___                        _       _       _____                   _
/ _ \                      (_)     ( )     /  __ \                 | |
/ /_\ \___ ___  __ _ ___ ___ _ _ __ |/ ___  | /  \/_ __ ___  ___  __| |
|  _  / __/ __|/ _` / __/ __| | '_ \  / __| | |   | '__/ _ \/ _ \/ _` |
| | | \__ \__ \ (_| \__ \__ \ | | | | \__ \ | \__/\ | |  __/  __/ (_| |
\_| |_/___/___/\__,_|___/___/_|_| |_| |___/  \____/_|  \___|\___|\__,_|
_________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
_____ _____
|_   _|_   _|
| |   | |
| |   | |
_| |_ _| |_
\___/ \___/
_____________________________
| Assassin's Creed II Guide   |
| Created by: Axel7174        |
| FAQ and Walkthrough         |
| Copyright 2009 Ryne Gardner |
|_____________________________|
Version History
---------------
Version 1.00 - 11/16/09 - 11/23/09
--Well, here we are, the first completed version. I will admit, this guide is
somewhat rough for the first edition. I'm hoping to buff out some of the rough
edges very soon and start adding more things and improving existing stuff. Here
you go though, enjoy!
Version 1.10 - 11/25/09
--Alright, first update! I think I accomplished a fair amount here. I started
a few sections and their subsections. For example, the Villa section has been
started but not finished. Extras was started with Trophies added and the Glyphs
and Puzzles section was started but not yet finished. Other than that, I added
a specks of information to the walkthrough and gave the whole guide a much
needed spellcheck.
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
Version 1.15 - 11/27/09
--Started some more stuff like Basics. Didn't work on the Villa section this
time so there's still some work to do there. Other than that, it was just a few
small updates to the walkthrough, a tip or two, information changes/edits and
a pair of new FAQ questions.
Version 1.25 - 12/1/09
--Welcome to the month of December! For this update, I added two new
sub-sections, including one for a little info on connecting the PS3 version of
ACII to the PSP game, AC: Bloodlines. I added the Stautettes, located in the
Villa section. I also finished the Glyph puzzle solutions, but have not yet
added all the locations. Other than that, a bunch of fixes and small additions.
Version 1.35 - 12/21/09
--Well, let me first apologize for the lack of updates. I have been simply
overburdened with final papers and final exams in college (being an English
Major stinks sometimes!) and other obligations as well. Now that my semester
is over (huzzah!), I can finally find some time to work on this guide. I began
by updating a few sections here and there, then started the Weapon, Armor &
Clothes sub-section. Added a few tips that were submitted to me and made a few
corrections. Well I'm gonna disappear for a few days but a few more updates
should be coming eventually. Until then, regardless of what you celebrate...
Happy Holidays everyone!
Version 1.40 - 1/4/09
--Hope everyone had a good holiday and a happy New Year. Got a small update
here, mostly just to fix some stuff here and there. I'm gonna be focusing on
older guides so I'm gonna put this one aside for a little while.
_    _  ____  __    ___  _____  __  __  ____    ____  _____
( \/\/ )( ___)(  )  / __)(  _  )(  \/  )( ___)  (_  _)(  _  )
)    (  )__)  )(__( (__  )(_)(  )    (  )__)     )(   )(_)(
(__/\__)(____)(____)\___)(_____)(_/\/\_)(____)   (__) (_____)
____  _   _  ____      __    _  _  ____  __  __  __  __  ___
(_  _)( )_( )( ___)    /__\  ( \( )(_  _)(  \/  )(  )(  )/ __)
)(   ) _ (  )__)    /(__)\  )  (  _)(_  )    (  )(__)( \__ \
(__) (_) (_)(____)  (__)(__)(_)\_)(____)(_/\/\_)(______)(___/
__|_________________________________________________________________________
¯¯|¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯
1|Introduction..................................................... [itro]
|+ About This Guide
|+ Using This Guide
2|Basics........................................................... [bscs]
|+ Welcome To The Animus (SPOILER WARNING)........................ [bcan]
|+ Controls....................................................... [bctr]
|+ Side Missions.................................................. [bcsm]
|+ Currency and Goods............................................. [bccg]
|+ Combat......................................................... [bcom]
3|Walkthrough...................................................... [ac00]
|+ Sequence 1..................................................... [ac01]
|+ Sequence 2..................................................... [ac02]
|+ Sequence 3..................................................... [ac03]
|+ Sequence 4..................................................... [ac04]
|+ Sequence 5..................................................... [ac05]
|+ Sequence 6..................................................... [ac06]
|+ Sequence 7..................................................... [ac07]
|+ Sequence 8..................................................... [ac08]
|+ Sequence 9..................................................... [ac09]
|+ Sequence 10.................................................... [ac10]
|+ Sequence 11.................................................... [ac11]
|+ Sequence 14.................................................... [ac14]
4|The Villa........................................................ [acvi]
|+ Overview....................................................... [viov]
|+ Shops.......................................................... [visp]
|+ Renovations.................................................... [virn]
|+ Collections & Equipment........................................ [vicl]
|+ Statuettes..................................................... [vist]
5|Extras........................................................... [exra]
|+ Glyph Locations & Puzzle Solutions............................. [exgp]
|+ Weapon, Art, and Clothes Lists................................. [exli]
|+ Assassination Contract Missions................................ [exas]
|+ Connectivity with Assassin's Creed: Bloodlines................. [exbl]
|+ Trophies/Achievements.......................................... [exth]
6|Miscellaneous.................................................... [misl]
|+ Frequently Asked Questions..................................... [fak4u]
|+ Credits/Special Thanks
|+ Contact Info
|+ Legal Chitchat
/|_
/   |_
/     /
/      >
(      >
/      /
/     /
/      /
__/      \_____
/-             |
/     /-\     /
/      /  \--/
/     /
/      /
(      >
/      >
/     _|
/  __/
/_/
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Uno (1)| Introduction          | ASSASSIN'S CREED II                 [itro]
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Hello, and welcome to the guide. The name is Axel7174 and I'll be your host.
