free trial.[13]
Players who preordered the game with specific editions received the Ottoman Jester, the Crusader, and the Ottoman Doctor. Those who played the Assassin's Creed Brotherhood multiplayer received the courtesan, a character who also appeared in the multiplayer for Brotherhood. DLC packs for new characters have been released.
Synopsis
Setting
Revelations features all three of the series' major characters: Desmond Miles, Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad and Ezio Auditore da Firenze. The main part of the story takes Ezio to Constantinople, present day Istanbul, in 1511 AD, consisting of four districts: Constantine, Bayezid, Imperial, and Galata; Cappadocia during the rise of the Ottoman Empire, part of which is a completely underground city populated solely by Templars;[14][15] and Masyaf, where the old Assassins' stronghold is located (featured in the first Assassin's Creed game), to which Ezio travels at the beginning of the game.[15] He discovers Altaïr has sealed within the fortress an ancient artifact that is said to be a powerful weapon which could end the Templar-Assassin War forever, and had the keys hidden in Constantinople. Ezio uses these relics of the "First Civilization" that hold memories of Altaïr to relive Altaïr's experiences, during which players control Altaïr.[11]The game continues Desmond's story in the present day, following the events of Brotherhood, where he is trapped in the Animus 2.0, in a comatose state,[16] in which he has found a safe mode known as "the Black Room". Here, Desmond must find a "synch nexus", a key memory that links him with Altaïr and Ezio, to reintegrate his splintered subconscious and awaken from his coma.[14] While in game, Ezio meets a variety of historical characters, including: Manuel Palaiologos, an heir to the now-lost Byzantine Empire; Byzantine Templars lurking in the shadows of Constantinople;[17] Prince Suleiman, a man who will one day become one of the Ottoman Empire's greatest Sultans; and his uncle, Prince Ahmet.
Single-player plot
Following the ending of Brotherhood, present-day protagonist Desmond Miles has fallen into a coma due to the combined stress of being forced into killing Lucy Stillman and being controlled by Juno, the hologram attached to the Apple of Eden, a piece of Eden with hints of prolonged exposure in the Animus. While Shaun Hastings stays behind in Rome to attend Lucy's funeral, Rebecca Crane takes Desmond to New York and meets with his father, William Miles. In an effort to save Desmond's mind, the duo places him back in the Animus, though this time in the machine's safe mode, known as the "Black Room."Upon awakening on Animus Island, the original Animus testing program located within the Black Room, Desmond meets the consciousness of Subject Sixteen, who occupied Abstergo's Animus before him. Sixteen explains that Desmond's mind is broken, and the only way for him to repair it is by reliving his ancestors' memories until there is nothing left for them to show Desmond, at which point the Animus can separate Desmond from Ezio and Altaïr, and awaken Desmond from his coma.[18]
Desmond enters the Animus Island's memory portal, which places him back in the perspective of Ezio Auditore. Four years after ending the life of Cesare Borgia, Ezio has traveled to the former Assassin's fortress in Masyaf to discover secrets Altaïr had previously discovered, and find the true purpose of the Assassins. Upon arriving, he finds Masyaf taken by the Templars, who mark him for death. Ezio escapes to the bowels of the castle, where he discovers the entrance to Altaïr's library.[19] He learns that five disc-like "keys" are required to unlock the door; that the Templars have one underneath the Ottoman Sultan's palace; and the rest lie hidden in Constantinople, part of the Ottoman Empire.[19][20] He travels there and is greeted by Yusuf Tazim, leader of the Turkish Assassin Order,[21] and befriends a young student named Suleiman.[22] Ezio learns that the keys were hidden in the city by Niccoló Polo. While searching for the old Polo trading post, Ezio encounters and befriends Sofia Sartor, a young Italian traveler and book collector, and eventually falls in love with her. Ezio discovers the locations of the remaining keys with Sofia's help, all the while keeping his intentions, growing feelings and position a secret from her.[23]
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 (Selim's son), and that he suspects the Templars are behind the feud. Ezio uncovers evidence that Manuel Palaiologos, with Templar support, is attempting to raise an army to overthrow the Ottomans and reestablish the Byzantine Empire. Ezio kills Manuel and recovers the final key,[24] only to discover that Ahmet is the true mastermind of the Templar plot to open Altaïr's library.
