As much of your time in Assassin’s Creed Revelations is spent bounding from pillar to post, performing daring leaps with scant regard for the dizzying drops below, mastering the art of free running is a vital step in your journey through the story.
For those new to the series, it’s important to understand that the lack of a traditional “jump” button makes your role something more akin to a navigator.
Cast aside any expectations or preconceptions fostered by traditional platform games: the Assassin’s Creed adventures have a very different approach.
As there is generally no need to manually instruct Ezio to jump or catch a particular hand-hold, the trick to achieving consistently fluid, decisive movement isn’t to focus on where you are, but where you are going to be.
You will gradually learn to “read” the distinct visual language of each environment, instinctively recognizing each point of interactivity as you swing, scale, vault and leap with increasingly effortlessly flair.
Ultimately, once you completely familiarize yourself with Ezio’s remarkable athletic prowess – and, of course, his limitations – you will acquire the ability to plan discrete steps in a journey several seconds in advance.
Free Running & Climbing
Hold the High Profile button (RT/R1) in conjunction with the left stick to break into a run. With this movement style, Ezio will vault low obstructions or drop safe distances to a surface below, but will not attempt to climb or leap.
While running, press and hold the Legs button (A/X) to break into a sprint.
When Ezio makes contact with a surface, this button combination will always initiate an attempt to climb. If there is no handhold within range, he will wall run briefly before dropping back to the ground.
Once Ezio begins scaling a wall, you can release the Legs button until you have a specific need to use it.
If Ezio reaches the end of a surface while sprinting (such as the edge of a rooftop), he will leap in the direction of movement. Ezio will automatically regulate the length and height of his jumps to land on the next solid surface in range, or to grab ledges within reach.
To drop to a lower level without jumping while free running, hold the High Profile button only. You can also momentarily release and press the Legs button during a sprint to perform a brief “hop”.
If speed is of the essence, this slightly more advanced technique can be used just before you reach a drop to maintain momentum while transitioning from one elevation to another on an otherwise uninterrupted surface.
With the High Profile and Legs buttons held, Ezio will automatically swing on poles and hanging fixtures (such as lamps or baskets) when he encounters them.
Learn to regulate your use of the Legs button. Don’t feel the need to sprint everywhere: this is a high-risk movement mode that should only be employed when you have clear ground ahead, or when specifically required to begin a climb or leap over a gap.
Another big step in becoming an accomplished climber is to use the right stick to plan the route ahead, enabling you to identify the best path to your destination as you move. Poor camera control is often the cause of Ezio’s most ruinous free run mishaps.
Falling great heights can injure or even kill Ezio outright. To increase his ability to survive long falls, hold the left stick in the direction of movement to roll on landing.
Advanced Climbing Techniques
As scaling the tallest buildings and towers can be a protracted process, a traditional descent would be extremely time-consuming. Fortunately, Ezio – as the foremost Assassin of his era – is the master of a miraculous technique known as the Leap of Faith.
This enables him to dive from a great height into a suitable “soft” landing spot far below (such as a pile of straw or leaves) and emerge without a scratch.
Positions where Ezio can perform a Leap of Faith include Viewpoint perches marked by an eagle flying overhead (introduced in the Walkthrough chapter), or ledges or beams covered in droppings, frequented by birds who disperse as he approaches.
To perform the jump, move the left stick in the direction of the landing position below, then press the High Profile button (RT/R1) and Legs button (A/X).
If Ezio must reach a ledge below his position but there are no available hand‑holds for a measured climb, tap the Empty Hand button (B/O) to make him release his grasp. As he falls, press the left stick and hold the same button to grab the next ledge below as he approaches it.
When there is no Leap of Faith to be found on a tall building, this skill can be employed to make moderately swift descents to lower elevations.
Similarly, if you misjudge a leap and find Ezio plummeting to the ground with ledges within reach, hold the Empty Hand button and press the left stick in the direction of the surface to perform a Catch Back.
This can also be used to curtail a fall if Ezio loses his grasp when attacked while climbing.
Lifts enable Ezio to improvise a rapid ascent to higher elevations simply by running into them. Not merely a convenient shortcut, they also offer a novel and effective way to escape pursuing guards – who may be killed as the counterweight crashes to the ground.
While climbing, release the left stick, hold the High Profile button and tap the Legs button to perform a Back Eject. This is used to reach surfaces behind Ezio’s current position.
The Side Eject enables Ezio to leap to either side of a surface while climbing. Hold the High Profile button, then tap the Legs button and press left or right on the left stick simultaneously.
If you are attempting to reach a ledge on a flat surface parallel to the direction of the jump, you will need to perform a Catch Back (Empty Hand button + the left stick towards ledge) to take hold of it.
The Wall Eject move, though rarely called for in main story Memories, makes it possible for Ezio to reach positions that would otherwise be just beyond his reach.
Sprint into a solid “blank” surface and, at the height of his brief vertical wall run, tap the Legs button and hold the left stick left or right to jump to either side. To spring backwards, press the Legs button only.
Swimming & Boats
Use the left stick to move in water. Hold the High Profile button to swim at an increased pace, and add the Legs button to move at maximum speed or climb out of water in close proximity to a suitable surface.
Press and hold the Legs button alone to dive beneath the surface for a limited period of time; you also can move slowly with d while underwater. This can be employed to avoid detection, or pass beneath obstructions ().
When you leap into water from above, tap the Legs button to transform the jump into a purposeful dive.
To pilot small boats, approach the pole at the rear of the vessel and press the Empty Hand button (B/ O ) to enter the rowing position. Tap the button at regular intervals to gain speed, and use the left stick to steer.
Press the Legs button to stop rowing.