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Ezio Auditore da Firenze

2009-11-17T14:09:03Z

65.208.14.114: It is di Firenze, not da

{{Character Infobox
|name = Ezio Auditore da Firenze
|image = Ezio.jpg
|imgdesc = A full body portrait of Ezio.
|meaning = "Eagle of Florence" (Ezio from Greek: Aetos)
|faction = [[Assassins]]
|appear = ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]'', ''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''
|period = Italian Renaissance (15th Century)
}} '''Ezio Auditore di Firenze''' is to be the protagonist of ''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''. He is an ancestor of [[Desmond Miles|Desmond]] and a descendant of [[Altaïr]].

==Biography==
===''[[Assassin's Creed: Lineage]]''===

[[File:Eziolineagechess.png|thumb|left|Ezio in ''Lineage'' playing chess with his brother [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]]. He is portrayed by [[wikipedia:Devon Bostick|Devon Bostick]].]]
Ezio is a young nobleman, son of [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|Giovanni Auditore]], an [[Assassin]]. Though he is not aware of his father's true profession.

He has slight skills at playing chess, and he is "learning fast" according to his mother (though he lost against his older brother, [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|Federico]]).

===''[[Assassin's Creed II]]''===

== Background ==

[[File:QuickTimePlayer_2009-09-25_19-22-34-26.png|thumb|300px|Young Ezio trying to kill the ones who murdered his father after attending powerless to his execution.]]
Ezio is a young Florentine nobleman who lives in [[Florence]] during the 15th century. Unlike Altaïr, he is a seducer, and he easily blends with any social classes. He has an affluent lifestyle and many friends until a life-changing event. He and his family are betrayed, victims of a conspiracy that takes his [[Giovanni Auditore da Firenze|father]]'s and [[Federico Auditore da Firenze|brother]]'s life.

From that day, Ezio is considered as a criminal and a traitor, and has to protect his mother and his sister. He becomes an [[assassin]] to accomplish his vengeance against the ones responsible for the tragedy that befell him and his family (it is likely that those men are [[Templars]](see the last shot of Lineage Part II - The swords are lain down in the shape of the Templar symbol)). Ezio is helped not only by his uncle [[Mario Auditore da Firenze|Mario]], but also [[Leonardo da Vinci]]

who becomes his best friend[[File:Ezio_and_Lorenzo.jpg|thumb|Ezio conversing with Lorenzo de Medici]] and his personal engineer, as well as [[Niccolò Machiavelli]] and other famous Renaissance figures.

Ezio will travel across Italy to various locations like [[Venice]], [[Tuscany]] and [[Rome]]. We will live a large period of Ezio's life through the game, from his youth to when he becomes an old Master Assassin. In ''Assassin's Creed II'', we will be playing approximately 27 years of his life from 1476 to 1503.

== Equipment ==
It has been announced that Ezio will be able to use a variety of weapons including two [[Hidden Blade|hidden blades]], allowing him to eliminate two enemies simultaneously. He can also steal (and use) several enemy weapons such as axea, hammers, maces, spears, halberds and two different sword types (one- and two-handed). Ezio will be able to use Da Vinci's flying machine in some parts of the game, gaining altitude from fires set throughout the city by his allies. Ezio will gain many upgrades from Da Vinci on his wrist gauntlet like a small pistol of some sort (most likely an early wheel lock firearm) concealed near his left hidden blade, or a poison needle. Ezio is said to possess the ability to use [[Eagle Vision]] while moving. He can visit Blacksmiths to purchase weapons and armors including Helmschmeid and Metal Plate, or tailors to customize the colors of his clothing.

[[File:Iexplore_2009-09-25_20-01-09-16.png|thumb|300px|Master Assassin Ezio assassinating two guards at once.]]

==Trivia==
* The Italian name 'Ezio' derives from the Greek word 'Aetos', which means "Eagle", similar to Altaïr whose name means "The Flying One".
* Unlike Altaïr (who had his ring finger removed to make way for the [[Hidden Blade]]), Ezio has all ten fingers (as evidenced by the fact he wears a ring -either a signet or wedding ring- marked with the Assassin's symbol). This may be made possible by a newer Hidden Blade (created by da Vinci), placed further from the palm.
* Ezio uses a wheel lock firearm, a type of weapon that Europe didn't start developing until the very late 1400's and early 1500's, making this weapon most likely one of the very first of its type to appear in Europe, thus many people may not know what the weapon is in game. The earliest firearms were single shot and took time to reload, so will most likely be only used as a last resort weapon. Also note that Da Vinci created some of the first modern wheel lock pistols, so this could be a shortened version of one.
* Ezio's face in ''Assassin's Creed II'' seems to be a mixture of Desmond's ([[wikipedia:Francisco Randez|Francisco Randez]]) and Devon Bostick's from ''Lineage''.