During these events, Ezio uses the keys in his possession to witness Altaïr's life after the events depicted in the first game. After killing Al-Mualim, Altaïr took possession of the Apple of Eden and assumed leadership of the Assassins. One of the Assassins, Abbas, did not support Altaïr due to past events, and for killing Al Mualim.[25] When Altaïr and his wife Maria left Masyaf for 10 years to repel the Mongol invasion, Abbas staged a coup d'etat, seizing control of the Assassins and executing Altaïr's youngest son Sef.[26] Altaïr sought revenge; but as Maria tried to stop him, another Assassin stabbed Maria in the back. Altaïr was forced to flee with his elder son, Darim, and went into self-imposed exile for 20 years. Altaïr finally returned to Masyaf, killed Abbas, then took his rightful place as the Assassins' leader. In the process, Altaïr told the dying Abbas the truth of the latter's father's death.[27] Years later, an aged Altaïr encodes his memories on the five keys Ezio would find, entrusting them to Niccoló.[28]
In Constantinople, Ezio discovers that Ahmet has killed Yusuf and kidnapped Sofia, demanding the keys in exchange for her life. Ezio agrees, but immediately gives chase upon ensuring Sofia's safety. He recovers the keys, but before he can deal with Ahmet, Selim arrives with his armies and executes Ahmet himself, after saying that their father "made his choice."[29] Due to his son Suleiman's endorsement, Selim has Ezio leave Constantinople, warning him never to return again. After completing this memory, the Animus begins to delete excess data—including Animus Island. Sixteen sacrifices himself to prevent Desmond from being deleted by the Animus.[30]
Ezio and Sofia return to Masyaf, where Ezio uses the keys to unlock Altaïr's library. He finds it empty except for Altaïr's skeleton and a sixth key. He discovers that the library was not meant to hold books—rather, it was a vault meant to house Altaïr's Apple of Eden.[31] Through the key, Ezio learns that Altaïr had sealed himself inside to preserve its secret from the Templars. Ezio leaves this Apple in the library, saying "I have seen enough for one life."[32] He then begins talking directly to Desmond, not knowing exactly who (or where) he is, but knowing that he is watching. While talking he discards his weapons. He tells Desmond that he realises that he is a "conduit for a message". He expresses hope that Desmond will be able to find answers to the questions he and Altaïr had worked so hard to uncover.[32]
Suddenly, Desmond is approached by Jupiter, a member of the First Civilization. He explains that the First Civilization had built numerous vaults to study methods to save the planet from destruction. All of the data collected was transmitted to a central vault, where the data was tested. None of the methods were effective, however, and they failed to stop the solar flare from destroying their civilization. Jupiter shows Desmond the location of the central vault, which from the map is located somewhere in New York, and tells him that he must save the planet from an impending second solar flare.
Upon hearing Jupiter's words, Desmond awakens from his coma and finds Rebecca and William standing with him, along with Shaun, who has returned from Rome. Desmond states that he knows what they must now do; meanwhile, the central vault activates underground.
During and after the credits, Animus Island reconstructs, allowing the player to access Desmond's memories as well as the open-world historical environment, though it is not explained how or why Desmond arrived at the Island again.
Multiplayer plot
The multiplayer aspect has its own plot from the Templar perspective. After training to become a Master Templar and being allowed into the Abstergo inner sanctum, the player is implanted with a tracker to ensure his/her trustworthiness. It is implied that Daniel Cross (Subject 4) is a member of the Templar inner sanctum. After reaching level 50 in the multiplayer, the player is dubbed an active agent, and assigned the task of retrieving the current Assassin Order Mentor, William Miles.[33]
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