I'm under the preconceived notion that if you're reading this guide, you've
come for some sort of help, or you're very bored. Well, if it's the former,
worry not! I'm hoping to do my best to provide as much help as possible for
Assassin's Creed II, one of the 2009 holiday season's biggest hits.
About This Guide
----------------
This could be my last guide of 2009, though I'm thinking about some other stuff
as well. This guide is being written during the end of my current college
semester so it's possible that after most of the work is done, that updates can
get a little spaced apart, while I tackle assignments and finals and all that
junk. Other than that, I hope this guide proves helpful.
Using This Guide
----------------
This guide contains a general walkthrough that is fairly clear and concise. It
covers just about all aspects of the game. Look to the table of contents above
for help finding something. At the end of each item is a code called a
quickjump. Put this code into the ctrl+f function of your web browser and you
can quickly jump to a section of the guide. You can also use this to search for
keywords.
If you have questions, please refer to the FAQ section at the end of the guide
first before e-mailing me. If your question isn't answered, or if you have
something to comment on or submit to me, feel free to e-mail me. If you're
submitting something, please, please, please read the Contact Info section
first for my policy on this.
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Due (2)| Basics          | ASSASSIN'S CREED II                       [bscs]
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
WELCOME TO THE ANIMUS, DESMOND. WOULD YOU LIKE TO REVIEW THE EVENTS YOU
EXPERIENCED [in Assassin's Creed 1] AGAIN, REVISITING THE EVENTS OF YOUR
ANCESTOR, ALTAIR? I MUST WARN YOU, IT CONTAINS SPOILERS, SO PLEASE DISREGARD
THIS IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO BE SPOILED.
Yes, I want to review it, please.
OK........ ACCESSING...... MEMORY BLOCKS FOUND....... PLEASE WAIT............
REVIEW PLAYBACK BEGINNING....
Desmond stepped into the Animus and relived the life of his ancestor, Altair,
an assassin who lived during the time of the Third Crusade. Altair was just
one assassin in an entire fraternity who hailed from Masyaf and pledged loyalty
to their master, Al Mualim, and three guiding tenets:
o Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent
o Hide in plain sight
o Never compromise the brotherhood.
Altair broke all three tenants in one mission, as he and his brothers tried to
thwart Robert De Sable of the Crusaders from retrieving the treasure of
Solomon's Temple. His actions cost his brother Malik his arm, as well as the
life of Kadar, Malik's actual blood brother.
Al Mualim scolded Altair for his foolish behavior. Altair remarked, "Were you
not the one to say "nothing is true and everything is permitted?"
"You do not understand the true meaning of the phrase, my child," Al Mualim
said. "It does not grant you the freedom to do as you wish, it is a knowledge
meant to guide your senses. It expects a wisdom you clearly lack!"
As punishment, Al Mualim stripped Altair of his rank and had him charged with
ending the lives of nine men, men on both the Saracen and Crusader forces.
"Nine lives in exchange for mine," Altair mused.
And so he set out to kill all nine men. The assassin brothers in each city
guided Altair, including Malik who still held intense contempt for the former
ace assassin. Putting his skills to good use, Altair gathered the information
necessary, climbed impossible obstacles, and put a blade to any enemy in his
way. One by one, each man fell.
With his dying breath, Altair's first target, Tamir of Damascus revealed that
he was "but a piece. A man with a part to play." To which Altair replied, "I
look forward to ending their lives as well."
Each man had been accused of heinous crimes that threatened peace and the
salvation of the Holy Land. Yet, to Altair's surprise, each of the men had a
different tale to tell. Tamir claimed a nobler cause than simply making weapons
for war.
Garnier de Naplouse of Acre claimed he was not harming the sick and mentally
disabled, but saving them.