{{ACII}}
[[Category:Assassin's Creed II Characters|Auditore da Firenze, Ezio]]
[[Category:Assassins|Auditore da Firenze, Ezio]]
[[Category:Descendant of Altaïr]]
[[Category:Characters]]

Assassin's Creed II

2009-11-17T14:07:32Z

65.208.14.114: It is di Firenze, not da

{{quote|Truth is Written in Blood|[[Giovanni Auditore]]}}

{{Game Infobox
|name = Assassin's Creed II
|image = Assassinscreed2logo.JPG
|Developer = Ubisoft Montreal
|Publisher = [[Ubisoft]]
|US Date Released= November 17, 2009<ref name="euro_g_date">http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/e3-assassins-creed-2-gets-release-date</ref>
|UK Date Released= November 20, 2009<ref name="euro_g_date"/>
|Genre = Historic Action-Adventure
|Game modes = Single-Player
|ESRB = M (Mature)
|BBFC = 15
|Platform = PC, PlayStation 3, Xbox 360, Nintendo DS
|Media = DVD-ROM, Blu-ray Disc
|Website = http://assassinscreed.com
}}

'''''Assassin's Creed II''''' is a sandbox-style action-adventure video game being developed by Ubisoft Montreal and published by [[Ubisoft]]. It is set to release on November 17, 2009 (US), November 19, 2009 (AU) and November 20, 2009 (Worldwide) on PlayStation 3, Microsoft Windows, and Xbox 360. A special version of the game will also be released on the Nintendo DS.

== Plot ==

[[Image:Ezio.jpg|thumb|left|150px|[[Ezio Auditore da Firenze]], a nobleman of Florence, Italy]]
While not much is known of the plot yet, it has been confirmed that the player will assume the role of a young nobleman-turned-assassin named [[Ezio Auditore da Firenze|Ezio Auditore di Firenze]]. Ezio is a descendant of [[Altaïr]] and an ancestor to [[Desmond Miles|Desmond]], the protagonists from ''Assassin's Creed''. He is shown to have dual assassin's blades and a colorful attire, to fit the era. The game is set to take place in Renaissance Italy, during the [[wikipedia:15th century|15th century]], approximately 300 years after the first game. The story in the Renaissance could quite possibly begin with Ezio watching his father and others (possibly other family members) executed by the hands of the Templars, directly or indirectly. This event fuels Ezio's quest for vengeance and will eventually lead to revelations that will change what you thought you knew about Assassin's Creed. From what was revealed from the short films, Ezio will pick up where his father left off, as his father was also an Assassin and it's his uniform Ezio will wear.

The 2012 setting will also be returning for the sequel, along with the character [[Lucy Stillman]] from the first Assassin's Creed. Lucy will help Desmond escape Abstergo to an Assassin secret hideout where the [[Animus]] 2.0 will be waiting for them. Danny Wallace will voice the character [[Shaun Hastings]], a historian and possible Assassin who will help and teach Desmond about the time period and enemies he is dealing with.

Over the arc of the story, many historical figures will find their way into the narrative, including [[wikipedia:Leonardo da Vinci|Leonardo da Vinci]] (his friend and supporter, who has invented Ezio's hidden blades), [[wikipedia:Niccolò Machiavelli|Niccolò Machiavelli]], author of ''[[Wikipedia:The Prince|The Prince]],'' (who will teach Ezio "tactics"), [[wikipedia:Caterina Sforza|Caterina Sforza]] and Ezio's Uncle Mario (who helps Ezio hone his fighting skills). The narrative will focus mainly on the struggles of Ezio, as he seeks revenge against those who betray him, as further below the surface, the Assassin's and Templar's continue their centuries long war and continue to influence the course of history. The game will feature Venice, Florence, Rome and the Tuscan countryside. Famous architectural marvels will appear, such as Saint Mark's Basilica, the Grand Canal, the Colosseum, Santa Maria Novella Church and the Rialto Bridge.

