The game follows the series' standard open world gameplay in the Ezio and Altaïr Sequences, where the game's main story takes place. New gameplay additions include an item called the "hookblade", which can be used to zipline across the city or grab enemies to yank them in for a combo attack. The hookblade reportedly speeds up navigation by around 30 percent and serves as a replacement to the traditional dual Hidden Blade.[1] Along with the hookblade, Ezio also has around 15 different bomb variations at his disposal, which are to be crafted.[2] The game features new Desmond Sequences known as "Desmond's Journey", five "Dalí-esque" first-person platforming missions in a radical departure for the series.[3] Each sequence of "Desmond's Journey" can only be unlocked by collecting a certain amount of Data Fragments hidden throughout Constantinople, or by purchasing The Lost Archive DLC. Data Fragments are a new type of collectible in Revelations, replacing the flags of previous games in the series.
Also added and expanded are seizing districts of the city from the Templars. While capturing a district is very similar to Brotherhood, the Templars will send reinforcements to recapture districts, which Ezio must defend using a "tower defense" minigame called den defense, where he controls a group of Assassins from rooftops against several waves of Templar soldiers and siege equipment. Similar to Brotherhood, initiates can be sent on missions to other regions, eventually wresting control from the Templars, and then using the city to produce a stream of income and new Assassin recruits. The game is playable in full 3D across three platforms: PlayStation 3, PC, and Xbox 360, with the console versions supporting both stereoscopic 3D mode for 3D HDTVs and for 2D HDTVs. All Revelations gameplay and cinematics have S3D support.[4]
Locations in the game included Rhodes, Masyaf,[5] Constantinople and Cappadocia.[6] Inside Constantinople the game is split into the four districts Constantine, Bayezid, Imperial, and Galata.[7]
