Assassin's Creed II: Discovery

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Assassin's Creed II: Discovery is a 2009 video game, released alongside and set during the events of Assassin's Creed II. The Apple Inc. CEO at the time, Steve Jobs, revealed the development of the game in his keynote speech on 9 September 2009. The game was released for the Nintendo DS and iOS.

The iOS version was removed from the App Store sometime in 2013.

Gameplay[edit | edit source]

Assassin's Creed II: Discovery is a side-scroller game wherein players assume the role of Ezio Auditore da Firenze. Primarily set in Spain, Ezio navigates through the game's levels and accomplishes specific goals throughout each mission.

As well as this, Ezio is able to scale most buildings by their side, and can also roll, jump, and swing through the environment. Likewise to the previous installments, enemy guards are present within the game, whom Ezio can either avoid or confront, depending on the player's choice and the current situation. Several guard archetypes are present, such as the Halberd Guards (a stationary version of the Seekers), Captain Guards (a more agile variation of the Brute), archers, and many others.

Types of guards encountered within the game

In terms of weapons, Ezio has his father's Hidden Blade at his disposal, alongside a sword and throwing knives. Ezio can utilize all of these against hostile targets to dispose of them, either in an open or covert manner. Likewise to Assassin's Creed II, Ezio can assassinate guards by pulling them down from ledges, as well as while hiding within bales of hay. The game introduces several new hiding spots such as wooden barrels and obscure open spaces.

Combat in the game is similar to the previous Assassin Creed titles in a number of ways. When engaging in sword combat, players can execute chain attacks which break the defense of the enemy guards, and can also perform counterattacks, which can result in an instant kill or allow for a brief moment to attack. Accompanying this, players can perform a clash with a target, which results in a test of strength, complete with a pressure bar at the side of the display. When this occurs, players have to fight the guard's resistance in order to incapacitate them, or else Ezio will take damage.

Missions are structured in the form of memories, similarly to Assassin's Creed II, and completing optional objectives for each level awards the player with synchronization points. The factors that determine the player's score for each level are the following: time cleared, kills, damage taken, and notoriety. In order to achieve perfect synchronization, players have to complete the level as fast as possible, kill as many enemies as they can, take minimal damage, and avoid increasing Ezio's notoriety, though the required values vary from mission to mission.

Several mission archetypes are present in-game

There are several mission types set in a specific memory, which define how Ezio should approach them, or else the mission will be a failure. In all, there are three mission types in the game:

Normal – Players can approach the mission however they like and take their time to explore the environment for collectibles; however, the basic mission factors are still present.
Chase – Players have to run towards the objective whilst trying to avoid combat with any hostile enemies, determining the best route to reach the objective with speed. The player is followed by a rain of arrows that can only be avoided once Ezio is indoors or in a hiding spot.
Stealth – Players are required to avoid open confrontation with hostile enemies at all costs, resorting only to using a stealth execution move. Enemies are indicated by arrows that appear whenever Ezio is near them, and the player is permitted to be spotted 3 times in total. Exceeding the given limit will result in a mission failure.

There are also challenge rooms present in the game, which require Ezio to clear a specific objective. The challenge rooms are played through in the Animus corridor, similar to the tutorial levels in the game. Cheats, dubbed "Animus hacks", are present within the game, which can be unlocked by obtaining enough synchronization points. These cheats range from character skins to boosted gameplay movement and perks, which give the player an advantage or allow them to customize Ezio.

However, only one hack can be used at a time, and once a level is finished with a hack activated, the level will not continue automatically to the next, instead returning the player to the level menu.

Collectibles are also present in-game, with there being a total of 5 different variations: Memory paths, which can be used as a guide to show the player where to progress; Renaissance maps, which unlock the aforementioned challenge rooms; Knives, which refill Ezio's throwing knife supply; Wanted posters, which can be torn off to increase the health meter once the required amount is met; and finally Art pieces, which can be collected by unlocking hidden rooms in missions.

The iPhone and Nintendo DSi versions of the game allowed the player to integrate their facial likeness into the game through photos, replacing Ezio's placeholder image in the wanted posters with the player's own image. Also, the art pieces found in the iPhone version could be imported for use as wallpapers.