Talal of Jerusalem said he was not enslaving people for any reason but to save
them.
Abu'l Nuquod, a servant of Salahudin, revealed that he stole money to serve his
group, the "brotherhood" Tamir spoke of. "If you do not serve Salahudin's cause
then whose?" Altair asked.
"In time you'll come to know them," Abu'l Nuquod replied, choking on his own
blood. "I think perhaps you already do."
Altair continued his quest and slew Majd Addin, William de Montferrat, Sibrand,
and Jubair.
As Altair suspected, there was "something that binds these men." Al Mualim
enlightened him to the truth. They were Templars. Despite being on opposite
forces, the 9 Templars would hope to use the treasure from Solomon's Temple to
achieve "peace" as Al Mualim put it.
Altair's face twisted in a confusing grimace. "Peace? But this would make them
our allies!" Al Mualim explained that he supported the goal, but not the method
in which the Templars would achieve it, through forced control and the
stripping away of free will. Understanding their purpose, Altair set off to
find his final target: Robert De Sable.
Altair found his target in Jerusalem... and struck. To his surprise however,
he learned it was merely a body double. Robert was on his way to persuade
Richard the Lionheart and Salahudin to join forces against the Assassin's who,
thanks to Altair, had murdered 8 men on each side.
Altair, fearing the worst for Masyaf and for the Holy Land, rode for Arsuf.
There he confronted Robert as the Templar he was and after a lengthy duel, he
finally fell to his blade.
"Nine targets he sent you to kill," Robert said. "Not nine, but ten."
Altair couldn't believe it. "A tenth?! None may live who know the secret."
He shook Robert and demanded a name.
"Oh, but you know him well. It is your precious Al Mualim. He used you, boy.
The only difference between your master and me is that he did not want to
share."
Robert faded from the world and Altair rose, weightless, trapped in a cloud of
disbelief. Al Mualim was a Templar and he had been aligned with the others all
along. Not only that, he used Altair to kill his former allies to have the
treasure all to himself. A treasure that Al Mualim claimed "Turned water into
wine and parted the Red Sea." Altair knew what he to do, and so he rode back to
Masyaf.
When he returned, he found the people of the village and the assassin's all
under Al Mualim's spell, a spell cast from the treasure, the Piece of Eden.
With help from Malik, Altair confronted his master in the garden. There, Al
Mualim raised the Piece of Eden triumphantly and cried, "Nothing is true and
everything is permitted!"
Altair could not help but find it ironic that his master has twisted the true
meaning of this phrase, just as he himself had done. Altair's significance was
explained. Since he could not be brainwashed by the Piece of Eden like the
others, he was the perfect puppet for Al Mualim's plan. Now his usefulness had
ended, he imagined. Al Mualim confirmed this notion, raising his blade, and in
an almost believably solemn voice, said "You were my best student, Altair."
Altair saw through the illusions cast by the Piece of Eden and through his own
willpower, he killed Al Mualim. Al Mualim dropped the orb and claimed he could
not destroy it. "Then I will!" Altair remarked.
The Piece of Eden laid there in the garden. Altair approached it with
trepidation. With each step he took toward the object, he could feel his heart
flutter in a most strange way, as if it ceased to not only beat, but exist in
his body. Slowly, the Piece of Eden came to life, displaying a map of the
world. The grand orange glow of its projection mesmerized Altair. There was
something beautiful, entrancing, and serene about it.
In his head, Al Mualim's voice taunted him. "Go on, destroy it as you said you
would."
Altair struggled to even speak. "I... I can't!" he said.
"Yes you can, Altair. But you won't..."
The image ended, and Desmond awoke. The map displayed by the Piece of Eden was
what the Templar's in the present day sought. Having served his purpose,
Desmond was considered expendable. Lucy Stillman bought Desmond time, and so
he returned to his room. There, he found that he possessed Altair's Eagle
Vision and upon the walls of his room, he saw many cryptic messages... written
in blood.
END SPOILERS
Controls     [bctr]
--------
Here is a quick layout of the control schemes for the PS3 and 360 versions of
the game. I split it up into two parts just for ease.
