Assassin's Creed: Revelations

Details from the next Assassin's Creed game have slowly been eeked out over the past week or so, almost like a type of virtual water-boarding. Except far more painful. Sort of. Finally however, the turtoresses' that are Ubisoft have taken us out from under cold, damp depths of mystery and confusion and have delivered the announcement of Assassins' Creed: Revelations - the next 'big' game in the critically acclaimed series that will continue Desmond's on-going story and finish off the journey of his ancestor Ezio. There is also some implication that the game will feature a re-emergence as Altair as a playable character.

Not much has been revealed about the title apart from Ezio, Desmond and Altair's return and that the new setting for the game is Constantinople (Istanbul) at the peak of the Ottoman Empire. It can also be assumed that stabbing, running and hiding/ seamlessly blending in groups of people dressed nothing like you will make a welcome return.

Don't fret at the lack of known information however, because , as we all know, speculation and wishing is as much of a solid grounding for information as fact. Thus I shall run through my wish list for Assassin's Creed: Revelations and the features I want included: (You know, other than some form of revelation(s))

People in the past should die

Ever since I finished Assassin's Creed II and grew a strong bond to the loveable florentine rouge that is Ezio Auditore da Firenze I've had one wish. That he would die. Not that he's a particularly annoying or badly created character, I've just always wondered what would happen to Desmond (voiced by the omnipresent Nolan North) if he had to experience death through the mind-tapping world of the Animus. Experiencing lives within a life has proved irksome for our young protagonist but outer-body - inner-body - past life- deaths would make for some interesting story-telling.  Like I've always said, everyone would be happier if more people just died. Or something along those lines.

Desmond brings it

Assassin's Creed II and it's sequel Brotherhood gave us a small taster of what Desmond was capable of. He can leap into piles of hay with seemingly no fore-thought of possible consequence like a pro. However, I would like to see him take a more active approach to his abilities - specifically in regards to busting heads. Throughout the entire of Brotherhood Desmond equipped himself with a hidden-blade, the perfect tool for some covert stabbing - however he did little more with it than pry open doors and cut loose threads off his gleaming white hooded jacket. Which I maintain was designed for a woman.

Modern day Assassins do some Assassin-ing

Danny Wallace is the critically acclaimed author of 'Yes Man'. He is also one of my favourite writers and humourists. On top of that he is also a deadly deadly assassin in Ubisofts virtual realm. Therefore I would like him, and all the other modern day Assassins, to stab something other than their keyboards with their boney, book-handling fingers. You can't always murder people with razor sharp, British dry wit Danny - pick up a knife and do some well deserved cold-blooded murder.

A boss that's actually a boss

Whilst I never tire of beating up well known elderly religious figures I feel the challenge is lost somewhat when this is the pinnacle of the game. Actual boss-fights against actual threats wouldn't go amiss in the Assassin's Creed series. Whilst this particular set of titles has never been famed for its difficulty an epic concluding boss-battle would be a welcome breath of fresh air in an otherwise desolate landscape of one hit killed, cold, lifeless bodies. Who that boss might be I have yet to decide however, perhaps given the setting of Istanbul...a giant turkey?

Desmond loses it

Throughout the series players have received several hints of a mysterious patient known as 'Subject 16' going mad and meeting a bloody end as a result of the Animus. Desmond's time with the machine at this stage must be adding up and I for one have always been curious to see how it's affecting his psyche. Dreams and hallucinations were briefly touched upon in the second instalment of the series but other then that Desmond has shown not even a hint of murderous, hate-filled, psychotic intent. The weird Bastard.

Repressed memories

One of my favourite features in Brotherhood was the inclusion of several of Ezio's repressed memories. These daunting insights into the events that forever changed the young, care-free mavericks life were a refreshing change to the staunch and hardened Ezio that was presented to the player in the main story. Maybe if we delve deeper into the memories of Desmond's ancestors we can get more of an insight into their character, perhaps we can even see all the birthday parties that Altair's father missed or some of Mario Auditore's infamous special hugs.

A little help here guys

Also a welcome inclusion for me in Brotherhood was the addition of a gang of Assassin compadres that could be called upon in your moments of dire need. However, this gang of hooded misfits ended up feeling more like an extra weapon as opposed to an ever-present assisting force - often Ezio would feel alone, even if he had hordes of deadly trained killers at his side. Perhaps members of the Assassin order need to be given more of a role and personality so we can truly appreciate their presence on the battlefield. It's always best to get by with a little help from your friends after all.

Those are just some of the features and mechanics that I wish would be expanded on in the newest instalment of Assassin's Creed. 'Revelations' is set to hit us, like a high-speed crossbow bolt fired from a nearby pile of hay, at the end of this year and will be a most likely improvement on the high standard set by previous titles in the series.