Revelations continues the story of Desmond Miles, who has fallen into a coma due to the events of the previous game. In order for him to awaken again, Desmond must relive the last significant memories of his ancestor, the Assassin Mentor Ezio Auditore da Firenze, who sought out the secret library of the Mentor of the Levantine Assassins, Altar Ibn-La'Ahad, in 1511.
Revelations retains the gameplay from its preceding titles, albeit considerably renewed. Freerunning has been improved with the addition of the Hookblade, a key item given to Ezio that helps him traverse the city faster and more efficiently. To coincide with the Hookblade, numerous ziplines could be found all over the city's rooftops, which decreases travel time.[3]
Aside from the Hookblade, a multitude of bombs have been introduced alongside an improved version of previous games' smoke bombs. Ezio can utilize a wide selection of bombs, ranging from lethal effects and traps, to distraction purposes and chase-breakers. To do this, Ezio can craft from numerous stations situated across Constantinople, using a variety of materials that change the effectiveness and the overall use of the bomb.[3]
Ezio's Eagle Vision has also been revamped, with added features resulting in the maturation of the technique. Now known as "Eagle Sense," Ezio is able to track his enemies and pick off their individual trails, making tailing people more efficient. In addition, Eagle Sense can also discern disguised enemies, the scent of datura, and the heartbeat of an individual.[3]
Replacing the Borgia Towers are the Assassin Dens, towers which act as strongholds for the Assassins, but differing in that they can be reclaimed by the Templars; whenever Ezio's notoriety would reach its peak, Templars would attack an Assassin-occupied Den. In order to defend the Den, Ezio must take up its defense, whereby numerous Assassin units of different specializations can be stationed over nearby rooftops to defeat the invading Templars. Numerous abilities can also be used to help defend the den, such as barricades and cannons.[3]
Following this, the recruiting system has been considerably built upon. The highest rank has been increased to 15, which can only be attained by a handful of Ezio's apprentices.[3] Ezio can then station these advanced apprentices to the numerous Assassin Dens scattered around the city, from which they can permanently eliminate the possibility of a Den invasion. In addition, several Master Assassin missions can be initiated, which is needed for an Apprentice to reach their fifteenth rank. Several more Apprentices can also be stationed in numerous cities to perform contracts, meaning Ezio can train a total of 72 apprentices, excluding the location of Rhodes.
Revelations also includes several new additions to the environment, such as random events that Ezio can take part in. These include helping several civilians carry their items, or fighters challenging Ezio to a brawl. Also, another new feature is the addition of stalkers; Templar assailants who come after Ezio at any given time. Despite this, Ezio can perceive when a stalker is nearby through the addition of sound cues composed of whispers, and can promptly counter their attempts.[4]
The modern day gameplay of Desmond has been revamped considerably; several memories of Desmond's past can be relived through the Animus Island, which can be unlocked by collecting Animus data fragments. These memories are displayed completely in a first-person perspective, and uses a puzzle-building mechanic that allows Desmond to generate two different block pieces to navigate through the obstacles. Along the way, specific events of Desmond's life prior to Revelations can be seen.
Like its predecessor, Revelations came with a multiplayer portion, explained as the progression of the Animi Training Program to its second stage. This featured new modes, maps, abilities, and characters to refine the experience. Additionally, a story arc was introduced alongside expanded customization features, allowing participants to choose their own weapons and change their appearance.[3]
After the events in the Colosseum Vault which resulted in Lucy Stillman's death, Desmond Miles entered a comatose state and awoke in the Animus' Black Room, following being placed back in the machine by his father, William Miles, and Harlan T. Cunningham. While Shaun Hastings stayed behind in Rome to attend Lucy's funeral, William and Rebecca Crane monitored Desmond's condition while they headed for the city of New York.
The hired worker that was present in the antechamber to the library mentioned to Ezio that the Templars found one of the keys beneath the Ottoman Sultan's palace, while speculating that the book held by Leandros would lead them to the others. With this in mind, Ezio set out of the fortress to take the book from Leandros, and eventually killed the Templar captain at Atlas Village after a long chase. After obtaining the book, Ezio set out for Constantinople, where the rest of the keys were hidden.
