Assassin’s Creed Revelations wraps up not one, but two ears of Assassin’s as it explores the final days of both Ezio Auditore and Altair Ibn La’Ahad. The zealous conclusion comes together quite nicely in the end. After Brotherhood, I was ready to throw in the towel and move on from Ezio, but after completing Revelations and witnessing the incredible conclusion to his adventure, it was worth one last trip back into his life.

Ubisoft’s ambitious plan with Revelations was to follow the path of not one, not two, but three lead characters; each one with their own story to tell. While the emphasis of the game is placed on Ezio’s adventure to find what lies hidden behind a locked door in Masyaf, flashbacks tell us the most memorable moments in Altair’s life. Desmond’s role on the other hand is very limited this time around. You have the option to dig a little into his mind and learn more about his quest by exploring through the inside of the animus, in which he is trapped in.

How it all comes together in one, dazzling package I have no idea, but it is by far the most compelling and mature story told in the series yet. The game begins with a hammer stroke, depicting Ezio as a admirable mentor over the entire Assassin order in search of knowledge and wisdom at the heart of his order, Masyaf, only to arrive and find it sprawling with Templars. It is here we see all of Ezio’s training come together in one formidable package, outmatched by no one.

His search through the ruins of the castle come to an abrupt halt, a locked door requiring five, unique keys preventing him from the end of his tale. He learns that one of the five keys is in the hands of the Templars and that the rest are spread out across the distant metropolis of Constantinople. This is where his quest unfolds, one, epic struggle against the combined might of the Templars, Byzantines, and the mighty Ottoman Empire.

Ezio will always be caught up in a fight. Whether that fight would be to infiltrate an enemy fortress, protecting the nephew of an Emperor, or defending a den from a large-scale Templar confrontation, he’ll never have the satisfaction of rest. All of the drama and action that ensues is gloriously captured by new, cinematic camera angles that emphasize both the lesser and crucial moments of the game.

Along the way, an array of side missions will be available to distract you from the main plot on hand. Some quests will be tied to the memory sequence (there are nine) you’re currently on, others will be available at any given time.

Also, just as you could in Brotherhood, you’ll be able to recruit your own legion of assassin’s to assist you in your fight. However, they will not only answer your call to duty around the city, but your call across the entire Mediterranean Sea. Assassins can be sent out across the known world on missions as simple as stealing food, to assassinating a vital member of the Templar order, all the way to bending entire cities under the Assassin influence.

The customizable options available to you have been significantly expanded, making it seem less like just another tacked on feature and more fun and engaging to jump into. Everything about an Assassin soldier can be customized, ranging from their skill in combat to the clothing they wear on their skin. They can level up by gaining experience, which can be acquired through assisting you in combat or the missions they successfully complete elsewhere in the world.

As they achieve higher levels, they can be assigned their own personal den in Constantinople where they will continue their training to become a Master Assassin. More dens can be unlocked by capturing Templar fortresses set up around the city. The more dens you control increases the amount of assassin’s you can recruit and the amount of shops you can purchase. Shops, as before, increase your revenue earned every X amount of time.

New equipment options this time around are few, but the new options offered are very fun to experiment with and use. The two new options on display in Revelations are bombs and the hook blade. The hook blade offers a few new tricks in both combat and navigation. It can be used to flip over an enemy in mid-stride or used to grab distant ledges. It can also be used to zoom across zip lines found here and there on the rooftops.

Bombs however, are the main attraction here. They can completely alter the outcome of a fight, as they can be used to both kill and distract your enemies. They can also be used to hide your movements from others. Throughout Constantinople you’ll acquire a wide range of ingredients that can be used to assemble hundreds of different bombs through it’s own crafting mechanic. If you’re not hug on crafting, bombs can be purchased at a local bomb shop.

Not everything about Revelations was a knock out of the park, as much as I wanted it to be. Ezio’s role as a general to the Assassin order means it is his duty to defend Assassin dens from Templar attacks in a tower-defense styled minigame. Everything about is an utter disaster. If your notoriety is too high, your dens will be attacked at a much more frequent rate. You have to defend your dens if you wish to keep them.

This would be a potentially fun thing to do if the sequences weren’t just too darn hard to undergo. Controls are sloppy and feel stiff. It also just seems to contradict the whole idea of the Assassin order, stealth and secrecy. Large scale open battles over key buildings just don’t seem to fit in. Personally, I think the whole Idea should have been scrapped.

When not controlling Ezio and fighting to find the five Masyaf keys, your role switches back to Desmond, whom is trapped inside the Animus. His completely option side trek is told in first person and follows his journey as he repairs the shattered remains of his mind. Here, you can finally uncover the details of Desmond’s early life. While the whole concept was very unique and interesting, the entire experience was just plain boring.

The excellent multiplayer that was brought to life in Brotherhood is back, with an assortment of new game modes, customizable options, a much better interface and a separate story mode that informs players of the modern day Templars make multiplayer a must play for any person who owns the game. Unlike in Brotherhood, I have nothing but praise for this installment’s multiplayer. It no longer feels like a feature that was simply just tacked on.

As usual, another mind blowing soundtrack accompanies the game, featuring over 80 new songs composed by two different artists, Jesper Kyd and Lorne Balfe . It quickly escalated to the top of my list for favorite game soundtracks, but it wouldn’t have been complete without another excellent cast of both returning and new voice actors. Without them, Assassins Creed would be nothing. When they’re combined, they seem to be the life and soul of the game.

Closing Comments

Assassin’s Creed Revelations marks the fourth installment in the franchise that concludes the tale of Ezio and Altair in epic proportion. Despite suffering from both new and old ideas, for instance Den Defense and the boring adventure of Desmond, it is still a thrilling ride from beginning to end. “I have seen enough for one life.” ~ Ezio Auditore