Basic Controls
_________________________________________________________________
|Action               |PS3 Button             |360 Button         |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Pause                |Start                  |Start              |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Map                  |Select                 |Back               |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Movement             |Left Analog Stick      |Left Thumbstick    |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Camera               |Right Analog Stick     |Right Thumbstick   |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Lock on              |L1                     |Left Button        |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Contextual Camera    |L2                     |Left Trigger       |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|High Profile         |R1                     |Right Button       |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Inventory Wheel      |R2                     |Right Trigger      |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Look                 |R3                     |Right Thumbstick In|
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Select Hidden Blade  |D-Pad Up               |D-Pad Up           |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Select Primary Weapon|D-Pad Right            |D-Pad Right        |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Use Medicine         |D-Pad Left             |D-Pad Left         |
|---------------------|-----------------------|-------------------|
|Select Fists         |D-Pad Down             |D-Pad Down         |
'-----------------------------------------------------------------'
Actions: Low Profile and High Profile
______________________________________________________________
|Action                          |PS3 Button      |360 Button  |
|--------------------------------|----------------|------------|
|Steal (Low Profile)             |X               |A           |
|--------------------------------|----------------|------------|
|Sprint/Free Run (High Profile)  |X               |A           |
|--------------------------------|----------------|------------|
|Gentle Push (Low Profile)       |Circle          |B           |
|--------------------------------|----------------|------------|
|Grab/Throw (High Profile)       |Circle          |B           |
|--------------------------------|----------------|------------|
|Tackle (while running)          |Circle          |B           |
|--------------------------------|----------------|------------|
|Attack                          |Square          |X           |
|--------------------------------|----------------|------------|
|Speak                           |Triangle        |Y           |
|--------------------------------|----------------|------------|
|Eagle Vision                    |Triangle (hold) |Y (hold)    |
'--------------------------------------------------------------'
A little insight to some extra moves that Ezio can do.
Advanced Wall Jump
------------------
Run up a wall and then immediately point the Left Analog Stick left or right
and hit X again. Ezio will run up the wall and use his momentum to go left or
right. It's useful for grabbing a tricky ledge or a ledge that is to your
side.
Climb Leap
----------
Ezio learns this in Venice. Climb Leap lets Ezio leap up when climbing a wall
so he can reach ledges normally out of reach. When he leaps, you have to grasp
with Circle or he'll just fall down. Some buildings can only be climbed with
Climb Leap. Otherwise, it's a nice way to take shortcuts when climbing.
Side Missions     [bcsm]
-------------
The developers decided to go in a different direction with ACII. The game was
constructed similar to Grand Theft Auto in the sense that you have a lot of
story missions that you do in succession to progress the game. At the same time
though you have tons of side missions and other things to do in between. In
this small section, I'll very briefly glance over some of these.
[RACES]
Each city has some races you can undertake. You don't actually race anything
except the clock. Usually the time you're given is pretty lenient.
[BEAT UP EVENTS]
These missions have you visiting the infidelic husband of some poor wife in
town. You are given a search area to look for them. Find them and beat them up
but do not kill them. Easy.
[COURIER MISSIONS]
You are given a letter to deliver and a destination. Get it there in time to
succeed. The time limits vary from very comfortable, to a bit more strict.
Overall, these are not difficult however.
Currency and Goods     [bccg]
------------------
Assassin's Creed II sports a nifty economic system. You can now earn money and
spend it how you see fit. There are numerous things to spend on, and there are
various ways to keep the money lining your pockets.
[MONEY MAKING]
-Missions: Beating story and side missions will always reward you with a small
amount of florins, the game's currency. Later story missions yield better
rewards of course.
-Pick-pocketing: By holding X while walking, you can bump into them and steal
money. The amounts are miniscule but remember to do it a few times every so
often and you'll find it adds up.
-Looting: Like pick-pocketing, you don't get much by looting corpses. It's an
option and a decent one early on in the game to make an extra buck but not
reliable overall.
-Chests: There are chests hidden throughout the cities that have small amounts
of money. The amounts can be pretty big in some of them. If you go to an Art
Merchant, you can buy a map that will show you chest locations for an area.
-The Villa: Once you have the Villa Auditore up and running, it becomes by far
your greatest source of income for the game. Put enough into it and you'll get
a larger return. For more information, see the Villa section of the guide.
[WHAT TO SPEND IT ON]
-Blacksmiths: Blacksmiths deal in armor and weaponry. They can give Ezio new
primary and secondary weapons, as well as replenish his stock of throwing
knives or smoke bombs and so on. The goods available depend mostly on how far
you have progressed in the game. Blacksmiths will also repair damaged armor for
a small fee.
-Art Merchants: Art merchants sell... art of course! The paintings you buy from
them increase the value of the Villa but the greatest value is earned for
purchasing all 30 of them. Each city has different artwork available. The Art
Merchants also sell maps that show the locations of treasure chests.
-Tailors: Visit a tailor and he can let you customize Ezio's wardrobe for a
small fee. This gives the player some customization which is nice. More
importantly I think however, is that the Tailor sells pouches to let Ezio carry
more medicine, throwing knives, and poison.
Doctor: The doctor will heal Ezio for a small fee. He will also sell medicine
that he can carry and later, poison as well.
Combat     [bcom]
------
Combat in Assassin's Creed II is very similar to its predecessor. There are a
few new features though, so if you are interested in those or are just totally
new to the AC series, you might find some useful information here.
An important thing to take note of is that some combat skills like Disarm are
available to you early in the game. The game will give you tutorials on these
things but you can use them before then.
