Sequence 04

Practice What You Preach: A short yet instructive Memory, this unlocks new assassination techniques. Practice each one in turn (and as often as you like), being sure to try both the high and low profile variants of Assassinate from Ledge and Assassinate from Hiding. When ready, return to Leonardo to complete the final objective and receive the Double Hidden Blades.

Fox Hunt: The Mercato Vecchio contains a common street pest: the Harasser. These infuriating individuals can recognize Ezio and will draw unwanted attention with their songs and shouts. For the same reason, you should also avoid individuals bearing crates. They will steer towards you but won’t collide with you if you stand still. Once you locate your target with Eagle Vision, move in close to trigger a cutscene. During the chase that follows, the biggest challenge is to avoid colliding with guards (and, to a lesser extent, common citizenry). Once you draw close, tap the Empty Hand Button to tackle your quarry. Do not, under any circumstances, use your weapons-this will cause immediate desynchronization.

See You There: A free running exercise en route to Santa Maria Novella. The Memory ends once your companion leaves, but there is still the question of how to deal with the guards blocking the route to your next objective. Courtesans or Mercenaries both have their merits if your funds allow it, though a short free running session over the wall with the arches or an honest brawl will be just as effective in securing access to the catacombs.

Novella’s Secret

1: Use the lever to open the first gate, then climb up and take the left-hand exit. Free run over the exposed poles and beams to reach a second lever, then head through the central passage. Again, use the beams to free run to a broken platform where a third and final lever can be found to open the gate at the waypoint marker. Perform a Leap of Faith from the ledge into the pile of straw below to quickly return to the bottom level. Note that should you accidentally fall to the lower level (and survive) before activating the second lever, you can climb a ladder to reach a path that leads back to the starting point.

2: Free run over the broken wall sections (to your left as you enter the room) to reach the upper level. There are Templar guards on either side. Use the Assassinate from Ledge move to kill the first on your left, then sneak up on the second. Free fun over the poles extending from the wall above the locked gate; for the final jump, aim for the hanging rope to swing around to safety. Activate the glowing switch mechanism.

3: Still on the upper level, leap over to protruding stones on the east wall, then climb to the wooden platform and jump to the adjacent balcony. Hop over to the sarcophagus raised by the mechanism, then turn left and use the pole to reach a second balcony. Here, operate the device to open the gate. Jump to the pole left of it after the cutscene, then perform a Leap of Faith from the ledge to return to the lower level.

4: Templars enter the room and begin investigating, but you can ignore these and make a break for the individual just through the gate. Approaching him triggers a frantic chase through ruined corridors. You can’t “fail” during this sequence, so feel free to take risks. The athletic Agile Templar will do everything in his power to curtail Ezio’s pursuit, but every blocked route has an alternative path next to it.

5: When you reach a long set of stairs leading to a tunnel with a raised path on the left, you have a choice. If you choose to follow him on the low ground, you won’t catch him before he reaches the door. The Templar then warns four of his associates, leading to a fight. If you take the high ground, though, it’s possible to perform a spectacular jumping execution at the end, thus preventing him from raising the alert and avoiding the battle entirely. Move to the waypoint to find a switch. After the cutscene, head down and open the sarcophagus. Don’t forget to open the nearby Treasure Chests before you exit to the outside world.

Wolves In Sheep’s Clothing: Wound Francesco to drive him away (it’s not possible to kill him here), then defend Lorenzo de Medici from a large wave of assailants. Once these are defeated, escort him through the chaos in the streets until you reach his residence. You will be attacked by other enemies as you travel: judicious use of Counter Kills is the trick to keeping each battle suitably short. As all this combat may take a toll on Ezio’s health, armor and supplies, be sure to restock, repair and heal starting the next Memory. Throwing Knives could be especially useful.

