Assassin's Creed Revelations

Ezio whips up a nasty collection of bombs, and we reunite with Altaïr, the original Assassin's Creed hero.

The new playable level opens with Ezio chasing a man named Leandros in a horse drawn carriage. You may recognize this guy as the one who puts the noose around Ezio's neck in an earlier trailer. Well, Leandros has one of Altaïr's five keys that is tied to important memories and life experiences. Just when Ezio pulls up to Leandros' fort, an enemy throws a bomb at his carriage and it blows to pieces. Ezio tumbles down the side of the mountain in defeat. He climbs back up towards the castle, but is severely wounded so he limps along and can't risk any further injury by engaging enemies right now. It looks like stealth is the tactic to go with here.

He spots a water wheel, grabs onto it, and lets it lift him to the top of the outer castle wall. After killing the guy at the top, he creeps down and takes out another, then leaves a bomb by his body. This new weapon basically works as a proximity mine. When other soldiers come to investigate, they all get blown up and no one else notices. Ezio heads over to a chest and picks up some new bomb ingredients – including shrapnel and caltrops (metal spikes). Bomb ingredients seem to have replaced the random items players collected in Brotherhood to sell at shops in exchange for exclusive weapons.

Next, Ezio finds a bomb creation station where he can use these ingredients. The three main categories of bomb are lethal, tactical, and diversion. Each bomb includes an outer shell type, a kind of explosive powder, and some shrapnel or caltrop. Ezio tosses a bomb on the ground as he runs away from some enemies who have discovered him and it leaves a coating of caltrops all over the path behind him. After being on the verge of death, it's a relief to see a medical station, which boosts Ezio back to health. These replace the beaked doctors from Brotherhood, since it would be weird for them to be hanging out in Masyaf.

Ezio eventually makes it to a courtyard, where Leandros taunts him and orders his men to attack. Ezio throws grenade-style bombs in the soldiers' faces and climbs up to where his rival is hiding. Ezio unceremoniously finishes him off and collects the small, medallion-like key.

Grabbing this key instantly transports him back to Altaïr's body before the events of the very first game. Altaïr's mentor Al Mualim has been captured by a thug called the Crusader. This foe has taken the stronghold and is executing hostages. Altaïr climbs up the outer wall and performs and aerial kill on him. Al Mualim thanks his student and says that he is getting closer to becoming a master assassin and that his father would be proud.

The demo closed up there, but it will be interesting to watch Al Mualim's actions before he reveals himself as a secret Templar villain as seen in the end of the first game. Assassin's Creed: Revelations comes to consoles on November 15.