===============================================================================
Initiating Combat|
-----------------'
You can initiate combat by provoking guards. There are also many missions and
instances where combat is unavoidable. Guards will normally not attack you
unless you attack first or perform High Profile actions in their presence. The
exceptions are archers who attack when you get too close to them. This changes
when you have Notorius status, where all guards will be more quick to attack.
===============================================================================
Basic Setup|
-----------'
Enemies will surround Ezio and typically attack one at at a time but there are
instances where more than one will attack simultaneously. While in combat, Ezio
can only lock onto one enemy at a time, but he can switch targets by using
the Left Analog Stick to point toward a different enemy when attacking.
Your health is represented by the white squares in the top left. When you take
damage, the severity is measured by the squares. If you lose a whole square,
it will not be replenished except by medicine or a doctor. If you lose a part
of a square, it will replenish itself if you don't take any further damage for
a few seconds. Enemy health is represented by the red squares above their
heads.
===============================================================================
Enemy Types|
-----------'
Guards come in a few varieties. You have two basic guard types. There are
unarmored types with no armor (duh!). There are ones who have some armor but
are still sort of small and skinny like the others. They have the pointed
helmets with the visors and so on.
Going up from there you have Brutes, Agiles, and Seekers. Brutes are the bulky,
heavily armored enemies that carry axes and claymores. They are much tougher
defensively and offensively. Depending on your equipped weapon, you may not be
able to block a Brute attack without taking damage. You also cannot counter
them except with the Hidden Blade. Brutes are susceptible to Disarm though. It
works very well against them.
Seekers look like Brutes but don't have a face visor and they exclusively
wield spears. Seekers will patrol with guards and check out various hiding
spots. If you happen to be hiding in a haystack, they can find you in there
by investigating. You can assassinate them from hiding though. As fighters,
they can get annoying with the spear because they can attack pretty quickly
sometimes and knock Ezio down. Disarm also works great against them.
Agiles are the least threatening of the three archetypes. They appear as small
enemies with pointed helmets that don't cover their face. They also carry
knives and small weapons like that. What makes Agiles special is that if you
happen to run from them, they will chase Ezio and easily catch up to him. They
were said to be able to chase after him up buildings, but I haven't seen any
do this yet.
===============================================================================
Prioritizing In Battles|
-----------------------'
When faced with a group of guards, you can decide if you want to end the fight
quicker by taking out bigger targets. Defeating the tougher enemies first often
makes the lower ones run away in fear. For example, defeating one or two of
the normal armored enemies can sometimes make the unarmored enemies run. If you
have a group with a Brute, killing them can make the lower ones run away too.
Targeting a Brute with Disarm is always a good strategy. Taking their weapon
and using it on the lower enemies makes the fight a bit easier. The problem
is that counters with the big weapons like the claymore and spear often have
Ezio lodging the weapon in their head or body.
===============================================================================
Inventory|
---------'
You can use the D-Pad to quick select weapons during and before fights. Up is
your Hidden Blade(s), Right selects your primary weapon, and down will switch
to your fists (unarmed). For some reason, they decided to remove the short
weapon from D-Pad Left. That button is now to quick select your recovery
medicine, which is pretty useful. To select other items and weapons, hold R2
to bring up the Inventory Wheel and use the Left Analog Stick to select it.
You will keep that weapon item/weapon equipped until you change to something
else like your primary weapon.
===============================================================================
Escaping|
--------'
If you need to flee, hold R1 and hit X and typically back on the Left Analog
stick to escape from a fight. You'll abandon your lock on and take off running.
To assist your escape, deploy a Smoke Bomb first.
===============================================================================
Strafing and Dodging|
--------------------'
Hit X and use the Left Analog Stick to strafe in a direction. It's a decent way
to avoid an attacker or move into a better position to strike. Dodging is much
more effective however. Hold R1 and in anticipation of an enemy attak, again
use X and the Left Analog Stick to move away. Unlike Strafing, Dodging pretty
much always guarantees you escape damage (unless you back away into a wall or
something like that). Dodging is also a useful way to inflict extra damage on
an enemy by dodging their attack and striking back while they are vulnerable.
===============================================================================
Countering and Disarming|
------------------------'
To counter, hold R1 and hit Square as an enemy is attacking. The timing for
this is not extremely precise but it does require a bit of practice. Your
timing will depend on the speed of the enemy's attack which can vary greatly.
Countering will be one-hit kills on weak enemies. The more armored ones can
need to be softened up a bit. This goes for Disarming too.
Disarming can only be performed when you are unarmed (select Fists). It works
the same way as countering. The difference is Ezio will take the enemy of his
weapon. Following up on this with another attack will instantly kill that
enemy. This is very effective against Brutes who can't be countered except
with a big weapon.
===============================================================================
Weak and Broken Armor|
---------------------'
Without very much effort, Ezio's battles with the city guards will wear down
his armor. There don't seem to be any immediate effects to worn out armor, but
let it continue and the armor eventually breaks. Broken armor turns depleted
health squares red and they cannot be replenished! The only way to fix this
is to repair your armor at the Blacksmith shop.
