Sequence 07

Benvenuto: This is but a stroll through the streets of Venice, taking in evocative sights and sounds as you follow your two companions. Feel free to explore and unlock a few viewpoints before you start.

That’s Gonna Leave A Mark: Heal, repair armor and replenish your stocks of finite items before you begin. After the opening cutscene ends, your job is to escort the wounded Rosa as she attempts to escape. This does not begin auspiciously, as you are thrown directly into a fight with nearby guards. Rosa’s Health Meter is displayed in the upper left-hand corner of the screen. Attract your opponents by attacking them, even if the risk exposes Ezio to damage. While he will have opportunities to heal during this action-heavy Memory, his newfound ward will not. Rosa has a surprisingly high level of mobility at first, so endeavor to keep up with her once the first set of guards have been dispatched. You will encounter numerous small skirmishes with Borgia forces as you progress through the streets, so a secondary benefit of staying close is that it may enable you to perform quick Hidden Blade kills on stronger enemies. After a number of encounters, Rosa will collapse. For the next section of the Memory, your job is to carry her. There are further attacks, but this time certain individuals will come to your aid. It’s best to drop Rosa and help out, then continue towards the waypoint. For the final stage, Rosa is on board a gondola. Run alongside the boat as it moves along the canal, slaying all archers on its path. Throwing Knives facilitate the perfunctory brand of kill required, though some are in a suitable position for Hidden Blades finishes. It’s a good idea to move ahead and work in advance (the route isn’t complicated), though don’t stray too far.

Building Blocks: Enter the Thieves Hideout (Gilda dei Ladri di Venezia) office to meet Antonio for a brief cutscene.

Breakout: Meet Ugo on a rooftop to the east of Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari to begin this Memory. There are three locations where you will find cages containing groups of four Thieves. These are guarded at street level by several soldiers who will attack Ezio if he enters the designated Restricted Areas. Once you free a group of captives, you must escort them back to Ugo, who awaits your return at the Memory Start location. It’s only mandatory that one Thief survives (the number required is marked onscreen), but it’s still prudent to keep them out of trouble and not to outdistance them.

Clothes Make The Man: Meet Ugo on the dock east of the Thieves Hideout to begin this Memory. The first objective is to secure the services of Thieves and use them to lure away the guards surrounding three Treasure Chests. The two containers closest to the starting position are a cakewalk: just stroll over once the guards give chase and retrieve the contents. The final chest, located close to a bridge, requires a little more in the way of planning. In addition to the guards stationed around it, there is also a street patrol or a Harasser. Time your approach carefully to sent the Thieves in at the right moment. The second objective is to steal a gondola from a Restricted Area. Approach it from the rooftops, picking up another group of Thieves on the way and, once again, order them to create a diversion. The journey back to the final waypoint marker should be short and uneventful.

Cleaning House: Speak to Antonio inside the Thieves Hideout. Use Eagle Vision to identify each culprit in the green zones. One is found on a ship surrounded by other vessels, with a perimeter of keen-eyed archers making a direct approach difficult. A second stands alone on a rooftop. The third can be found strolling near a marketplace, with several opportunities for an Air Assassination. All three targets will attack and raise the alarm if they spot Ezio.

Monkey See, Monkey Do: Speak to Rosa outside the Thieves Hideout to play a short Climb Leap tutorial.

By Leaps And Bounds: Having acquired a valuable new technique you can finally scale the tower at Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, so meet Rosa there to begin this Memory. There is a time limit to reach the viewpoint, but it’s actually rather generous. The most obvious route is to scale the east face, by the starting position, but you may find it easier and faster to run to the southwest corner of the building and climb from there. Synchronize before you dive back down, then speak to Rosa to stop the clock.

Everything Must Go: After killing the five archers on the surrounding rooftops (an uncomplicated task that requires no real strategy barring the obvious suggestion that Throwing Knives will help), return to Antonio. Hire a group of Thieves stationed nearby, then make the short journey to the Palazzo Della Seta’s western entrance. You’ll find it guarded by four soldiers. Instruct your helpers to lure them away, or Double Air Assassinate the Brutes. Run over to the northwest corner (beside the canal) to begin scaling the wall, employing Climb Leap as required until you reach a balcony. Once the cinematic interlude ends, the challenge is to assassinate Emilio before he departs on a boat stationed at the north face of the Palazzo. While he waits for his minions to load select possessions on board, he will stroll around the inner walls, loudly bemoaning his lot in what little of his life remains. You can climb down and fight your way to your target if you like, but the north face of the building presents an opportunity for a more creative finish. Climb in through the open window on the right, then look over the safety barrier to the left. See the beam below? Drop onto it, and you can wait silently for Barbarigo to move into position for departure, then end the Memory with a stylish Air Assassination.