• More Assassin's Creed to come in 2012

  The story of Desmond Miles, the hapless soul whose jaunts into the past have formed the storyline for the Assassin's Creed series over the last four years, will come to an end sometime next year in a new game.

  Speaking to Eurogamer, Assassin's Creed: Revelations creative lead Alexandre Amacio said: 'In Assassin's Creed we set up a timeline with this whole end of the world plot of December 2012. That's fast approaching, and the story we have to tell, we obviously need to do it before we arrive at that point.'

  Fans need not panic, however, as the series will continue with different protagonists. 'Assassin's Creed is all about cycles', explained Amacio. 'We have the Desmond cycle, which is set to end on December 2012, but there's many cycles within the brand - that's the whole point. History is our playground.'

  Assassin's Creed: Revelations, due on PC, Xbox 360 and PS3 on November 20th, will draw a line under the storylines of both Ezio and Altair, the ancestors whose memories Desmond has explored in all four games to date. This means that whatever Ubisoft has planned for 2012 will involve an entirely new character and perhaps even a new time period.

  Where would you like to see Desmond go next?

• Assassin's Creed: Cutting through history

  Assassin's Creed has become such a mainstay of the game charts, and in such a short space of time, that it's easy to forget the mystery and confusion that surrounded the launch of the very first game back in 2007.

  Teasing glimpses of the Middle East in the 12th Century suggested a historical epic, but strange digital glitches hinted at science fiction. It was an open-world game, but nothing like the free-roaming crime capers the genre usually offered. And it was apparently a stealth game, but without a need to hide in boxes or crouch in corners.

  When the game finally arrived, the pieces fell into place. Ubisoft's Montreal studio had conjured up a breathtakingly lifelike recreation of historical cities, and populated them with crowds that flowed and moved in realistic ways. Our hero, Altair, was a member of the Order of Assassins, waging a centuries old war with the rival Templars. Oh, and he was being controlled by a relation from the future, via a machine called the Animus which allowed Desmond Miles to relive the memories of his ancestors.

  Most impressive was the nimble ease with which Altair could scamper around Jerusalem, Acre and Damascus. His fluid free-running made rooftop escapes and daring climbs incredibly intuitive and fun. Few will forget the first time they climbed a tower, admired the view and then dove off into a haystack far below.

  However, the gameplay beneath the technology was fairly raw. Altair had to carry out nine assassinations, which were triggered by performing set tasks. These tasks included such heart-pounding exercises as sitting on a bench and eavesdropping, or walking very slowly behind someone.

  Ubisoft clearly took notice of the criticisms levelled at Assassin's Creed's more repetitive moments, as two years later Assassin's Creed II improved the series hugely with more dynamic missions, a stronger story and a more interesting hero. With a hop forward in time to 15th Century Italy, Ezio Auditore became our lead, bringing with him a rakish charm that marked him out as a Rennaisance James Bond. Accessories and gadgets could now be purchased, from no lesser vendor than Leonardo DaVinci himself, and the game was rightly praised for the way it took the immersive world of the first title and built a deep and rewarding game on top.

  The second game also showcased a series capable of delivering multiple narratives at the same time. As Ezio's story unfolded in the past, Desmond's story followed suit in the present. Hidden in the game, behind mysterious glowing glyphs, was yet another tale. Subject 16, a previous user of the Animus, had buried clues to his fate throughout history. Solving the mind-boggling puzzles, and deciphering the dense conspiracy-laden history lessons within, added yet more layers to the increasingly immersive Assassin's universe.

  With the formula cracked, Ubisoft quickly set about improving, adding and tweaking the game for the best results. Assassin's Creed Brotherhood followed in 2010, just a year after Assassin's Creed II, leaving some fans worried that the game would be a jumped-up expansion pack rather than a true follow-up.

  The worries proved unfounded, as Brotherhood not only continued Ezio's story in thrilling fashion but introduced some remarkable new features to the series. First among these was the brotherhood of the title, a growing team of assassin's that could be recruited, trained and then called upon to assist in your nefarious hits. Brotherhood also introduced multiplayer for the first time, in the shape of a cleverly designed suite of game modes that used the stalk-and-slay gameplay of the main story to weave a paranoid multi-layered game of cat and mouse, with players all hunting one of their peers - while someone else in turn hunted them.

  In just five years, Assassin's Creed has gone from a curious oddity to one of the biggest and most critically acclaimed gaming series of this console generation. This week sees the release of Assassin's Creed Revelations, an ambitious entry that brings original star Altair back into the frame alongside Ezio, while Desmond roams digital limbo trying to return to normality. With Altair and Ezio reaching the end of their adventure this year, and Desmond's story set to wrap up in another sequel in 2012, the future and past for assassins everywhere has never been brighter.

• Assassin Creed: Revelations : Review

  Assassin Creed: Revelations : Review

  
  
  Title: Assassin Creed: Revelations
  Platform reviewed: Xbox 360
  Review Date: 28.11.11

  Ezio takes a bow

  While the original Assassin Creed was no slouch, the series really found its groove with the release of Assassin Creed 2. That game brought us Ezio Auditore, the cool, likeable hero whose combination of suave an and cold determination brought a thrilling new energy to the series. After following up Ezio debut with the even more spectacular Assassin Creed: Brotherhoodhich gave Ezio some new buddies in his stealth conspiracy-busting enterprisebisoft says that Revelations will be Ezio swan song.

