The Hidden Blade Assassin's Creed in Depth

I would love to see Altaïr's initiation to the Brotherhood. When he was handed his hidden blade, or when he got his finger cut. I doubt we will see this kind of memory though, more like events that would help Ezio answer all of his questions.

I'd like to see his initiation, as well as his first mission, as part of the same seal.

After that, I'd like it to be post-apple-getting.

I wonder if Ubisoft changed the voice actor for Altaïr in AC1, probably his voice will be different now...

I agree with Sync and Calvar, also, it would be cool if we get to know more about Altair's romance with Maria.
And for Calvar's comment, yeah, it would be cool to see Altair as a master assassin commanding them and trying to understand how the Apple works and stuff like that.

and what about if Masyaf has been attacked and then they got Altair and the Apple ? That will be a good way to know why the Templars "dominated" Masyaf at revelations E3 trailer. ;D

http://forums.ubi.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/5251069024/m/9531051139?r=65210...

It hasn't been confirmed, but Ubi just had to screw with my favourite character from my favourite game and give him linear sequences, completely destorying everything that I thought was awesome about the first game.

Not much of a suprise. I didn't expect him to have his own free-roam world or lots of Assassination missions.

From the post: " and picking off guards in ancient cisterns"

That sounds like some free-form stealth gameplay, although it will be linear in that you HAVE to do it.

People complain about linearity without taking into account what it actually means. In some way, killing a target is very linear, since the target can't dodge your air assassination, cause you never miss. But you guys are fine with that, because it still takes skill to get to the air assassination.

A puzzle free-running sequence can be linear, but it still takes skill to get through it.

EDIT: Although yes, if this game consists mainly of linear assassination sequences, it will suck. But we don't really know about that yet, no point in discussing it.

All the missions in every AC game is kinda linear, you have to kill that target.
For examples:
- Sibrand in AC1. You can't kill him on the boat or when he is "arguing" with that "priest", you have to get to the ship to kill him.
- The Assassins tombs in AC2, it's a free-run puzzle, but it's still linear because you have just one way to go. Also the guys you have to chase in the assassins tombs, it's linear, you HAVE to chase them and kill them.
ETC...

So i can't understand why so much discussing and complaining about it.

What do you expected mate ? They can't make a "free-roam world" when playing as Altair, the missions with Altair will be kinda the same of that one we played on AC2, that he chased Maria, but now the missions will be bigger and with assassinations and that kinda of stuff. They can't make a free-roam for Altair as Ezio is in a "playback" of Altair's memories. Althought Ezio will have a "free-roam world" like always, and we hope to see "free-form missions" and stuff like that.

I really hope they won't. Characters' voices changing from one game to another is a disturbing experience. And I can't imagine Altaïr with an arabic accent ; whether the american one seemed canon or not, Philip Shahbaz's voice = Altaïr. (I won't even speak about Bloodlines.)

I don't think they'll have any trouble getting the actor back. He hasn't exactly done much else, judging by his wikipedia page, I'm sure he'd love the extra cash.

That isn't the problem, I personally am worried that they will replace him to get a voice actor with an accent.

BLASPHEMY!

They can make as many "sequels" to AC as they want, it doesn't bother me, but they should leave Altair alone.

The goal was linear, but the way you got to that goal was entirely up to you. That's what we mean when we say the new games aren't as "free". Look up Stabguy and Ian's Youtube videos about AC1 assassinations to see what I mean. You could literally do anything creatively and reach your goal.

Hmm... I see now..
And i watched some videos from Ian and Stab, you're right.

Anyway, Joey, what do you expect to see in Revelations ?
Alot of really linear missions ? just this, or more ?
(I'm not judging you or nothing else, just asking, i'm curious )

XD

I expect a lot more emphasis on Desmond. I'd like at least a few "free" missions as main assassinations, but overall, I'm expecting it to be 80% linear, just getting from cutscene to cutscene.

Also, the multiplayer has been a good addition to me, since now I can actually prove to my doubtful friends that I can whoop their @$$es without them seeing me. So I'd like to see how they improved that.

The nostalgia is a must, I think. I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't have Altair talk. If they did, I'd like to see what happens after he stops writing the Codex. It ends in a cliffhanger. He goes to look at the Apple once more, and nothing. I have a feeling that Ubisoft planned the intertwining stories of Altair, Desmond, and Ezio since they were working on AC2. Yes he was very old when he stops writing, but back then, 30 was a goal. Ezio is over 50. As dedicated as Altair is, I wouldn't mind if he looks similar to Al Mualim (long gray beard and all) when we first see him. Maybe we'll see his sons and an Assassin robe-wearing Maria.

That last paragraph was mostly hopes, but the rest is what I expect.

