The final chapter in the Ezio trilogy has been detailed. The latest issue of Game Informer has first information on Assassin’s Creed: Revelations, which sees Ezio searching for the lost ‘seals’ of his assassin ancestor, Altair.
Finding these seals allows Ezio to peek into the life of Altair, just as Desmond peeks into the life of Ezio through the Animus. During these sequences, you’ll control Altair.
The majority of the game takes place in Constantinople, the heart of the Ottoman empire, split into four ‘huge’ districts — Constantin, Beyazid, Imperial, and Galata. You’ll also swing by Cappadocia, Turkey.
As one would would imagine, Ezio’s aged in Revelations. No longer the young lad from the first two Ezio titles, he is now over 50 years-old. Though, with age comes wisdom… or new accessories. He has a new item called the hookblade, allowing him to zipline from point A to point B throughout the city, speeding up navigation by ‘about thirty percent.’ It can also be used as a weapon to pull in and attack enemies. To make for the new accessory, the control scheme’s been modified — Circle/B controls the hookblade and Triangle/Y controls projectiles and bombs.
A crafting system also makes its way to the franchise. Ezio can use the system to make bombs — bombs of over 300 types, according to Ubisoft.
Eagle Vision’s been given a makeover. Now called Eagle Sense, it “let’s your focus on a character and see where he’s been,” according to creative director Alexandre Amancio. “You’ll get an approximation of where he will go. If you’re able to detect the path a guard will take, you can run ahead, set a bomb, and create a trap or an ambush.”
With the Borgia gone and a new area being used for the setting, Borgia Towers no longer exist, but the concept does. A new system has been created in its place. There are locations throughout the city called Assassin’s Dens — you can build these dens by killing off the Templar presence in the area through various assault scenarios. Once obtained, you’ll be able to upgrade the buildings and add ziplines across its rooftops. The guards in the area will shift from hostile to neutral.
Your dens aren’t all safe and sound after their obtained, however. As you gain notoriety in the city, you can lose control of your dens. If your den is under attack and you’re unable to make it to the area to save it, you can send your assassin troops out to do it for you — so long as another den is nearby. You can also have once of your master assassins control a specific den, so you wouldn’t have to worry about it being attacked and taken over.
The leveling mechanic for assassin’s has increased from 10 to 15.
Side-missions are gone in Revelations. Instead of planned events, side-missions are random — you may see a shop owner being mugged as you walk through the city; your mission would be to stop him.
A new facial capture technology dubbed Mocam is being used in the game. The magazine describes it as an “intriguing amalgamation of traditional animation, performance capture and the fascinating new style of performance on display in games like L.A. Noire.”
Desmond, whose accessing Ezio’s memories through the Animus, finds a new safe mode in the machine called the “Black Room.” In this room, you’re able to access Desmond’s own personal lost memories. The gameplay during your time as Desmond are said to be ‘narrative-fueled puzzle sequences.’ The magazine writes, “through the manipulation and creation of geometry with the game world, Desmond seeks to reintegrate the splintered layers of his subconscious.”
As for multiplayer, which is making a return from Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood, you’ll now be able to create your own character with customized appearance and weapons, and start a guild. Ubisoft says that while the component is returning, they’re putting greater focus towards the narrative, as it’s the heart of the franchise.
Thanks, NeoGAF.