Well, it has been a great ride so far with Ezio Auditore in the Assassins Creed universe, but unfortunately, that’s coming to an end when Revelations hits our shores next month. Concluding the cycle of everybody’s favourite Italian assassino, Revelations is going to feature some new gameplay features as well, as Ezio is kind of getting a bit old to still be jumping around on rooftops.
Last years AC: Brotherhood managed to avoid the temptation of being a cheap annual cash-in, by actually improving and adding on to the existing gameplay formula substantially. Features such as Assassins that could be called upon in a time of need, growing and training your own small army, as well as some excellent and tense multiplayer components all resulted in a great game.
Revelations is looking to add even more to the already established AC formula, this time with weapon crafting and tower defence mini-games.
Speaking to 360Magazine, Alex Amancio, Creative Director for the upcoming game, explained how this version of Assassins Creed would be a far more lively game from the start, with war raging in and around Constantinople constantly.
“The Assassins must be vigilant, ready at any moment to combat a massive Templar attack, or risk losing everything they have fought to keep – their power, their influence, and their allies”, Amancio said.
“But the tide is slowly turning. Under the command of Ezio, the Assassins now have a chance to win this war. Armed with a diverse battery of highly skilled fighters and a wealth of new tools and weapons, the Assassins are ready to prove the old adage true: that the best offence is a perfect defence.”
“Ezio will be in command of a host of assassin units to stave off the waves of Templars attacking their dens. Troops wielding crossbows and rifles, aerial specialists, barricades and assassin captains will all be at Ezio’s command during each frenzied attack. “
“Ezio will also be able to participate directly in the defence himself, either by using his hidden gun to take out individual Templars, or by calling in devastating cannon strikes. All these forces will combine with one goal in mind: preventing the Templars from breaching the gates of the assassin den.”
Its not all just hidden-blade leap attacks and hand-cannon sniping however, as Ezio is also going to have access to one of the deadliest weapons that emerged from that time period, the bomb. But instead of just picking up one variety of bomb to use and replenish constantly, players will actually get to make their weapon of mass destruction.
“For us, adding depth to the bomb system was a natural expansion to what was already there in the franchise”, Amancio said. “Our goal was to create a system that would consolidate the various gameplays offered to the player. One of the core values of Assassin’s Creed is the freedom the player has when he plays the game. The variety of new bombs now available for the player supports that freedom”.
“The player can use those bombs to enhance their style of play: fight, stealth, free run. We have bombs that can create diversions, while others will act as chase breakers and there will also be lethal bombs that can take out groups of enemies when Ezio is cornered.”
“The crafting system is simple to use but doesn’t compromise depth; we managed to find a system that covered both. Usually in video games, you need to find a specific list of ingredients to craft a unique item. In our game, we have the complete opposite; we created a non-linear crafting system where every combination of ingredients actually creates something useful.”
If there is one thing that Ubisoft has done well with their successful, but young, franchise, is create games that are deep and ahead of their time. If Revelations can bring as much to the table as Brotherhood did, then this might just be a high note of a game for us to finish the Ezio and Altair cycles with.
Last Updated: October 13, 2011