== Gameplay==
The May 2009 GameInformer article revealed that many new features would be added to the game engine. Ezio will be given two hidden blades, allowing him to eliminate two enemies at once. New weapons, such as spears, axes, halberds, and maces have been revealed as well. In order to obtain the weapons, Ezio must kill a guard wielding the weapon he wants but he drops his new weapon after he has killed one of his enemies. Ezio will have access to many weapons, but some enemies are only weak to certain weapons. The player can also buy and upgrade weapons and items at shops, as an alternative to scavenging them off of fallen foes. The enemies Ezio will face have also been expanded upon, so that now he will be forced to contend with both heavily armored swordsman, lightly armored foes wielding lighter weapons, and halberdiers who will seek to attack him from afar. The cinematic trailer also revealed that not only has Ezio hidden blades in his gauntlets, but also has a gun below his left hidden blade. There will be over 30 weapons in the game.

[[Video:Assassin's Creed 2 - TGS Walkthrough|thumb|300px|right|The latest gameplay video from the Tokyo Game Show]]

New forms of cover will be introduced, including the ability to hide underneath the water (as long as you have enough oxygen). As it is, Ezio can kill guards via drowning them, and during an interview when the question was brought up, the reply was "the game's not finished yet". Possibly this game will feature the same 'leaps of faith', but rather than jumping into haystacks (which will now include carts of fish, wood and other things), you can also jump into water. This way Ezio will grab his enemies by either jumping out of the haystack or the water to kill them with his hidden blade. This tactic will of course compromise your position to other guards (Known as Seekers) and they will have the ability to check haystacks and other areas by stabbing their weapons into them. Ezio will automatically hide the dead bodies of his victims depending where he himself is hiding. To confuse guards you can use an explosive powder(known as a smoke bomb) that will further cover your tracks. Rather than blending in with scholars as Altaïr did, Ezio will also be able to blend with larger crowds. Climbing has a new feature. Not only is Ezio as fast a climber as Altaïr, but he can leap to a higher position while climbing a certain building. Guards positioned in towers, or other high buildings, can be grabbed and pulled down, so they will fall to their death, as Ezio climbs them.

The mission design in the first game was thought to be too repetitive, so the developers are adding at least 16 new mission types, so missions don't seem to run together. This is a large increase over the number in the original, as there are now over 200 missions in ''Assassin's Creed II''. Missions like eavesdropping or pick pocketing (Ezio can however steal from any citizen and can also be stolen from) have been removed from the list of quests in this game. Yet another new feature is a notoriety system in which Ezio will become recognized as he takes on more quests in each town; higher notoriety will result in civilians and guards becoming increasingly wary of the player's movements.This level of notoriety will be set within each city, so that while the player may be completely unknown in some cities, he may be infamous in others. The player may take on quests to bribe or kill informants and remove wanted posters in order to decrease his notoriety level. Updated is also the quest to collect flags, but also mini-statues and golden coins. But unlike the first game, you will be given bonus features if you succeed in collecting them. Ezio will also be aided by famous Renaissance figures, such as Leonardo da Vinci and Niccolò Machiavelli. Caterina Sforza and Lorenzo De' Medici will also make an appearance. Ezio's synchronization bar will fill normally like in the original game, but more major injuries must be treated by street-side doctors. A day and night cycle will also be added.

A big annoyence in the first game was that all enemies could follow you where ever you went, on top of buildings, and sometimes across the entire city, making losing their sight long enough to hide almost impossible. In Assassin's Creed II only a new, lightly armored, more agile, scout like enemy will have the ability to follow you.

Another new feature is Ezio will own his own villa (which, during the time was a fortified town.) It's role will be like that of Masyaf from the first game. Through out the game, Ezio will be able to add and upgrade shops that will give him discounts and place where people will pay Ezio rent (brothel's, etc.). There will be secret places here too that Ezio can access by paying money. Ezio will have his own house where he will have a room full of the portraits of the assassination targets he has killed, a treasure room, an armory to hold his weapons and armor, and a room full of statues of great assassins (one of the statues has been confirmed as Altair, the assassin from the first game) which Ezio can get plaques for. When a plaque has been put on a statue, Ezio will receive a reward (e.g. when Ezio put the plaque on Altaïr's statue, he will receive Altaïr's armor.)

Assassin's Creed 2 will also have a system mildly similar to the "glitches" from Assassin's Creed in which pressing a button during a cutscene will give you a new vantage point. Assassin's Creed 2 has improved on this in a quick time reminiscent way during cutscenes, as pressing the right button at the right time will produce a reward.