Armor takes a while to break, so to prevent this from happening easily, make
regular trips to the Blacksmith to repair any damage.
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Tre (3)| Walkthrough          | ASSASSIN'S CREED II                  [ac00]
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
Welcome to the walkthrough portion of the guide. This section will be as
spoiler free as possible. The game is thankfully divided into major parts
called DNA Sequences, which... well, you'll see. So in that way, this guide
will be divided in that way for your ease of use.
In this guide I'll be using a fair amount of detail when necessary. The world
of ACII is vast and therefore, pinpointing you to an exact location can be
at times, difficult. I will also assume that after a certain point, really
big details about common fights will not be necessary, hoping that you as the
player will have grasped the basics enough that you can fight well on your own.
I will introduce most if not all new features as they come along.
As for the Glyph puzzles, they go in a predetermined order, no matter what
glyph you find in what order. I'll be listing all the locations throughout the
walkthrough at convenient places. You are not required to go after the ones I
get when I get them. This of course means that if you are on glyph let's say...
12 and I've only written up to glyph 10, you will be dealing with a different
puzzle. Just take note of that.
Other than that, I hope you enjoy this guide and that it is useful to you.
Let's begin!
______________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯Â
¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯
P R O L O G U E
______________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯Â
¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯
Assassin's Creed II begins at the exact point that the first game ended at.
Really. You'll be seeing some strange markings on a wall in a first person
view. Players of AC1 will remember this. You'll eventually be able to leave
that view and you'll get a scene.
Lucy is back and for those who didn't play AC1, her importance is explained,
albeit briefly. She got a facelift since we last saw her and to be honest....
I don't think it was for the better. Oh well.
Follow Lucy out into a very familiar room once you have control. Without
wasting any time, she wants you (as Desmond) to lay down on the bed in the
middle of the room, the Animus machine. She'll get really bossy (hey, stop
yelling at me!) very fast so just do it. There's nothing to see here anyway.
Hit any button near the Animus to get in. A scene plays and in a strange yet
comical way, you have some control here. Once it's done, you'll be in control
of Desmond again.
Follow Lucy through the door. AC1 fans will remember this as a door that only
opened to reveal nothing but ominous blue light. Players couldn't go through
here in the first game. Now we can though, so aren't you excited?!
Unlike last time, Desmond can finally run this time. Hold R1 to keep up with
Lucy after a very quick scene with some guards. Follow her down a few corridors
to an elevator.
This next room will be a large office-like area with a lot of Animus machines.
More than one?! Le gasp! Just follow Lucy and you'll be fine. She'll even curse
at you... ._. she's so mean now. I want the old Lucy back!
The next elevator will take you the parking lot where a nice brawl will ensue.
The game doesn't really tell you what to do here. Just hit that Square button
to knock some sense into these guards. They'll surround you though, but it's
nothing to worry about. Lucy can kick butt too.
After that, a scene. Once you have control again, follow Lucy up through this
new building. She'll talk on about the new plan and it sounds very interesting.
She'll even give Desmond a hug. There's sweet Lucy again!
Go into the following room for a short scene. Once you have control again, you
can look around and talk to these characters. One chat with Shaun and you can
quickly see he's all business and quickly tells Desmond to bugger off. Talk
to Rebecca and Lucy too, then sit down in the new Animus and it's off to the
show.
______________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯Â
¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯
S E Q U E N C E  1
______________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯Â
¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯
[ac01]
Boys Will Be Boys
-----------------
After the scene, you'll be in control of Ezio, and it's street brawlin' time!
The game gives you a tutorial this time around (guess letting Desmond get
pummeled wasn't important). You can attack still, but also lock on to a target
with L1. The R1 button lets you block or deflect. Do this when multiple
enemies swarm you.
A more interesting feature is the combo system. Time your Square button presses
so that when a punch lands, you hit the button again and you can combo an
attack repeatedly. This was actually a part of sword fighting in AC1, but now
you can do it with your fists too.
After a quick scene, you get more targets to pummel. Focus on blocking and
attacking when it's clear. You should pay attention to that white bar in the
top left which is your health. It won't matter too much what happens though.
You Should See The Other Guy
----------------------------
Once the fight is over, you can search the bodies for money by holding Circle.
Do so and get 200 florins. Once you do that, Federico wants to move on. You
can loot the rest of the bodies though if you want. Find Federico standing
nearby (the ! symbol on your mini map) and talk to him.
You can now access a Database file on Federico. Follow him as he runs down
the street. Hold R1 to run and hold X at the same time to sprint. This will
let you follow Federico as he climbs up the boxes to the left and then jumps
across several beams. Hold these two buttons and move the Left Analog stick
forward and you can effortlessly jump across these beams and follow him. Drop
down from the roof to the plaza below. Approach the guy with the goofy mask.