Haha

Nice thinking Joey. Also i wouldn't be suprised too if Altair had Long beard and stuff like that. I really want to see him writing the Codex also trying to interpret the Apple and kinda "training" his sons.
For Ezio, i know that it'll have alot of linear missions but i expect to see some "freedom" missions, so you can plan how to attack and stuff like that, i don't think that they can make a game fully linear.
For Desmond i'm expecting to see ALOT of "free-running puzzle" missions, cause he is in a sort of a Coma so there isn't much thing he can do inside his mind.

And...and.... well i don't know more, i need an inspiration to get more ideas.

<- when I heard Altaïr's missions would be completely scripted and linear...

Of course they could. Especially if they're using the same setting, Constantinople, then they could easily put in small non linear sequences with Altaïr.

By the way, does anyone have a link to the article where this came from?

When i said Free-roam world, i meant the city. You are in a playback of altair's memories so you can't just free-roam on Acre, or Damascus or Jerusalem. You need to make the especific mission and then when you did it you will play as Ezio again. We can't just make the mission and keep free-roaming with Altair on those cities, because when you finish the mission with Altair you will get out of this "playback" and play as Ezio again.

The seals are basically Ezio's version of an Animus.

I know that the seals are going to relive Altair's memories, but i never thought that it would be sort of an animus. Good thinking Joey and Flyer, i woudl never think that way. But i unfortunatelly i don't expect to see this "free-roam" that we are saying.
I really hope to see, but i think that it wouldn't be like this, unfortunatelly

I know we won't be free-roaming as Altair. It would be pretty cool to have a DLC of an Altair mission in Constantinople (only how it looked in his time, not Ezio's).

I doubt they'll do that, though.

if u want to play as altair then get his olfit from uplay lol

For Joey : I doubt too, but it would be really cool !

What is this "olfit" you speak of??

his robes sorry for the spelling

I definately agree that AC1 assassinations gave you more options, but I always found the guard detection mechanics a little screwy and unfair/dumb. Brotherhood and AC2 made it easier to tell what guard was looking at you, and made it possible to escape without hiding in a hide spot. I understand that AC2 and brotherhood had much more linear content, and I definately enjoy freer stuff more (for assassinations. I'm fine with chase scenes and set-pieces), but the majority of my time playing AC is spent just screwing around with absolutely no mission going on. So AC2 and brotherhood were more fun, for me.

I hope you guys understand that I'm hoping for lots of awesome assassinations. I just haven't seen any evidence that there aren't any in the game, so far.

That's the first thing I got from uplay, but I gave it up after using it once, because hearing Altaïr with Ezio's voice is just wrong. Plus, his face isn't even the one from AC1, so he looks more like Ezio/Desmond in a white robe and one finger short.

Altairs face in AC1 is literally just Desmonds.

http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100117185730/assassinscreed/imag...

just like desmond

What I'm trying to say is :
Desmond and Altaïr's face are the same in AC1,
Desmond and Ezio's face are the same in ACII,
but Desmond's face in AC1 ≠ Desmond's face in ACII
Therefore, Altaïr's face ≠ Ezio's face.
Q.E.D.

Nice maths! lol
But really, you're right.. i did a comparison and you're right.

Desmond's face really didn't change that much. Obviously with his face getting retconned, so did Altair's. He already looked like Desmond in a hood.

I understand the logic, but it trips you up.

Desmond's face= Altair's face.
Desmond's other face= Ezio's face.
Desmond's face= Desmond's other face.
So Ezio's face= Altair's face.

It's not a big deal. I'll bet that they bother to give Altair his own model now. So rejoice!

Desmond's face really changes, but not that much.
I think that in Revelations, Altair's face will be the same as Desmond's..
If you compare Altair's face and Ezio's face, you can see that they are Desmond's face, but Ezio and Altair's face are diferent one from another. So it basically proves that Desmond's face in AC1 is a little bit changed in AC2 and ACB.
Well that's what i think by looking at their faces.

"If you compare Altair's face and Ezio's face, you can see that they are Desmond's face, but Ezio and Altair's face are diferent one from another. So it basically proves that Desmond's face in AC1 is a little bit chanegdi n AC2 and ACB."

They're only different because Ezio has facial hair and different eyebrows, as well as a changed skin color.

Desmond and Altair's faces were the same in AC1 to save assets and since you didn't get a very good look at Altair's face.

Revelations seems to be stepping up the quality of lip-synching, facial movement, and cutscenes even more than Brotherhood did. I'd be highly surprised if they re-used Desmond's face when Altair is going to feature so heavily in this game.

Am I the only one who was impressed by the random crowd character models and faces? Much more varied and high quality than even the AC1 targets!

I still think Desmond looks different in ACII compared to AC1. Whatever.
You're right about the variety of the crowd, though I remember seeing a few citizens with familiar faces. This man who was in charge of fixing the cannons in Monteriggioni, I saw him in Rome with a feather on a hat, and a lute. He was a bard. Sad view.

Yeah, their face is diferent because of facial hair and stuff like that, that's why i can't see that they both are Desmond's face.