Farewell Francesco: Head up to the rooftops and travel to the waypoint where de Pazzi seemingly awaits your arrival. Climb the back end of the Palazzo della Signoria and study the positions of Francesco’s men. His archers are your foremost priority. If you can discretely kill these first (ideally with the low-profile Assassinate from Ledge move), the combat that follows will be far less fraught with danger. Your target flees once you reach the upper level, so give chase immediately-losing him will send you back to the previous checkpoint. Francesco is an accomplished free runner. Concentrate on keeping up with him at first, only taking risks to close the gap when you are confident that the consequences for any mistakes will be small. Once you draw sufficiently near, ready the Hidden Blade and wait for the right moment to strike.

Sequence 03

Roadside Assistance: The ambush offers an opportunity to engage in open combat-something that you’ll experience more often from this point onward. Ensure that Maria and Claudia are not attacked, and this conflagration will be brief. If you do not have a sward, Mario will throw you one when the second stage of the battle begins.

Casa Dolce Casa: After an eventful introduction, the stroll with Mario through Monterigionni is rather less eventful. The primary purpose of this Memory is to introduce the process of buying from storekeepers. Mario provides Ezio with the necessary funds; simply complete the shopping list to finish the mission.

Practice Makes Perfect: This sparring session introduces essential combat abilities, with the staple Counter Kill being the most noteworthy. Execute each move as specified to proceed to the next. The conclusion is a training battle against Mario. He may be stronger and more aggressive than opponents you have faced so far, but employing your new stock of techniques is the trick to beating him. Travel to Mario’s office to conclude the Memory once the fight is over, then go to Maria’s room. Once you are ready, grab a horse from outside the town gates, then follow the waypoint markers to reach your next objective.

What Goes Around: Use the Throwing Knives supplied by Mario to kill the archers situated on the town wall and surrounding buildings. Don’t forget to acquire a Target Lock before you use them, as Ezio’s supply is limited. This first step accomplished, activate the mechanism to open the gates for Mario and his cohorts to enter. After the cutscene, use your Mercenaries to defeat your targets and accompany you to the next waypoint. Offer assistance to Mario, then head towards Vieri’s location; your best bet is to use the rooftops for a safe and fast journey. Once the cinematic interlude ends, it’s time for revenge...

A Change Of Plans: Read the letter and follow the successive waypoints until you synchronize on the roof of the villa to reveal four Codex Pages to collect from chests situated in and around Monterigionni. Three are in the town itself; the last one is not far outside the walls, behind a small building. Once you’re done, speak in turn to Claudia, to the architect, and finally to Mario to learn about the Assassin Sanctuary. Your next destination is Florence.

Sequence 02

Fitting In: During the Blending tutorial, stand inside the boundaries of stationary groups while you wait for suitable collections of pedestrians to pass. Try not to fall too far behind Paola, though as a general rule it’s advisable to wait for a party heading in the required direction. When Paola teaches Ezio about pickpocketing, alternate between the areas just outside the two courtyard entrances to avoid detection between attempts.

Ace Up My Sleeve: Feel free to hire a group of Courtesans to simplify the journey to Da Vinci if money is no object. When the time comes to put the newly acquired hidden blade to good use, use common sense to judge the best moment to strike, but don’t take too long or else you might be detected.

Judge, Jury, Executioner: After reaching the first waypoint take a moment to appraise the square below, particularly the route taken by the majority of the pedestrians; this is the path you need to follow. The entrance to the exhibition is at the south-east of the Santa Croce building, so drop down and blend into a group heading in that direction. There is a group of Courtesans that you can hire once you turn the corner to the left, but those seeking to conserve florins can skulk into a group close to the entrance, then wait for a party to head inside.

Laying Low: This mission introduces the Notoriety mini-game, where Ezio must perform certain tasks to reduce his current level of infamy and return to Incognito status. The objective here is to completely empty the gauge in the top left-hand corner. Removing Posters is the least risky option, though killing corrupt Officials offers an excellent training opportunity for a handful of vital skills (including guard evasion, and assassination techniques).

