Eagle Sense
Press the Eagle Sense button (l/o) to activate Ezio’s uncanny ability to discern and interpret details that are otherwise invisible ( 01).
Eagle Sense is occasionally employed to find secret entrances or locate specific individuals during Core Memories and Secondary Memories. In these instances, a prompt will always appear to notify you to use it.
There is a distinctive color scheme in Eagle Sense: objective-specific targets are gold; enemies are red; allies are blue; innocent citizens are white. Points of interest (including treasure chests and areas of special interactivity) are also highlighted.
For those who prefer a silent and discrete approach to objectives whenever possible, Eagle Sense also reveals information on enemy movements. Look carefully, and you will see faint red lines that mark the routes of active patrols in the current area.
Looking at treasure chests or collectibles through Eagle Sense will permanently mark their position on the main map and mini-map. If you do not have time to pick a collectible up or loot a container, this enables you to mark them for later attention.
Pickpocketing & Fast Walk
Ezio can steal money from civilians by Pickpocketing. To achieve this, hold the Legs button to activate the Fast Walk movement speed and steer him into a collision with a suitable target with d ( 02).
Pickpocketing is an illegal action, so any guards that witness it may automatically attack Ezio. Unless you make a swift departure from the scene of the crime, you may find that certain bold civilians will put up their fists and seek to remonstrate with the Assassin.
The funds acquired through individual acts of Pickpocketing are rather low. This can be a moderately effective way to accumulate extra currency when you first reach Constantinople, but a new feature introduction renders the talent prohibitively inefficient later in the story.
While Pickpocketing is an ability that (certain objective-based applications aside) is ushered into early obsolescence, the Fast Walk ability used to initiate it can be astonishingly useful. If you need to evade suspicious guards, holding the Legs button makes Ezio move at a more purposeful stride than the basic walk, but does not attract any greater degree of attention. If you are creeping up to assassinate an oblivious target, it also enables you to close any intervening gap at a greater pace, but without creating any noise.
Naturally, it should go without saying that Fast Walk is only effective as a stealth technique if you can avoid inadvertently colliding with civilians…
Looting
To loot a corpse or rifle through a treasure chest, stand above it and hold the Empty Hand button (S/r) until the meter that appears is completely filled ( 03). Looting vanquished foes and containers can provide Ezio with a variety of useful items and rewards.
Most adversaries tend to relinquish practical items, such as ammunition and Medicine. They may on occasion hold small sums of currency, though these sums become trivial very early in the adventure. The principle reason to loot most enemies is to replenish Ezio’s stocks of consumable items and ammo.
High-rank opponents (particularly senior Templars) may carry unusually large sums of money. If you kill an individual who seems in some sense noteworthy, be sure to rifle through their pockets in anticipation of such windfalls.
Treasure Chests can contain variable sums of money, special crafting ingredients (which we cover in the Walkthrough chapter), or both bounties at once.
Moving Bodies
Briefly tap the Empty Hand button (S/r) to pick up a corpse. If discretion is important, this can enable you to remove an incriminating cadaver from a potential guard patrol route. Press the button again to throw the corpse to the ground. You can also drop bodies into hiding spots ( 04) or deep water to permanently hide them. Alternatively, you can dump a corpse in plain sight with the specific intention of creating a distraction or general commotion…
Throwing Money
The Throw Money ability can be used to lure low-rank guards from their posts or patrols ( 05) and generally reduce their vigilance, or to create walls of avaricious civilians who may block the path of aggressors in pursuit of Ezio. Hold the Weapon Selector button and select the money pouch in the right-hand radial menu, then press the Secondary Attack Button (y/e) to scatter coins.