==Special Editions==

[[File:UK Black Edition AC2 xbox360.jpg|thumb|182px|Black Edition Xbox 360]]'''The Black Edition:'''
* “Master Assassin” upgrade Ezio figurine with black collector box
* 3 in-game bonus quests, allowing the character to explore the following:
**Palazzo Medicis in Florence
**Santa Maria Dei Frari In Venice
**Arsenal Shipyard Warehouse In Venice
* "Conspiracy book": A book from the developers, describing development, and the storyline (with extra commentary on the "conspiracy"). 64 pages, hardcover, "leather style".
* DVD with all videos, behind-the-scene interviews and "e-goodies" about Assassin's Creed II and game soundtrack by Jesper Kyd (British Academy of Film and Television Arts nominee for "2009 Best Original Score in a Game").
* Black packaging with unique holographic signature

This edition of the game will be made available for Xbox 360, Playstation 3, and PC.<ref>[http://pc.gamespy.com/pc/assassins-creed-ii-black-edition/ Gamespy]</ref> It is confirmed for Europe, as well as Australia.<ref>[http://www.ebgames.com.au/xbox/product.cfm?id=14740&refer=productsearch EBGames Australia]</ref>

'''The White Edition:'''[[File:Cat acwhitecontent.jpg|thumb|White Edition PS3]]
*Ezio figurine
*Collectible White Packaging
*Bonus in-game content

This version is in only available in parts of Europe, as well as Australia. <ref>[http://www.ebgames.com.au/xbox/product.cfm?id=14735&refer=productsearch|http://www.ebgames.com.au/xbox/product.cfm?id=14735&refer=productsearch]</ref>

'''The Master Assassin Edition:'''[[File:ACII CELG.jpg|thumb|left|The Master Assassin’s Edition Xbox 360]]
*Ezio figurine
*Artbook: The art of Assassin's Creed
*Premium Collectable Metal Case
*Two In-Game Maps: Palazzo Medici and Santa Maria Dei Frari
*Additional Content DVD with Behind the Scenes of Assassin's Creed and Assassin's Creed II Soundtrack

This edition can be bought in North America.<ref>[http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=75654 http://www.gamestop.com/Catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?product_id=75654]</ref>

==Development ==

[[Image:Signature.jpg|frame|The end of the trailer. It shows a signature that is backwards like Da Vinci's writing.]]
[[Image:Signature right.jpg|frame|This is the signature forwards.]]

On January 22 2009, it was confirmed by [[Ubisoft]] that ''Assassin's Creed II'' was in production, but no details were revealed. A promotional video was released by Ubisoft on April 6 showing a map of Italy, some hidden blade designs, and DaVinci's flying machine on a scroll. On the official site after the teaser is viewed a symbol is given to print and show in front of a webcam. Doing this will unlock a picture displayed on the site. 4 of the 5 symbols have been given by Ubisoft, and the other was found by a fan. Later, on April 10, Game Informer magazine released details on the game, as well as pictures of Ezio. There are about 240 team members, some of these members were sent to Italy, traveling through Venice, Florence, Tuscany, and Rome. ScrewAttack also released a video with some of the pictures from the magazine. In early May, Ubisoft has stated that they are putting full emphasis on the game and that 450 team members are now working on the title. 75% of the original developers for the original game are now working on the second.

== [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZwFJeSl_G0 Case of Ezio Screenshots] ==
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyEmhGVQ1l0 A Side By Side Comparison of Assassins Creed and Assassins Creed II Gameplay]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmsCMWWQD6w Assassins Creed II Trailer and Gameplay Information! First Screenshots of Ezio!]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8rEEmKej_o Assassins Creed II Gameplay - E3 including dev comments]

== References ==
<references/>

== External links ==
* [http://assassinscreed.us.ubi.com/assassins-creed-2/ Official Website]
* [http://www.elecplay.com/episode/view/season/19/episode/207/segment/2/start/1 VIDEO: Electric Playground Interview with Assassin's Creed 2 Creative Director Patrice Desilets]
* [http://www.elecplay.com/feature/16519 ARTICLE: Electric Playground Preview of Assassin's Creed 2]
Special thanks to Jay Stillinger and his team of [http://www.delimitdesign.com ajax developers] for making this content available
[[Category:Games]]
[[Category:Assassin's Creed 2 Achievements]]