Arrivederci: If you have outstanding business in Florence, attend to it before you begin this mission. With Ezio’s Notoriety level reduced to zero, the journey to the city limits should be uneventful. Use the Throw Money ability to divert attention elsewhere should you encounter any problems, especially Harassers. To cross the city gate, you will need to hire Courtesans and use them to keep the guards busy while you quietly leave Florence.

Sequence 01

Boys Will Be Boys: The brawl has two distinct stages. Once hostilities commence, focus only on the members of Vieri’s mob who attack Ezio directly before attending to the others. When the second wave arrives, move to a defensible position and focus on blocking, using short combos until you face fewer aggressors. Remember to keep Ezio in Fight Mode at all times-press the Target Lock Button to activate it when necessary.

You Should See The Other Guy: This is simply an introduction to free running. Follow Federico’s lead to reach the doctor.

Sibling Rivalry: Rather than take Federico’s route to the finish line, you can instead run into an alley on the left-hand side of the church. Climb up by the first door on the right to gain a massive advantage.

Night Cap: It’s a short jog to Christina’s window after the Leap of Faith, but try not to disturb any of Vieri’s men as you travel there. During Ezio’s escape, take to the rooftops to lose the chasing mob with ease.

Paperboy: Groups of the hostile Pazzi are wandering the streets, so the quickest way to reach you destination is to stay above them. It’s not a bad time to practice combat against weaker opponents if you feel so inclined, though.

Beat A Cheat: You can pummel Duccio in any way you please, but strictly speaking this is a tutorial on the use of the Grab function and related assaults.

Petruccio’s Secret: The time allocation is generous, so you should have no difficulty reaching each feather by following the waypoints. Completing this mission unlocks collectible feathers throughout the game world.

Friend Of The Family: A simple two-stage journey-no advice required.

Special Delivery: The best way to avoid complications is to stick to the rooftops en route to each delivery-only one of which necessitates a return to street level-and during the return to the Auditore household.

Jail Bird: Climb the north wall of the Palazzo della Signoria-look for a door next to an archway. When you reach the first rooftop guards, wait out of sight until both move away from your position, then quickly climb the nearby scaffold. The second pair of sentries below the tower where Giovanni is imprisoned are a little harder to evade, so don’t climb to the higher level just yet. Instead, use the gray ledge to traverse around to the south face of the building, observing their patrol routes as you move. Take refuge in the pile of straw, then wait for the best moment to dash out and begin climbing the tower via the stonework above the doorway. If you are detected, the Grab move is your best attack-try to throw the guards into the breakable items (such as barrels or wooden platforms) for an instant knockout, or simply hurl them over the parapet. Don’t forget to climb to the top and synchronize at the viewpoint above before you return to the streets.

Family Heirloom: Ready your sword before you leave the hidden room, then be ready to block when attacked. Weapon-based hits drain the Health Meter rapidly, so try to get a feel for your opponents before you commit to lunges of your own and keep your combos short. The Grab command is a powerful tool here-both for quick finishing moves, and for temporarily disabling a target. You may be attacked by other would-be executioners as you run to the waypoint marker, so traveling via the rooftops will help you to enjoy a less eventful journey. Even so, a further pair of hostiles will intercept you before you can reach Uberto Alberti’s residence. You must be anonymous to meet with Alberti so you’ll have to fight them first.

Last Man Standing: Don’t even think about fighting. As soon as the mission begins, sprint away from the surrounding guards. Once you establish a little distance (or, ideally, a couple of corners) between you and the pursuing mob to break their line of sight, you can either dive into a hiding place, or head for higher ground. Ezio’s fugitive status makes the journey to the first mission of Sequence 02 more difficult than most. Pick your route carefully, taking detours to avoid any guards you encounter.

Present 01

Abstergo Escape

Follow Lucy’s instructions and onscreen prompts as applicable, and you shouldn’t encounter any difficulties. While in the Abstergo laboratory, press the Head Button to activate Eagle Vision if you would like to study the cryptic messages encountered at the end of Assassin’s Creed. Once you reach your destination, you can speak to each member of the Brotherhood support team before you climb into the Animus.