Plot[edit | edit source]

In 1491, in the midst of his search for the Apple of Eden, the Assassin Ezio Auditore da Firenze is summoned by the Venetian Thieves' Guild leader Antonio de Magianis to assist in the dilemma of his contact from Spain, Luis de Santángel. Representing the navigator Christoffa Corombo, Luis asks Ezio for his protection, fearing that the company Christoffa keeps bears ill fate against him. Though reluctant at first, Ezio agrees to assist once he hears of Christoffa's connections with the Spaniard, Rodrigo Borgia.

Luis' suspicions are proven right, and Ezio intercepts the planned assassination attempt on Christoffa, before pointing him to safety as he flees the meeting place. The two then meet up again at Venice's garden district, along with Luis. There, they ask Ezio to recover an atlas from their hostel, which contains important maps that detail vital routes for their expedition. Ezio agrees to this final favor, and successfully retrieves and delivers the atlas.

Before leaving Venice, Luis informs Ezio of the predicament of the Spanish Assassins Guild, who were all apprehended by Tomás de Torquemada and the Spanish Inquisition. When asked by Ezio how he knows of the Assassins, Luis simply claims that he is well-connected.

Returning to Antonio, Ezio announces that his search for the Apple of Eden has to be postponed, believing that it is his duty to help reform the Brotherhood in Spain. Following this, Ezio leaves the Thieves' Guild in Venice and sets off to start his search for the Assassins in Barcelona.

After some brief trouble with a French rogue, Ezio finds the Assassin Guild's headquarters in the city, only to fall into an ambush. After fleeing into the sewers to avoid the soldiers who have surprised him, Ezio encounters a member of the Assassin Guild, Raphael Sánchez.

Following an introduction, Raphael informs Ezio that the Spanish Assassins were apprehended by the Inquisitor Gaspar Martínez, and that he should go and meet with him if he wishes to learn more. Leaving the underground area, Ezio infiltrates Martínez's quarters and confronts the Inquisitor, who denies holding Assassins prisoner, yet admits that one of them is to be burned at the stake. After learning this, Ezio assassinates Martínez and takes a list of names from his body, then leaves to rescue the Assassin from his execution.

Evading most of the guards, Ezio is able to save the Assassin before returning to Raphael to discuss the list he found. After reading the scroll, Raphael concludes that the names are possibly targets tied to the Spanish Inquisition. In order to eliminate them, Ezio and Raphael travel to Zaragoza to seek out the Inquisition's calificador, Pedro Llorente. Arriving at Pedro's location, Ezio witnesses the murder of an Assassin by the order of Llorente and Tomás de Torquemada, whose orders came directly from Rodrigo Borgia. Ezio then vows to free the remaining prisoners before they too are executed.

Despite increased security, Ezio rescues the imprisoned Assassins and kills Pedro after he denies the Templars' existence. Returning to Raphael with the news, Raphael reveals himself to be the Treasurer to Queen Isabella I of Castile and that the Assassins have been fighting against the Inquisition, which is a Templar scheme to rid Spain of all Moors. Arriving in Granada, Ezio is reunited with Luis de Santángel, who also reveals himself as an Assassin working in King Ferdinand II of Aragon's court. Luis and Raphael then task Ezio with finding a secret passage into the besieged Alhambra palace and assassinating a Templar spy who has been feeding false counsel to Emir Muhammad XII of Granada to prolong his war against Castile.

After Ezio succeeds in his task and returns to Luis and Raphael, the Spanish Assassins reveal that the Templars are planning their own expedition west to uncover the New World. They then deduce that the Templars' goal is to exhaust Queen Isabella's resources by keeping Castile embroiled in the Granada War for as long as possible, so that Christoffa will be deprived of sponsorship and be unable to launch his westward voyage ahead of the Templars. Determined to stop their plans, Luis and Raphael task Ezio to again infiltrate the Alhambra and discover why Muhammad XII refuses to surrender to Castile's army even in the face of inevitable defeat.