By May, Ezio had arrived at Constantinople, where he met a young man before docking, and was greeted by the leader of the local guild, Yusuf Tazim, right after his arrival. Yusuf gave Ezio a tour of the city, introducing him to the guild and showing what was left of the Byzantine empire within the city. Ezio also received a Hookblade and was taught how to use it. In return, Ezio later assisted with defending and retaking some of the city's Assassin Dens from the Templars.
After helping the guild recruit a few new initiates and being taught how to use bombs, Ezio went to the first location of the keys: the old trading post of Niccolo and Maffeo Polo, now a book shop owned by Sofia Sartor, a woman whom Ezio first saw during his ferry to the city. After an introduction, Ezio found an entrance into the Yerebatan Cistern, where he found the first key along with a tome and an encrypted map that led to rare books which held the location of the other keys. Striking up a mutual agreement, Ezio made a promise with Sofia: if she helped decipher the map, he would let her borrow and print a few copies of the books.
In the midst of his search, Ezio helped Yusuf save the Ottoman prince from a planned assassination. Dressed as a minstrel, Ezio managed to stop the assassination, which earned him the favor of the prince; the same young man whom he met on his way to the city, Suleiman I. Following this, Ezio later met with Suleiman in order to learn of the perpetrator behind the attack, whom they suspected was the Janissary captain, Tarik Barleti.
Tailing Tarik, Ezio soon found out that the man had dealings with Manuel Palaiologos, the former heir of the Byzantine throne; with this knowledge, Suleiman requested that Ezio assassinate Tarik. However, in his dying moment, Tarik revealed that his forces were to ambush Manuel after gaining his favor. Before dying, Tarik entrusted Ezio to continue his plan, and set sail for Derinkuyu, Cappadocia.
In between his tasks for Suleiman, Ezio continually searched for the books with Sofia's help, all the while gaining her favor and assisting her with some errands. Ezio grew fond of Sofia's company, but he could not reveal his affiliations or occupation to her, for he feared that it would endanger her. She and Ezio eventually had to part ways for the time being, as Sofia sailed for Adrianopoli; before leaving, Ezio left Sofia to Yusuf's care during his absence. With each book, he was able to retrieve one of the keys from one of the many secret locations, and with each one, he was able to relive some key moments of Altar's life.
The first key showed his heroic efforts in 1190, where Altar saved Masyaf from an attack by the traitor Haras. The second key detailed his Mentor Al Mualim's pyre and Abbas Sofian's failed rebellion through utilizing an Apple of Eden, which Altar later retrieved. The third memory detailed Altar's fall from power in 1228; after defeating Genghis Khan's army with his son Darim and wife Maria, Altar found out that Abbas had usurped command from Altar's appointed proxy Malik Al-Sayf, and that his son Sef was murdered by Swami, Abbas' right-hand man.
Altar confronted Abbas and his loyalists, but was overcome with rage and used the Apple for revenge, which ultimately caused the death of both Swami and Maria. In the wake of this incident, Altar left Masyaf with Darim before Abbas could apprehend them. The fourth key showed Altar's return to power in 1247, with the help of several Assassins who grew tired of Abbas' rule; he achieved this through Abbas' death at his hands, where Altar used his newly crafted Hidden Gun.
All the while reliving Ezio's last memories, Desmond had several encounters with Clay in the Animus Island, also overhearing conversations between his father, Rebecca, and Shaun. Desmond also relived his own memories in a very different simulation, wherein he reached the core of the Animus. There, a recollection of his life was told; Desmond grew up in a small community called "The Farm," but soon fled due to his parents' strict rule. There he drifted from place to place, eventually settling in New York, and found a job as a bartender at a venue named Bad Weather. His recollection lasted up until his capture by Abstergo, and his time in their facility.
Ezio arrived at Cappadocia by March 1512 with Piri Reis, after destroying Constantinople's Great Chain. There, he met with Tarik's informant Dilara at the city of Derinkuyu. Dilara was eventually captured after she and Ezio parted ways, and was being held by Shahkulu, Palaiologos' partner. With haste, Ezio rescued Dilara, though she departed to save what was left of her men from Shahkulu. In the city, they learned that Shahkulu planned to beat one of Dilara's men, Janos, to death; Ezio stopped the public beating and killed Shahkulu after a tough fight. Afterwards, Ezio planned to burn the fake artillery given to Manuel by Tarik, which will cause the artillery's authentic gunpowder to explode.
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