This is the doctor.
After Ezio is all patched up you can get a Database file for the Doctors. A
new challenge arises though, this one a bit more friendly, or should we say,
brotherly.
Sibling Rivalry
---------------
Race Federico to the top of the church. Federico will take an indirect route.
Take advantage of this by running straight at the building. Look for the ledges
you can climb onto. Hold R1 and X and you can begin climbing. From there, you
just need to use the Left Analog Stick to move upward. If you get stuck, hold
R1 again to traverse a gap or some other obstacle. Get to the glowing circle
before Federico to win.
Nightcap
--------
After that, get onto the perch sticking out from the tower and get a look
around by hitting Triangle. AC1 fans will be familiar with this. Take a Leap of
Faith into the hay below when ready.
Vieri will appear. Wait for him and his men to go by, then leave the hay and
move on to your new destination. Vieri's men are still looking for you though,
so you need to avoid being seen. They appear as red circles on your mini map.
If they do spot you, they'll chase. You can fight back or run. If you run,
notice that the enemies this time around have a search circle, very much like
Grand Theft Auto IV. Escape the search circle as seen on the mini map and the
enemies can no longer see you. When they can't see you, you're free to hide.
Make your way to Cristina's house and find the white circle again. After the
short scene, climb up to her window. Well, well. Seems like Ezio is an Italian
stallion. You get an interactive cutscene with some button prompts and some
ooh la la thrown in. The second button prompt is only available for a split
second so try not to miss it.
Rewards:
o Doctors Available
o Races unlocked
After that, make your way to the marker, the "!" one and find Ezio's father,
Giovanni. You'll get a Database file for him. Speak with him for a scene. He
gives Ezio a letter to deliver. You can read the letter with Select if you
would like.
Paperboy
--------
The yellow marker is your destination. Before heading off, search one of the
corners in this area for a red chest. Hold Circle near it like you were looting
a body and you can get some money.
Head to your marker. Along the way, avoid the red circles which are Ezio's
enemies, unless you want to fight more, which is perfectly fine, as long as
you don't overdo it. Remember to loot them afterwards. Also inspect some of
the shops around town. You can't buy anything yet, but you can get Database
files.
The marker is in an area of the town that is still shrouded on your mini map
so find a view point to clear things up. Just so happens there's one right near
the marker. Climb it and Synchronize to get a better view.
Now, the marker is set in an alley between some buildings but each entrance is
blocked by enemies. If you want to avoid a fight, you'll have to climb to the
roof and drop down from the other side. Do so and talk to the guy in the back.
Return to Giovanni when you're ready. You'll unlock more Courier side missions
to do at your leisure. Talk to the woman sitting on the bench now. She is
Claudia, Ezio's sister.
Rewards:
o Courier Assignments unlocked
Beat A Cheat
------------
Pretty straightforward. Go to the marker to meet Duccio. After some words, it's
time to throw down. Punch him and grab him. When you grab him, the game informs
you of three moves. You can headbutt (Triangle), knee him (X), or throw
him (Circle again). Beat him up and that will be that.
Rewards:
o Beat Up Missions unlocked
Friend of the Family
--------------------
Go with Maria, Ezio's mother to meet Leonardo Da Vinci. Oh, ho, ho. The
brilliant Leonardo wants Ezio... to carry his stuff for him. Do so and listen
to the conversation. Drop the box into the white circle to finish this one.
Pertruccio's Secret
-------------------
Ezio's little brother wants some feathers. Simple enough. Three feathers are
marked on your mini map. Go to the closest one and just climb straight up the
building to find it, marked by the white circle. As you make your over to the
second, look for the foyer below the roof to find a red chest for some florins.
Gather all three and return to the door to the Auditore home to finish this.
Rewards:
o Feather Locations unlocked
Special Delivery
----------------
Three markers. Go to each one and you'll deliver some letters or get one from
the pigeon coop. Pretty straightforward stuff here. Return to the house when
you're done.
Jailbird
--------
Now things are getting interesting. Make your way toward the marker. The game
will throw some more useful information at you about guards and notoriety.
When you get to the prison grounds, make your way around the tall tower, going
east from where the actual marker is. Find a spot to climb up to a restricted
area is where a guard archer is. Grab him and throw him into the scaffolding
in the center of the platform to defeat him easily.
After that, climb the scaffolding up against the wall and then onto a ledge
with a ladder. The next platform has another guard. You'll probably want to
dispatch him as you did the last one. When you're done, climb the tower. Make
your way up; the path is fairly obvious, and get to the window with the white
circle. After the scene, the job is done. You will automatically be off the
tower, but there's a view point at the top so climb back up if you want to get
it.
Family Heirloom
---------------
Make haste for the Auditore home again. Once inside, turn on Eagle Vision by
holding Triangle. Eagle Vision highlights npcs in specific categories. Blue
are allies. Red are enemies. It also reveals hidden things, such as say, a
secret entrance in the Auditore home. Interact with it and find the secret
room.