  The Ezio of Revelations is well into middle age, but while his beard may be graying, he hasn lost a step. He just as light on his feet and quick with a knife as before, so Revelations plays much the same way as AC2 and AC: Brotherhood. Set free in a beautiful, detailed rendition of Renaissance-era Constantinople, you criss-cross the open world completing a wide variety of missions, all of which mix the essential Assassin Creed ingredients: acrobatics, stealth, and murder.

  Three a crowd

  Ezio not the only hero of Revelations. This entry in the series also brings back Alta, the protagonist of the first Assassin Creed game. During a quest to collect hidden books that hold the key to an ancient secret of the Assassin brotherhood, the game periodically shifts into flashback mode to let you play as Alta in missions that explore the later years of that man life. These excursions can feel detached from the main flow of the game (because they are), but they stick to the tried-and-true Assassin Creed formula, so theye still good fun.

  But Revelations diverges from the usual formula when it comes to the third leading man in the game trio of heroes: Desmond Miles, the guy who has been in the Animus DNA-time-machine thingy all along. In this game, he stuck on nimus Island,and he has to find a way out. It kind of like the TV show Lost, but even more confusing. Desmond missionsnlocked by collecting data fragments while playing as Eziore spatial puzzles in a first-person perspective (as opposed to the usual third-person view.) It an intriguing sidetrack that is worth a look, and it not critical to completing the game, so treat it as a bonus.

  Get hooked

  As usual, Ezio has a bunch of new toys to play with. The most important new gadget is the Hook Blade, which attaches to the hidden blade on Ezio left hand and allows him to zip around on the long ropes and clotheslines that just happen to be strewn about the city. The Hook Blade also extends Ezio reach while he climbing, so scampering up the side of a huge tower just got easier.

  Revelations also adds a bomb-crafting system that is not as intriguing as the developers appear to think. Ezio can now combine ingredients to make a wide array of explosives. While it always enjoyable to make things go boom, the bombast of this new kit does diverge a little from the image of Ezio as a quiet, efficient killer.

  Fitting send-off

  The multiplayer game has not changed much from Brotherhood, and it still a blast. The online maps still have you sneaking around city squares trying to ferret out your human opponents amid the crowd of innocent bystanders. A new Deathmatch mode makes locating your mark even harder than before and forces you to sharpen your senses - a brilliant addition.

  Overall, Assassin Creed: Revelations may not the best AC game, but it still a fitting send-off for Ezio. Like its predecessors, it offers many hours of wall-bouncing, bad-guy-stabbing action, while also wrapping up the epic saga of one of gaming most likeable heroes.

  Our rating: 8.0

  MOLTO BENE!:
  - Beautiful new setting
  - Hook blade makes navigation easier
  - Multiplayer is better than ever

  MAMMA MIA!:
  - Bomb-crafting and tower-defense sub-games can be bland
  - Three-pronged story gets confusing
  - Not as inventive as past games

• Assassin's Creed Revelations to receive new map pack

  Assassin's Creed Revelations to receive new map pack

  Fans of Assassin's Creed Revelations will be able to expand their multiplayer experience later this month with the release of a new downloadable map pack.

  The latest batch of DLC for the hit Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 stealth action game is called the Mediterranean Traveller Map Pack and includes a total of six new combat arenas.

  Three of the maps will be brand new, allowing players to explore Jerusalem, Constantinople and Dyers, while the Firenze, San Donato and Siena maps return from Assassin's Creed Brotherhood by popular request.

  Players will be able to download the maps on January 24th in order to take advantage of the new gameplay opportunities afforded by their varied terrain and settings.

  Assassin's Creed Revelations was launched in November 2011 and features an improved multiplayer mode with more maps and characters than ever, as well as a solo campaign that completes the story of master assassin Ezio Auditore.

  Ezio will soon be appearing as a guest character in SoulCalibur V, Namco Bandai's new fighting game, which is hitting stores next month.

  Published: 11/01/2012

• New Assassin's Creed Revelations map pack available now

  Fans of Assassin's Creed Revelations can get hold of the latest new batch of downloadable content for the acclaimed action game.

  Available now for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and PC, the Mediterranean Traveller Map Pack provides gamers with a number of new multiplayer arenas in which to do battle, with several all-new maps joined by a trio of classic favourites.

  Brand new arenas include the Jerusalem, Constantinople and Dyers maps, while long-term fans will be pleased to see the return of the Firenze, San Donato and Siena levels from Assassin's Creed Brotherhood.

  Each of the six maps offers its own unique terrain, hideouts and gameplay opportunities, while fans will be able to unlock a number of new Trophies and Achievements.

  Assassin's Creed Revelations features an improved multiplayer mode that boasts all-new levels, characters and abilities, as well as an in-depth solo campaign that concludes the epic tale of master assassin Ezio Auditore.

  Ezio will soon be making cameo appearances in two of February 2012's biggest console releases - fighting sequel Soulcalibur V and role-playing epic Final Fantasy XIII-2.

  Published: 25/01/2012

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