How to Play Assassin's Creed

Last Updated: December 12, 2022

Assassin's Creed is universally recognized as a great game; many have played it and many have loved it. The goal of this article is to help you get the most enjoyment out of the game.

Method 1

Method 1 of 8:

General Rules

1
Do not rush through the game. This is a stealth action, not a hack-and-slash game. Although most of the missions do not require stealth, rushing ruins the spirit of the game.
2
The game has a social status system which is changed depend on your actions. The cycle of social status: Anonymous → Exposed → Unseen → Hiding → Vanished → Anonymous. The color of the indicator respectively is White/No color → Red → Yellow → Blue → Green → White/No color.

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3
The game has 4 levels of notoriety:
1. Incognito (SSI no color): Enemies will ignore you. You are a blade in the crowd.
2. Suspicious (SSI filled gradually with yellow): Enemies will notice you. High profile action will cause trouble and make the notorious increase faster.
3. Informed (SSI filled gradually with red): Enemies will investigate you. High profile action will cause trouble and make the notorious increase faster.
4. Detected (SSI filled instantly with red): Enemies will attack you on sight.
4
Low profile actions (walk, fast walk, stealthy kill...) keep you away from the risk of being detected. High profile actions (free run, jumping, climbing...) pull you out of the crowd and attract guards. However, drawing weapons in low profile still causes trouble.

Method 2

Method 2 of 8:

Being Anonymous

1
Being anonymous is essential for an assassin. It makes your missions easier.
2
Try to remain anonymous by avoiding high profile actions near guards. If you do something high profile, then they will notice.
3
When you become noticed, you can blend in or hide to cut the line of sight.
1. You can blend in with scholars, group of citizens on the street, and by sitting on benches between two people.
2. You can hide in haystacks, rooftop gardens, wells, moving peddler's cargos, bushes, etcetera.
3. Note that intelligent guards (captains, jagers, seekers, agiles) may search those hiding spots, except bushes, to find you.
4
You can throw money to attract citizens and distract guards in order to easily get into the guarded places. You can also throw money while being chased to attract citizens nearby, thus the slowing the guard down.
5
Higher level guards such as Brutes, Agiles, Seekers... will not be affect by thrown money. You can use other ways to lure them away, like:
1. Hiring courtesans and have them flirting with guards.
2. Using thieves, recruits to harass them.
3. Hiring mercenaries.
4. Dropping a dead body nearby (be careful not to be seen carrying a body).

Method 3

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Escape

1
If you are exposed and outgunned, outnumbered, low on health, or simply don't want to fight, running away is your best choice. This choice also make you stay low on notorious level.
2
When you are running, use sharp turns or climb a building (be careful because if guards see you do this they will throw rocks, shoot arrows or guns at you, and knock you down) to break the pursuers line of sight.
3
When you have broken the line of sight, hide or blend in to become anonymous. Check your notoriety level. You may want to decrease it.

Method 4

Method 4 of 8:

Lower your notoriety level

1
There are many ways to lower your notorious lever:

Ripping off wanted posters when no guard is in sight.
Bribing heralds.
Bribing printing houses.
Killing officials.

Method 5

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Investigate

1
Pickpocket. Picking an object pocket can result in money, items, or both. Never pickpocket in either a guards' sight or victims' sight. Doing so will put you into a fight.
2
Eavesdrop. Eavesdropping collects information about the missions. While eavesdropping, make sure you are in a secluded place, out of sight, or hiding/blending in, especially with guards. If you are caught eavesdropping by guards, prepare to draw your blade.
3
Interrogate. Interrogate is beating heralds or public announcers for information about missions or targets.
4
Analyzing Clue(s). Analyzing Clue(s) on the scene to collect information of the missions or targets. Actually, you only need to locate the clue(s), the character will do the rest.

Method 6

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Assassinate

1
The main job of an assassin. It happens in a very short amount of time, though it requires much preparation.
2
A true assassin is the person who takes sufficient time to prepare for the mission, knows the environment well, and most importantly: Stays hidden until (or even after) the strike.
3
You don't have to be hidden to complete the main objective (however, you have to be, in order to complete all optional objectives). The kill can be stealthy using the (legendary) hidden blade, or can be "loud" using other weapons. But for the perfect strike, it is recommended to perform a stealthy kill.
4
Many styles of stealthy kills are available: Assassinate from rooftops, assassinate from ledges, assassinate from hiding-spots, etcetera.

Method 7

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Weapons

Though not official, weapons in assassin's creed are divided in to 7 types.

1
The hidden blades. The legendary weapon of the assassins. It can be dual-wielded (the double hidden blades), poisoned or attached a pistol. The hidden blade is quick, deadly, and stealthy, but is weak at deflecting.
2
Normal weapons. Most of this type are swords. The rest are rapiers, cutlasses, sabers, etcetera .
3
Light weapons. Light weapons are abundant: Knives, daggers, light axes, tomahawks... This type is advanced in speed and damage, compared to the hidden blade.
4
Heavy/Blunt/Long weapons. This type does very much damage, but will disappoint you at its speed. Those weapons include axes, war hammers, maces, war clubs, spears...
5
Ranged weapons. Include: Guns (Pistols and Muskets), Bows, Darts, Throwing knives, Rope darts...
6
Improvised weapons. Improvised weapons are devices that were originally not designed for use in combat but could still be put to good use as weapons. Some of those are hoes, rakes, brooms, violins, fishing poles, etcetera
7
Other weapons/equipment. Includes: Smoke bombs, trip mines, etcetera

Method 8

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Eagle vision

Eagle Vision allows you to view people and objects around you in a clearer perspective.

1
In earlier versions of the game, you could only use Eagle Vision when you are standing still and had a full synchronization bar. Later versions allow you to use Eagle Vision anytime, anywhere, in any condition of synchronization.
2
Generally:
1. Blue glow represents Allies.
2. Red glow represents Enemies or Spilled blood.
3. Yellow glow represents Targets or Object(s)/Person/People of Interest.
4. White glow represents Sources of Information or Hiding Spots.
3
Eagle vision is also used to find clue(s) to be analyzed, and is used to scan glyphs and rifts.

Community Q&A

Question

How do I change my character during the game?

Community Answer

If you want to change your outfit, find a shop and "purchase" a new one from the shopkeeper. Leaving the menu and coming back to the game screen will change the character into the new outfit.
Question

How do I perform a leap of faith?

Community Answer

For both PS3/PS4, hold L1, press X, and push forward on the left stick. Be sure to be at a high point, such as the topmost point of a church, with a hay pile below.
Question

How do I do a double counter kill?

Community Answer

As far as I can tell, you cannot double counter kill in the earlier games (Ezio trilogy and AC1). As of AC3, you can double counter kill only if two guards are attacking at once.