Freerunning

File:Codex free run.jpg

Altaïr's Codex sketch on free running.

Free Running or freerunning is a form of acrobatics in which participants, known as free runners, use the city and urban landscape to perform movements through its structures. It is one of the core gameplay mechanics of the Assassin's Creed series.

It is derived from the French Parkour or l'art du déplacement (English: the art of moving), but is now considered as a separate discipline. While Parkour emphasizes efficiency, free running embodies complete freedom of movement, which allows the inclusion of many acrobatic maneuvers often simply for aesthetics and challenge.

In this way, the movements that Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad, Ezio Auditore da Firenze, and Desmond Miles perform should instead be considered as Parkour, despite being referred to as free running both in the game and by the developers. Characters in the game also use many movements of the Parkour discipline such as Passe-muraille, Balancé, Saut de bras, Planche, etc.

Known practitioners

File:654.jpg

Freerun chase between Ezio and an Agile Guard in San Gimignano.

Assassins

• Most known Assassins and Apprentices
• Adam and Eve
• Altaïr Ibn-La'Ahad
• Malik A-Sayf (before the amputation of his arm)
• Kadar A-Sayf
• Rauf

• Giovanni Auditore
• Ezio Auditore
• Federico Auditore
• Mario Auditore
• La Volpe
• Antonio

• Desmond Miles (through the Bleeding effect of the Animus)
• Lucy Stillman

Templars

• Maria Thorpe (In Acre, while being chased by Altaïr)
• All Guards (except Seekers and Brutes)
• Borgia Messengers
• Francesco de' Pazzi
• Corrupt Cardinal (during A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing)
• Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood Multiplayer Characters

Others

• Rosa
• Thieves
• Pickpockets
• Followers of Romulus
• Salaì

Movements

Assassin's Creed

Altaïr can climb up any wall if its surface is not too flat, and possesses anything he can possibly grab onto (such as windows, cracks or ledges). In addition, he can use many of the following Parkour movements:

• Balancé (Swing) is a movement where you swing on a bar and let go, in order to grab another object, or to drop to the ground.
• Lâché (Drop) is the act of dropping from a hanging position or from a bar.
• Passe-muraille (Wallpass) is the climbing of a tall wall by kicking its surface once to propel upward.
• Planche (Muscle-up or Climb-up) is the movement of climbing an obstacle from a hanging position into a position where your upper body is above the obstacle, supported by the arms.
• Roulade (Roll), often called breakfall, is a forward roll where the hands, arms and diagonal of the back contact the ground. It is used primarily to transfer the momentum from jumps, and to minimize impact and prevent a painful landing.
• Saut de bras (Arm jump) is to land on the side of an obstacle in a hanging position, the hands gripping the top edge, holding the body, ready to perform a muscle up.
• Saut de fond (Long jump) is a jump from a high height, usually followed by a roll.
• Saut de détente (Gap jump, running jump) is similar to a long jump.
• Saut de précision (Precision jump) is a static or moving jump from one object to a precise spot on another object of a small surface, such as low walls or pillars.

Assassin's Creed II

thumb|250px|right|Uplay Help - Assassin's Creed II: Parkour Tutorial In addition to all the movements of Assassin's Creed, several new ones are introduced.

Fast Climb

By moving in High Profile, Ezio can climb up the building much faster than his ancestor. However, the scheme of the ledges he will grab onto must be regular, and he must start in a standing position on a ledge.

Climb Leap

"Begin in a hanging position, then jump to the ledge above you. As you reach it, grab it with your hand and pull yourself up!"

―Rosa

This movement is first shown by Rosa, and allows Ezio to grab a potentially out-of-reach handhold by performing a vertical jump while climbing.

Sprint Jump

Sprint Jump is a maneuver unlocked in the Bonfire of the Vanities DLC, but can only be used in the Oltrarno District of Florence. The Sprint Jump allows Ezio to jump twice as far as normal. This move is performed by sprinting straight onto and jumping from a springboard.

Trivia

• There is a bug present in Assassin's Creed, Assassin's Creed II and Assassins Creed: Brotherhood, wherein citizens perform free running movements. This bug mostly occurs when the NPC appears on a building or higher platform.
• In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, while trying to catch Lucrezia Borgia, there is sometimes a bug that makes her free-run over the gardens.
• In-game hints in Assassin's Creed II suggest looking for white sheets, as stacked boxes that serve as a starting point for free running will always have those draped over them.
• In Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood, Ezio is able to swing around a wooden beam while free running (if he jumps off of a galloping horse), rather than simply pulling himself up.
• It is worth noting that the Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood multiplayer characters also have the ability to climb leap, even though it was a move that was discovered by Thieves.
• In Assassin's Creed II and Brotherhood, it is possible to use control exploits to sprint while holding out any weapon (normally, sprinting with any weapon drawn will make Ezio sheathe his weapon). It is done by quickly drawing one's weapon with the D-pad and very quickly holding X/A while running in high profile or while fast walking.