Also, yeah Revelations is using a software called MOCAM, that is the same used my L.A NOIRE, this software is kinda this: They record a real person's face talking and stuff like that and then put into the game.
That is one reason for Ezio's face to have changed alot. You can see that it's a really diferent nose and stuff like that.
They couldn't find a person that looks exactly like Ezio.

It's not actually the same mocam tech that LA noire uses. Ezio looks totally different from the voice actor they used to capture his facial movements.

But what I was talking about with the face models and crap is that if you stip away the stoff you could take away by shaving, he looks exactly the same as desmond and Altair. This is not actually canon. This is due to saving time by re-using assets. That's my only point.

"It's not actually the same mocam tech that LA noire uses. Ezio looks totally different from the voice actor they used to capture his facial movements."
Really ? I was sure that it was, if i'm not wrong i read something about it on a magazine.

"But what I was talking about with the face models and crap is that if you stip away the stoff you could take away by shaving, he looks exactly the same as desmond and Altair. This is not actually canon. This is due to saving time by re-using assets. That's my only point."
Yeah, as i said, Ezio's beard makes me think that they were diferent, but now i realised that Ezio's face is Demond's face, Desmond's Face is Altair's face. So Ezio's face = Altair's face

They had a facial model for Desmond's character. They based his facial features on him. They could use him for mocam.

Problem is he's a model, not an actor. The whole point of MoCam is to capture lifelike expressions and a realistic speaking performance for close-ups, cutscenes etc. Granted, they could still use the facial model but I'm willing to bet that he can't act very well

http://assassinscreed.wikia.com/wiki/Francisco_Randez

funny i seen a pic of that guy when i typed in face models

He does. He looks a lot different in fact.

By the way, Altaïr and Desmond do look slightly different in AC1. There's slight variations in the models and the texture of the face is a bit different. Basically, the difference found in two very identical twins. They pretty much said to hell with all that in AC2/B because they used the exact same model with the same texture - except older Ezio obviously has the beard and whatnot.

He looks different in AC2 in that his face is less randomly jagged and his eyes don't look like borg eyes.

There is a strong resemblance. It's a retcon of his face, and since they gave the Altair model the same face, they conisder Altair to have looked somewhat the same at that age as well.

I still think they reuse the same face to represent that Desmond is acting through these characters. Altair would have looked a lot less American and more middle eastern. The cover art goes in this direction, showing his actual face at that time.

And Ezio's wouldn't look exactly like Desmond's, either. In the E3 trailer, he obviously has different facial features than Desmond. The edges of his mouth are somewhat curled, showing his slightly more relaxed personality compared to Altair.

Indeed, in the E3 trailer and in the DEMO too, we can see that Ezio's face is really diferent.

AC1 : http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_98nCEu8n67o/TSMS9DxffoI/AAAAAAAAALw/UsutcI4ubF...
AC2 : http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20110223110458/assassinscreed/imag...
The way I see it, AC1 is more detailed and realistic. AC2 looks like they have been polished with wax.

I didn't mean that they're suggesting that cannonically either Altair or Ezio had similar faces to desmond or each other. Just that Ubisoft retconned Desmond's face, and then kept using it as a stand in for unique faces for the other two.

It goes a bit beyond jaggedness and eyes - though those are two huge factors in appearance. Overall his head size has completely changed (it's smaller and more round) and it's a lot more smooth. Also , Desmond in AC1 had higher and more defined (harder/rough) cheekbones and very noticable indentations below them.

Besides sharing a similar shaped nose and such, I really don't see the resemblance at all.

I think that's exactly what they're suggesting. Especially considering the lengths they've gone to keep them that way.

Sorry, poorly worded. I don't think they're saying that Des/Altair/Ezio had the EXACT same facial structure as each other. I think it's just a case of reusing assets.

I saw an interview with Alex Amancio and he said that Altair lived into his nineties. And that we'll get to play as him as a teenager right through to a ninety-something year old man.

"It goes a bit beyond jaggedness and eyes - though those are two huge factors in appearance. Overall his head size has completely changed (it's smaller and more round) and it's a lot more smooth. Also , Desmond in AC1 had higher and more defined (harder/rough) cheekbones and very noticable indentations below them.

Besides sharing a similar shaped nose and such, I really don't see the resemblance at all. "

Well of course it looks some different, and I did notice the cheekbones, but I still see a very strong similarity between the faces. Comparing the AC2 face and AC1 face and then saying that AC2's looks waxy is a bit unfair: everything looks waxy in AC2. Brotherhood and revelation's skin looks less unnatural, and generally looks up to and a bit past the AC1 level of detail. I personally would enjoy if they showed us Altair's unique face, since in trailers and everything he's always been shown with a different one. It just makes sense to me.

Much more than two people of different nationalities separated by hundreds of years and Italian/who knows what else lineage having the exact same face.

Untill we see if they change his face for Revs, we can agree to disagree.