Open the chest and you get a scene. You get the Assassin Robes, sword, and a
broken hidden blade, as well as the documents Giovanni asked to be delivered to
Uberto.
When you attempt to leave, two guards appear. They're very jealous of Ezio's
new getup. You've got a sword now, so draw it and lock on. You'll find that
unlike in AC1, you can already counter. It may take a little practice at first,
but hit Square as you see an enemy attack about to connect and you can take
them out pretty easily. Otherwise, just swing away and even as they block, you
can see the red squares that represent their health deplete. Striking again as
the previous one connects lets you combo too.
With those guys down, make your way to Umberto's house. You can get some more
fighting in along the way (be sure to loot bodies if you want). You might even
fight some unarmed guys and they are killed instantly if you swing at them. You
can also grab guys know and kill them by hitting Square.
Make your way to Umberto's house and interact to get a quick scene. Well,
here's hoping for the best.
Rewards:
o Assassin Robes
o Broken Hidden Blade
o Codex Page (1)
Last Man Standing
-----------------
From the marker for this mission, the entrance to the courtyard is just up the
stairs from you. Go there for a scene. Then, you're taken on by several enemies
and your best option is to flee. Take to the rooftops and start running and
jumping until you ditch them. Try to make reasonable jumps so you can keep
going faster. Once they're gone, that's it for this mission.
______________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯Â
¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯
S E Q U E N C E  2
______________________________________________________________________________
¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯Â
¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯Â¯
[ac02]
Fitting In
----------
Meet Annetta at the marker on your map. It's the building with the red awning
and red tapestry. It's right across from a view point if you want to climb up
there and get it.
Once inside, you get a scene. Paola will teach you about Blending. No, not
with a blender! Blending in! Familiar to AC1 fans, you can now do this with
anyone, not merely scholars. Just find a group of people who are walking
together and walk amongst them to blend. A white circle appears and that's the
area you must stay within to remain blended.
Follow Paola but do not follow her by yourself. Keep her in sight but stay
inside a group of walking pedestrians and their white circle to remain hidden
from the guards you will walk by. Depending on how the crowd moves, you may get
forced out of your blend. Try to blend again or hopefully there will be another
group nearby you can seamlessly blend into as well.
Follow Paola back to the starting point and she has another lesson--stealing.
Oh goodie! By holding X you can speedwalk. Bumping into people doing this lets
you automatically steal from them. Try it out five times. Be sure to leave the
immediate vicinity once you do to avoid stirring up a ruckus. Return to Paola
after this to finish the mission.
Rewards:
o Blend skill learned
o Steal skill learned
Ace Up My Sleeve
----------------
Find Leonardo's home again. You will likely have to cross guard-infested areas
to get there. Try hiring some Courtesans if you want and they will help you
blend in for a while, but they can be lost too so the effect can be temporary.
You might be better off just taking to the roofs, but beware, there are archers
up there now. Unarmed still, you don't want to start any fights.
Find Leonardo and Ezio will hand him the broken hidden blade and after a quick
scene, it will be fixed. A guard will get Leonardo to come out of the house
then attack him. Find the guard. Select your Hidden Blade (D-pad Up), and then
get near him and hit Square to assassinate him, thus saving Leonardo. Carry the
body back to his house and put it down in the marker to get a scene and end
this mission.
Rewards:
o Hidden Blade acquired
o Assassination skill learned
Make your way back to Paola's. When you get there, look for that GLYPH that
Shaun mentioned. When you approach a building and see the eye icon near its
picture, there's a glyph on it somewhere.
Climb the Rosa Colta to the first rooftop and put Eagle Vision on. You can see
glyphs without Eagle Vision but they stand out much, much easier if you use it.
Look for the strange symbol glowing on the wall here and get near it for a few
seconds. It activates a strange transmission and then a puzzle.
-[In The Beginning]-
Ten paintings and five of them are said to have something in common. You are
to select them and if you get them right, you can unlock a part of a long
puzzle that is stored in the part of your menu called The Truth. The thing
five paintings have in common is fruit, or rather the Pieces of Eden. Look at
each painting closely and look for characters holding what looks like yellow
fruit. Select these five and you should solve it. If you can't figure it out
read below:
o Atalanta and Hippomenes
o Judgment of Paris
o The Fall
o Idun and the Apples
o Hercules in the Garden of the Hesperides
-----[1/20]-------------------------------------------------------------------
You get a tiny piece of a video that is barely more than a second long. You
need to get more glyphs to unlock more. You can view this again, from The Truth
menu which is selected from Database on the pause menu.
When you're ready, start the next mission by climbing the roof and finding the
marker.
Judge, Jury, Executioner
------------------------
When you start, you can grab another GLYPH. Go to the building where Uberto is
and climb the roof on the north side. There are some archers here so be