Finding the Emir being held hostage by the Templars, Ezio assassinates Muhammad's assailants and persuades the emir to surrender and avoid further bloodshed. With Muhammad rescued, Ezio then delivers the news of his abdication and personally opens Granada's gates to allow the Spanish soldiers to march into the city. When the soldiers, spurred on by the Templars, begin ransacking Granada, Ezio stops them and meets with Luis, Raphael, and Christoffa as they all witness the Fall of Granada.

In retaliation for sabotaging the Templars' plan to prolong the Granada War, a new round of arrests and executions are ordered by Tomás de Torquemada. Ezio prevents some arrests and assassinates the Inquisitor in charge of the operation, Juan de Marillo.

After hearing the news of the war ending and King Muhammed and Queen Isabella meeting to discuss peace terms, an impatient Christoffa threatens to indulge other offers to sponsor his journey if the Queen doesn't act fast to give him an answer. Unsatisfied that the Queen is still uncommitted to his cause, Christoffa heads to France to accept an offer from King Charles VIII. Suspecting another Templar trap, Ezio intercepts Christoffa, just as they are both beset by several Templar guards. The Assassin prevails over them, and Christoffa, grateful to Ezio for saving him once again, agrees to return to Spain, especially after learning that the Queen has changed her mind thanks to counselling from Luis and Rapheal.

Once Christoffa successfully launches his voyage, Tomás de Torquemada dispatches soldiers to eliminate Luis and Raphael as revenge for their disruptive counseling to the Queen. Ezio, who is contemplating returning to Italy after being away for so long, protects his fellow Assassins and decides to perform one final mission in Spain before his departure: the assassination of Torquemada.

Infiltrating the Grand Inquisitor's palace, Ezio confronts Torquemada, who denies having ties to the Templars. Instead, he reveals that Rodrigo Borgia is one of the three Papal candidates that year, and claims that he only assisted him with his plans because Borgia, like him, is a true man of God. When Ezio mentions that Borgia is using religion to mask his true goals and is a "non-believer" just like him, Torquemada rebuffs him and challenges the Assassin to take his life. As Ezio moves in for the kill, however, Torquemada lowers a portcullis between them and escapes.

His assassination attempt having failed, Ezio returns to Luis and Raphael and informs them that, contrary to their belief, Torquemada has seemingly no ties to the Templars; instead, he is merely a religious extremist who was manipulated into furthering their schemes. As Ezio takes some comfort in the fact that Torquemada's death would have likely increased the turmoil in Spain rather than ending it, he announces his departure and returns to Italy while Luis and Raphael make plans to continue fighting against the Inquisition.

Trivia[edit | edit source]

The cover art of the game is a variant of a poster for Assassin's Creed II.
Despite the storyline occurring between the two expansions for Assassin's Creed II, Ezio does not possess dual Hidden Blades. The single blade used in the game is the basic one, with no Poison Blade or Hidden Gun upgrades.
- Similarly, the beard which Ezio grew after the Battle of Forlì is not present either.
Soundtracks used in the game are variations of the first game's OST.
During a Reddit AMA, Aymar Azaizia, Head of Content for the series, stated that Assassin's Creed II: Discovery was no longer canon in light of the events of the 2016 Assassin's Creed film. However, he later changed his mind and declared it to be canon again.

Guards

Archers cannot face Ezio during a close quarters confrontation. Once Ezio gets within melee distance of an archer, they will surrender and ask for mercy.
If an archer is attacking Ezio, attempting to assassinate him will result in Ezio grabbing an arrow from the archer and stabbing him with it, rather than using his Hidden Blade.
Guard Captains appear in the game and resemble the Brutes in Assassin's Creed II. However, they are extremely fast, agile, and devastating. If Ezio attempts to jump onto a wall, they will also jump and try to pull him down.
Counter-attacks are very effective when Ezio is surrounded by soldiers that deal light attacks, but counter-attacking cannot be used against Guard Captains, as they can break Ezio's defense in one strike.
Pike guards appeared in the game, resembling the Papal Guards seen in Assassin's Creed: Brotherhood. They focus on defending specific locations however, and do not pursue Ezio.